Full English Post: Pivoting in a Changing Industry From the Heart of DUMBO

When Kieran Kaye opened the doors of Full English Post eight years ago, his vision was to create “a boutique post-production company that not only offered top-notch services but also offered value for its clients”. It’s fair to say that this has been achieved over the years, but it would not have been possible without a willingness to adapt and reshape the way the business runs due to changing market conditions and client expectations. 

From tightening budgets with a higher number of deliverables, writers’ strikes, to the impact of the global pandemic, Kieran and his team at Full English Post have proved that their strength is in their size and firm ‘less fuss’ attitude - stripping away the unnecessary frills (and costs) that can be common  with audio post services. 

“For years I’ve preached that quality audio doesn’t need to break the bank and I do that by streamlining our operations and costs in order to offer better value for the same product and service to our clients,” he says. “It’s been rewarding to see how the relationships we've cultivated have adorned our values which has led to repeat business and a solid reputation in the industry.”

Commercially, the studio has worked with the likes of MTV, Vogue and Bushmills. Its first commercial project, a defining moment for Kieran, was for Bud x Lyft, but in recent years, has become more involved in the realm of long form content, from documentaries to feature-length films and episodic TV series. 

There are many reasons for this, Kieran explains that the studio’s ability to pivot and react quickly to the pandemic was a key factor. “It forced the world to work remotely which meant no in person mixes or clients coming in for a voice over record session,” he says. “But in a way it’s streamlined the creative and approval process. While I think it’s more creative and personable to have people attend a mix, sending a mix off remotely allows our clients to review and gather thoughts/notes in their own time.” 

Full English Post’s studio provided a safe haven for audio recording during the pandemic, allowing for production to continue in a way that was safe and efficient, without impacting quality. Its resilience and reliability left a lasting impression and is now regularly used by major film and TV studios, especially for its automatic dialogue replacement (ADR) services. 

“Studios like Netflix, Sony and Warner come to us. Pre-pandemic they would only ever consider huge sound stages to record at, but being forced to use Zoom and connect remotely for the sessions during that period opened the possibilities that smaller studios can provide the same result for much less and with quicker turnarounds.”

Geographically, Kieran’s choice to put down roots in Brooklyn, specifically DUMBO, is one that has paid off. As a Londoner, he explains to me what the area affords. “For UK readers, Brooklyn to Manhattan is probably the equivalent of South London to Central London. Slightly cheaper real estate, lots of creative people and a little edgy with a bit more space. This allowed me to keep overheads low yet still create a studio that people wanted to come to and offer a rate that works for all budgets.”

Moreover, it has proved appealing to clients and voiceover artists who are based in Brooklyn, “We’ve found that there’s so much talent living and working in Brooklyn it’s often a preferred location over Manhattan.” This means that the facilities are regularly chosen and returned to, thanks to their convenient location and accessibility, hosting the likes of Matt Damon, Oscar Isaac and Rosie Perez. 

The past year has been a defining year for Full English Post’s presence in the film and TV space, but it's a development that’s been in full swing over a number of years, kicked off by its work on short film ‘Mack Wrestles’ in 2019, which was featured at Tribeca film festival. A second short, titled ‘Proof of Concept’, was also aired at Tribeca in 2023, as Kieran excitedly recounts that film legends Martin Scorsese and Ben Stiller were in the room during its screening. 

Full English Post have been responsible for the audio on all three seasons of ‘Wicked City’, a job which Kieran describes as ‘pivotal’ for Full English Post’s growth within the format. This year, it has worked on the Apple TV series, ‘Before’, providing ADR services for actress Rosie Perez. 

No stranger to audio for animation, in 2023, the studio recorded all of Oscar Isaac’s dialogue for the critically acclaimed, ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’, in which he voices Miguel O’Hara. Beyond this, Full English Post boasts a range of other animation credits, from ‘The Simpsons’, to ‘Big Mouth’ and ‘Spongebob’, showing the studio’s versatility and range. 

The recent festive season marked the release of the first feature length Christmas film that Full English Post worked on. Titled ‘Style me for Christmas’, the film’s release was reflective of the growth that has happened over the past eight years. From humble beginnings to now, Full English Post has proved itself as agile and capable, thanks in part to a commitment to saying ‘yes’. 

“Saying yes to film and TV work has changed the dynamic of the work we do at Full English,” he says. “It’s helped us grow as a company technically and boost our reputation across different industries. It’s because we had the fluidity and ability to adapt quickly that allowed us to say ‘yes’, another huge benefit to being a boutique vendor.”