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www.postmagazine.com 6 POST JAN/FEB 2025 BITS & PIECES ANORA: THE SOUND BEHIND SEAN BAKER'S CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED FILM Neon's Anora tells the story of a young sex worker from Brooklyn, who gets a chance at a Cinderella story when she impulsively marries the son of an oli- garch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled. The feature was directed by Sean Baker, and Andy Hay, CAS, and John Warrin, CAS, MPSE, served as re-recording mixers and supervising sound editors. Both point to the film's final scene, with Ani in the car, as a highlight. "The rattle of the Mercedes engine anchors us in reality, while the pitter pat- ter of snowfall conversely evokes a feeling of calm," notes Hay, adding that the sound of the windshield wipers goes from abrasive and harsh to soothing. "Andy and I spent a good amount of time on that scene to get it to work both emotionally and temporally," Warrin reveals. SONY PICTURES COMPLETES INITIAL ADR UPGRADES Culver City, CA's Sony Pictures Post Production Services recently completed a major renovation to one of its principal ADR stages. The work is part of an effort to upgrade all of its voice-recording facilities on the Sony Pictures studio lot in Culver City. ADR3 has been enlarged and fitted with entirely-new technology, includ- ing an Avid S6 mixing console. Its acoustics were improved and its aesthetics brought in line with contemporary standards. The stage will be used to record dialogue and background voices for features, television and other entertain- ment media. Newly hired ADR mixer Marilyn Morris, CAS, will helm the room. Morris brings more than a decade of experience as an ADR mixer, with credits that include series such as Cobra Kai and Ted Lasso, and the feature films Elemental and Jurassic World Dominion. ADR3's new 24-fader Avid S6 M40 control surface is supported by an Avid Matrix II audio interface, Blackmagic Design Videohub video router and record- er, NLA ADR Master 2 software, a Brainstorm DXD8 reference generator and JBL stage speakers. "This room is equipped with the industry's most advanced technology for ADR recording, and it will serve as the template for our other ADR stages," says Lane Burch, executive director, post production sound engineering. "Our two other ADR stages will be updated with the same technology to facilitate ease of use for ADR talent and to allow projects to migrate between stages seamlessly." The physical restoration of the stage was undertaken with similar care. The room has been expanded, its ceiling raised and new acoustics installed. The interior design was also refreshed with a contemporary aesthetic and an eye toward comfort and creative collaboration. "Our mission was to elevate the experience of the talent who come here," explains Gredel Berrios, executive director, post sound facilities operations & client services, Sony Pictures. "We want talent to feel welcome the moment they arrive, to feel inspired and ready to do great work." ADR3 is located inside of the John Williams Music Building and has a storied history. It was originally built in the 1980s as part of The Mastering Lab, and was used to master movie soundtracks, as well as pop, rock and jazz re- cords, including the 2005 Grammy Award Album of the Year "Genius Loves Company" by Ray Charles. Morris joins Sony Pictures from Netflix Animation, where she was one of its inaugural in-house recording mixers. Her background also includes a tenure at Skywalker Sound as a mix technician and editorial assistant. She has contribut- ed to major franchises, including Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Additionally, she spent two years at Waterman Sound as their ADR/original dialog mixer. She also received two Cinema Audio Society Award nominations for her work on Ted Lasso and Cobra Kai. "There is so much history at Sony Pictures," she notes. "As soon as you step on the lot, you know you are part of something special. Sony has an exceptional post production team who inspire confidence. It's a great place to call home."