of an overused cliché , though it seems to be a fitting term for the colleagues at SPR . After all , that idea of a tight-knit group of professionals in a boutique studio servicing a unique niche is exactly what appealed to Deschamps when he decided to join the team in 2009 .
“ When I came in , I tried to change as little as possible on the company culture side ,” Deschamps says . He recalls doing his due diligence about the company , calling some of its known clients and collaborators to get their impressions . Needless to say , he was impressed , and was seeking exactly this type of opportunity – to bring his managerial expertise to an executive role where he ’ d be closer to the staff , their work , and their clients .
“ If you want to compete with the big studios , you need to keep that very close relationship with the client – and the clients of our clients ,” he says , speaking to the relationships SPR maintains with French-language broadcasters the world over . That ’ s because , in many cases , the companies hiring SPR for dubbing are English , and are subsequently trusting SPR to deliver quality French dubs despite the language barrier . “ So it ’ s on us to build that trust factor between the actual broadcasters that are going to be airing these shows , whether they ’ re Canadian , French , Belgian … We ’ ve worked very hard at that in the past few years .”
Bissonnette says that ’ s a major value-added selling point for the studio , citing their work with Canadian production company DHX Media as an example . “ They let us handle all of the communications with their broadcasters , so we ’ ve developed these relationships that are really one of our biggest advantages over our competitors ,” he says .
Identifying and capitalizing on competitive advantages seems to be a longtime cornerstone for the business . As both Bissonnette and Deschamps each express in different conversations , considering the widespread access to industry standard technologies , many Quebecois and Canadian post studios are using the same
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products and platforms to do and deliver their work ; that means the differentiation from place to place largely stems from their approach to client relations .
“ We try to offer a totally turnkey solution ,” Bissonnette emphasizes . For example , adding French captions to works done in other languages is a service the studio has added in recent years to become more of a one-stop service provider . “ We want to get them as close to their final product as possible at the end of the day ,” the VP emphasizes .
Like most studios that have survived the major industry shifts over the last couple of decades , SPR ’ s services have adapted to the market . Bissonnette notes that , during his first decade with the studio , dubbing wasn ’ t a major pillar of the business ; now , in 2016 , it accounts for the vast majority of their work . “ Of course , we still do original sound , but our services have changed because we ’ ve developed new strengths over the years ,” the VP says . “ There was just so much dubbing work , and we were earning a reputation for doing it well , and that came with lots of competition in downtown Montreal for original projects .”
Deschamps takes over , saying much of their success stems from the fact that they ’ re disproving the belief that Quebec-based French dubs wouldn ’ t work in European French-speaking territories . “ Everyone would say that , typically , Quebec dubs had a local accent ,” he says , but SPR and the talent they work with have done a fine job refuting that claim .
It took a good four or five years to get to that point , where producers and broadcasters abroad were totally trusting of their abilities . Working in the animation world was the ideal medium to break down those barriers as well , Deschamps notes . “ Because you ’ re not burdened by making a voice match a certain [ human actor ] onscreen . So we delivered some [ animated program dubs ] to some French broadcasters early on , and then our goal was to put a lot of attention on learning what they needed and wanted from a dub for a show .
“ It ’ s certainly not easy ,” Deschamps adds . “ It takes a cultural openness for that on their part . It ’ s different in France than it is here , but when we hire people to review scripts , it ’ s people that understand that market and culture base .”
One of the main drivers behind the everevolving workflow at SPR is the continually shrinking budgets for productions large and small industry-wide . “ When we ’ re doing quotes or first discussing projects with our clients , right from the start , we ’ re really trying to find a way to be as efficient as possible to deliver what they want ,” Bissonnette says . The key to that , he adds , is communication – “ a close relationship with good dialogue so we can get straight to their end goals and go beyond their expectations . By keeping
Studio F everything crystal clear , we ’ re saving them time and saving them money – keeping it simple for us , for them , and keeping the money onscreen .”
SPR also sees value in incubating local talent and productions , realizing that a strong TV and film industry in the province means more work and opportunities at every stage of the production process .
“ We ’ ve certainly brought that boutique feel to local creators ,” Deschamps says , noting the studio has at times taken on community-based notfor-profit projects at no charge , or helped local clients by working at cost on a pilot production , realizing that a green light could mean a new fulltime client and another economic driver in their shared industry .
“ It ’ s best to be diversified ,” Deschamps offers . “ We ’ re always trying to find that right balance for the current market , because as everyone knows , it ’ s a business of cycles .”
One major incoming trend that can ’ t really be called cyclical is the increase in the amount – and quality – of digitally distributed content through online portals and streaming services like Netflix . “ We ’ re doing a lot of exploring there ,” Deschamps reveals . “ There are a few extra services we ’ re looking at providing , and some new partnerships and alliances . We really have to keep on our toes with that .”
Another area of focus for the near future is continually boosting their global network of partners for international dubbing . As Deschamps shares , some current clients are asking for upwards of a dozen language dubs on their shows , and always wanting to provide a turnkey solution , SPR is building its network of international partners to streamline that process . “ That will be a major focus for the next six to 12 months ,” SPR ’ s president insists .
Of course , any new undertakings will align with the company ’ s unique corporate culture and brand identity , which is that of a long-running boutique operation full of familiar faces providing a superior product . “ We have to retain that personal touch for every client ,” Deschamps stresses . “ We keep that boutique mentality all the time .”
“ We feel there ’ s a need in the market for a studio like ours , that offers that type of personalized service ,” Bissonnette adds , and despite all of the changes the post-production industry has seen since SPR began operations in 1979 , that ’ s one thing that has remained constant over the years .
Andrew King is the Editor of Professional Sound .