Hitchcock Theatre

The all-new state-of-the art Hitchcock Mixing Stage on the Universal Studios Lot links leading edge technology with thoughtfully planned, flexible areas for all your post-production needs. Designed as a stylish, creative workspace for directors, producers, and post-production teams, the new Hitchcock features an open-air lobby, a private director’s office, editorial rooms, two kitchens, and an outdoor patio. This storied sound stage turned mixing stage housed some of Universal’s most iconic productions, including Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), Spartacus (1960), The Blues Brothers (1980), and Scarface (1983). Now it is the home for the award-winning mixing team of Jon Taylor and Frank A. Montaño, the duo responsible for mixing such hit films as Fast 9:  The Fast Saga, First Man, The Revenant, Straight Outta Compton and Unbroken among others.

MIXING STAGE ROOM SPECS

DIMENSIONS

• Length:  80′ Full Room
• Width:  56′
• Height:  24′
• Front of Room Height: 23′
• Console Position Height: 18′
• Credenza Height: 16′ 5″
• Image Throw:  76′ 3″
• Screen Size:  45′ 7″ W x 18′ H

EQUIPMENT:

9 RING ATMOS SPEAKERS

• Mains – Meyer Acheron 100 & Acheron LF (L, LC, C, RC, R)
  
• Main Subs – Meyer X800C – Qty. 8
• Surrounds – Meyer HMS 15
• Surround Subs – Meyer USW-210P
• Overheads – Meyer HMS 12 & 15
• IMAX VOG – Meyer Ultra X42

 PROJECTION

• Christie CP 4440 4K Laser Cinema Projector
• Avid Media Composer Playback system
• 4 Way masking
• Stewart Screen – Standard perf

CONSOLE

• Avid S6 – 2 mixer set up.  96 faders total

MAC PRO 7.1’s 

• (2) 28 Cores
• (4) 16 Cores
• Separate Playback, Recorder & Picture workstations

DANTE AUDIO NETWORK

QSC – Q-SYS MONITORING CONTROLLER WITH TOUCH INTERFACE

SUPPORT ROOMS:

First Floor

• Four Picture or Sound Editorial Rooms
• Can connect via fiberoptic network to any NBCUniversal StudioPost facility
• Full Kitchen
• Lounge space
• Two 77 inch HDR monitors

Second Floor

• Director’s Office includes:
  1. Port glass view to the mixing stage
  2. Direct feed from mixing console including picture
  3. Can be used an additional fifth editorial room
• Lounge Area
• Private Restroom
• Conference Area
• One 77 inch HDR monitor

Press Release – 27 May 2022

NBCUniversal StudioPost Opens its Hitchcock Theatrical Mixing Stage

NBCUniversal StudioPost has opened a new theatrical mixing stage on the Universal Studios Lot. Sound Stage 6 was transformed over the past year into the new advanced Hitchcock Mixing Stage. This project is part of a $1 billion NBCUniversal investment in the studio lot over the next five years.

Designed as a stylish, creative workspace for directors, producers and post teams, the new Hitchcock features an open-air lobby with a two-story window bank to maximize natural light.  Directors have a private office with a view onto the mixing stage as well as sound and picture feeds directly from the stage. The stage technology includes a Meyer nine-ring Atmos speaker system, 4K laser cinema projection and a 96-fader Avid S6 console. Four editorial rooms connect via secure fiber-optic network to all StudioPost facilities. There are two full kitchens, conference and lounge areas, and an adjacent outdoor patio.

The new stage is home to the mixing team of Jon Taylor and Frank A. Montaño. The duo has mixed films including Fast 9: The Fast Saga, First Man, The Revenant, Straight Outta Compton and Unbroken, among others.

“The mixing stage is designed to match how theaters are being built today so films easily translate from mix stage to movie theater,” says Taylor. “The sound is tight, pristine and microscopic. You hear everything.”

“With the architects, we were able to map out a one-of-a-kind mixing environment,” explains Montaño. “In today’s mix, elements are constantly in flux, so we added four editing bays inside the facility to handle changes in dialogue, music and effects to react instantaneously to filmmaker requests.”

The Hitchcock came online in January, with A24’s feature X being the first film to mix in the new stage. 

Built in the 1930s, Universal’s Sound Stage 6 has held such famous productions as Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), Spartacus (1960), The Blues Brothers (1980) and Scarface (1983). To honor the stage’s rich legacy, wood reclaimed from the stage’s lighting grid structure has been used in wall paneling and in custom tables for the facility.

The technical infrastructure buildout was led by the NBCUniversal StudioPost engineering team headed by Mike Morongell and Gary Gorman. The stage’s versatile systems enable Bill Meadows, in-house mix tech, to securely deliver files in all formats and specifications seamlessly. The stage features a custom mixing credenza constructed on-lot by the Universal Studios Facilities Mill and Metal Shop.

NBCUniversal StudioPost is a full-service post-production facility on the Universal Studios Lot, with global remote services for features, television, streaming and independent projects.