Why I Love CrumplePop: Matthew Watts, Viva Media

Viva Media is a full-service production company in Toronto, Canada. The Telly Award winners create dynamic, engaging content for the likes of TD Bank, TJX Canada (Winners, HomeSense & Marshalls), The Toronto Stock Exchange, PetSmart, startups, and growing businesses. Follow them on Instagram.

Their filming and recording environments run the gamut from controlled studio set-ups and indoor offices to outdoor locations and less-than-ideal spots where audio challenges arise. 

We recently chatted with Matthew Watts, producer and director at Viva, to discover why the team relies on CrumplePop’s AI-driven audio plugins in every recording situation. 

Why did you first start using CrumplePop’s audio plugins?

Audio issues are one of those things that can sneak up on you in post. We started using CrumplePop because even with great mics and sound teams, real-world conditions don’t always cooperate. I needed a fast, effective way to clean up problem audio without getting lost in a complicated workflow.

We primarily use CrumplePop in Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. It integrates seamlessly into our process, which is exactly what we need when working on tight deadlines.

Matthew Watt, producer & director at Viva Media

What type of audio issues do you turn to CrumplePop to help eliminate?

Everything from background noise and echo to wind interference and mic rustle. We shoot in a variety of locations, so we never know what kind of audio challenges we’re going to face. CrumplePop helps keep everything sounding polished without a ton of extra work.

Which CrumplePop tools do you rely on most — and why?

• Voice Enhance: The all-in-one Swiss Army knife for audio cleanup. It instantly enhances dialogue, removes background noise, and makes voices sound crisp and professional in one click. This is now a must-use tool in our workflow.
• AudioDenoise: Essential for eliminating unwanted hums and background noise.
• EchoRemover: Perfect for cleaning up reverberation in large, open spaces.
• WindRemover: A lifesaver for outdoor shoots when nature throws us a challenge.

Can you give specific examples of how CrumplePop has saved your audio?

We were filming a piece for TD Bank in a massive, open-concept office. Even with professional mics, the natural echo in the space was a challenge. EchoRemover helped us clean it up quickly, making it sound like we recorded in a more controlled environment.

Another time, we had to shoot outside on short notice with the Toronto Entertainment District, and wind rustle was becoming a real problem. WindRemover cleaned up the dialogue so well that we didn’t have to reshoot or spend extra time manually tweaking the audio.

CrumplePop’s tools are powered by AI but are also easy to use. How does advanced technology make CrumplePop’s plugins stand out from the rest?

The best part about CrumplePop is how powerful yet simple it is. Some AI-powered tools require endless tweaking, but CrumplePop just works. You drop it in, make a few quick adjustments if needed, and move on—no wasted time. That’s huge when working on multiple projects with fast turnarounds.

Before using CrumplePop, how did you hide/mask audio issues?

The old-fashioned way—EQ adjustments, noise gates, layering background sounds to try and mask issues. Sometimes, we even had to re-record or ADR certain sections, which can be a real pain when working with tight schedules. CrumplePop has saved us from those extra steps countless times.

How much time does using CrumplePop tools save you? 

It saves us a lot of time. What used to take an hour or more of manual fixing now takes just minutes. Without these tools, we'd have to either accept less-than-perfect audio or spend way too long trying to fix it manually.

On set with Viva Media

Why would you recommend CrumplePop to other people who deal with audio daily?

Because it’s the easiest and fastest way to clean up problem audio without needing a deep technical background in sound design, whether you’re a filmmaker, editor, podcaster, or content creator. These tools help you focus on the story rather than battling bad audio.

Our CrumplePop 2025 release added Voice Enhance, the ultimate one-click cleanup/restoration tool. Have you used it yet? If so, what do you think?

Yes, and we use it heavily! I saw it was a new plugin in the suite, gave it a try, and was immediately impressed. Now, it’s a standard part of our workflow. It enhances dialogue, removes unwanted noise, and gives us pro-level results instantly. It’s made our post-production process so much smoother.

Viva Media in-house studio

Do you use any other Boris FX products in your workflow?

Yes! I use Mocha Pro in After Effects for its rock-solid planar tracking. It’s essential for replacing screens, comping graphics into shots, and handling rotoscoping on specific projects. It’s an incredibly reliable tool that makes complex tasks way more efficient.