The first half of 2016 has seen Johannesburg-based post-production facility Mushroom Media expand their capacity, both in terms of staff and equipment. According to owner Warwick Allan, the staff contingent has more than doubled. At the same time, in addition to a major upgrade on the back end, with augmented storage facilities, the company has also introduced virtual reality (VR) capability to its inventory of services.
VR is one of the foremost tech trends at the moment, with scores of new developments in cameras and software set to be introduced to the market over the next few months. Mushroom Media recently tested its VR capabilities on a pitch for a promotional campaign for a major hotel chain. “We are able to stitch footage and deliver a VR stream, as well as compositing elements within a VR space,” Allan says. “Anything from dropping in logos and text to cleaning up aspects of the frame. As we would normally composite in a normal 2D space, we can now do that in a 3D VR space too.” Working with VR requires not only a large amount of redundancy in internet connection, but also a sizeable amount of storage and operating capacity. A recent upgrade to Mushroom’s backend enables both.
The work for which Mushroom is best known is its grading, finishing and online services. These were put to good use earlier in the year when they were called upon to grade and package four short films produced for the Cannes South African Film Factory. Working with four South African directors – Sheetal Magan, Samantha Nell, Zamo Mkhwanazi and Zee Ntuli – and their international collaborators, and with only one day allocated to each project for online edit and grading respectively, Mushroom was able to demonstrate their skills with a variety of narrative and aesthetic requirements across four very different looks and feels.
Whereas previously Mushroom had operated on a staff contingent of three, it now boasts a total of seven. In addition to Allan, the company now includes Sarah Kwan (online & VFX), Jarryd DuThoit (VR editor and junior colourist), Sabelo Mthethwa (junior producer), Miriam Arndt (offline editor), Sheron Enslin (producer) and Grace Phora (hospitality).
The post-production sector has been under serious pressure over the past year or so and Mushroom Media has felt the effects of the downturn as much as any of its peers. The expansive measures taken by the post-production house point towards a determination to weather the storm and open up new opportunities for work and revenue. “It’s been tough for the industry as a whole over the past year,” Allan concludes, “but I think that any company that can survive through this year and come out on the other side should be in a good position to keep going in the long run. The industry is changing and we need to change with it. That means being able to offer more than we ever have – and better.”
