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This topic comprises 5 pages: 1 2 3 4 5
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Topic: Dolby Fader Levels
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Carsten Kurz
Film God
Posts: 4340
From: Cologne, NRW, Germany
Registered: Aug 2009
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posted 06-18-2015 06:04 AM
In a larger multiplex, there will certainly be no one going through all the auditoriums and check volumes for all movies. If you're lucky, then local staff will be able to make adjustments based on complaints. So, no, it is never a good idea to sit through the movie and suffer. The moment you notice clearly that the sound is too loud or too soft, prepare yourself to get up and find someone. Of course, everyone, even experienced people, may need a few minutes into the movie to actually decide what the current setting will really come to. For some movies, it is easy to decide after a few seconds, for some, you need to wait a while into the action.
From my experience as a projectionist, volumes do vary, but not so much. So, if a movie is really too loud or too soft, most of the time there is something wrong or a deviation from the standard volume is active. Most cinemas are able to control volume through fader cues from their server at run time. That is, they could adjust volume for every trailer or main feature if necessary. When I see what happens in our cinema, variations are small. Our standard fader setting on our AP20 is 4.5 for preshow, and it goes up to 5.5 for the main feature. Quite often I do adjust to 5.7-6. Very rarely, usually on dubbed art-house films, I have to reduce to 5.2 or 5.0. That is actually not much in variation. And I do think, slightly too loud is always better than slightly too soft. From discussions with other projectionists in germany, I know that no one is playing at 7 here too. I am fascinated to hear that some people play at 3.5-4.5, but I can only assume that either the calibration is done different, or their cinema processor uses a very different fader characteristic than those playing at 5.5 to 6, so it could be that in reality, their level 4 is as loud as our level 5.5.
When calibrating an auditorium to official terms, strictly, the same reference level is only secured for fader setting 7 across all brands and types of cinema processors. At 6 or 8, the actual volume can be very different already between different equipment.
Yes, I have come to know cinemas that have no ability to either control volume manually from the auditorium or automatically per server/playlist cue. That's really a pain, as when they have multiple auditoriums, they usually play safe because they do not want to have complaints. One specific cinema I know is owner operated, that means, typically he is the only guy at the box office, and if he needs to adjust levels for his main auditorium, he has to climb three floors over a back-stair to get to the booth and leave the entrance and box office alone. You can imagine what that means for levels.
Well, even in these cases - complain, complain, complain, for both too loud and too soft! At some point he will have to install equipment that allows him to adjust levels.
- Carsten
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Randy Stankey
Film God
Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 06-18-2015 03:57 PM
quote: Carsten Kurz
In a larger multiplex, there will certainly be no one going through all the auditoriums and check volumes for all movies. If you're lucky, then local staff will be able to make adjustments based on complaints.
I find that to be quite disturbing!
It is the operator's job to check each theater after the start of the feature to be sure that the sound and picture and the conditions of the auditorium, itself, are all okay.
That's the way I have always done it for fifteen years.
It doesn't take very long. Just one or two minutes. It's not a hard job, either. Just stand, quietly, in the back of the room and look and listen. Even in a 30-plex, it won't take long to do if there are a few people doing it.
Now that theaters are 99% digital, I understand that there is nobody who is specifically assigned to be the operator, anymore, but it is a simple thing for the manager to do, himself, or, better still, assign a crew of trusted employees to do it and report back.
Now that theaters are digital, this job has become even simpler!
Since we don't have to continually monitor mechanical equipment, there should be more time and more manpower available to put a real person in each theater for two minutes to make sure that customers are getting what they pay for.
The idea that digital presentation allows theaters to cut payroll falls flat on its face! Even with the reduced staff that digital presentation allows, it is a simple thing to require ushers to "check theaters" when they aren't doing another job.
How many stories do we know of ushers hanging around, out back, goofing off in so many ways? Where are the managers who are supposed to be keeping tabs on these employees?
In my mind, it's laziness. Sheer laziness!
And the advent of digital theaters has simply given lazy managers and employees an excuse to be even MORE lazy!
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Buck Wilson
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 894
From: St. Joseph MO, USA
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 06-18-2015 04:35 PM
That has not been my experience. The projectionist position and all payroll related to that position was cut day one of digital.
Payroll is extremely tight beyond that. You say ushers plural, but at this 10 screen, there is only 1 at any given time, including weekends. So they are trapped at the ticket box for their whole shift. Skeleton crew at all times, or else the GM will be hearing from the district manager! There is no one else to do it... concession staff is dealing with lines to the door, the one manager on the floor is ensuring rewards cards are being handed out, charity is being sold, refunds are being handled, complaints about long lines are being explained..... It's a miracle that the auditoriums even get cleaned between shows. too often, they don't.
![[puke]](graemlins/puke.gif)
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Aron Toplitsky
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 113
From: Gardena, CA, USA
Registered: May 2012
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posted 06-18-2015 11:54 PM
I just wanted to share some experiences when I’d complain about volume being too low. Of course I complained after seeing the film and not during.
When the first Avengers was released, I had a ticket to see The Raven. Prior to seeing it, I looked in on Avengers for a few minutes. This was playing in a rather large auditorium (AMC Del Amo 18 Torrance CA) and it sounded so dead. When they play the proper volume almost all of their screens sound great. So I figured Avengers was turned down too low and hardly any of the low frequencies could be heard. Then I saw The Raven and it too sounded quite low. I complained on the AMC site and within a week I heard from the manager via email. She explained how they went to each auditorium and adjusted the faders to the proper levels. The manager said they noticed quite a few theaters were turned down and never turned back up. She said they lower the volume and never play at setting 7, out of fear of complaints and blowing their speakers. So they tend to play most films around 5.5. The problem was fixed, the following week I saw Avengers for the first time and the volume was perfect! She gave me her personal email and asked that I would contact her if I had any more issues. Of course since that manager left there have been problems with that theater. Same old crap, movies turned down too low and every now and then I’d have to speak with management. I even posted on this site about how their digital IMAX has lost their powerful LFE. I still haven’t gotten an answer about that. Anyhow, I got quite tired of this so I drive further to my local Arclight where this issue doesn’t occur.
I went to an Edward’s theater in Irvine CA to check out their RPX Theater and it was a major disappointment! Saw Expendables 3 and there was just no power behind the sound system. Not only was it on the low side, but I hardly heard any LFE or surrounds. I mentioned this to the manager who was very nice btw, and he said they had to tone down the RPX a great deal. He made it sound like it was re-EQ’d. Apparently it was too overwhelming for audiences.
So for the most part I’ve had positive experiences with management, but it still frustrates me to go to the movies and worry if the proper levels will be played. In order to avoid this, I have to go out of my way to theaters that care and those that test films out before showing them.
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