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| The Post Production Playground team celebrates a decade of success in New York. |
Eitan Hakami (EH): We were very naive to think that we could help independents to finish their projects and make a living. I mean, we could guide them throughout the post process (which was a great advantage for them, since at the time we started there were so many new ways of posting), but it was very difficult to help them since we did not own any machinery. We had great relationships with many of the post houses in New York, but when they were busy we couldn’t even get in, never mind get a good price for the services. We started by buying a Lightworks unit and were able to rent it inexpensively to an independent production. From there on, we didn’t stop buying.
Our plans are still changing constantly. We have to adapt to the market because it changes by the second, and we keep reinventing ourselves. We don’t have deep pockets behind us, so we have to be very careful and creative about any decisions we make. Everything we do is thought out, I guess sometimes too much, but we are still here. And we’re here to stay.
MM: When you began Post Production Playground, the industry was going through some major changes and moviemakers were open to new ideas in the realm of post-production. Back then, what equipment did you find it necessary to own to make the company successful? And since that time, how has your company’s changing model led you to adapting to the hardware you now have?
EH: One must look beyond equipment. I think we both had, and still do have, a hunger for knowledge. Anyone can buy equipment; it’s how you use it, cross-reference it and think of it for uses outside the box that makes that equipment more valuable. The more services you can provide, the more flexible you can be in creating packages and planning and controlling the post process.
It’s very difficult to talk about equipment, because throughout the years so much has changed. Avid was a very important purchase for us and we keep upgrading them. Telecine was a natural outgrowth, as was the purchase of the Broadway Screening Room and, naturally, getting a digital projector for it. Now we are gearing our facility toward Hi-Def. It is a necessary upgrade at the moment. We have waited long enough so that we now know exactly what to get.
MM: In addition to your telecine services, I know you have Avid suites, as well as dubbing facilities and an audio suite. All these facilities are available for rental, but are they often booked well in advance, or can independents get right in with their new projects?
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| State-of-the-art facilities to match—and exceed—the changing needs of clients is just one of the reasons that Post Production Playground is one of New York City’s most successful and reputable post-production facilities. | |
EH: As you know, in this industry there are ups and downs, and the winds change all too often. It all depends on the season. We always try to accommodate our clients. Independents and studios are treated alike. I’m proud to say that we’ve never had any independent moviemaker feel they got anything less in service, quality or attention. So we do lots of last-minute stuff when needed. Being a boutique operation, we move very fast and rooms get adapted overnight for the needs they must fill the next morning.
MM: Who are some of your typical customers? And who aren’t so typical?
EH: We see every kind of customer, from studios to fully-financed medium and low-budget filmmakers to credit card and student filmmakers. The challenge is to make them all feel comfortable and cared for. When a client completes their project with a smile on their face, we know we’ve done our job.
Each and every client is different and we like to learn about them and make their journey here very special. Every movie is like someone’s baby. Poor or rich, everyone cares about their baby the same way. We understand and cater to them with that in mind. Some of the more “non-typical” clients include the Waldorf Astoria, films from Brazil and Israel and even one explorer’s archival travel footage from all over the world from the 1930s to the 1950s.
MM: You and Katia also worked as post supervisors and I know you pride yourselves on understanding the post process from a moviemaker’s point of view. Besides quality control, is there another area you feel comfortable saying that Post Production Playground is superior to the competition?
EH: Communication, service and accuracy are areas in which we excel. It’s not enough to turn out a quality product—the entire ‘ride’ must be pleasant to the client. The quote, the greetings, the execution, the billing and delivery; they all need to flow seamlessly. If any one of these is flawed, the ride can get bumpy. We cater to each project with very special care. We listen to our clients and try to always help them, even if they’re working on a different project in another country. We understand budgets, schedules, technology and the human element of creativity. We understand how they mesh and clash and try to create harmony amongst the many forces on a project. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary and it’s possible.
Finally, we love to run tests and find solutions to post problems. Some manufacturers don’t realize that their products can sometimes do more than they intended. We pride ourselves on being pioneers in inventing many different processes, cross-referencing techniques that make the post process more efficient and cost-effective. My partner, Katia, loves this part. She will run tests and come up with different ways of doing things. She’ll sit in front of a computer for days until she is able to say ‘Got it,’ or ‘I figured it out’ or ‘I found a way to work around it.’
MM: PPP has a very impressive resume, having done video dailies and other post work on independent films like In the Bedroom as well as high-profile Hollywood movies such as The Cider House Rules, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Spider-Man, Analyze That, Maid in Manhattan and Mona Lisa Smile. Did you actively court all these projects?
EH: I do go after them, but I’m not really great at marketing. A lot of work comes from word of mouth. We also get tons of repeat business. We are lucky to have found a group of incredible filmmakers, producers, editors and assistant editors that we love to work with and have stayed loyal to us over the years. Such an environment is great because it goes beyond the client-vendor relationship. There is more of a collaboration of friends and an honest effort to help one another. They understand we are a business, and we understand they have budget limitations, deadlines and various forces breathing down their necks, so we each respect one another.
MM: You and Katia are moviemakers, as well as technicians and businesspeople. In fact, you’ve taken a stab at producing on such films as Sony Pictures Classics’ Shadow Magic, which you’ve called “a very expensive university.” Do you think you’ll pursue select producing opportunities in the future, or will you stick to what’s working for you and leave the “gambling” to others?
EH: Absolutely. We actually have a few projects in development at the moment and hopefully we will be able to produce more and more content. The movie business is fascinating. It totally encompasses your life, and we have a passion for it. Shadow Magic was really a great experience and we learned a lot that we can apply to future films.
MM: PPP is also the parent company of The Broadway Screening Room (www.mybsr.com), an intimate state-of-the-art screening facility that’s been around for more than 25 years. You recently presided over a $1 million expansion of the BSR at your Brill Building’s fifth floor location. How has that affected your business generally? And can an indie moviemaker on a budget consider the BSR as a viable screening option in the city?
EH: The $1 million expansion was for PPP. Nonetheless, we upgraded the Broadway Screening Room as well with a new digital video projector, new amplification, acoustics and sound isolation and the first interactive Website for a private screening room in the country. The expansion gave us the opportunity to improve our service quality and increase the number of services we offer in both facilities.
We’ve screened many indie films over the years. We also use the room when color correcting smasters from film to tape or tape to tape projects for digital projection. Most recently, we mastered Dirt for director Nancy Savoca and Distress for director Blue Kraning and producer Ben Barenholtz. On both films, the director and the DP can sit in the screening room and watch the color correction changes being made live. They can talk to our colorist via intercom as this happens and tell them what they like and dislike. It’s a very helpful tool for visualizing the end product, especially for independents.
MM: So you have bragging rights to not only a digital projector, but the first interactive Website for a screening room? Tell me how these new facilities help indie moviemakers?
EH: An indie moviemaker can definitely take advantage of the BSR since the price is on par with other screening rooms in town. The environment is perfect to show their projects to investors, distributors, actors or when simply gauging the film. The digital projector is great; we can screen any format, including HD, at great quality. We can even screen digitally direct from the Avid without making a tape, saving time—and as you know, time is money.
The Website is great for the clients that book multiple screenings. They can manage their schedule from anywhere at any time and get info about their screenings at the click of a mouse. It’s quite unique and innovative, and we are very proud of it.
MM: What else is in store for Post Production Playground?
EH: We have an idea a minute; we’re always trying to work more
efficiently and cross-reference technology and work flows with clients
needs. We are undoubtedly going to keep growing—it’s
in our nature. Hi-Def is an inevitable next step. Expansion of
our telecine, editorial and mastering is also on the horizon, as
is film/video
restoration and another screening room. Content creation is also
a very important part of our plans. Some projects are in the works
already. Hopefully the next time we speak we will have some projects
to show you.
All of these projects are in different stages of development. With
our pulse on the market, we’re constantly watching the trends
and needs and gauging how our goals measure up. That’s probably
why we’re still around despite the many ups and downs the industry
has gone through. Many companies far better equipped and more financed
than us have come and gone. I am proud to say, from a dingy one room
office at 1619 Broadway, we have not only grown, but are still going
strong and will be for years to come. —Tim Rhys MM