Empire State Development (ESD) announced that Harbor Sound, a postproduction company specializing in sound finishing services for feature films and television shows, will establish a new multi-million dollar studio location, resulting in the retention of 30 existing jobs and the creation of 35 new jobs in New York. The new location, which includes space for a sound mixing studio and several editorial suites, will be located in SoHo. The project, which the company anticipates completing by next spring, represents the most significant expansion of a postproduction company since the Post-Production Tax Credit Program was strengthened in 2012.
“Thanks to Governor Cuomo’s efforts to strengthen and enhance the State’s Film Tax Credit Program, New York has become a top destination for both production and postproduction work that contribute significantly to our economy and generate employment opportunities for thousands of New Yorkers,” said ESD president, CEO and commissioner Kenneth Adams.
Harbor Sound is the sound post division of Harbor Picture Company which offers, dailies, offline editorial, VFX, picture post, sound post and digital deliverables. Harbor occupies 50,000 square feet in Soho, NY.
“The construction of the largest mixing studio in New York City will provide a significant boost for the industry and the state, creating an unprecedented home for more tentpole projects that are attracted to New York by its talent base but require this kind of advanced infrastructure,” said Harbor’s president, Zachary Tucker. “With larger productions choosing to complete the postproduction process in New York, a significant number of artistic, technical and management jobs will become available in the city, further increasing the professional capital of New York’s entertainment industry and helping to secure its status as not just a viable competitor, but a preferred alternative to Hollywood.”
To encourage Harbor Sound to increase employment at its headquarters in Manhattan, ESD has offered $550,000 in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program Tax Credits, which are tied directly to the creation of 35 new jobs. Before deciding to move forward with the expansion of its studio operations in New York, the company considered Georgia and California.
