Kate Finan and Jeff Shiffman's

Boom Box Post

Burbank, California

Boom Box Post
Kate Finan and Jeff Shiffman’s studio in Burbank, California

About the project

Focus on the Creative

When Jeff Shiffman and Kate Finan of Boom Box Post approached the Westlake Pro Design Services Group for help gearing up their new post-production facility, they already had an idea of what they wanted. What started as a simple list of gear soon flourished into multiple mix stages in the heart of Burbank, California. This state-of-the-art facility includes three Atmos mix stages, three 5.1 surround sound suites, eight production suites, and a full host of client amenities so that you can stay focused on the creative and true to the Boom Box Post motto.

Working in tandem with the Boom Box team, our Design Services Group helped turn this former commercial garage into the boutique post-production powerhouse it is today.

GEARING UP

Outfitting mix stages alone can be a heady, daunting task for most people. Configuring a room for Dolby Atmos adds an extra layer of complexity, which benefits from an experienced team to ensure a streamlined workflow and perfect translation from stage to stage. Our team was able to help design a familiar, efficient system based around a Focusrite Red 16Line, Avid S3, and tunable Crown DCi amplifiers. This, coupled with a Focusrite R1 in each mix stage, made the perfect monitoring solution for the Boom Box Post team.

“One of the tenets of our studio is keeping things simple, which is why we love the Focusrite Red 16Line . It gives you all sorts of outputs with a really simple interface. We come from the ages of having chassis’ hooked up to your computer with lots of cards and peripherals, and we were really excited about the fact that we could hook up one device with one cable and get everything we needed for Dolby Atmos,” says Shiffman.

“The Focusrite RedNet system is the backbone of our entire mix facility. In each mix stage, we use the R1 as our monitor controller, which keeps things really simple for us. We’re able to switch between our 5.1, stereo, and Atmos mixes all right there in the controller.”

Finan also noted how integral the Avid S3 has become for the Boom Box Post team. “We love it because it keeps everything right there in front of you. We also have the Avid dock module that we use for things like panning and assigning all of our own quick keys.”

BUILDING IT OUT

But what about challenges? Is building a post-production facility during a pandemic really that easy?

As construction came to an end, the Design Services Group safely arranged to have each mix stage tuned identically to one another, allowing the Boom Box Post team to have the maximum amount of flexibility working on their projects. To top it off, the entire process was future-proofed by performing the tuning via Crown DCi amplifiers so that the room tuning can be recalled at a later time, should anything need to be adjusted.

“It was really important for us that our three Atmos mix stages be designed specifically for television and streaming animation. So we brought in an Acoustician who helped us to design these rooms to be tuned exactly the same so that we can move from stage to stage. Even if you’re sitting in the back, you’re getting a great listening experience here on our mix stages.”

A NEW HOME

What came to fruition is home to a bright, creative, visionary crew of sonic architects. Boom Box Post has always been dedicated to providing clients with a wide palette of colors and a one-on-one approach to every project, which is why they needed a top-of-the-line facility ready to bring life to animated productions big and small.

“We found that a lot of post facilities tend to be pretty dark. There are not a lot of windows or light coming in. However, we wanted our space to feel fun and bright, just like the industry we work in”.

“We’re about to celebrate our eighth anniversary here at Boom Box Post. With decades of industry experience between us, this new facility is the culmination of a dream that we had when we started in this business. Working with Westlake Pro has been a really incredible experience. Their staff and their support have been there every step of the way with this project, from inception through execution.”

Stay Connected

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