Facility
The New Wave: Soho-on-Sea
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hen you think of the UK south-coast seaside resort of Brighton, what does it conjure up? Crashing waves, sticks of rock, burning piers? Whatever springs to mind, Brighton is emerging from the fog of the pandemic, and as the sun filters through, it is slowly revealing a brave new world containing a rapidly growing audio post production scene. That being said, post production audio is nothing new in Brighton. I personally ran a post facility for nearly ten years in the not so salubrious north edge of the city, Hollingdean, between 2003 and 2013. If you look at it one way it was incredibly hard work trying to build relationships between TV producers, film-makers and games companies when they were accustomed to going to London for everything. If you look at it another way, Outpost Sound was one of the O.G. audio post companies in Brighton. Pioneers of a brave new world (at least that’s how I like to think about it!). Truth is, like a prime minister after a party, the champagne buzz quickly wore off as people continuously questioned the validity and professionalism of a facility outside of London [you were too ahead of your time! — Ed].
expanded or re-branded, while others have changed their focus. One of these is Pier Productions, better known over the years for it radio productions. More recently Dubbing Mixer/ Sound Supervisor Matt Snowden and Sound Recordist/Designer/Dubbing Mixer Paul Weir have become deeply involved with the company and have subsequently converted two of the studios of
Pier Productions
More recently the post audio scene in the seaside city has rapidly expanded, becoming more of a vibrant hub as greater numbers of producers and talent moved southwards during the pandemic. New facilities have popped up, others have 18 / Autumn 2022
/ Pier Productions
the Regency townhouse into facilities for film and video post. I first asked Matt what changes they had made to the studios: “Before they had two studios there. They’d been in that building quite a few years, mainly doing radio stuff. A few years before that, Andre Chapman who did a lot of the Monty Python stuff was there. He was a really, really fascinating guy.
Photo credits: Respective studios • Brighton image: Ben Guerin, Unsplash
ROB SPEIGHT checks out the Brighton post production scene
