DCP cinema volume discrepancy

[BRH]

Originally Posted by bluesfrequency

Check out this reply I got from the customer service agent of my local theater after I complained that the playback was too low.

"I am sorry that the volume in your auditorium was unacceptable to you. One of the most frequent complaints received in the theatre industry is that the sound level was too high or too low. Today's movie soundtracks are recorded at film studios in various audio formats (from straight mono to digital). Many of these movies (particularly heavy action and horror features) have dynamic soundtracks with very high, intense sound levels. The film companies provide the theatres with suggested audio settings for each particular sound format, and we typically set our audio equipment volume levels slightly below industry recommendations. It is not uncommon for a movie, which has comfortable volume levels during heavy action scenes (such as explosions, gunfire, earthquakes, etc.), to be set too low for scenes that consist primarily of dialogue, or vice versa. The industry is currently working on technology which will automatically engage when the sound level reaches 83 decibels. We hope to see this technology implemented in the very near future. "


So....they want to add a limiter IN THE THEATER! WTF!!??

Sounds like complete BS to me.

[JanuS]

Well... same issue here in Holland.
Hardly any 35mm prints anymore, mostly DCP now. Which I do welcome, considering the PCM quality of it.
But, bypassing the Dolby mastering on MOD to the lab does indeed bypasses the Dolby scale as well. Still, the theaters do have Dolby decoders like the DP650, but for how long? No one is going to stop them if they decide otherwise..

The Dolby Level knob was turned down here years ago, still in the 35mm age.
First dropping to 5,5, now mostly on 4,5 or even 4,2. The theaters here blaim "typical" Hollywood productions like "300" and "Avatar" for customer complaints. And they listen! Not to the mix, but to the customers I mean

So, If you come up with a more "European" mix, I mean, more dynamic, more subtle in the mix because the director is in charge here, not the producer, then our ambiences really fall of the map on level 4,5...

We do need a Level Norm! A fixed loudness!

As pointed out here before, it's ironic that television is going to the more dynamic ranges (R128, ATSC A/85) and in cinema were losing dynamics... Which we need for drama!!

So, here we're talking with some Dutch and Belgian mixers about a measurement which looks like the R128 loudness measure, but maybe try to get it more suitable for theatre...

I bare with you guys...

Best, Jan

[simonchase]

If cinema owners don't like the volume of a movie then they shouldn't book the movie. Turning it down is like skipping any scene with an actor in that they don't like. It's not their place to alter the product. Take the knob off the Dolby box and be done with it

[Henchman]

Originally Posted by simonchase

If cinema owners don't like the volume of a movie then they shouldn't book the movie. Turning it down is like skipping any scene with an actor in that they don't like. It's not their place to alter the product. Take the knob off the Dolby box and be done with it

I'm sorry, but I have to side with teh business owners on this.
How would you feel if you had to replace speakers every few months, because a doctor wants his action film mixed stupid loud?

No, the onus is on producers and directors to understand that louder and louder will result in quieter and quieter.
And when we tell them,they can either listen or ignore us.

[Craig F]

now if all the theater owners would boycott the next film from Mr. Bay for it's obnoxious leves they might get a hint

didn't they just go through this with trailers?

[simonchase]

Originally Posted by Henchman

How would you feel if you had to replace speakers every few months, because a doctor wants his action film mixed stupid loud?

Upkeep is part of basic overhead costs.

If the film is "stupid" don't book it. If films lost bookings with the reason sited that "it was too loud" then producers would "get it".

However, there are good films that exist that have very loud sections that would be worse with those sections mixed quieter.