psychodots, Not a Pretty Face

Our third PRODUCTION-IN-ACTION was a music video. Directed by Film Department Chair, Peter Hawley, the video is a fun chronicle of the band's inability to "stay current." What began in the Flashpoint recording studios as a two-day tracking and overdubbing session that the students set-up and ran, ended on our soundstage for another three days with film students getting a healthy dose of working side-by-side with industry professionals.

Enjoy!

psychodots from Flashpoint Academy on Vimeo.

Michael Santucci lectures to Recording Arts students at kick-off event hosted by Flashpoint Academy and AES Student Chapter...

Michael Santucci, President and owner of Sensaphonics, Inc. lectured to all first-year students of the Recording Arts Department at Flashpoint Academy this past Thursday October 22. The event not only served as an excellent supplement to the foundational courses RA students are currently taking in the department, but also acted as a kick-off for the guest lecture series hosted by the newly formed Audio Engineering Society Student Chapter at the school. Michael lectured on hearing conservation, in-ear monitors, and the need for an overall awareness of living in an culture that more and more includes "personal listening devices" played back at dangerously loud sound pressure levels. During the demonstration portion of his lecture, Michael took ear canal impressions of Academic Dean Paula Froehle, which will become custom-molded ear plugs. Kudos to all the officers of the AES Student Chapter for hosting a great first event.

127th AES in NYC...

The Intruder

The Intruder was our second PRODUCTION-IN-ACTION and a considerably larger undertaking than The Collector in terms of numbers of students. It premiered in Toronto at the Worldwide Shorts Film Festival and has since gone on to play festivals in Palm Springs, Evanston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and Barcelona.

We were able to incorporate the entire sound design process into the Flashpoint curriculum from the very beginning - assigning students to record the many layers of Foley effects, work on cut effects, and design some of the other-worldly sounds that play such a major role in the film. In fact, virtually every sound element in the track, save for the sparse dialogue, was recreated in post-production. Incorporating Miguel Kertsman's haunting score provided yet another wonderful example of collaboration because so many of the visual effects needed support - and from a sonic perspective, that had to be done by one of the teams but not both. In the end, I really think there is a seamless integration and the result is quite powerful.

Enjoy!

The Intruder from Flashpoint Academy on Vimeo.

MDR - Foreign Tongue - Live at Flashpoint Academy

The Collector

Our first PRODUCTION-IN-ACTION project. It was shot during the summer of 2007 with post-production occurring later that fall. The Collector had its world premiere as a 35mm print at the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival in 2008 and has since gone on to play film festivals nationwide. The soundtrack for this film is one of the most subtle sound designs I have ever done, but it's among my favorites. Director Paula Froehle really allowed me a lot of latitude for soundscape and texture in the ambience tracks, which I believe provides an incredibly complex, albeit distant, foundation for the narrative. There's also plenty of aural space to support Pete Biagi's gorgeous drifting cinematography. And Miguel Kertsman's gentle score has a dreamy, melancholic feel that seems to float right along side the memories of the protagonist. All in all, quite lovely.

Enjoy!

The Collector from Flashpoint Academy on Vimeo.

JM quoted in latest Vintage King press release...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 7, 2009
Barefoot Sound MicroMain 27
Available Exclusively in the United States through Vintage King Audio

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
Description
3-way active monitor with integral subs
Controls Input level attenuator, Twt/Mid/Sub amplifier mutes, crossover voicing select
Input Impedance 50k Ohm
Frequency Response 38 Hz – 20 kHz (+/- 1.5 dB)
Bass Response -3 dB @ 33 Hz
Q = 0.707
Slope: 12 dB/octave

Cabinet: 32 liters total internal volume, Sealed sub enclosure, Individual sealed midbass
enclosures, Machined aluminum front baffle plate
Crossover Frequencies 110/2500 Hz
Tweeter 1” soft dome, Rear waveguide chamber

Power: 60W
Dual Midbasses 5” poly cones, Sealed rear waveguide enclosures
Power: 250W
Dual Subwoofers 10” aluminum cones, 1” peak-to-peak linear excursion
Power: 500W
AC Power Input Nominal 115 VAC or 230 VAC selectable
Power Consumption Idle: 30W, Maximum: 675W

Weight Speaker: 71 lbs each (32 kg)
Shipping: 79 lbs each (36 kg)
Dimensions HxWxD 20.5 x 9.5 x 15.25 inches (521 x 241 x 387 mm)
Price $3,747.50 USD (MSRP: $4,650.00 USD)

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING...
“The most important factor for us as an educational institution and working facility was to have a multi-channel speaker system that could serve both the music and cinematic industries. I’ve been very happy with the MM27’s translation to virtually any environment – in the car, at home, on the patio, lo-fi, hi-fi, through in-ears or headphones and in small and large theatrical settings. I’ve never mixed on loudspeakers that result in the same impression, no matter the playback system or acoustic space. In a word: astonishing.”

John Murray, Flashpoint: The Academy of Media Arts & Sciences, Chicago
In addition to serving as Chair of the Recording Arts Department at Flashpoint, Murray has worked in film sound editorial for 25 years, designing and mixing award-winning soundtracks for features, documentaries, shorts and commercials. For more information on Flashpoint Academy, visit www.flashpointacademy.com

For additional information, images or to schedule a product demo for review,
please contact Meghan Pochebit, Meghan@OffCentralPR.com

Flashpoint Academy graduates first class...

Congratulations to all the students, staff, and faculty for this momentous accomplishment. The inaugural class - forever trailblazers - will go on to do great things and I'm especially honored to call them my colleagues.

The Recording Arts Class of 2009:

Gabe Anello
David Ballard
Ryan Burtis
Nick Charlan
Ryan Connelly
Kieran Dennis
Serafin Flores
Joe Herald
Jeremy Hoen
Chris Loeber
Eric Maat
Dan Macias
Alec Meredith
Chris Messer
Daniel Newman
Dan O'Leary
Dan Patchin
Tim Pearson
Joe Petrovich
Josh Popescu
Kevin Weber
Brian Shields

Happy 50th Antoine!

50 years ago this week François Truffaut's Les quatre cents coups [400 Blows] premiered at Cannes and signaled the French New Wave. Happy Birthday!

theMDR - Day 3 - Day of Show...