Eleven Sound has added a new Partner to the crew. Mixer/Sound Designer Jordan Meltzer has officially partnered with Owner Jeff Payne, signaling a new era for the audio post-production boutique.
This new partnership comes with some new digs, with Payne and Meltzer leaving Eleven’s longtime Santa Monica location to co-purchase a new studio in West LA.
The space and partnership mark a fresh direction for the now 24-year-old audio post business. Through the dot-com boom and multiple recessions, Jeff scaled the studio by leveraging decades of experience in sound design and mixing alike, alongside a plethora of other audio post services.
Alongside the wunderkind talent of Co-Owner Jordan, Jeff intends to set the company up for success another two decades into the future and beyond. The studio also comes with a new brand image, with Eleven recently launching a fresh logo design.
Watch the launch video below:
As companies settle into hybrid work, Jeff and Jordan envisioned a venue that would challenge all preconceived notions of what a studio should look–and feel–like. Jeff and Jordan worked with architect Sonja Friedrich to manifest their plans from day one, ultimately co-purchasing the building with Jordan.
The 3700 sq. ft. workspace includes Scandinavian modern white oak custom-built desks by Adam Christgau, white fabric walls, skylights, and natural light throughout the studios and around the facility; a huge departure from other studios, where dark moody interiors reign supreme.
REELated:
The building hosts three sound studios in total, each equipped with isolated voiceover booths, 7.1 speaker configuration, Avid S3 consoles, Dante audio networking, and custom BSS Configurations, all running Pro Tools. The technical design and integration of the facility were imagined by the renowned Ron Lagerlof and Visioneering Connect, a longtime collaborator of Jeff’s and Eleven.
The duo designed the space to establish and foster in-person collaboration. They conceptualized a studio that looks more like a modern living room where employees and clients want to hang out, rather than a workspace.
The open design of the venue clearly shares their directive, matching the company’s overall ethos of “synergy in common.” They chose West LA as their central hub to make travel easier for clients and employees across the increasingly stretching city. The location is purposefully tucked away off the main thoroughfare of Olympic Blvd, sharing a wall with a legacy studio owned by a former member of the Eagles.
Jeff similarly had a distinct vision in his build-out for his first studio in Santa Monica, where he enjoyed a successful run as a multi-story beachside hot spot for live music as well as recording sessions. Jordan joined in 2015 as an intern, then in 2016 as an Assistant in the midst of Eleven’s staggering growth.
He immediately piqued Jeff’s interest and admiration with his talent, eagerness and shared vision for the industry. Post-pandemic, both feel that in-person sound sessions yield the strongest collaboration and results, both in sound quality and connection between the mixing team and their agency and brand clients. The winning synergy in-person sessions generate helps foster the premium audio post quality inherent in Eleven Sound’s 125–yes, really–Super Bowl spots and other award-winning advertising campaigns.
Notes Jeff, “After three years of working from home, I believe our clients are eager for the creative face-to-face interaction, which is much more efficient and satisfying. By designing a workspace for our clients that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, we hope to partner with like-minded clients who share the notion that human creativity thrives in a physical environment that is inspiring and comfortable.”
Adds Jordan, “Building a studio has always been a dream of mine. I couldn’t be happier to partner with Jeff and breathe life into the blank canvas of a building, pushing the boundaries of studio design aesthetics. I can’t wait to share the final result with everyone.”
The studio has most recently worked on top advertising projects including Uber Eats’ latest Super Bowl campaign “One Hit For Uber One” starring P-Diddy, Cadillac’s “Colors of Emotions” campaign, and countless spots and films with Anonymous Content’s ‘The Lab.’ Jordan was additionally nominated for an Emmy in sound design on the HBO series called McMillions.
The studio itself earned Emmy Awards for two campaigns–Wieden+Kennedy’s Chrysler and P&G’s alongside Cannes Lions, Clios, D&ADs, and many more.
