Latest news with #Precursor
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Professional audio lessons
There's a building in Winnipeg's St. Boniface neighbourhood that celebrities such as Hilary Swank, Liam Neeson and Mark Hamill have all visited for work. But if you're not looking for it carefully, there's a good chance you'll miss it. Located on Marion Street between a dental office and strip mall — and mostly hidden from view by a massive spruce tree — is Precursor Productions. Friends Andrew Yankiwski and Chris Wiebe started the recording studio as a dedicated space to work on their own music projects. Since then, it's become a hub for audio post-production (the phase that occurs after the initial capturing of sound) for film and TV projects. The business has worked with many of the world's biggest entertainment brands, including Marvel Studios, HBO and World Wrestling Entertainment. 'It still is a bit of a stretch for most people here (in Winnipeg), I think, understanding this as a legitimate profession or a realistic one or a pragmatic one,' says Yankiwski, 54. 'And I was definitely amongst the skeptical people back in the day.' When Yankiwski and Wiebe started taking clients, the mostly self-taught recording engineers were producing, mixing and mastering music. Today, music accounts for about 10 per cent of the company's business. Training aspiring recording engineers accounts for another 10 per cent, recording audio for corporate projects (like voiceovers for training videos) accounts for 15 to 20 per cent and the rest of Precursor's work is in film and TV. Yankiwski is currently doing audio post-production on a docuseries about Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime. That means editing dialogue and music, adding sound effects and mixing everything together into the final product people will eventually hear when they watch the series. If you're watching a movie or TV show and you recognize something's wrong with it, but you can't quite put your finger on what the problem is, it's often in the post-production elements, says Adam Smoluk, executive director of Film Training Manitoba. Great post-production, whether it's the sound or picture, is supposed to be seamless. 'The sound editing aspect of film is an absolutely critical element (for) the viewer or the audience taking in a project,' Smoluk says. 'The fact that Andrew is such an experienced person and has so many clients that are high-end clientele says a lot about him and Precursor as a company.' Yankiwski was a University of Manitoba student when got into audio production in the early 1990s. The drummer in his grindcore band moved out of province, so Yankiwski learned to program a drum machine prior to recording an EP in a local studio. Around that time, Yankiwski met Wiebe. The two struck up a friendship, bonding over their interests in bodybuilding and music. Wiebe received a $10,000 inheritance and spent it all on recording gear. The duo set up a makeshift studio in Wiebe's childhood home in the Winkler-Morden area. During the week, Yankiwski pursued a law degree at the U of M. On weekends, he and Wiebe headed for the Pembina Valley to record the industrial metal music they were writing. Yankiwski recalls playing some of their recordings for a fellow student in between classes and the student asking him if he'd ever want to own a recording studio some day. 'I said, 'You know, I would, but I have to be honest — I have no idea how you'd make money with that,'' Yankiwski recalls. 'And if I'm honest with myself, I still don't really know how I'd make money with it. But it seems to happen every month.' By 1996, Yankiwski and Wiebe were releasing music independently and performing at raves, warehouse parties and club nights as the techno/house duo FLFK. Wiebe had finished law school and was called to the Manitoba bar, but lost interest in working as a lawyer. In 1999, he and Wiebe decided to create a space in Winnipeg — just for one year — where they could work on music. They had dreams of finding a hip loft in the Exchange District, but when Wiebe stumbled upon a building at 218 Marion St. he thought could be suitable, they rented it instead. After converting the former hair salon into a recording studio, the friends soon realized the project might be worth pursuing beyond the one year they had given themselves. They opened Precursor to the public in September 2000. Almost from the start, the duo were offering training courses to aspiring recording engineers. Although they were largely self-taught, they wanted to offer people the kind of hands-on training they wished they'd had access to. In 2005, Wiebe decided to leave the business to live abroad. Yankiwski kept grinding, teaching LSAT prep classes on the side. 'It took until about 2009, I'm sad to say, until we were really profitable in any meaningful sense,' he says. In 2012, he bought the property. In 2016, he completed an addition to the back of the building that includes a loft — finally giving him his dream space. Yankiwski employs five assistants. They do the majority of their work remotely on laptops, but Yankiwski will typically ask one to come to the studio when he's recording a celebrity to ensure everything runs smoothly. Two-time Academy Award-winning actor Swank recorded the narration for the 2022 documentary Becoming Annika at the Winnipeg studio. Neeson (Schindler's List, Taken) visited to re-record dialogue for his 2021 thriller The Marksman. Hamill (Star Wars) dubbed parts for his role as Mervyn Pumpkinhead in the Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman comic book series. Natalia Dyer re-recorded dialogue for a couple episodes of the fourth season of the hit series Stranger Things, and the wrestling tag team known as the Bella Twins stopped by to record speaking parts for a WWE app. When he isn't working, Yankiwski shares his expertise as a board member at both New Media Manitoba and Film Training Manitoba. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'He's been a massive community-builder … He wants to see the industry flourish and grow and all his actions support that notion,' says Louie Ghiz, executive director of New Media Manitoba. 'He's someone that we're definitely very lucky to have in Manitoba.' Yankiwski says he never bought into the idea he had to leave Winnipeg to find success. 'I was determined to prove that we could punch above our weight — that we could be as good as any jurisdiction.' Precursor Productions will mark its 25th anniversary in a few months, and Yankiwski is looking forward to celebrating. 'It feels validating,' he says when considering the quarter-century milestone. 'It feels validating to know that we could make a go of it.' Aaron EppReporter Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TechCrunch All Stage: Full agenda revealed
The ultimate founder summit returns — now bigger than ever! Formerly TechCrunch Early Stage, TC All Stage is bringing together founders and VCs from every stage, not just early stage. We're thrilled to unveil the full breakout session lineup at TC All Stage. Packed with scaling pioneers and top-tier VCs, these sessions are designed for founders and startups at every stage — covering everything from fundraising strategies to scaling operations. Join 1,200+ founders and VCs on July 15 in Boston to navigate the startup landscape together. Stay tuned for the full list of interactive roundtable sessions — coming soon on the agenda page! Curious who's leading the breakouts? Head to the speaker page to get to know all our speakers. Reserve your ticket now to guarantee access to a day of insights, connections, and inspiration. Register now to save up to $210 on your ticket. Charles Hudson, Founder and Managing Partner, Precursor This is an important topic, especially for pre-seed founders, because much of company evaluation is about the founder and the idea — there isn't a lot of data to work with yet! One key point to highlight is that your choice of co-founder is critical. If it seems like you're not the best match, many VCs will use that as a proxy for your ability to hire strong talent. Additionally, there are numerous traps that founders fall into that indicate to VCs they've not learned how to run a fundraising process, so it's essential to do your homework in advance. Chris Gardner, Partner, Underscore VC In an era where AI tools are revolutionizing how founders build software and prototypes, understanding both the opportunities and limitations is crucial for success. Join us to discover how AI is turbocharging MVP (minimum viable product) development and where some founders get it wrong by letting the robots do all the thinking. Learn the art of combining AI superpowers with irreplaceable human skills — nobody wants marketing copy that sounds like it was written by a very enthusiastic toaster! This session is perfect for founders navigating the wild world of building products in the age of AI. Jahanvi Sardana, Partner, Index Ventures This session will dive into critical elements of assessing total addressable market (TAM). Jahanvi Sardana, partner at Index Ventures, will explore how the best startups don't just size markets — they create them. Through case studies from high-growth companies like Datadog, Adyen, Wiz, Shopify, and Airbnb, she will examine how they identified emerging trends, removed friction, and expanded their TAM beyond initial expectations. A must-attend for founders looking to build companies that define the future of their industries. Tiffany Luck, Partner, NEA Join Tiffany Luck from NEA as she unveils the art of pitching to venture capitalists. In this dynamic session, you'll learn how to effectively convey your passion and vision, streamline your presentation to spotlight the elements that excite investors, and avoid common pitfalls that derail pitches. Tiffany will share insider tips on what VCs truly value, empowering you to tell your story with clarity and impact. Walk away with actionable strategies to captivate investors and secure the funding you need to propel your startup forward. Please join us for 'So You Think You Can Pitch,' where three promising early-stage startups will have four minutes to wow a panel of judges, who will then provide feedback. Cathy Gao, Partner, Sapphire Ventures After two years of decline, growth-stage fundraising is heating up again — driven largely by the surge of generative AI adoption. For most founders, breaking through the noise and securing top-tier investors is harder than ever. Cathy Gao from Sapphire Ventures will share what it really takes to raise a successful Series C+ in today's competitive environment. Whether you're scaling a breakout AI company or navigating the new fundraising landscape, this session will give you the insights to sharpen your pitch and maximize your fundraising outcomes. Jon McNeill, CEO and Co-Founder, DVx Ventures Most startups chase product-market fit but ignore a scalable go-to-market strategy, leading to premature scaling and failure. Jon McNeill, former president of Tesla, COO of Lyft, and CEO and co-founder of hatch platform DVx Partners, suggests breaking the traditional VC mold by validating both before accelerating growth. The next wave of disruptive companies should be operator-driven and built for profitability and impact from day one. Jon will share successful cases where this method is already transforming transportation, electrification, and AI. Mo Jomaa, Partner, Capital G From market considerations to unit economics, sales and marketing strategies, and executive hiring, it's never too early to think critically about how to build a business with the potential for an eventual public debut. Gain insights from Mo Jomaa, a partner at Alphabet's independent growth fund, CapitalG, and investor in Databricks, Armis, Cribl, Grafana, and more, to learn what kinds of metrics growth-stage investors look for and how those metrics translate into eventual public market readiness. Discover actionable advice, whether an IPO is a year or a decade away. This July 15, SoWa Power Station in Boston will be the center of the startup universe. Get the insights you need to launch, scale, or take your startup public — right alongside 1,200+ founders and VCs. Prices rise soon — save up to $210 now. Even better savings with group passes. Looking to elevate your brand? Secure an exhibit table and get in front of 1,200+ attendees. It's the perfect platform to showcase your company and build meaningful connections. Subscribe to the TechCrunch Events newsletter for early access to special deals and the latest event news.
The Independent
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Blake Lively hit with $7 million lawsuit from publicist she claimed set 'digital army' against her
Blake Lively is the subject of a new $7 million defamation lawsuit being brought against her by crisis publicist Jed Wallace, who the actor had previously claimed 'weaponized a digital army' against her as part of a smear campaign. Wallace is employed by the Texas-based crisis-management firm Street Relations, Inc. In that filing, her lawyers claimed that Wallace was hired by Baldoni's PR team to assist in an alleged smear campaign against Lively. It was claimed he "weaponized a digital army around the country from New York to Los Angeles to create, seed and promote content that appeared to be authentic on social media platforms and internet chat forums." The following day, the New York Times published an investigation repeating those claims of a smear campaign. In January, Baldoni launched a legal action against the Times disputing those reports. He is also counter-suing Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, alleging that the couple have sought to destroy his reputation. In the new lawsuit filed by Wallace, his lawyers claim that Lively's legal team has "conceded that Lively has no facts supporting the allegations she made against Wallace and Street in the Precursor which 'made headlines around the world' as she now, apparently under the threat of sanctions from one of Plaintiffs' attorneys, sought to 'investigate the scope of Mr. Wallace's conduct.'' As part of her own legal action, Lively had requested a deposition from Wallace, a request which was later rescinded on Tuesday (February 4). In a statement to The Independent regarding the lawsuit, Lively's legal team said: 'Another day, another state, another nine-figure lawsuit seeking to sue Ms Lively 'into oblivion' for speaking out against sexual harassment and retaliation. 'This is not just a publicity stunt—it is transparent retaliation in response to allegations contained within a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint that Ms. Lively filed with the California Civil Rights Department. While this lawsuit will be dismissed, we are pleased that Mr. Wallace has finally emerged from the shadows, and that he too will be held accountable in federal court.' Judge Lewis Liman said both sides have 'given the public plenty to feast upon.'
