The Present
“ Ad agencies are looking for creativity and creative input ,” Lefebvre explains . “ We basically become producers of good audio for their projects , both in terms of music and dialogue . We take charge with directing the voiceovers , figuring out what we need for sound effects , and being able to properly compose and record the music .”
It was in 2012 that composer Maxime Navert , who had been with the studio for four years at the time , launched Lamajeure ’ s in-house music department , the most recent component of its integrated service offerings . Basically , at the core of its business model is the fact that Lamajeure isn ’ t a studio where someone just hits “ record ”; instead , they ’ re offering top-to-bottom creative input to help clients bring their visions to life .
Whereas the ad agencies used to hire composers directly , leaving the composers to hire the studios and musicians to realize their work , now , the agencies are coming directly to Lamajeure for a turnkey product . Subsequently , the studio has developed close and collaborative relationships with many of the major ad agencies in the area .
The top-to-bottom integration of services means they can save clients time by handling different components of a project simultaneously while reaping the benefits of it all being done under the same roof by a tight-knit group of professionals .
“ When we do ads now , as I ’ m doing sound in the studio , they could be doing [ video ] encoding in the machine room at the same time ,” Lefebvre offers as an example . “ That also means that one hour after we ’ ve completed the music , the client can have a master done and delivered to any TV station across Canada .”
That type of turnaround is virtually unparalleled and , in an age where deadlines are continually compressed , is a significant selling point .
“ We ’ ve developed an expertise , but more than that , we ’ ve developed a team with a system , and it ’ s hard to compete with us with that system ,” says Boivin as a testament to his
PHOTO : CYNTHIA CARAZ earlier statement about Lefebvre and Lamajeure ’ s impact on the industry in Montreal .
While advertising and the various creative and technical components of it are now Lamajeure ’ s core business , they ’ ve been taking on more digital and online media projects of late – “ less-traditional ” media , as they call it – like interactive and immersive experiences and museum-type exhibits for the likes of the Canadian Olympic Committee and Dubai ’ s Burj Khalifa , the tallest building in the world and a major tourist attraction . These are typically led by Navert and his creative vision .
Of course , they do voice and music recording for film , TV , and gaming projects as well , which continue to get more elaborate – surround sound , audio for augmented and virtual realities , etc . – in tandem with the evolution of consumer technologies .
Lefebvre says that being consistently ahead of the curve , whether that relates to the adoption of new technologies or services in anticipation of industry trends , has been central to the studio ’ s success over the years . What enables them to do so is their constant reinvestment in the business – not being afraid to take risks and explore potential new opportunities .
For example , Lamajeure was one of the first studios in its area to install an optical internet connection , facilitating larger and faster file transfers .
“ That ’ s been part of my heritage of quality work from the beginning ,” Lefebvre attests , again recalling the studio ’ s musical roots . “ Over the years , I was always looking to be better , to improve – the best equipment , the best space with the best acoustics , always upgrading our systems ...”
Of course , in an area of the business that puts a lot of stake in client care and interpersonal relationships , having a staff that can instill or maintain trust and confidence in a client is crucial . This is yet another distinguishing factor – and point of pride – for Lamajeure .
When Boivin rejoined the team in 2008 ,
MATHIEU MORIN , MAXIME NAVERT , JACOB GAUTHIER ROBITAILLE , SYLVAIN LEFEBVRE &
ÉTIENNE BOIVIN
he was one of about 10 permanent employees ; just 10 years later , that number has tripled to 30 full-time employees across three departments : recording and post-production services , original music , and TV distribution . That includes six full-time project managers to handle scheduling , booking , and project follow-up , along with Toronto-based Business Development Director Cynthia Littler , who provides a full-time presence for the studio in the Ontario market .
“ As we developed more services and the TV distribution department took off , it became more about managing everything seamlessly ,” says Boivin . “ It was a very interesting phase for us to be able to grow our capacity but still be totally certain that nothing was falling through the cracks .”
Lefebvre takes over : “ We also get a lot of last-minute projects , and I think it ’ s key to have enough staff that you never have to turn down work . We ’ ve trained everyone to be very versatile as well , so we can respond to whatever a given project might require and still deliver a perfect product .”
As such , they ’ ve managed to keep turnover relatively low in an industry where that ’ s not typically the case . “ We have a lot of staff who ’ ve been with us for five , 10 , even 20 years ,” boasts Boivin .
The Future
28 • PROFESSIONAL SOUND