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Sound specialists speak out about making moviegoing pitch-perfect
In 1921, D.W. Griffith-the Steven Speilberg of his day-faced the audience from a movie screen and welcomed them to Dream Street, the first feature recorded with sound. But only crowds in New York could hear him - the Photokinema technology that let Griffith's film buzz with the frenzy of a craps game and swoon along with Ralph Graves as he sung a ballad to Carol Dempster was only installed in one theater, and it would be six more years of patent wars and Fox vs. Warner tussling and unswayed exhibitors until the industry finally announced sound had arrived, 30 years after it was first exhibited at tradeshows. As we soldier on to digital, it's good to know that innovation - and doubt about that innovation - are industry's only constants. Sound its continues to evolve, and BOXOFFK talks to seven companies dedicatee to improving sound for exhibitors and their patrons, and learns that, just as Griffith knew when he opened his mouth and spoke, what matters most is dialogue, dialogue, dialogue, Joining us are IOAN ALLEN, senior vice president, Dolby Laboratories Inc. STEVE SHURTZ, cinema manager, Meyer Sound; NEAL ROCKMAN, president, Cardinal Sound and Motion Picture Systems Inc.; BARRY FARRELL, senior director of cinema solutions, QSC; DAVE ROGERS, MICHAEL THOMSON and CHUCK MULHEARN speaking for Klipsch Audio Technologies; DANIEL SCHULZ vice president, studio services, Datasat Digital Entertainment (formerly DTS Digital Cinema); TOM BACK, managind director, Alcons Audio; and DAVE GERTSMAN, supervising sound editor, Premium sound.
What do audiences take for granted about quality sound?
DOLBY * Unfortunately, the quality of sound itself is taken for granted. Many audiences have grown accustomed to having surround sound in the home. Place them in a well- maintained multichannel-equipped theater, and the sound quality is the first noticeable difference they point out about the experience. The sound quality in the cinema today is immeasurably superior to that of 20 years ago, and still far superior to that found in most homes.
MEYER * Dialogue intelligibility is the main concern; you should always be able to hear the spoken words clearly. Most audiences aren't consciously aware of the sound in a film unless it's poor - meaning they can't hear...