Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/5315
36 Post • December 2009 www.postmagazine.com with audio decides to do the audio themselves. I know here at Audio Altimeter, I could have negotiated a price to do these proj- ects, but they are not even calling. Some companies can't even con- sider it anymore." OPPORTUNITIES: "A lot of what is going on with the economy comes down to really figuring out how to cut back and do more with less. Also, all of us need to do more sales and reach out to a lot more clients. We are not able to rest on our client laurels, so to speak. It's fun going after new business. In the past, I may not have gone after a cer- tain client because I didn't think my skills were an exact match, but now I will do a lot more research and find out what exactly they need. Chances are good that I can help them somewhere in their company." THREATS: "The biggest threat is when any company is forced to rely on themselves for audio because they no longer have the budget for an audio facility like us. For example, video editors are doing more audio clean up and mixing. But the real threat in that sit- uation is that they don't perceive it as lower quality compared to what we can do for them. They perceive it as 'just fine' rather than having it sound as good as it possibly can. The standard should not be lowered, but it is now for a lot of people." OUTLOOK 2010: "It's all good. Every time an economic indicator shows improvement, things just make little steps to being better. A higher standard is going to happen and clients will realize that we can take extra time to mix something so we can reach its full potential." JON ADELMAN Executive Producer Nutmeg Audio Post New York (www.nutmegaudiopost.com) New York City's Nutmeg Audio Post was founded in 1979, and spe- cializes in audio post production and sound design for film, video, televi- sion and radio. STRENGTHS: "Adver tising agencies are always coming up with new ways to expose their clients' messages. The creativity and the people are the strengths of our industry. Some agencies are hiring people with diverse experiences even if they're not familiar with the production process. This creates oppor tunities to shine by getting more involved at an earlier stage of the process and helping to facil- itate their visions. Working with clients to map out a project and ex- ceeding everyone's expectations is always a rewarding experience." WEAKNESSES: "Agencies continue to build in-house facilities. They hire and train decent audio engineers, but there are times we are called upon to overcome problems created by less experienced mixers.You'll find the most talented engineers working in audio facil- ities. Budgets continue to be stretched thin. We have to do more with less time and money. Too often, audio is looked at as an after thought resulting in not enough time or money being available to create the best possible sounding audio. When ad budgets are being formulated, everyone must remember that the audio is still 50 per- cent of the experience, especially with the continued growth of HD, 5.1 and home theaters." OPPORTUNITIES: "In addition to our large adver tising base, we're also doing lots of promos, ADR for TV shows and films, recording and mixing for cartoons, Websites, videogames, industrials and other non traditional adver tising media. Just about all content needs professional sounding audio, so our oppor tunities are ex- panding.The demand for remote recording is so huge that we have the ability to do seven ISDN sessions simultaneously. "Many clients want to do ever ything under one roof and are looking for package deals. We've positioned ourselves to be able to meet that demand by adding another floor with video editing suites and additional audio studios. "Just as it is a weakness, budget and time constraints present an oppor tunity to shine, as long as you can avoid compromising the creative process. Communication becomes more impor tant then ever. Knowing what format tapes and specs are needed in advance, allows for a more efficient use of time." THREATS: "The cost of technology continues to come down. This gives just about anyone access to the same tools. Just because someone has Pro Tools doesn't mean they are an audio engineer. "Finishing in HD has become more and more popular, but too many people are still not familiar with the various formats and ter- minology. Again, not knowing what format tapes to expect or being given wrong information can cause some unnecessary delays." OUTLOOK 2010: "I'm optimistic about 2010.There's a continued momentum in our bookings and we've seen signs that the industry is ready to bounce back. We're seeing some budgets that are actu- ally star ting to grow. Our client base continues to expand since we've added additional services to meet their demands." OUTLOOK Audio Nutmeg worked on this VH1promo for The T.O. Show.