 
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
|
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
142.56.2.11
Over the past few years, the subject of movies getting louder has generated increasing concern within the film production community. In addition, it has become commonplace for movie-goers to claim that movies are too loud. Many theatres now project films at an audio fader setting below the calibration setting that would match that in the dubbing theatre, presumably because of audience complaints.The following material discusses some of the issues that can be described as soundtrack “loudness.” What is a measure of “loudness” for a movie? Why do theatres turn the sound down? Have new sound formats, (Dolby SR and more recently the digital formats, Dolby SR•D, Sony SDDS and DTS) exacerbated the perceived loudness problem?
“Loudness” has been defined many times over the years.1,2 But the target definitions have been clearly aimed at specific issues, such as how annoying is the background noise level in a working space, how damaging can the noise exposure of a pile-driver be for eight hours, what is the noise level of a recording or transmission medium, or how to compare instantaneous loudness of different spectra. Those familiar with movie soundtracks would not be surprised at the subjective announcement that The Right Stuff, 1983 was a “loud movie”. The Right Stuff (released in Dolby Atype 70 mm and Dolby A-type stereo optical), certainly was subjectively a “louder” movie than, say, Shine, a 1996 release in Dolby Digital. But Shine was subjectively louder than Days of Heaven, 1978, so perhaps a case could be made that movies have been getting both louder and quieter. Of course, this is nonsense; selected titles can be picked to prove relative “loudness” and “quietness” - potentially Gone with the Wind could be used to prove that films have become quieter over the last five decades!
Follow Ups:
common sense at the theater. Only they know their system and space and can control the output to suit. The fact that a perticular movie was recorded at a higher or lower level should be irrelevant unless there was a standard that was kept for years and more recently there have been studios that have intentionally (or otherwise) neglected that standard. In general, you cannot have a consistant level as that would limit the dynamics of a movie or require compression. There may be some loud scenes that audiences are finding offensive and the use of some compression my be in order if the dialogue cannot be understood in other areas. That seems extreme, but the theater should be able to control that to an extent that it does not disturb their patrons.
-Bill
I believe that there has been a movement over the last five years or so by theater owners to lower the levels due to viewer complaints. The trailers in particular were getting out of hand and a woman I was dating at the time frequently covered her ears.As for the codecs themselves, I would think that surround sound does not require louder levels, more the opposite since they are directional and clearer. In theaters, SONY's SSDS (the eight channel version in particular) is the best, followed by DTS EX and then Dolby Digital EX
Examples of really loud films are "Backdraft" and "Master and Commander". The quietest film I can recall is "The Bridges of Madison County" and it has one of the best soundtracks ever.
it's mostly been a problem with trailers. I think that the movies are calibrated to roughly 75db or maybe it's 85db, but those trailers are off the chart. As I was leaving the biz, the word was out to the film companies to lower the volume on the trailers, but I don't know if they've actually done anything.Ever notice that your TV commercials are significantly louder than the regular programming?
Same difference.
Laters, Chris
...it's the ONLY. The others are digi-edgy. Well, actually, Dolby can be dull, alternately.clark
It's too bad that they don't have a home version.
I believe it is not permissible for the theaters to turn the volume down, as Dolby license requires a particular reference level. I suspect some theaters do, though, as those levels can get truly idiotic.Why idiots mix the sound with the level they do is another question. They don't have to, but they want to. Dolby is not responsible for that. I suspect the movie makers do what they believe will please the majority of the auience - teens making out in the last row don't mind loud sounds.
Music is too loud, too---in terms of mastering. Probably for many of the same reasons movies are.Today "louder" = "better"
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
