Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1512183
60 M PS E . O R G gained and transfer it to a new one. For this purpose, we organized the Incubator—a series of masterclasses and practical assignments from February to August every year. We selected students and editors from various film schools, festivals, and the Artmasters Sound Design Competition. In total, there were about 5-6 people per year. At the end of the Incubator, we invited the top 2-3 editors to join our team. CM: Pavel, when the global COVID pandemic hit in 2019, how did that impact things for you and your team in Moscow? PD: The pandemic didn't significantly impact our work. It turned out quite well that we had completed several projects before the lockdown, while the others were still in the early stages, and they were relatively straightforward productions. More complex projects that were planned for this period came to a halt at picture editing. We promptly organized remote access to our sound library for all employees, and other material was distributed on local disks. Yes, we couldn't conduct collaborative in- person meetings and screenings, but the teams continued to work as usual. I would review what they had done at home, and then we would discuss everything over Zoom. Those employees who found themselves unoccupied during this period took on tasks related to cataloging the sound library and various other studio tasks that had been postponed due to lack of time before. After the pandemic, there was a significant surge in production of television series content. Russian projects became very popular on international VOD platforms and Netflix Originals launched four projects in Moscow. We had always collaborated with colleagues from the USA, France, and Italy, but at that moment, the maximum peak came from the studio's work growing. It was a very pleasant surprise for me to receive an invitation to the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and MPSE. We have actively expanded cooperation with our foreign colleagues to participate in major international projects, including Timur Bekmambetov (director of Night Watch (2004), Wanted (2008), Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012); Alexander Rodnyansky (producer of Stalingrad), Netflix Original, Apple TV+ and others. Films on which we worked with Kantemir Balagov (director of Beanpole) and Kira Kovalenko (director of Unclenching the Fists) received prizes in Cannes. CM: Pavel, can you describe how the Ukraine conflict led to your moving your operations to Khazakhstan? PD: The move was a very spontaneous and difficult decision. In February 2022, complete apathy and indifference set in and some of our guys began to leave for other post-USSR countries. The announcement of mobilization was the trigger. We didn't want to lose people with whom we had built not just a creative team but also a highly efficient technological production. Being in different cities without a unified studio base, our team wouldn't be able to work as we were used to, it would become typical remote freelance work. Add to that We received a Nika Award for the Best Sound for Beanpole (2019). Clockwise from 9 am: Alexandr Khokhlov, Dmitry Vasilyev, Nelli Ivanova, Elizaveta Khabchuk, Pavel Doreuli, Olga Solovyova, Evgeniy Ziborov, Aleksey Kudryavtsev, Nikita Koksharov, Rostislav Alimov, Andrey Kireev, Pavel Stasenko, Anna Zobova, Maria Valuiskaya, Ivan Chepurin, Daria Bochkareva, Marina Cherepanova, Maria Valuiskaya, Dmitry Boyarintsev. 2020, Atmosfera ©