|
|
 
|
|
Author
|
Topic: An open letter to Tyler Perry
|
|
|
|
|
Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"
Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
|
posted 07-01-2012 12:46 AM
quote: Mike Blakesley
I listen to every movie's dialogue and adjust for that, and I let the rest take care of itself.
That's what I do. And I listen to a good number of scenes. I always start at 7 and go from there. On a DCP, I'll skip through and sample a number of scenes. On a print, I'll sample from the first and the final reel, toggling between them.
As those reels are rewinding, I can thread Reel-2, since I don't test with it.
(If the final reel is short and looks like it'll be mostly credits, then I test with the next-to-last reel.)
For me, most trailers fall somewhere in the 4.5 to 5.5 range.
An inspection report/cue sheet is prepared for every movie -- there's a space for the playback fader level.
If the movie has trailers, there's a space to list them and a fader position is noted for each trailer.
Of course, when it's a DCP, the volume adjustments are handled via automation.
| IP: Logged
|
|
Marco Giustini
Film God
Posts: 2713
From: Reading, UK
Registered: Nov 2007
|
posted 07-01-2012 05:24 AM
I would like to add something here.
How many people around are capable of seriously judging how loud a film is?
I had to take my staff through extensive training to have them understanding the difference between 6 and 7, and what was loud and what not. We were watching the entire feature before showing it to the customers. Our starting setting was 6.5, we usually ended up between 6 and 7. But, particularly before some training, if I had chosen to start at 5.5, I am sure they would have ended up between 5 and 6.
Sound level is subjective. I like it loud, I've seen films being mixed and the reference level there was "my" reference level, and consistent with the one I was showing films at my theatre.
But that is not obvious for everybody else.
Also, our ears are not microphones. The perceived loudness depends on your physical state. I clearly remember chosing a fader setting for a movie at 3am, which sounded too loud the following morning, after a sleep. Which sounded fine later on in the afternoon!
On top of that, we can discuss of sound system, EQ etc. etc.
And BTW, I've also never found a huge difference between an empty and a full house. I was usually turning the volume up 0.5.
I think it depends on the acoustic of the room. On a "lively" room, 400 people can make the difference, and as a consequence the level would need a major amendement.
On a properly controlled room with good chairs, I don't think so, at least this is my experience.
| IP: Logged
|
|
Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"
Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
|
posted 07-01-2012 01:01 PM
Microphones are great, but they're no substitute for ears.
Take a busted speaker.
Set up your mic and RTA.
Tune that sucker to the X-Curve.
It can be done.
Then use your ears -- play your favorite music through that thing -- it's gonna sound so great, man!
Or, take a perfect speaker and intentionally mis-tune it, like the examples posted by Joe and Brad.
My point -- to reiterate -- is that we can only rely on our tools -- including "reference level" -- up to a point. The job isn't done until you give yourself some credit -- and go listen to it. This is why Dolby, DTS and THX all provided test reels. Dolby even named one of its test reels "Listen."
Now, if you don't trust your ears, that's a different story. Find someone who has good training, good skills, all of the tools, and good judgment -- and then pay them to make you sound good.
As for judging loudness -- it is subjective. I'm sure there are demographics that drive some theaters to "play it loud" and others that need it turned down. In the end, we have a responsibility to keep the customers happy. It's good for them, good for us and good for the distributor. Maybe the director or sound person will be offended, but what good will it do to play every movie at reference level (satisfying 2 people who aren't even in your audience) if that's driving your audience away?
Reference level is just that -- it's for reference -- it's "home" -- start there and make a judgement call.
This is actually a limitation to the notion that we could all post our fader levels in a forum here -- some markets will NEED to have a lower playback level and some will need a louder one. And then the flame wars will begin.
I once worked in a market where the fader levels were particularly low -- so gradually, over a period of maybe a year -- I snuck the fader level up. There were issues with the room acoustics, so we couldn't go past 6 there.
If you're dealing with a mis-calibrated audience, you can't suddenly bring them into alignment. You have to gradually acclimate them -- like bringing a print out of cold storage and getting it ready for projection -- can't do that in a hurry.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mark Lensenmayer
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1605
From: Upper Arlington, OH
Registered: Sep 1999
|
posted 07-02-2012 01:11 PM
A few weeks ago, I went to see AVENGERS in a remodeled large-screen room...digIMAX-like, but not with that name.
The sound was absolutely AWFUL...some of the worst I've ever heard. It was impossible to understand the dialogue, the left surrounds were distorted...not just bad sound, TERRIBLE sound. I usually don't say much about things like that...I just don't go back to that location, but I had to say something to the management about this...this installation was only a few days old. I had been to another location of this chain with a similar installation, and the sound there was outstanding.
Talked to the management, who apologized. They told me that they felt that the installer had done a very poor job of setting up the room, and they had been adjusting the center channel level so it wasn't too loud. Then, they said there had been a power outage and all of the eq settings in that room had been erased. They then called down the "projectionist" who told me that they had reached the limit of adjustment and that he was going to bring in his laptop that night and fix things. It looked to me like they were just guessing.
I don't think I'll be going back there. But this is a good example of how the best intentions of the mixing team can be ruined by operators who make things worse.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
This topic comprises 12 pages: 1 2 3 ... 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|
Home
Printer-friendly view of this topic