about poindexter's

The name "poindexter's" was inspired by the optimistic and inventive cartoon character featured in the "Felix the Cat" comics TV series that debuted 1958. Poindexter was known for his outrageous inventions and gadgets, his technical ability and spirited ways. Today poindexter's is an equally optimistic and inventive leader in the world of audio-video systems.

The client's needs and budgets have consistently driven our search for the latest most efficient and economical solutions. Systems are seamlessly integrated into homes and businesses large and small. Commercial projects completed include museums, schools, universities, churches, restaurants, gyms, hotels, night clubs, movie theaters, yoga studios, court rooms, a fire station and a volcano. The volcano project began to bubble after we made a recording of an eruption sequence mixed with music and sound effects. The "demo tape" was delivered to the client's son who worked at the Chiat Day advertising firm formally in Venice, CA. We maintained the AV equipment at Chiat Day, we were approached by a young agent who asked us "what do you know about volcanoes"? The client, an Orange county Doctor was impressed by the quality of the recording, enough so to commission from us a powerful weatherized sound system capable of shacking the ground around a large outdoor swimming pool. Ironically, a couple weeks into the project we happened upon a "subterranean subwoofer" originally designed for Euro Disney, we managed to borrow it as it was a spare from a now de-funked company called "Infasonics", they were exhibiting at a trade show in Anaheim, the salesman giving the demo asked if anyone in the room had a volcano? The military looking device fit into our Mitsubishi van by mire millimeters, it was meant to be...

poindexter's is a community minded company, we're a resource for architects, designers and builders with high expectations. We enjoy collaborating on challenging specialized projects. We offer consulting, acoustical testing, system evaluations and specifications. As a service we offer computer simulated sound system modeling providing accurate easy to comprehend performance and coverage data for a space of almost any size and shape.

our history:

poindexter's was founded in 1987 by Bill Costigan, the name came to him as he was practicing the drums while attending the Musician's Institute of Technology in Hollywood. "I was racking my brain for a memorable name for the new company for a few weeks, I wanted a single word that was memorable, much like a good band name. Suddenly I remembered this fun, optimistic, retro-1950's very graphic cartoon character named "Poindexter" from watching "Felix the Cat" re-runs as a kid." says Bill. "The name made me laugh at first, I felt this name would help remind me not to take work to seriously although I hoped to pursue interesting and complex projects in the coming years. The name was a bit ahead of it's time but we stuck with it. We've been very lucky to attract a diverse mix of clientele, some very unique and challenging projects which continuously push us to remain on the leading edge of sound and video technologies." says Bill.

Bill continued his education attending classes at UCLA, Santa Monica College and the Arts Center of Design with a focus on Environmental Design, Architecture, drafting and music.

Around 5000 projects have been completed by the company under Bill's direction. poindexter's offers the widest range of services and AV related skill set available in Montana. Media rooms and home theater systems remain a large focus. The company was originally founded in Santa Monica, CA, our name and reputation seemed to attract leading creative TV and Film producers and directors. Entertainment, Design, Architecture and Recording, it all overlaps in LA. Throughout the years we've outfitted several important and historic homes with technology including Frank Lloyd Wright's own home and studio "Taliesin" as well as homes and businesses designed by other genius architects, some are noted below. Five projects were completed in Japan during the 90's including three of Tokyo's most interesting and successful restaurants for which we also picked the music that was played within the restaurants.

what we do:

We do most things relating to the design, sales, installation, recording and delivery of sound, video and control systems and related services. We tend to attract clients and projects where sound and video are considered an important asset to the project; Many times we've managed to make an afterthought an endearing attribute. We strive to deliver "accurate" or "linear" high resolution systems that reproduce the recorded material "uncolored" as was intended by the recording engineer or director. We're well vested in test equipment, we own a large and versatile "Meyer Sound" PA system which we deploy for special events around MT. The sound quality this system achieves combined with it's on demand clean sound pressure level output is stunning. Once you've experience a high resolution, high output sound system it's the equivalent to eating an organically grown farm to table home cooked meal. After such a meal, eating frozen fast food out of a plastic bag never quite tastes the same.

Can anything be made "too easy" to use? We say No. Lately, our "go-to" touch screen remote control is Apple's ingenious iPad and soon the iPad Mini. We've been flush mounting iPads in walls for over a year and programing them to work both simple and complex systems with excellent results. The iPad is capable of doing several thousand things thanks to the available Apps. There are a few gems worth knowing about such as "snapseed" and "living earth". Anyway, the device combined with the Apps and the ability to program the iPad to control most anything you can think of makes for a very smart, elegant, high value remote control solution. Smart phones may also be leveraged as slick hand held remote control devices. 

Wifi and networking is another focus area, it's now critical to have a robust, reliable and secure WiFi network able to handle numerous devices (iPads, lap tops, smart phones) all polling information at once. Without good WiFi, an iPad is useless as a remote control device.

Another area of interest, focus and investment is in acoustics and the design and development of unique architectural friendly sound absorbing and defusing products and panels. We're most intrigued by using recycled or up-cycled materials which we often place absorbing material behind. It's a mix of selecting attractive materials mixed with the science of sound. We've stock piled many materials that tell a Montana story so it becomes much more interesting to look at over a typical fabric covered piece of compressed fiberglass which is what most commercial movie theaters choose. Often ideas pop and equipment choices spring from researching solutions used in the recording, concert (sound reinforcement), theater and cinema industries. We venture well beyond that of the normal "consumer electronics" niche which the majority of AV contractors focus upon. Having a wide array of product choices, experiences and multi disciplinary experts available provides poindexter's with a much larger pallet and brain trust to engage. With a larger set of skills, more product choices, tools and test equipment to work with, our chances of having access to the right part, black box or equipment widget is much greater. This allows poindexter's to provide smarter, higher value solutions striving to exceed the expectations of even the most demanding client or, fulfill a crazy last minute request with little drama.

Our facility features spaces designed for fabrication, testing, recording, and post production services, including mixing, editing and playback of high quality sound and video. From voice-over recording, sound sweetening, color correction to complete productions; poindexter's offers HD video and audio, from content to delivery, we can help capture, edit and present an effective story. 

some of our clients include:

Stephen (rip) and Sandra Covey, Roger Donaldson, Dennis and Sharon Dugan, Peter (rip) and Joan Graves, Harry Hamlin, Mark and Lesley Johnson, Robert (rip) and Elizabeth Kane, Michael Keaton, Barry and Diane Levinson, Gary Levinsohn, Alan Napier, Nick Nolte, Dan and Connie Petrie, Tony and Jeanee Pritzker, Dennis Quaid,Thomas Schlamme and Christine Lahti, Karen Voight.  companies we've worked for include;  Black Bird Kitchen - Bozeman, Bozeman Food Coop, Daily Coffee - Bozeman, Emerson Grill - Bozeman, Epson, Global-Dining, GranTree Hotel - Bozeman, Hollywood Vaults, MT Ale Works - Bozeman, MGM Studios, Moonlight Basin, Montana State University - Bozeman, Over the Tapas Restaurant - Bozeman, Paradise Valley Fire Station - Pray, Universal Pictures, The U.S. Gov, The Yellowstone Club - Big Sky, The Zildjian Cymbal Co.  local non-profits we've helped;  Big Sky Youth Empowerment, Eaglemount, Bozeman Winters Farmers Market, Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter, Museum of the Rocky's,Ronald McDonald House, Friends of the Story Mansion, The Traveling School. 

concert and event sound/video for; Angella Ahn, Ken Burns, Brooks and Dunn, Tim McGraw, Jack Nicklaus, President Regan, Stuart Weber, Wilco and many others.

architecture firms we've enjoyed working with:

Local Firms:

Frank Cikan, Comma-Q, CTA, Formation, Frog Rock Design, Faure Halvorsen, Intrinsik, JLF and Associates, Locatti and Associates, Lyric, Candace Miller, Jim Meissner,ZimTor,

California and International Firms:

Koning/Eizenberg, Lorcan O'Herlihy, Moore Ruble and Yudell, NonZero, Riccardo Maranzana, Renzo Zecchetto, 

we've worked on projects designed by architects including:

Frank Israel, John Lautner, Cliff May, Charles Moore, Richard Neutra, Paul Williams, Frank Lloyd Wright and Lloyd Wright

musical & mechanical past:

The founder of poindexter's - Bill Costigan began making audio recordings of the Doctor Demento radio show to entertain his fellow carpoolers in the 4th grade. He landed his dream job working at Helen's Cycles in Santa Monica, the nations 10th largest Schwinn dealership at the time at age 13. Southern Calif in the 70's and into the 80's had a great radio station called KMET at 94.7 FM that played nonstop inside Helen's. After discovering bands like The Almond Brother's, Little Feat, Led Zeppelin, the Who, the Police, and many more, Bill's passion for bicycles turned to a love of music and the drums. 

Bill left the bike business at 16 forming a band with guitarist/singer/surfer Peter Distefano called "K-38", named for the famous surf break located at Kilometer 38 in Baja, Mexico. Bill and Peter both surfers begin covering "Ventures" songs updating them with a "rock" twist and a heavier, faster, more danceable beat. They soon began writing their own material which became an eclectic mix of styles fused with an original Santa Monica surf sound. Together they practiced, recorded and played a couple hundred shows and parties with numerous bass players, keyboardists and horn players until 1989.   

During the 80's Bill worked for his long-time friends, former Helen's managers Robert Eitel and Rick Jurasky who formed the pioneering A/V custom install company called "R-Squared" in 1978. Sony's "Betamax" video tape recorder was cutting edge technology at the time; "There were only a couple companies in the custom A-V business in Los Angeles during the 80's, it was a great time to be making this craft up as we went." says Bill. After six terrific years with R-Squared, Bill decided to focus more on playing music; he applied and was accepted into the "Musician's Institute" as one of 13 drummers in 1986. "The school was located above the Hollywood Wax Museum at the time, it was a fire trap but I enjoyed every minute. Being around such a worldly mix of musicians each day was a great experience." says Bill,  Taking six months off from MI to continue gigging and recording with K-38, during this time Bill met Steve Burdick and Rob Seifert who were young audio engineering students attending a "recording arts school" in Hollywood;  K-38 became their pet recording project. Once Steve and Rob graduated, both quickly landed jobs in renowned LA studios, Steve as a 2nd engineer at Westlake in Hollywood; Rob became the 2nd at (the now defunct) Aire LA (formally Yamaha Music Corporation's Testing/Recording Facility in the USA). 

of recording studios:

Rob and Steve were able to let K-38 record during "down times" when the rooms were open. In turn, this helped the young engineers learn the new automation systems that were emerging on the top shelf Neve, Harrison and SSL mixing consoles.  "Bruce Swedien" and several other successful engineers and musicians were working at Westlake at this time including the king of pop Michael Jackson. Rob Seifert was working with Chuckii Booker, Craig Burbidge and a host of other soulful artists, engineers and producers. "It was amazing to hear records like "Thriller" being played back in the same room within which it was mixed," says Bill. "Peter and I were very fortunate to have recorded and spend many days and nights in these two remarkable facilities built with excellent acoustics and outfitted with the latest digital and vintage analog equipment. "The musicians and the technicians that roamed the halls were very influential." says Bill. Steve Burdick now owns Westlake Studios, Rob Seifert currently lives in Northern Calif. making his living as an independent mixing engineer and producer with numerous records under his belt. K-38 also recorded a record with another talented engineer/musician named William Rogers at Capital Records in 1985. The drums were recorded at Capital in the large studio A room while Julio Iglesias was putting the finishing touches on a record next door in studio B. The record was mixed at Post Logic Studios (RCA building) while Stevie Ray Vaughan was in mixing a live record.

poindexter's moves to Montana...

Bill's had some family roots in Montana and loved visiting as a kid during summer family road trips. In 1989 after cooling the jets on K-38 Bill and his childhood friend Jeff Nashan (founder of the Montana Watch Co.) skied Bridger Bowl together, they decided to partner on a small piece of property near Bozeman, together they began building a log cabin by hand, working during the summer months, the project took 8 years to complete. Spending time outside in the mountain air was appealing to Bill, in the summer of 2000 he moved into the log cabin and with him poindexter's moved to Montana. The idea was to reconnect with the outdoors and slow life down a notch, poindexter's was booked 6 months in advance when based in Santa Monica, it was very stressful, life was moving way too fast.

The poindexter's team is comprised of; Chris Scharenberg - senior systems engineer, designer and programmer,  Kevin Butler - staff audio/video engineer/system designer, programmer and Kirk Mallette - designer/fabricator/installation specialist and Bill Costigan - senior designer, systems engineer, chief coffee cup washer.

We wish to tip poindexter's graduation cap to our friends at "Felix the Cat" and the Oriolo Family for their kindness and continued support. The Poindexter cartoon character among many others including Casper, was created by Joe Oriolo (rip).

Smart, Reliable, Fun...  poindexter's  -  since 1987