New Art Miami recently completed ADR for the summer blockbuster films Ted, Savages and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. Actors Mark Walhber, Anthony Mackie and Sandra Echeverria worked with senior ADR recordist, Juan Dieguez, in the boutique’s Hollywood-scale recording studio. Dieguez, who has honed his craft looping a long roster of high-profile feature films, recorded and engineered the sessions for the trio of movies directed by Seth McFarlane, Oliver Stone and Tim Burton, respectively.
“Logistics is never an issue when connecting talent in Miami with west coast-based directors and ADR supervisors. It’s a virtual session with no compromises – like we’re working together in the same suite,” said Diequez, who helms the session in Miami, collaborating via ISDN lines, using one to send time code, for locking up machines, and a second for communications between himself, the talent and the director.
“Miami is a real Mecca for both actors who live, vacation or work here, as well a diverse mix of film and TV production,” said Dieguez. “The talent really appreciates the convenience of being able to tap into the technology and talent of a world-class recording studio, in a spacious, modern facility right here in Miami.”
New Art Miami’s looping reputation has attracted a steady stream of feature films and episodic television, including movies such as Memoirs of a Geisha, Get Him To The Greek, Backup Plan, El Violin and The Departed, as well as shows, such as Burn Notice and Magic City. Dieguez, who also has documentary, music and animated work – such as Doug and Little Bill to his credit, enjoys the diversity of projects that come through New Art Miami’s doors.
Built in 2010, the studio’s 13 x 15-foot sound booth was designed for comfort, creating the kind of roomy space and technically versatile facilities that A-Listers demand. It can accommodate as many as six performers, and its high ceiling allow mics to be set up film-style. Dieguez usually uses a Sennheiser 416 Shotgun microphone positioned on a boom two to three feet above the talent’s head, and secondary Sony ECM 78 Lav body mics – and, when sessions require additional mics they are easily provided.
“This room and the suite’s tools – from ProTools to the high-end Focusrite Red 5 pre-amps – interface to create the optimum clean, full sound that films require, with none of the hollowness and tightness that are inherent when working out of smaller sound booths,” said Diequez. “And New Art’s great looking space and comfortable modern lounge areas – with all the amenities and sweeping panorama views – add to its appeal.”
“The process begins with New Art receiving a QuickTime with the picture and production dialog, music and effects,” Dieguez explained. “Pro Tools enables us to generate Time Code and send it through an ISDN line, allowing the remote studio to lockup their machine or computer, and watch picture in sync with the talent’s voice. A second line is used for sending voice, allowing the session to run in real-time and as seamlessly as if we were all sitting in the same audio suite.”
“The ability to finesse and reconfigure audio takes on the fly, from, production to recorded, and improvise – makes virtually any combination possible. That’s the beauty of ADR,” he added.
For Mexican-born actress Sandra Echeverria, the role as Magda, the daughter of a drug kingpin (Selma Hayek) in Oliver Stone’s Savages, marked her transition from telenovela’s to a major Hollywood feature film. It was her first looping session, and Diequez helped guide her through the process, translating to her in Spanish – to help her understand the subtleties of the director’s instructions as she re-recorded dialogue obscured by noise and segments, that needed to be more clearly articulated.
Diequez usually sends actors their lines through their headsets, as they were initially recording during the shoot, with the volume very low, so they can follow the timing and inflection, and then cues them before with three audible beeps, signaling them to come in on time. He later removes any audible trace of the original track during the clean up, before transmitting the final loop via an FTP site or a secure line, such as DGDelivery.
“Miami’s appeal continues to grow, as more and more actors seek a retreat here from the L.A. movie scene and TV and film production migrate to Florida. Once actors work at New Art Miami on a film and experience its signature blend of quality and convenience, they tend to request to work here next time they’re in town and need do ADR,” said Diequez.
“ADR recording is a real growth area for the audio department at New Art Miami. We’re also called upon to provide high-speed ISDN services for feature films, documentaries, TV shows, commercials and music media for voice over talent based around the world,” said Alan Olem, the company’s director of business development.
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