Widget Post Production Acquires Legendary Warner Bros. Audio Post Facility; New Space Marries Classic Hollywood with Cutting-Edge Technical Capabilities

Business Wire, Jan 11, 2006

LOS ANGELES -- Widget Post Production announced today that it is acquiring the 37,000-square-foot audio post facility formerly occupied by Warner Bros. and Goldwyn Sound at The Lot in Hollywood, extending its reach to become the largest independent audio post company in Southern California. This acquisition adds four fully-equipped dubbing stages and more to Widget's full-service 10,000-square-foot facility in West Los Angeles. Widget recently worked on the feature films "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," "King Kong" and "Syriana," and with this new stage addition, is more than doubling its capacity. The new stages have housed mixes for more than 50 films acknowledged by the Academy Awards(R) with nominations and statuettes for Best Sound.

"If the sound isn't right, then you're just wasting your time, adding stress and probably losing a client. When I complete a project at Widget I am confident that it will be done right and will play in ANY room and translate perfectly in the Top Flight rooms," said Oscar(R) winner Jon Johnson, President of Fury & Grace, a feature sound editorial house. "I'm really looking forward to working with Widget on The Lot. It'll be a great collaboration of technology and Hollywood history. I completed `American Gun' at the Widget facility on La Cienega, and the future option of more stage availability with the same dedication to client satisfaction is something I'm really looking forward to."

"Working on the temp mixes for `The Chronicles of Narnia' at Widget was a great experience," said Jonas Thaler, Vice President of Post Production, Walden Media. "It is exciting to see the talented and dedicated Widget team expand into The Lot."

Conveniently located in West Hollywood, the facility includes four large dubbing stages, an ADR stage, a Foley stage, a sound transfer department and a 130-seat screening room. The facility also includes offices available for rent by production companies working with Widget. Recent films such as "North Country," "Four Brothers" and "Serenity," as well as classic films like "Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back," "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Glory" were mixed at these stages. ADR for "Million Dollar Baby" and "The Matrix Reloaded" were also recorded at The Lot in recent years. The Lot will remain operational throughout the transition, with plans to add several technical and aesthetic upgrades to the facility in the near future.

Widget Post Production provides complete feature film and television sound editorial and audio restoration and continues to offer the services of industry-leading mix team Matthew Iadarola and Gary Gegan. Widget has also worked with mixers Jeffrey Perkins, Eric Justen, Gary Coppola and Derek Marcil, and looks forward to a continued relationship with them and other mixers in the community. Widget's in-house Foley team includes mixer Lucy Sustar and artists Gregg Barbanell and Diane Marshall. The company plans to expand its staff and will be adding mixing teams and an ADR mixer based at The Lot in West Hollywood.

"Taking over at The Lot is truly a dream come true. When we opened Widget, we set out to create an atmosphere that was warm and inviting and that offered top quality technology and services. It is amazing that we have managed to achieve that goal -- and take over one of the most prolific audio post facilities in the country in just five short years," commented Brian Slack, Founder, Widget Post Production. "We are thankful to our industry peers who have welcomed us with open arms, our dedicated client base and talented team for helping us get here."

About Widget Post Production

Widget Post Production's West Los Angeles facility is located at 2700 S. La Cienega Blvd. With eight edit suites and a large sound supervisor bay, the La Cienega Studio has complete sound editorial capabilities, all interconnected to its mixing stages and 9-terabyte sound server. The studio also features a large ADR stage and a full-size Foley stage with 11 pits. Widget's attention to offering high levels of client service and comfort in a professional, creative and secure environment have won the company regular accounts from across the feature film spectrum.

Widget Post was founded in 2001 by audio veterans Anne and Brian Slack as an alternative to the trend of conglomerates within the sound industry. The company employs a dozen talented editors and mixers, accesses a pool of gifted Foley and mixing artists and regularly works with some of the biggest sound supervisors in the industry.

For more information, please contact Anne Slack, President, or Ray Vecchiola, Vice President of Sales and Studio Development, at 310-558-3941, or visit www.widgetpost.com.