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I f you ask someone about trends these days, it's nearly impossible not to bring up the economy, since that is the root of most recent trends. "The industr y is ver y black and white right now," says Soho Editors CEO David Gater. "You are either winning or you are out… there is no in between. This can be seen all across the industry; there is no room for mediocrity. If you are not at the top of your game there is no place for you. Shows are being cancelled, facilities are closing their doors, ever yone is looking for work. This economy has forced upon us an unavoidable trend… we will just have to see where it leads us." Kristen Harold, manager of post training at Soho Editors, has seen a spike in editors and post pros looking to stay ahead by getting the proper training and certifications in Final Cut Studio 2. Di- versification is key. "Anything to make your re- sume stand out against the crowd is key in this kind of climate," she says. Smoke & Mirrors NY's creative director, Sean Broughton, is also quick to reference the economy when talking trends. "Things are changing pretty quickly in light of the financial situation, and we are having to adapt our model to fit. A lot of our clients need ever ything available under one roof now and we are even being asked to direct and edit projects as well as our traditional role of post." In 2D they are being asked to do more After Effects design work."In 3D we are asked to gener- ate photoreal products for a number of clients to replace shooting them. Manufacturing them en- tirely in post, in every variation, is saving the clients a lot of money." He also believes that grading technology has changed completely. "As of September we will be offering the most up-to-date grading facility in NY, an all-new way of transferring and grading both film and digital media. Everything will be scanned at, at least, 2K and every frame shot will be avail- able at any time. It will be interesting to see if there is a return to the old methods once the economy has turned round. I think perhaps not." Absolute NY's executive VP, Sally Heath, says, "What these dark days and hard times seem to have created is a group of professionals who are now using the leaner budgets and tighter schedules to push themselves, their talent and the technology to the fur thest limits. Colleagues and clients are closing ranks on the troubles and finding solutions, which seem to show how the blitz spirit still re- mains and brings an optimistic tinge to the dull cast of recession-colored America and Britain." There is no escaping the economy. Making it in New York E D I T O R ' S N O T E 4 Post • May 2009 www.postmagazine.com By RANDI ALTMAN E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F raltman@postmagazine.com P O S T S C R I P T Keeping busy in the Big Apple G ary Arnold is a sound designer/mixer that operates his own Manhattan-based bou- tique, Gary's Chop Shop. Arnold has worked within post houses in the past — Blinkfx, McHale Barone, Superdupe — and two years ago, decided it was time to go out on his own. Today, he's found a niche in audio post for docu-dramas, and has been busy posting the Travel Channel's Dhani Tackles the Globe. Budgets, he says, have taken a beating in recent years. "I've watched budgets get cut in half, over the years — and then in half again!" He's also seen a trend for clients keeping projects in- house, or mixing "in the box," which keeps work away from dedicated audio houses like his. But while the local economy has presented challenges, he admits to using it to his advantage in one case. "I've purchased a lot of my equip- ment at 10 cents on the dollar," he notes, having taken advantage of other studios that have closed and liquidated their gear. The Mill NY is just the opposite. It has a large space on Broadway and is home to 100 staffers. Alistair Thompson is managing director at the studio and says he's noticed a decline by three specific types of commercial clients: finan- cial, automotive and big brands. "It's difficult to create a message while the economy is in turmoil," he notes. "The financial companies didn't know how to advertise their message because it was unpopular." Big brands, he adds, are cautious not to do anything that comes off as overblown or inappropriate. And while The Mill also handles film VFX and television work,Thompson says, "advertising is still incredibly important to us. For those who are brave, forward thinking, this is a time that is kind of opportunistic. It forces people to not sit back and tread water. [You have to] explore new avenues." For The Mill, those new avenues come in part from "delivery." And what about the pressure of not only surviving, but also staying on top? "I think with any successful company there is a continual pressure to keep it successful.That just means not being complacent and not assuming what you were doing yesterday is the same thing you should be doing today." 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