Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1522417
www.postmagazine.com 7 POST MAY/JUNE 2024 BITS & PIECES SOUND GOODS OPENS IN MANHATTAN FOR AUDIO POST NEW YORK CITY — Sound Goods (www.soundgoods.tv) is a new audio post/ sound design studio launched by partners Weston Fonger and Angelina Powers. The duo had collaborated at Vinylmix and will continue working in tandem as a sound designer/mixer and executive producer, respectively. Fonger is a veteran of the New York audio post scene, who was a founding mixer when Vinylmix launched in 2017 as the audio post arm of Yessian Music. His credits include Super Bowl spots and award-winning ad campaigns. He was the supervising sound editor on Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour docu- mentary, and has collaborated with animator Bill Plympton on numerous films. Fonger has also crafted immersive soundscapes for experiences such as NYC's One World Observatory and Hudson Yards' Edge. Prior to joining Yessian as staff mixer in 2011, he spent a number of years freelancing for clients and post houses in New York. This followed time at AudioEngine and Howard Schwartz Recording. Powers is a seasoned executive producer with over 20 years of combined experience in music production, audio post production, live-action production and business development. Prior to joining Yessian and Vinylmix as a producer, she was in a sales role at Comma Music. Before that, she was a partner in the independent repping firm SuperPowers. According to Fonger, the launch of Sound Goods was inspired by several factors. "First off, the nature of how work in the post production sector is done has radically changed," he states. "We think, in many ways, the new prevailing attitudes regarding remote workflows have provided a lot of new opportunities that just weren't there before. If we've learned anything in this time, it's that our clients value flexibility and reliability." "After working so closely for the past half-dozen years, we intuitively un- derstand and appreciate each other's strengths and skill sets," adds Powers. "Based on this, we were ready to do all of this on our own." The company is representing mixer/sound designer Jarrett Farkas, whose career highlights include numerous ad campaigns, as well as mixing episodes of the PBS series Live From The Artist's Den. He also provided sound design, music and mix collaboration on over 40 original short films for the popular animated series, TEDEd. AUTODESK ADDS A.I. POWER THROUGH WONDER DYNAMICS ACQUISITION SAN FRANCISCO — Autodesk (www.autodesk.com) has acquired Wonder Dynamics, the maker of Wonder Studio, a cloud-based 3D animation and VFX solution that combines artificial intelligence with established tools. Wonder Studio is compatible with other popular 3D tools, including Autodesk Maya, helping artists more easily animate, light and compose 3D characters within live-action scenes. The acquisition will give creators the ability to add 3D-animated characters to their projects while minimizing the learning curve, and automate complex and time- consuming processes. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. "By embracing emerging technology, we want to help teams and creators of all sizes and skill levels create more content, more easily, so everyone has the power to bring their inspiring stories to life," explains Diana Colella, executive VP of media & entertainment at Autodesk. Wonder Dynamics offers a plug-in that connects with professional 3D tools to deliver streamlined, high-quality character workflows. "The current misconception is that AI is a one-click solution, and that's why we are excited to join a company that, at its core, supports the iter- ative nature of 3D and storytelling," says Wonder Dynamics' co-founder and CEO Nikola Todorovic of the Autodesk deal. "We put a lot of effort into building an AI tool that does not replace artists, but rather speeds up creative workflows, makes things more efficient, and helps productions save costs. We firmly believe that our alignment with Autodesk will only amplify that vision and further push the boundaries of ethical AI and emerging technology in media & entertainment." Angelina Powers and Weston Fonger