OLLY STROUS, DIRECTOR OF POST PRODUCTION
“ITN Post was originally conceived as an internal post facility to support ITN’s extensive slate of broadcast and digital output. Its’ founding principals were to deliver a robust, fast and “smart” facility. We reimagined how projects could be managed and embraced a world of automation and AI to accelerate our workflows and deliver more value on screen.
Our latest phase of expansion, both local and remote; has been built exclusively to accommodate our growing list of clients external to ITN and with the increased demand for high end output across multiple platforms, now was the right time for us to invest in Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision.
Our clients are key to our investments and with Dolby Atmos and Vision Home Entertainment technology becoming cost effectively available to consumers, the inevitable increase in demand is now ready for us to handle.
NICK HANDLEY, SENIOR DUBBING MIXER
“As a facility that has Avid technology at its heart it was important for us to expand the current infrastructure and to maintain the amazing workflows we have in place. All our rooms are fully networked, running audio and video from Avid Nexis so all our media assets are shared across multiple rooms – both edit and dubbing suites. Pro Tools has proven to be the reliable workhorse that we need to meet incredibly tight deadlines and is the standard these days that creatives know and has all the tools for dealing with complex mixes including Atmos.
The combination of a rise in services that can carry Dolby Atmos Home Entertainment [HE] streams combined with more affordable technology has seen an explosion in Atmos HE requirements and deliverables.
We wanted to have a Dolby Atmos HE 7.1.4 specified room that would sound and look amazing and appeal to all clients and it does! Everyone who has visited the new suite for a listen, has called it a truly cinematic experience and can’t wait to get back in.
From the beginning we decided to have a room that fully met Dolby’s certification requirements and that utilised the Dolby RMU to set a benchmark – the level of specification that would be attractive for high-end work. The Dolby Atmos HE suite was designed for both in-house and external customers to work on a range of work; from tracklay and premix all the way through to deliverables creation. We are now able to accommodate them in a fully specified and fully approved room.
We already had a very well specified Avid S6 console that everyone loved, so when looking for a console to go in our new Atmos HE suite it made sense to utilise our existing desk as it ticked all the boxes – especially when we added the joystick panner module. It’s a 24-fader console with the TFT metering screens allowing us to get great hands-on control of mixes and awesome visual feedback.
The EUCON integration is hugely powerful and features such as layouts, VCA spill and the super-quick navigation and editing of sessions are indispensable.
The suite uses the Avid MTRX interface connected via Dante to the external Dolby renderer which offers massive capability both in scale and functionality easily controlled through Pro Tools and the S6 console.
We have put a producer panel in the centre of the S6 as a space for the DAW keyboard and mouse and where the joystick module has been installed. All of our configurations put the mixer at the centre of the desk to maximise the listening position.”
Avid S4 consoles
“Just as the decision was made to put the S6 in the Atmos HE suite, Avid announced the new S4 console and we saw a great opportunity to get two S4’s to fill the 5.1 suites. We now have two matching rooms with identical configurations (24-fader and TFTs) and the ultimate in compatibility.
As one of the first post houses in the UK to get our hands on the Avid S4, we have been blown away by its feature set and form. The console sits perfectly between the S3 and S6 in our other rooms. The size is perfect for fast turnaround jobs, as everything is immediately to hand and the channel strip modules are great. Everything is so familiar and easy to operate allowing us to spend more time on the details of a mix.”
Suite details
“Avid ProTools is the indisputable industry standard and the best consoles to use with it are the EUCON based Avid S range. We now have S3, 4 and 6 in our rooms and moving from one to another is so easy you don’t even think about the set-up. EUCON has been around for a long time and with features and functionality constantly being added it is better than ever. When working in Pro Tools the tight integration between DAW and mixer is amazing making the Avid S the consoles of choice and at all budgets.
I don’t do a session now without using an iZotope RX7 plugin and recently the Dialog De-reverb, Isolate and EQ match has been taking a punishing with lockdown recordings coming from kitchens and sheds.
Budgets are definitely being stretched which often means tight deadlines and shorter turnarounds, having the tech and workflow do as much of the work as possible gives us more time working on the important aspects of the job. Running all the suites on Avid Nexis with Pro Tools and Avid S consoles gives us exactly that, from importing edit AAFs and MXFs to exporting back the final mix, being fully networked makes it such a quick process that has become the norm for us.”
Working with HHB
“We have worked with HHB for years and having them on board for another install meant we knew everything was in good hands. They were involved throughout the process from helping to spec the room and kit required down to the final turnkey installation. I’m always amazed at their technical knowledge but more importantly the experience they all have in post sound is unbeatable. Any question is answered immediately, and you know great advice is just a call away.
The install process was excellent and HHB liased with everyone on site to ensure it ran smoothly. Everything went to plan and on schedule. Any operational queries with the new Atmos suite have been answered by their great technical support which is invaluable.
There is a reason why we keep going back to HHB because they are the best in the business. A great team that are a pleasure to work with, a huge knowledge base and excellent service.”
