PART 7. THE END/ REBIRTH

In 2012, Sound One, possibly the most successful post-production facility in New York City’s history, closed its doors after 44 years of business. What caused the demise of Sound One is a point of contention between the clients, former owners, founders and staff, who hold multiple theories about why it failed financially. Some blame a distant holding company in Denver who some say were out of touch with the needs of the local community in New york and undermined the business practices which required creative and financial flexibility to maintain its base of both established and up and coming filmmakers. Others cite a long process of chipping away at the character of Sound One over a period of time during which the company was bought and sold five times to various entities.

Here former staff and clients explain in their words, how the end of Sound one came to be and how in the wake of its undeniable force created new pools of talent and multiple post-production facilities in New York, all of them strengthened by the work ethic and familial bonds of developed at Sound One.

The Sound One Era: 1968-2012 is a multi-part series for Frame By Frame a podcast co-presented by Motion Picture Editors Guild and Post New York Alliance.

Frame By Frame is a podcast series that introduces you to the most influential, respected and accomplished cinema post-production professionals working in New York today. Through intimate, informal discussions between collaborators about post-production craft, aesthetics, process and technique, we’ll recognize and celebrate the iconic films and people that have made New York film history as well as those contemporaries who continue to make important contributions to the art of filmmaking. In conversations anchored by the film editor, we’ll share the stories that define New York as an essential ongoing capital of the global film industry.

FxF008: The Sound one era 1968-2012

Part 5: The Foley Artist

Elisha Birnbaum, co-founder of Sound One, is considered one of the best NY foley artists of his generation. His stage looked like a suburban garage or basement or attic with various surfaces on the floor and, shelves filled with props used to create sounds. You would often meet Elisha walking around the hallways of Sound One in cut off jean shorts, and womens high heels,  which he wore when foleying the sound of womens footsteps. Here, staff and clients retell stories of working with Elisha and others at Sound One in recognizing the creative genius behind Elisha’s work and the role of the foley artist.

From 1968 to 2012, Sound One grew from a solo operation to becoming the most successful post-production sound and editing facility on the East Coast. At its apex, Sound One inhabited five floors of the famed Brill Building housed 150 edit suites and over 300 clients and staff at its apex and commanded 85% of post-production business in New York. As its reputation grew, it became the go to post-production home for such filmmakers as Sidney Lumet, Arthur Penn, George Roy Hill, Jonathan Demme, Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese and through its constant support of independents, helped launch the careers of  filmmakers like the Alan Pakula, Spike Lee, The Coen Brothers, M. Night Shyamalan, Michael Moore, Ken Burns and countless post-production professionals and helped post-produce some of cinemas most influential works.

The Sound One Era: 1968-2012 is a multi-part series for Frame By Frame a podcast co-presented by Motion Picture Editors Guild and Post New York Alliance.

Frame By Frame is a podcast series that introduces you to the most influential, respected and accomplished cinema post-production professionals working in New York today. Through intimate, informal discussions between collaborators about post-production craft, aesthetics, process and technique, we’ll recognize and celebrate the iconic films and people that have made New York film history as well as those contemporaries who continue to make important contributions to the art of filmmaking. In conversations anchored by the film editor, we’ll share the stories that define New York as an essential ongoing capital of the global film industry.

FXF008: THE SOUND ONE ERA 1968-2012

PART 3: Tribute to Bill Nisselson and Sybil Brown

Bill Nisselson was often described as the heart of Sound One. As managing Director from 1979-2001, Bill, alongside co-founder Elisha Birnbaum, set the tone of interaction, organized the deals and orchestrated the cross-traffic of post-production work between staff and clients which at its apex commanded 6 floors in the Brill Building and took in over 85% of the post-production film business in New York.

Not far from Bill’s office Sybil Brown, the receptionist from 1985-2005, offered a warm welcome, fresh flowers and the uncanny ability to locate people by phone in crucial moments and also stood as essential to the heartbeat of the Sound One experience. 

In this episode, staff and clients remember their interactions with Bill Nisselson, and Sybil Brown and share their stories about how both Bill and Sybil played a dominant role not only in shaping the working environment of  Sound One, but also in shaping peoples lives.

The Sound One Era: 1968-2012 is a multi-part series for Frame By Frame a podcast co-presented by Motion Picture Editors Guild and Post New York Alliance.

Frame By Frame is a podcast series that introduces you to the most influential, respected and accomplished cinema post-production professionals working in New York today. Through intimate, informal discussions between collaborators about post-production craft, aesthetics, process and technique, we’ll recognize and celebrate the iconic films and people that have made New York film history as well as those contemporaries who continue to make important contributions to the art of filmmaking. In conversations anchored by the film editor, we’ll share the stories that define New York as an essential ongoing capital of the global film industry.

FXF006: Films of Jim Jarmusch- Jay Rabinowitz, Chic Ciccolini, Dominick Tavella

In the first episode of Frame By Frame Season 2, picture editor, Jay Rabinowitz, sound editor, Chic Ciccolini  and re-recording mixer, Dominick Tavella talk about their craft and process in collaborating with filmmaker Jim Jarmusch on his films from the 1980’s and 90’s Coffee and Cigarettes, Night On Earth, and Ghost Dog.  

 Frame By Frame is a podcast series that introduces you to the most influential, respected and accomplished cinema post-production professionals working in New York today. Through intimate, informal discussions between collaborators about post-production craft, aesthetics, process and technique, we’ll recognize and celebrate the iconic films and people that have made New York film history as well as those contemporaries who continue to make important contributions to the art of filmmaking. In conversations anchored by the film editor, we’ll share the stories that define New York as an essential ongoing capital of the global film industry.

Frame By Frame, Episode 004: Maurice Schell, Peter Frank, Lee Dichter on Sidney Lumet's The Verdict

Sound editor, Maurice Schell  (Gimme Shelter, Serpico, The Missouri Breaks,  Apocalypse Now, All That Jazz, Melvin and Howard, Reds, Scarface) , re-recording mixer, Lee Dichter, (Grey Gardens, Sophie’s Choice, Hannah and Her Sisters, Miller’s Crossing, The Civil War) and picture editor Peter Frank, (The Verdict, Cadillac Records, Dirty Dancing) share stories about coming up in the 1960's 70's and 80's in the New York film industry and their collaboration on Sidney Lumet’s The Verdict.

Frame By Frame is a podcast series that introduces you to the most influential, respected and accomplished cinema post-production professionals working in New York today. Through intimate, informal discussions between collaborators about post-production craft, aesthetics, process and technique, we’ll recognize and celebrate the iconic films and people that have made New York film history as well as those contemporaries who continue to make important contributions to the art of filmmaking. In conversations anchored by the film editor, we’ll share the stories that define New York as an essential ongoing capital of the global film industry.

 

Frame by Frame 001- Reds- Craig McKay & Tom Fleischmann.

Frame By Frame is a podcast series that introduces you to the most influential, respected and accomplished cinema professionals working in New York today. Through intimate, informal discussions between collaborators about post-production craft, aesthetics, process and technique, we’ll recognize and celebrate the iconic films and people that have made New York film history as well as those contemporaries who continue to make important contributions to the art of filmmaking. In conversations anchored by the film editor, we’ll share the stories with the people that continue to define New York as an essential capital of the global film industry.

Picture editor, Craig McKay and Re-recording mixer Tom Fleischman talk about early influences getting started in the New York film industry of the 1960’s and 70’s as well as their work on the film by Warren Beatty, Reds.                     

Hosted by Isabel Sadurni.                         

Produced by Isabel Sadurni and Ben Baker.