audioEngine Appears on Special Episode of Celebrity Apprentice
Audio Engineers Hillary Martell and Rob DiFondi of audioEngine just completed a unique assignment that showed off their ability to quickly and efficiently produce top-level sound - they appeared as guest talent on an episode of NBC's hit show Celebrity Apprentice, slated to air this Sunday, May 2nd. Working closely with two groups of celebrities, each mixer helped transform just-conceived ideas into ready-to-air radio spots in only six hours. This unique opportunity came about when show producer Ty Griffin called Senior Director of Sales, Sharon DiTullio-Tepper, who had just joined audioEngine. DiTullio-Tepper, who also acted as the audio post producer notes, "I was friends with Ty. He called me to tell me he would need spacious and high end audio studios for an upcoming episode. I told him my new place was perfect and that I couldn't wait to show him both of our floors. I definitely had fun producing this. It's not every day you have you have 48 hours to gather up 16 singers, foley artists, and a ton of musicians."
The celebrities consisted of rock legend Brett Michaels, British music manager and TV personality Sharon Osbourne, and WWE wrestler Maria Kanellis in one group and 80s musician Cyndi Lauper, actress and singer Holly Robinson Peete, Olympic gold medal swimmer Summer Sanders, and celebrity chef Curtis Stone in the other.
The two groups of celebrities, acting in the role of agency creatives, had 12 hours to produce a trio of radio spots from scratch for local companies. After conceiving their ideas, the celebs traveled to audioEngine's NYC studio, where they worked closely with Rob DiFondi and Hillary Martell to find and record voice and music talent and then mix the entire thing together into a commercial. Rob's studio, Cabin (F), immerses clients in a luxuriously rustic Adirondacks-style log cabin environment, Hillary's decidedly contemporary French Quarter (E) provides a chicly elegant spa-like feel. Both studios were designed by renowned architect John Storyk of WSDG.
"The celebrities came up with the creative, but then we facilitated the session just as we would any other," noted DiFondi. "We worked hand-in-hand with the talent, oversaw the production, provided Foley artists, voice talent, and musicians - including drummers and keyboard players - and helped mix the final product."
The spots - for a plumber, an electrician, and a heating and air conditioning company - presented plenty of challenges that magnified the effectiveness of audioEngine's typical workflow. While a few of the celebrities - notably Michaels - had studio experience and understood the limitations of recording equipment, they were working without professional creatives and DiFondi and Martell had to tamp expectations of what was possible with a :30 radio ad. The show's crew frequently halted production to zero the cameras in on celebrities in the midst of a disagreement. And, most notably, the three spots had to be cut and finalized in only six hours.
"It was almost an impossible timeframe," stated Martell. "Given that we had to coordinate all aspects of production - from finding and recording talent to mixing to reviewing and further editing - in a fraction of the time we normally had. Still, the spots turned out great and the whole process was a really fun experience that showed off audioEngine's significant and diverse capabilities."
Celebrity Apprentice's producers miked DiFondi and Martell and put them in front of the cameras alongside the show's stars, so the duo was actually part of the show for that episode. They limited audioEngine's role to technical support and expertise, however, to ensure that the celebrities conceived the spots' creative aspects on their own.
"We have the best audio post crew in the business," noted Rex Recker, audioEngine Mixer and Partner. "While Celebrity Apprentice is designed to entertain, they don't want to make the personalities look foolish by making a mockery of their projects, so they bring on top talent to facilitate whatever they're doing with each episode. Given the number of audio post options the show's producers had to mix these spots, I am honored that they chose our crew to display our considerable talents in front of millions of people. This was a really unique opportunity for those of us in the business, who typically work behind the scenes and rarely get a chance to stand in the spotlight."
About audioEngine:
Since opening its flagship facility in New York City in 2001, followed by audioEngine West in Phoenix in 2004, audioEngine has earned its reputation as a leader in the audio postproduction market. The magic formula for this success - the ability to deliver a full range of superlative creative services to the advertising, broadcast, and film industries. Featuring eight show place mixing rooms, and an all-star roster of award-winning mixers, sound designers, and composers, audioEngine prides itself on delivering topnotch creative audio in a relaxed and efficient client-centric atmosphere. The flagship facility at 817 Broadway in New York City spans two floors totaling a generous 12,000 square feet of studio space and six studios. Capabilities include mixing for all Dolby formats, complete radio production, custom music, and sound design. audioEngine is led by partners Bob Giammarco, Tom Goldblatt, Rex Recker, and Brian Wick. The roster of mixer/sound designers features Rob DiFondi, Kelly Harnett, Carl Mandelbaum, Hillary Kew Martell, Eric Hoffman, Weston Fonger and composer Jason Camiolo.
