Deyans Are at Home in the Recording Studio

Bob and Debra Deyan never leave their home. Or their office. The couple has ambitiously transformed their four-bedroom Tarzana house into Deyan Audio, a full-service audio production company specializing in audiobooks (also known as books on tape), complete with four sound booths and a post-production suite.

And if having a high-tech home wasn't enough, the Deyans decided to design it with a Tarzan-theme. Three of their upstairs bedrooms have been transformed into recording studios cleverly named Tarzan, Jane and Cheetah.

Boy is downstairs, just off the post-production suite, which used to be a living room. Their bathrooms have been renamed Watering Holes, and an upstairs Talent Tree House offers a balcony where actors can relax  during breaks.

The Deyans are paying homage to Edgar Rice Burroughs, the author who created the Tarzan character, and whose ranch, "Tarzana," once sat on the very same land as the Deyans' house, and later gave the town of Tarzana its name.

Day to day, the Deyans are not only surrounded by the names of famous fictional characters, but many in-the-flesh celebrities as well. They have employed Raven-Symoné, Gregory Itzin, Beau Bridges and Sarah Drew. Tori Spelling of Encino recently recorded her biography Uncharted TerriTORI at Deyan Audio.

"[Tori is] really down to earth and a talented performer," Bob said. Of course, not all the actors who walk into the studio are that well-behaved.

The Deyans hired Bronson Pinchot to record The Autobiography of Mark Twain. He came in and he was overdressed for audiobooks, Bob said.

"You have to dress casually when you record, in something that's going to keep you relaxed. So he asked if I had some short pants he could wear. So I said 'Sure, I'll get you some short pants.' And he took his pants off and put my pants on," recalled Bob with a laugh.

"So I thought, 'OK, fine, he's an actor, he can do whatever he needs to get comfortable.' Well, my pants were slightly larger on Bronson than his frame would accommodate. He walked around the house and people would start talking to him. And as he was talking, the pants would start to fall and fall," he continued. "Then it became a running thing for Bronson to do. He'd jump and let his pants fall down."

The Deyans have a hand in producing nearly 1,000 audiobooks a year, and estimate they have produced about 12,000 audiobooks throughout their 20-year career. They've received 10 Grammy nominations in the "Best Spoken Word Album" category, winning three.

Their work-from-home lifestyle has helped the Deyans keep their costs down, which they are able to pass on to their customers, said Bob.

"We never have to be away from our dog, Samson, who mandates that we walk him three times daily and give him biscuits whenever he wants." However, Bob added, trying to separate work from personal life has been a challenge.

The downturn in the economy also created a test for the Deyans.

"We made a decision to cut our prices by one-third. Because of the recession, several competitors have had to leave the marketplace, which has allowed us to compensate for the lowered prices with additional volume," Bob said.

The Deyans have plans to construct five more recording studios in the Directors Guild of America building at 7920 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.

There's no word yet on whether one of the studios will eventually be converted into a studio apartment.