Post house Bleat opens in Hackney

Post-production house Bleat has opened a 4,000 sq ft facility in Hackney.

The facility has been created by composer, producer, and mixer, Tristin Norwell and provides Dolby Atmos mixing, grading, online and conform. It is focused on drama and high-end docs.

Bleat’s rooms include two Dolby Atmos Theatrical mix stages with an additional four multi-functional, hybrid suites that can be used for grade, online and conform and/or Dolby Atmos HETV.

The kit list at the facility includes 4K HDR Projection, Alcons speaker monitoring, alongside ATC speaker monitoring in each of the four multifunctional suites.

The building also includes a marble bar, while catering at the facility is provided by neighbouring restaurant Café Cecelia.

As well as opening its Hackney HQ, Bleat has also opened a further site at Kings Cross that houses a 4K grading suite with 9.2.4 PMC HETV mixing and theatrical premixing.

The Hackney facility was designed by Level Acoustic Design, with construction and technical design executed by Studio Creations. It has been sustainability designed with Sheepswool insulation in the walls.

Bleat’s team includes Matt Edwards (Azimuth, Coda, Fifty Fifty) and Saxon Greenep (Splice, Jigsaw24). Sales is headed up by Dan Pagan; Max Norwell is executive management assistant; and operations and ADR management are run by Tatiana Shelbourne.

Prior to its official launch, Bleat has already used the building to work on a Dolby theatrical mix for the premiere of Amazon’s drama Jungle. George Foulgham also mixed two feature docs at Bleat. He said: “The studios are substantial, equipped to the highest spec and the sound track for Cymande rocked. The Bleat team are very welcoming and attentive. We will certainly be back.”

Norwell adds: “We began Bleat with the aim of creating a highly desirable finishing house that would lure people out of the post-Covid hamster-wheel of working from home, and back into the creative joy of sharing a face-to-face, collaborative process. We are totally made-up to have formed a world-class team of operatives who actually make this seamlessly happen.”

About the owners

The owners, Tristin Norwell and Sarah Withers, have a long history in music production, post and management. Withers began in music management with Sade and then Rough Trade Records, and Norwell as a music composer, producer, mixer, arranger, and musician, having worked with David Holmes on the music score for the Killing Eve series and Yann Demange’s critically acclaimed ’71 and with Adrian Corker for Tin Star as well as including Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa!, Waterloo Road and many more. Norwell has also scored multiple feature films, including John Hardwick’s Svengali. His music recording and mixing credits include working with Madonna, Tricky, Neneh Cherry, Goldfrapp and Talvin Singh for his Mercury prize-winning album.