VO for Amazon Alexa game "The SpongeBob Challenge"

Dubway recently teamed up with Nick Jr. to record new voice-over content for Amazon Alexa's kids skill game, The SpongeBob Challenge. Engineer Zac Suskevich worked with actor Dan Bittner (That Awkward Moment, Adventureland, Law Abiding Citizen) to bring SpongeBob Squarepants' character to life.

“To engage the kids, we leveraged the rich soundscape of SpongeBob SquarePants by including its iconic music, colorful sound effects, and beautiful, rich audio transitions, not to mention SpongeBob’s crazy laugh,” says Darren Brelesky, senior VP of product and technology at Nickelodeon.

The SpongeBob Challenge, available for download for Amazon Alexa, has more than 80 memory challenges, and is filled with over 70 characters including Patrick, Plankton, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs, as well as hundreds of music and sound effects from the show.

The skill places kids behind the cash register of the Krusty Krab where they take orders from a host of strange but hilarious customers. In each session, kids face three challenges in which they have to remember the details of each customer’s order—no matter how odd the customer’s cravings may be.

Luke Wilson and Dianna Agron recording ADR in studio!

American actors Luke Wilson and Dianna Agron came by the studio this January to record dialogue, with Dubway engineer Zac Suskevich, for a new film directed by Agron. Thanks for stopping in!

Dianna Agron has appeared in hit TV shows CSI: NY, Veronica Mars, Numb3rs and Heroes, before winning her most notable role as Quinn Fabray on FOX's Glee.

Luke Wilson is widely known for his roles in films such as Idiocracy, Old School, Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums, Blue Streak, Bongwater, and Legally Blonde.

Brett Dalton recording ADR

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actor Brett Dalton was recently in studio to record ADR for a film by Reel One Pictures. Engineer Adrian Thorstensen ran the session with Source Connect, with Reel One joining in remotely from Vancouver, BC.

'Olfactory' Premieres Online

Last year, Dubway had the opportunity to produce the audio — location recording, ADR, foley, SFX, mixing — for Christopher Piazza's short film, Olfactory. The film won 'Best Dramatic Short film at the Berlin Sci-Fi Filmfest last November, and we're happy to share its official online release today ! Watch Olfactory in its entirety here: http://filmshortage.com/dailyshortpicks/olfactory/

Olfactory is a dramatic sci-fi short film about memories and how they never leave us. In the film, “Olfactory” is a system that allows users to re-experience memories. Brian, an app programmer, hacks the system so he can alter his memories, but in doing so, he loses his grip on his current reality.

Olfactory was co-written and directed by Christopher Piazza. It is based on a short story of the same name by Lucas Kane. The film stars Kieran Mulcare (Jessica Jones, Gotham), Alison Barton (Master of None, Friends from College) and Molly Camp (High Maintenance, The Good Wife).

New podcast: How Things Grow

We've been delighted to have taken on an abundance of podcasts that have begun recording episodes at Dubway! We'd like to introduce the new business podcast, How Things Grow hosted by Shamanth Rao.

Listen to episode 1 on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play, Overcast, or below:

How Things Grow tells the stories of the people who help companies, technologies and economic systems take off - either in recent times or way back in the past.  Each episode features an interview with one of the leading growth practitioners, entrepreneurs or experts in the world today.

Host Shamanth Rao talks to these amazing people about the growth trajectories of some of the companies, trends or economic systems that absolutely took off - either in recent times or way back in the past.

How Things Grow is hosted by Shamanth Rao, VP of Growth at FreshPlanet & former travel editor at Mint Lounge (formerly partner newspaper of The Wall Street Journal in India).

New podcast: 'Single Ladies/Married Women'

Another new podcast has been born in our studios!

Hosts Breece Wilson and Monica Cangero began their new podcast, Single Ladies/Married Women this winter. The new weekly show discusses all the obstacles single ladies and married women face alike: maintaining friendships, expectations, the fun and the difficult parts in love and everything to do with it. SL/MW features guests from single ladies, married women, single and married men, and straight and LGBTQ+ couples.

Listen to their first two episodes below on YouTube:

Sound design and audio post mix for 'Baby Won’t You Please Come Home'

Promotional image for Baby Won't You Please Come Home

Dubway engineer Nathaniel Reichman recently completed a final sound mix for upcoming short film Baby Won't You Please Come Home, written and directed by Christopher Piazza, and produced by Eli Cane.

The film focuses on a former jazz singer (Michelle Hurst, Orange Is The New Black) suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s and her daughter’s (Melanie Nicholls-King, The Wire) struggle to care for her. It deals with the difficulties of watching a family member deteriorate but also seeks to put the audience into the point-of-view of the person suffering the disease.

Baby Won't You Please Come Home features three arrangements of gospel and jazz standards performed by Jazzmeia Horn (who was recently nominated for a Grammy for best Jazz Vocal Album). The film has just been completed and the plan is to hit the festival circuit throughout 2018. 

"Baby Won't You Please Come Home" is a short film starring Michelle Hurst ("Orange is the New Black, "Frances Ha") and Melanie Nicholls-King ("The Wire," "Orphan Black"). Written and directed by Christopher Piazza

Jessy Schram recording ADR for upcoming kids series 'The Nine Lives of Claw'

Jessy Schram

Actress Jessy Schram (Veronica Mars, Once Upon A Time) was in studio last week recording ADR for the upcoming animated series, The Nine Lives of Claw. Dubway engineer Louis Fisher recorded Jessy in NYC for three episodes, while creators Gary Pilla and Greg Scheetz joined in remotely from LA via Skype.

The Nine Lives of Claw is an animated kids' series produced by Pilla-Scheetz that is currently in production on Season 1. The production company is also  working with Animasia Studio in Malaysia to produce 26 three-minute webisode shorts. Along with Jessy Schram as the voice of Purrnelope, the cast includes Jim Cummings (Whinnie the Pooh and Tigger Too), Chris Knight (Madagascar, Shrek) and Max Osinki (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.).

The Nine Lives of Claw follows the adventures of the sarcastic superhero cat, Claw; his genius mouse sidekick, Edison; and the always ambitious kitty, Purrfessor Purrnelope. Together they battle the sinister MUTT (Malicious Unleashed Thugs and Thieves) and a slew of other villains to keep things in order in the city of Anonymous. (Source)

Nathaniel Reichman and Rhumba featured in the pages of CAS Quarterly

 The Cinema Audio Society (CAS) caught wind of what Rhumba (the partnership formed between Dubway Studios and Murmur Music) is doing with Dolby Atmos, and CAS member Matt Foglia interviewed our chief engineer Nathaniel Reichman along with two other mixers:

. . . WHILE RESEARCHING for this article, I also found an unusual use of Dolby Atmos. Nathaniel Reichman is a New York-based re-recording mixer with a client who was looking to create an audio-only sonic experience for a specific demographic. The caveat? The user would be listening, primarily, on headphones. Given this request, Reichman felt the immersive nature of binaural would provide the most engaging result . . .

Read on, beginning at page 50... http://cinemaaudiosociety.org/cas-quarterly/

The Cinema Audio Society was formed in 1964 for the purpose of sharing information with Sound Professionals in the Motion Picture and Television Industry. It is a philanthropic, non-profit organization that holds educational meetings throughout the year on topics of interest to those in the sound and film industry, and also publishes the CAS Quarterly, and The CAS Membership and Industry Directory.

Ella Purnell recording pick-ups for BBC One's 'Ordeal By Innocence'

Ellla Purnell in Maleficent, 2014

English actress Ella Purnell (Maleficent, Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children) was in studio recently recording ADR for BBC One's television adaptation of Agatha Christie's homonymous crime novel Ordeal By Innocence. Dubway engineer Adrian Thorstensen recorded Ella's pick-ups for the three episodes, connected with a studio in London, UK via Source Connect.

Ordeal By Innocence is a three-episode TV mini series to appear on BBC One, as part of the network's deal with Agatha Christie Productions to produce seven dramas based on the author’s works. Along with Purnell, joining the cast are Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark), Ed Westwick (Gossip Girl), Anthony Boyle (Harry Potter And The Cursed Child), Luke Treadaway (Fortitude), Morven Christie (The A Word), Crystal Clarke (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), and Alice Eve (Star Trek Into Darkness).

The murder mystery book, published in 1958, is a psychological thriller involving crimes from both past and present. According to the courts, Jacko Argyle bludgeoned his mother to death with a poker.

Audio post mix for SeaLegacy's The Tide

Dubway engineer Zac Suskevich recently mixed the sound for a promotional video for SeaLegacy's The Tide.

SeaLegacy is an environmental conservation organization whose mission is to create healthy and abundant oceans by means of powerful images and storytelling.

Bridget Moynahan lends her voice to WBUR's children's podcast 'Circle Round'

(Patrick James Miller)

Last week, Dubway engineer Sam Palumbo recorded actress and model Bridget Moynahan (I, Robot, Blue Bloods, Lord of War) as a featured guest voice on WBUR's children's podcast, Circle Round. The session included use of Dubway's dedicated Skype interface, SkypeWay, as show producers Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis supervised remotely from their studio in Boston, Massachusetts.

Sam with @bridgetmoynahan recording a podcast today! A pleasure having you at the studio!

A post shared by Dubway Studios (@dubwaystudios) on Nov 29, 2017 at 1:58pm PST

Circle Round is a children's storytime audio show created by husband and wife Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis. The podcast is broadcast on WBUR (Boston's NPR news station). Narrated by Sheir with sound design by Shimelonis, each 10-20 minute episode is an exploration of folktales from all over the world. An episode of Circle Round is described by Sheir as a "movie for your mind," encouraging imagination from children. Bridget Moynahan was the featured celebrity on this week's episode, "Clever Manka," an adaptation of a tale from the country once known as Czechoslovakia.

Norah Jones featured on an episode of Remy's Place

Singer-songwriter Norah Jones guest stars on "Dumplings!" - a new episode on Remy's Place, now live for listening on Panoply's children's app, Pinna, and for a limited time for free on Apple Podcasts! Here's Norah with show creators Michael Rubin & Richard Julian in the Mezzanine.

Michael Rubin, Norah Jones, Richard Julian

Conceived, written, and produced by Rhumba Recorders co-owner Michael Rubin with singer-songwriter Richard Julian, Remy's Place is a highly sound-designed, sonic extravaganza centered around a child, Remy, who grows up in a music café that his parents named after him. 

Music features some of the best jazz players in New York City (Norah Jones, Tony Scherr, Tony Mason, Henry Butler, Matthew Munesteri, Noé Socha, Kenny Wollesen, Roy Nathanson) and was recorded live in the Mezzanine studio.

ADR with Sean Pertwee

English actor Sean Pertwee (Alfred Pennyworth, Gotham) recorded some ADR work (via Source Connect) with Dubway engineer Adrian Thorstensen in the studio last week. Thanks for stopping by, Sean!

Engineer Adrian Thorstensen, actor Sean Pertwee, studio manager Nicole Muzii

'Someone Else's Wedding' first premiere at Whistler Film Festival

Someone Else's Wedding, a feature film by CCI Entertainment, made its first premiere in Canada at the Whistler Film Festival.

Earlier this year at Dubway, engineer Sam Palumbo recorded ADR for Someone Else's Wedding with award-winning actors Kathleen Turner, Wallace Shawn and Luke Kirby. Director Pat Kiely tuned in via Dubway's dedicated Skype interface, SkypeWay.

Trailer below:

Directed by Pat Kiely An all-star cast, including Kathleen Turner, Frances Fisher, Wallace Shawn, Luke Kirby, Kevin Zegers, Jacob Tierney and Jessica Pare assemble for a wedding in Montreal. A more comically dysfunctional family would be hard to find.

'This Podcast Has Fleas' premieres on WNYC Kids!

A Cat. A Dog. Two Microphones. What could go wrong?

WNYC Studios teamed up with kids' television veterans Adam Peltzman and Koyalee Chanda (WallyKazam!, The Backyardigans, Blue's Clues) to create the top audio programming network's first-ever children's podcast: This Podcast Has Fleas. Rhumba worked on recording, sound designing, and mixing the series here at Dubway Studios. We are proud to present the series as its first episodes premiere this week! Take a listen to a preview via WNYC below:

This Podcast Has Fleas is a six-episode children's comedy show starring Jay Pharoah (SNL) as Jones, the trash-talking cool cat with a fondness for auto-tune, and Emily Lynne as Waffles the dog, who is eager to please and loves a good sleepover party. The two silly animals not only live under the same roof, but are also rivals with dueling podcasts! With unpredictable but amusing storylines, the show features original music and some familiar voices as recurring characters, including Alec Baldwin as the goldfish Mr. Glub, and Eugene Mirman as Benny the gerbil.

Jay Pharaoh as Jones

Alec Baldwin as Mr. Glub

This hilarious new 'pawcast' is the first installment of WNYC's new kids' programming division, and is sure to make both children and adults laugh.

A look behind the scenes of Pharaoh and Lynne recording the podcast in studio.

'Bravo Tango Brain Training' - a meditation app for Veterans by NatGeo and 360i

National Geographic and 360i teamed up together to create Bravo Tango Brain Training, a meditation app designed specifically for veterans.

Dubway Studios facilitated the recording and post mix for the audio in the app, as well as hired the voice actor for the guided meditation.

Former Air Force Psychologist and combat veteran Dr. Michael Valdovinos says "Many veterans are hesitant to try meditation and mindfulness because of societal stereotypes it carries in our community. In my practice, however, I’ve found meditation, mindfulness and voice therapy to be highly effective in reducing stress, refining focus and raising optimism. Bravo Tango Brain Training is a bridge to seeking help and brings a unique approach directly to the veteran community where we feel safest: our homes."

Radio Spot mix for AAA

Earlier this summer, Rhumba (formed the the partnership of Dubway Studios and Murmur Music) produced a jingle for the automobile service, AAA, via the agency, Majestic Media. Michael Rubin composed and arranged the music, while Nathaniel Reichman was the lead audio producer. Rhumba produced the vocal session in the Mezzanine studio. The official radio spot was recently mixed in October by Dubway engineer Zac Suskevich.

Olfactory wins Best Dramatic Short at the Berlin Sci-Fi Filmfest

Congratulations to everyone involved in the short film Olfactory for winning Best Dramatic Short film at the Berlin Sci-Fi Filmfest this November! A job well done!

Last year, Dubway had the opportunity to produce the audio — location recording, ADR, foley, SFX, mixing — for Christopher Piazza's short film, Olfactory.

The science fiction drama surrounds an experimental product "Olfactory" that allows users to re-experience memories, starring Kieran Mulcare, Alison Barton and Molly Camp.

Watch a trailer of the sci-fi drama, written and directed by Christopher Piazza, below.

'Season Isle' on Panoply's Pinna!

This autumn, Panoply launched a new subscription app for kids, Pinna, which The New York Times calls "a digital toy box full of ad-free audio for listeners 4-12.” Along with Remy's Place, Dubway has been working closely with the podcast network on the production of Season Isle. The series is now available for listening on the Pinna app.

Produced by Rhumba Recorders and recorded at Dubway Studios, Season Isle is a highly produced 20-episode radio play, complete with scoring and intensive sound design. Rhumba cast and directed the talent as well as the scoring and audio post.

Premiering this autumn, the fantasy audio series Season Isle releases one episode each day.
The thrilling story surrounds 10-year-old twins, Juniper and Zephyr Hillhouse, and their adventures on Season Isle. "This enchanting island is divided into four seasons, and sometimes a problem arising in one season can only be solved with assistance from another season. In these moments of need, the denizens of Season Isle turn to the center of the island for help. There live The Twins and their guardian, House on the Hill, an animate, magical house. Will Juniper and Zeph be able to help the seasons find harmony?"