Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Peacemaker Sound for Picture specializes in immersive story telling, providing professional sound services for the film and television industry.
Can you tell us how and why you started your business?
I spent the first eight years of my career in live sound, and touring. Then in 2013, after a short stint in broadcast (which I hated), I took a sound editing job in northern California. This is where I fell in love with filmmaking. After so many years in music, that first taste of editing dialogue and effects to build worlds and immerse an audience in a story was the most exciting thing I’d ever done. I decided then and there that film was where I wanted to be. I continued to hone my skills and ended up sound supervising that production house’s entire sound department, including production, post production, broadcast and a weekly podcast dubbed into seven languages.
I loved that job, but after several years of rocky executive turnover, I decided it was time for a change, and in 2019 I started Peacemaker Sound for Picture to serve filmmakers and audiences with immersive sonic story telling.
What services do you provide within the film/music industry?
At Peacemaker Sound for Picture, we provide all services related to Production and Post-Production sound. On the production side we provide sound mixing, boom operation and utility work, as well as supplemental equipment rental. On the post side we provide dialogue, effects and music editorial, re-recording mixing, as well as sound supervision services. If our facilities can’t accommodate a task, we use our network to get that job done.
How has your company grown to meet the needs of Oklahoma’s film and/or music industries over the last 3-5 years?
Over the last few years we have expanded our equipment list to meet the needs of larger scale productions. We have also developed a network of skilled sound professionals and facilities to allow us to accommodate the growing work load. The next phase will be upgrading our surround mixing platform to Dolby Atmos.
What are the benefits of basing your company’s operations in Oklahoma?
There are so many things that make Oklahoma a great place to do business. Low taxes and reduced regulations give us more room to reinvest and support the growth of the industry as a whole. The people here are just wonderful to work with. They are skilled, passionate, tough, hard working and kind. This makes it very easy to find qualified talent to add to the team. The combination of tight knit crew and exponential growth provide incredible opportunities for both upcoming filmmakers and seasoned professionals. The State and Tribes are also doing a tremendous job supporting the growth of the industry and attracting productions to Oklahoma. People often ask me what it takes to grow a film industry in an area, and I tell them it takes the perfect mixture of skilled labor, supporting infrastructure and demand for the location. Oklahoma has all of those things, and film has a very bright future here.
What would you consider your business’s greatest accomplishment to date?
From a business stand point, probably surviving the collapse of our small market in California, relocating to Oklahoma and rebuilding our network to thrive in a new location. Navigating that was difficult and required that we make some difficult decisions, but here we are, having completed a record year and working on our biggest projects to date.
Are there any recent successes your company would like to highlight related to work within the Oklahoma film and music industries?
I’m particularly proud of the work we performed this last year.
The first project we worked on was a three-part docudrama series entitled “The Enemy Within.” It was more or less an international spy thriller shot in Tulsa, Okla. Our crew dealt with challenging, uncontrolled spaces and a fast paced production schedule. In post we had to navigate a mid-edit format change from feature to episodic as well as supervise ADR sessions in L.A., Nashville, Dallas, Dubai and Qatar. Starting production on a project this large in March and delivering three episodes in late October was no easy feat, but we made it happen.
Secondly, our team was brought on as the production sound team for “Sarah’s Oil.” This film was seven weeks of nearly all exteriors in June and July. We dealt with very challenging conditions both physically and technically. Even so, the team never settled and was always working to make it the best it could be. In the end we were able to deliver great recordings of these actors’ performances. It was really an honor to work with this team on this story and be a part of bringing “Sarah’s Oil” to the world.
What are you working on now/next?
We just finished a home renovation show for Magnolia network, and later this year we’ll be working on several feature documentaries. I’m also looking to add some feature films to the calendar.
What is your goal/vision for the future of your company?
I would eventually like to be able to offer world class post facilities that can help facilitate the growth of the film industry, and specifically post production, in Oklahoma.
What advice do you have for others who are considering starting a film or music business in Oklahoma?
Do it. We need all of the infrastructure and niche specialty businesses in place to support the film industry’s growth in the state.
What opportunities do you believe await Oklahoma’s film/music industry in the future?
I believe film can become an cornerstone piece of Oklahoma’s economy. With much work and dedication we can become known as a production state recognized in class with legendary cities like L.A., New York and Atlanta. We obviously have a lot of work ahead to become that established, but I think we have the tailwinds to get there.
Each featured individual or business is given the provided questions to answer in their own voice. Other than formatting and grammar, the answers are personal to each featured voice, and are not provided by the Oklahoma Film + Music Office.
