Prospects for a Year of Innovation and Growth
I am so happy to welcome a new year, 2025, a year of endless possibilities, grand expectations and hopefully lots and lots of production! I would also like to welcome each and every one of you back to the quarterly Goldcrest Newsletter.
As we all know, 2024 was a year of challenges. Most of us in the postproduction world are happy to say goodbye to ‘24 and hello to ‘25. Our landscape is changing, and we are pushed to evolve, finding ways to finish projects in ways that are financially prudent and require fewer people. AI looms in the background and I, for one, look forward to creating a new post world…yet again. I witnessed the transition from analog to digital and survived and thrived through it all. This latest round of change is another opportunity we must meet and we at Goldcrest are just getting started!
Things have been a little quiet in the vast world of postproduction, much quieter than I am used to seeing. But, I am happy to report that Goldcrest has weathered the storm. We have advantages that big box postproduction houses don’t. We own the real estate at each of our locations and have the unique ability to offer one-stop solutions for post, from dailies through VFXWe are a family business, a family made up of content creators (the modern term for filmmakers) who love this business and are dedicated to seeing the company survive and grow. Our employees are committed and have contributed to the bottom line through deferments and shortened schedules. It truly is a family environment. It is the type of atmosphere that I knew when I started all those years ago. Most companies then were owner-operated and, while post was mostly a regional business, we explored beyond our borders through organizations like the long defunct ITS and met other post people from around the world.
Drawing inspiration from that earlier model, I would like to introduce the Global Post Network. Through this coalition of independent post houses, we now have a presence in New York, London, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal to name a few. If you are shooting in New Mexico and posting in LA, we can help. Now, there is nowhere we can’t handle shooting, conform, color, sound and VFX. It is a new era. We are stronger together. Each company in the network brings unique skills and talent to the table. We will be rolling out a talent roster that will amaze and impress you, including colorists from around the world whom we will represent in all markets. This is exciting stuff, people.
As we enter this new world of less production, smaller budgets and global shooting and post, we are rethinking the way we operate, who our partners are and the way we approach collaboration. How AI fits into this is a question that will answer itself over the next several years. I see improvements in workflow efficiency and cost savings as the main benefits. Nothing will ever replace the eye of a great colorist, the seasoned ear of a top re-recording mixer or the clever skills of a top conform artist.
Of course, we are working to improve the client experience and create a more cost-effective environment. That is our most important goal. We are in the business of making our clients’ projects look and sound as good as they possibly can.
2025 is going to be a year of innovation and growth. It marks my 45th year in this amazing, wild, exciting ever-changing industry. Oh, the stories I can and do tell from the past four-plus decades. I have loved every second, even the rough times. It is a great business made up some of the most intelligent and humorous people on the planet. I want 45 more!!!!
Enjoy the newsletter. We are very happy to present it again. Let’s get this business back on its feet! Let’s make great content for the world to see.
Domenic Rom
Managing Director