The Dick Clark Productions Screening Room and Riverbed Post are now co-located to jointly provide a wide range of services for feature film post-production and presentation. The screening room features a 21-seat theater and associated rooms at Lantana, as well as it’s just installed Christie CP-4220 4K Digital Cinema projector and other 4K upgrades. Riverbed’s Chris F. Woods manages dailies processing, VFX, title design and production, color grading, and mastering with his state of the art finishing hardware and software.
Describing the collaboration as “high-end digital cinema screening room meets state-of-the-art digital cinema post production,” the two companies will continue to deliver studio-caliber services at independent film rates and now have the added capabilities for 4K digital cinema post-production and theatrical presentation.
The DCPSR and Riverbed Post actually started working together on an ad hoc basis last June, when Woods moved his equipment to DCPSR. Before the digital equipment was even in the DCPSR building, DCPSR manager, David Garonzik, had booked sessions for The Revenant and Point Break. Within 24 hours, visual effects and editorial screenings on The Revenant, Point Break, and later, The Huntsman Winter’s War, as well as post work for several independent features, were underway. That initial level of demand led them to expand the relationship.
Woods said that the co-location provides a unique solution for major studio productions and their filmmakers by allowing them to stress test complex visual effects sequences in numerous ways. The work is screened (most recently as DPX frames, though it can be virtually any format) with 2K (and now 4K) digital cinema quality aided by a colorist with deep VFX experience. This real-time, temporary digital intermediate work allows the filmmakers, including the VFX department, to optimize the final VFX imagery and saves time with the VFX vendors, and/or the final Digital Intermediate.
Clients seem to like the way the alliance works; especially the high degree of personalized service, devoid of corporate bureaucracy. Rich McBride, VFX supervisor on The Revenant, said of the visual effects screenings through a full DI system, “It was always a positive, productive, and professionally run experience. I also appreciated the relaxed atmosphere and comfort in the 2K reviews.”
“On Point Break, we used the Dick Clark productions Screening Room with Chris Woods on the Davinci there, and it was great. We got quality and precision for a fraction of what we might have spent elsewhere. It was also a short five minute walk from our cutting room so we even got some exercise,” added VFX supervisor, John Nelson.
Garonzik said, “The screening room at DCPSR offers privacy, security, easy parking, and lots of amenities. And the Lantana Center location in Santa Monica is within walking distance of EPS-Cineworks, Tribeca West, and other production and post-production offices. That all adds up to a lot of convenience.”
The two companies also offer a compelling choice for independent productions seeking comprehensive post-production services. “Filmmakers appreciate the high level of digital fluency that we offer here. Our shared overhead allows us to offer a high-level of services at rates even independent filmmakers can afford,” Woods said. “We offer an unbeatable combination of pricing and studio-quality post.”
Post-production services include digital intermediates, final color correction, main and end title design and production, visual effects, mastering, and workflow services.
“It’s a perfect marriage,” said Garonzik. “We have beautiful, first-rate screening facilities and a great location in Los Angeles’ Westside Media District. Riverbed’s Chris Woods is a very talented colorist and finishing artist with deep knowledge and experience in every aspect of digital post.”
Riverbed Post www.riverbedpost.com