FX Rentals proves itself ‘Lord of the Rentals’

FX Rentals played a large part in the scoring process of the final instalment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, ‘The Return of the King’.
The West London-based hire specialist supplied transportable recording packages based around a Pro Tools Mix system and numerous Pro Tools edit systems, Prism ADA8 A/D converters, a Studio Network Solutions Storage Area Network (SAN), MADI routers and converters and a host of ancillary equipment to capture the orchestrations of composer Howard Shore.
The soundtrack was recorded direct to hard disc with a Sony PCM3348HR as back-up by scoring engineer John Kurlander.
FX Rentals has been involved with the Lord of the Rings from the first, when it was contacted by UK production company Hothouse Music to supply a small amount of equipment for ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’. By the time it came to scoring the second film, ‘The Two Towers’, FX Rentals' role grew substantially as New Line Cinema and Hothouse appointed it sole audiovisual rental company.
However, it wasn't just a question of renting out the equipment for a straight three-month period as the systems were constantly being set up, broken down and transported between numerous venues around London.
The recording was split between Abbey Road and CTS Studios at Watford Town Hall. Meanwhile a studio was set up in the Dorchester hotel suite of US composer Howard Shore, creating a 5.1 environment similar to his New York studio, which enabled him to review the recordings at the end of each day. The project co-ordinator was FX Rentals' John 'Oz' Osmond, who interfaced with all members of the scoring project and handled the logistics of transporting the gear between locations, a feat of accomplishment involving more than 70 moves between Abbey Road, Watford and FX's West London premises - in total more than 4,000 miles.
Paying tribute to FX's role in the scoring of The Return of the King, Paul Broucek, executive vice president of music for New Line Cinema, said: "FX are more than just a rental company to us, they became a crucial part of the Lord of the Rings team. They helped make the whole thing possible."
(GB)