MATT COFFEY IN PROPELLER STUDIOS ’ MIX B ROOM
Thinking back , Butler recalls a similar scenario at Twisted Pair . “ It seemed like we were running a little under capacity at the time and weren ’ t as busy as we ’ d have liked to be ,” he shares candidly . “ We had good admin infrastructure and a solid location , and after talking with Frank for awhile , it seemed like together , we ’ d be just the right size for this market and the pieces started falling into place .”
Shortly after Sync Spot had gone home-based , business started to pick up and they landed a major production in AMC ’ s Hell on Wheels , which is filmed in Calgary and its surrounding area . “ So the idea of creating Propeller allowed us to take on those bigger projects much more ly and confidently ,” Laratta enthuses . “ Very effective- good timing on that front .” He adds that the two studios ’ ness plans were also complementary and busi-
“ meshed really well ” right from the outset . “ Sync Spot was about dramatic , long-form projects and documentaries and that ’ s where Twisted Pair had a strong reputation , too . I think we were both more experienced in those areas than a lot of places in town , so aligning our teams really made this an attractive spot for those types of clients .”
Other major productions – including
the first season of Fargo for FX and the Discovery Channel miniseries Klondike – followed Hell on Wheels ’ lead , rolling in one after the other as an encouraging indicator of successful timing .
Butler recalls that , initially , there was some understandably lingering segregation between the two former studios ’ returning clienteles ; however , the more they worked under the same roof and took on new projects under the joint banner , the more their workflow began to gel and clients became more comfortable with the changes .
That naturally led to a shift in Laratta and Butler ’ s respective roles in the new business . As had been the case with Twisted Pair , Butler took on a more administrative role with Propeller , handling client outreach , marketing , and higher-level strategic planning ; meanwhile , Laratta focused on the operational side , keeping relatively hands-on with sound supervision and some of the larger dramatic projects .
“ That ’ s a big advantage for me ,” Laratta enthuses . “ Pat is a lot better with those higher-level functions of running a business , I can admit . We were roughly the same size before [ coming together ] and operating in much the same way , with Pat and I both wearing all of the little hats that come with business ownership – and I don ’ t look good in hats ,” he chuckles . “ So this way , we can better share the workload and cater to our strengths to do more at each end .”
As for their respective teams , both partners are proud to report that they didn ’ t lose any staff when the businesses first merged , and as was the case with their bosses , their skill sets have blended remarkably well in the time since . “ I think we had very similar cultures and approaches ,” Butler muses , “ so like pretty much everything else , that came together as well as we could have hoped .”
In late 2012 , after nearly 18 months of official but unannounced operation , Propeller Studios underwent the first of what was ultimately a dual-phase revamp . It started with structural , acoustic , and aesthetic renovations to optimize the space , including the addition of a second mix room and work to expand the flexibility of some of the smaller suites .
Mix A is Propeller Studios ’ flagship room for major film and TV mixes . Boasting a design by top Canadian studio acoustics firm Pilchner Schoustal , it features a large
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