For over a year, it's been brewing, quietly, between client projects, away from prying eyes. The teams at Studio Edgar and The French Shop have been working behind the scenes to build something bigger. On April 8th, fo.ne.tik officially enters the Quebec creative scene. Behind this launch are years of collaboration, a shared vision of the market, and the certainty that the time was right.
The studio's identity is immediately apparent upon entering the offices where Émilie Maranda, Director of Culture and Communications, and Martin Archambault, President and Partner, are located. The atmosphere is warm and the retro feel is unabashed. The 70s are celebrated, an era when Quebec culture made its mark on the world stage. The orange hue evokes the iconic posters of the 1976 Montreal Olympics. A tour of the premises allows you to meet David Gagnon (founder of Studio Edgar), now VP of Operations and Partner at fo.ne.tik, and Samuel Bernier, VP of Finance and Partner at fo.ne.tik, two key figures in bringing the project to fruition. This environment perfectly encapsulates the creative studio's DNA: "local culture, crafted with precision."
It would be a mistake to reduce fo.ne.tik to a simple merger of two companies. In fact, the collaboration already existed well before the official launch. For several years, all of The French Shop's post-production projects had been handled by Studio Edgar. And the two teams have even shared the same offices for over a year. "It's not just a simple merger. It's not 'we're mixing the two and continuing to do what we were doing before,'" explains Martin Archambault. According to him, the intention is more ambitious and responds to market demands. The industry is breaking down silos, and partners are demanding more integration. And fo.ne.tik is positioning itself to meet this demand with its integrated production hubs (voice, dubbing, casting, mixing, music, podcasts, video), localization (creative adaptation, brand strategy, language solutions, superimposition), and creation (content and podcast creation, advertising strategy and campaigns, sonic identities, influencer marketing).
It's a nod to our heritage. Studio Edgar was the sound. The French Shop was the language. Phonetics is the science of the two combined.
— Martin Archambault
THE SCIENCE OF SOUND AND LANGUAGE
The name wasn't chosen at random. "It's a nod to our heritage," explains Martin. "Studio Edgar was the sound. The French Shop was the language."
"Age. Phonetics is the science of the two put together." The deliberately modified spelling adds a distinctive visual signature, reinforced by five dots in the logo that refer to the five fo.ne.tik frequencies: words, territory, people, symbols, and influences. A concrete framework that guides every creative decision, from the choice of words to the sound and visual environment. "It's a name that was a team effort," Martin emphasizes. "We developed the entire strategy, the positioning, our values, our mission, and our vision. Then, as a team, this name emerged, and we immediately knew it would resonate strongly."
THE STRENGTH OF THE COLLECTIVE
Management deliberately chose to involve everyone in building this new entity, from its values to its name. Émilie Maranda, Director of Culture and Communication, sums up the spirit of the project well: “We wanted everyone to participate. We wanted them to feel a sense of ownership over what fo.ne.tik would become and to have their say. We didn't want it to be top-down.” Maintaining creative momentum and confidentiality for months, while managing client projects on a daily basis, requires considerable orchestration, she observes.
DISCREET ALLIES
fo.ne.tik arrives with a solid background, having spent years delivering sound production, localization of all kinds, and creative projects for agencies, production companies, broadcasters, brands, and content creators both locally and internationally. Far from the media spotlight, their street cred is very real. fo.ne.tik doesn't seek the limelight at any cost. What matters is the quality of their work, cultural relevance, and the relationship of trust they build with their partners. "For us, growth means having the choice of your collaborators. It's not about doing more, it's about doing what you truly want to do, the way you want to do it, with the people you love to work with," Martin summarizes.
The discussion with the fo.ne.tik team concludes with the observation that their office offers a beautiful view of Montreal. An agile, integrated team that prioritizes quality, consistency, and cultural resonance. “What motivates us is moving our partners’ projects forward. We’re here to contribute, amplify ideas, and help them go even further. That’s our game,” concludes David Gagnon. Not just a service provider, but an ally redefining the rules of the industry by collaborating with everyone who wants to create something beautiful, good, and authentic. In words, in sounds, in images.
Article written by Olivier Guindon-Tremblay, for Grenier
