Newsletter Volume 08, Issue 01

PNYA Spring 2022 Newsletter Download PDF

PNYA Hosts Post-Production Team from Rebecca Hall’s “Passing”

Currently nominated for four BAFTA Awards, Rebecca Hall’s film Passing centers on Irene and Clare, two
young Black women struggling to navigate the racial landscape of 1920s New York City. Based on Nella
Larsen’s novella and now streaming on Netflix, the film explores the complexities of identity in a
segregated society with delicacy, compassion and grace.

 

Post New York Alliance’s Equity and Inclusion committee recently hosted a virtual panel discussion with
members of the post-production team from Passing. Editor Sabine Hoffman, ACE, sound supervisor Jacob
Ribicoff and colorist Roman Hankewycz talked about their careers and how they used the tools of their
trades to help Hall craft her story and sharpen its emotional impact. The spirited, wide-ranging discussion,
moderated by Gershon Hinkson, provided insight into the creative process and the passion these artists
brought to the project.

Hoffman reflected on a 20-year career which has included work on scores of award-winning independent
films. Having previously read Larsen’s novella, she found the story compelling for how it takes you into
the inner lives and struggles of the two young women.

Capturing that internal perspective, Hoffman said, became the focus of her work as editor. “It’s a
process,” she explained. “It rarely happens in the first pass. You are trying to find the beats and the
treasures of each moment. You’re getting under the characters’ skin.”

Ribicoff recalled how his infatuation with sound began in childhood, and how he once attached a
Beethoven sonata to a Charlie Chaplin film and found the results magical. He said that sound design is
used in Passing not simply to establish locations, but to suggest how locations are subjectively perceived
by the characters.

He cited a scene, set in winter, where Irene looks out the window of her Harlem apartment at a
horrifying scene on the street below. “The window is open, and the wind is blowing, but Irene is in a
state of shock,” he said. “We took the sound of the wind and put a gauze over it, softening it and
making it more emotional. Irene is freezing but she is also deep inside her emotions.”

Hankewycz, Senior Colorist at Harbor, noted that he draws satisfaction in helping talented directors
and cinematographers achieve their vision. Passing, he said, was beautifully shot by Eduard Grau in
black & white. “He knocked it out of the park,” Hankewycz recalled. “What a pleasure it was to spend
time polishing that.”He added that black & white is especially challenging to grade due to the way the
audience perceives details in the imagery. “We’re more sensitive to contrast and brightness, not just
on the scale of entire shots, but within shots.”

Hoffman asserted that the whole crew fed off the purpose that Hall brought to the project as well as
the substance of the story, which leaves it to the audience to draw conclusions about the actions of its
central characters. “Everything was intentional in Rebecca’s mind,” she explained. “The idea was to
give space for interpretation. We prepare the film; the audience completes it. You can rewind it and
watch it again and you might have a different interpretation.”

The full panel discussion can be viewed here.

Other graduates of WarnerMedia’s program have landed post coordinator, post-production manager or
VFX coordinator roles with Mustache Agency, Story Syndicate, Kundart Films and Left/Right TV, and on
the series Succession, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Ringes, The Sinner and Rap Sh!t.

Gautam Singhani graduated from the program in 2020 and used it as a springboard for a quickly
developing career. Last year, he served as post-production coordinator on HBO’s Allen v. Farrow before
being hired as a Post Coordinator at Story Syndicate where he worked on HBO’s Nuclear Family, National
Geographic’s Fauci and Becoming Cousteau and Amazon Studio’s Mayor Pete. He is currently in the first
cohort of the WarnerMedia Access Post Production Supervisor Training Program and was recently
promoted to Manager of Production at Story Syndicate.

PNYA member companies Picture Shop and Formosa Group, both divisions of Streamland Media, are also
active in developing young talent. The have worked in partnership with Made in NY since 2018 to hire
young people from its training program for post-production assistants. To date, it has provided
employment for 11 individuals. Its first hire, Natalie Seoute, is now a Digital Archiving Supervisor. Other
current staff who’ve come through the program include Office Administrator Alejandro Rosario, Data
Manager Rose Poage and Vault Technician Andre Suarez. “Shift NYC is crafting a short film about the
Made In NY Post Production Training Program and they are highlighting two of our MiNY graduates,”
reports Streamland Media Senior VP Kim Spikes. “We are very excited!”

Adam Conversano is an alumnus of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts’ School of
filmmaking. Last year, he joined PNYA independently and recently landed his first industry job as a
remote editorial assistant at Jigsaw Productions in New York. “It’s my first show on Avid and I've
learned so much through this experience,” he says. “I’m excited to continue growing and making
new connections after the show wraps in April.” We look forward to hearing many more success
stories in the months ahead.

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