Windmill Lane Pictures is a renowned creative production hub specializing in Commercials, Film, TV, VFX, and animation. With a long and colorful history, it has developed into Ireland’s leading picture and sound post-production, VFX and content creation studio, collaborating with many industry giants, including Netflix, HBO, Universal and Sony Pictures. With immersive storytelling gaining greater significance in today’s creative landscape and guided by a mission to “Make Great Stories,” Windmill acknowledged the critical role of staying at the forefront of audio technology and opted for a studio and equipment upgrade. New consoles have been integrated into two state-of-the-art mixing rooms designed to support post-production services. Studio One now has a Genelec 7.1.4 monitoring system for Dolby Atmos immersive mixing.
Mick Creedon, a seasoned engineer with over 25 years of experience, is at the forefront of Windmill’s audio department. Creedon’s expertise in recording and mixing has been instrumental to Windmill’s success and has been showcased in the recent Amazon Prime show ‘Last One Laughing’ and the Sky Documentaries ‘Right Here, Right Now’ (Fatboy Slim’s Big Beach Boutique II).
“We began fielding inquiries about immersive audio capabilities,” Creedon noted. “Previously, when clients inquired about mixing audio in Atmos, we had to reluctantly decline. Now, with this setup, we’re fully equipped to meet all the needs of clients and streamers alike.”
The upgrade
Windmill moved to its current building in 2009, engaging the services of White Mark to design and build three Genelec-equipped 5.1 audio post-production studios, with local Genelec distributor Big Bear Sound supplying, installing and commissioning the monitoring systems. Studios One and Two were similar, with VO booths complemented by the slightly smaller Studio Three. Since then, the facility has expanded to include five post studios, five edit suites, two presentation rooms and a grading room – deploying over 55 Genelec monitors.
When Windmill decided to upgrade Studio One from 5.1 to Dolby Atmos, it also took the opportunity to standardize the facilities in all five audio post studios, enabling a seamless transition for engineers moving between rooms. Studio One’s transformation involved significant changes, including a complete re-wire of the AV cable infrastructure, modification to the existing studio furniture, and replacing the acoustic fabric. These efforts were supported by Big Bear, which played an integral role in installing and commissioning the rooms. “It wasn’t an easy job transforming our studios, but the results speak for themselves,” Creedon confirmed.
Studio One’s newly upgraded immersive system comprises the original 1038B three-way monitors in the LCR positions, with an additional two 8050A two-way models supplementing the original pair of 8050As in the side and rear positions. Four new 8030C compact two-way models have been deployed for the overhead channels, with low frequencies handled by the room’s original 7073A subwoofer. This fusion of older and newer Genelec models has resulted in a streamlined workflow, allowing more time for creativity and expediting file exporting for remote approval.
The challenges
There were challenges and intricacies of finessing each element of the studio. “A lot of hard work is needed to blend and mold everything together, and it can take a bit of trial and error, but that’s all part of the job,” said Creedon. “You’re always striving to get the best possible sound, and the accuracy and detail of Genelec monitoring helps us achieve that. If there are noises, clicks, or background sounds, we can easily clean them up with our plug-ins and tools. Genelec’s like having a built-in perfectionist, always nudging us to make things sound just right, and when the final product leaves the room, you know it’s going to sound spot on.”
Looking ahead, Windmill Lane is poised to meet the evolving demands of the streaming industry, dominated by series and dramas. Windmill Lane remains dedicated to serving clients across multiple genres, and thanks to Genelec’s involvement, it is more than prepared to set new standards in immersive mixing. Creedon concluded, “These kinds of innovative upgrades pave the way for dynamic storytelling, and we’re thrilled to be a part of where it will go next.”
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