On Feb. 21 Farhad Arshad, president of fast-growing art film distributor Olive Films, will launch the next phase of his larger vision: eStudio O, a full-service, state-of-the-art post facility in Chicago’s West Loop.
Led by chief editor and studio manager Salvatore Pecoraro, services are aimed towards the needs and budgets of the independent film sector.
eStudio O will service film, video, audio, and offer high-end DVD authoring, PAL, web design and development.
The emphasis is on “affordable,” said Arshad, “When we say we can offer these services for half, it really makes a difference in helping the filmmaker.”
A complete eStudio O DVD authoring package, including screeners, web site design, posters and sell sheets, will cost half what it would in a commercial venue, he said. A full-sheet poster would cost half what Kinko’s charges.
eStudio O is located in a 1,600-sq. ft. loft space in an area already well-known to Chicago’s artistic community, where small galleries and studios exist side-by-side with the likes of Harpo Studios.
While his film distribution company can operate virtually anywhere, Arshad sees a greater opportunity for his post facility to connect with artists with a location in the city.
The space is decorated in what Arshad calls “modern chic,” with conveniently placed and ample seating throughout to create a relaxing atmosphere.
An elegantly designed, sound-proof edit suite/sound studio combo runs Apple Mac Pro Quad and Apple Final Cut Pro Studio on the “fastest machine out there,” said Pecoraro,
Arshad’s choice of Pecoraro to head up the studio is another example of his core goal of elevating the artist. Observing a keen sense of intuitiveness in Pecoraro’s work, he set about to “build the studio around the talent.” It’s an approach of faith, but it works, as proven by the success of his eStudio O facility in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
A Columbia College graduate, Pecoraro has been editing commercials and long form films for more than a decade. Prior to joining eStudio O in December, he had a stint at On the Scene post house and has spent the last six months editing Journal of the AMA videos.
The facility also features a top-of-the-line Canon Image ProGraf for poster printing, and a Canon Image Runner for printing sell sheets and other high-quality photographic images.
Arshad’s “vision,” to promote and foster environments in which artists can cultivate their work, is refreshing in today’s commercial world. With his education and gift for entrepreneurship, he could have succeeded at any business.
A graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology with a master’s from the University of Chicago, the Iranian-born businessman came into his eclectic vision of Olive Films while teaching and working on his Ph.D. at Columbia University. There, he formed close associations with filmmakers and artists who “opened my eyes to the contribution of arts to society.”
St. Charles-based Olive Films moved to the Chicago area in early 2006. It occupies a 6,000-sq. ft. warehouse, employs a staff of eight and offers more than 6,500 international films, features and documentaries.
An open house for filmmakers will be held in March.
eStudio O is located at 312 N. May St., phone, 312/738-9213. See www.estudio-o.com.
