What is the name of your organization and what is your area of focus in the film and video space?
Our name is Barking Owl! We have studios in both LA and NY. We focus on Audio Post Production so Music (original, arrangements, sweetening, licensed), Sound Design, Mix & VO Recording/ADR. We can handle the entire audio post process or just one piece of it.
What’s your organization’s origin story?
We were founded by a couple, Justin and Kelly Bayett, who wanted an audio post production facility that was filled with people that feel like family in a place that looks like home.
What is your organization’s ethos and how does it set you apart from industry competitors?
Barking Owl is a team of incredibly good people. The environment is like anywhere else. All ego’s at the door is our number one rule. Many people preach this, but Barking Owl has an incredible way of actually putting this into action and maintaining that humility. Everyone helps each other out and is extremely talented at what they do. Not to mention we have an insane Chef who cooks for staff and clients daily. We’re lucky.
What projects are you most proud of and why?
We had a few pivotal projects, one being Montefiore “Corazon”. Based on a true story, it was a short film shot by John Hillcoat about a woman in the Dominican who is a sex worker, has a heart defect and her journey to get to America for treatment. It’s absolutely stunning. Another was the LeBron James spot “Together” when he came back to Cleveland. That was the project that brought us together with Atticus Ross and we still represent him 8 years later!
We are screening your project “Here to Win” in our 45th Annual Screening Series. Tell us about how this project came to life.
When this project first came about we knew right away we were in. It’s projects like these that make a difference and that is what we are about. They don’t come by often enough so it was obvious we wanted to do anything we could to make this special. The director Alex Hulsey is a good friend of ours and the conversations we had with him and his team were detailed and intentional. We ended up having the perfect track for it and were delighted to see how everything aligned so seamlessly. This is a project we share on our reels to this day and are very proud of.
What’s one part of the video and television industry you would change and why?
One part of the industry I would change is to remove the fear from creativity. So much tends to live in the middle and be forgettable because people are afraid of doing something that stands out.
How can people join or learn more about what you do?
Our instagram and website are a great place to start if you’re just learning about us! We have won best Music & Sound Company for the last year 4 years in a row, more to be found here.
Instagram: @barkingowlsound
Website: barkingowlsound.com
Email: ashley@barkingowlsound.com (NY EP), kc@barkingowlsound.com (LA EP)
