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Does Christopher Nolan's 'Interstellar' Have Major Sound Mis Issues?


Doug Beatty

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Vas: " It is under Dolby requirements (expensive requirements). Dolby guarantee what you mixing in the dubbing stage (Dolby certificated) you will hear it in the theaters (Dolby certificated theater) "

actually:

It is under THX certification requirements (expensive requirements).

So Dolby is out of business or what?
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I just saw the movie (for the second time), and has no issues following the dialogue - but everything was subtitled, as i'm in Denmark, so that helps a lot.. The music however was amazing - i love Zimmer's score, and i don't agree on the excessive use of LFE (at least in the theatres i watched it in).

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constantin: " So Dolby is out of business or what? "

what !...

 

Dolby was never in the theater certification business...

www.dolby.com

 

I think you have confused.

http://www.dolby.com/us/en/professional/cinema/products.html

 

One theater needs to fill the requirements from Dolby to get the hardware.

THX is one of the other players in the market and it's not only for theaters, but also for dubbing stages.

 

Whatever it is; post need more time in editing and mixing.

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the only need to get Dolbly hardware or THX Cert is the $$$
Dubbing stages that use to bring in the DMU hardware (the only hardware Dolby never sold) to make the MO disk for the DD for the 35mm print did need to be OK'ed by Dolby but with the death of 35mm prints no one is spending for the DMU to some in

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So Dolby is out of business or what?

 

Dolby is still in business, but they only certify mixing stages, as far as I know. THX' influence among movie theaters has almost evaporated in the years since Lucas spun it off as its own company. I think there are a lot of good ideas in THX certification, but I think a lot of theaters realized they could just implement everything THX advised, then not pay for certification and just do it as an "in-house standard." And that goes for picture and sound technical requirements. 

 

I don't think anybody is running digital projector lamps at substandard levels these days, but I have seen cases where overall sound levels were at least 9-10dB louder than they used to. Imax seems to be more guilty of this than other companies; I measured sustained 106dB peaks with an iPhone app at a Man of Steel screening a year ago at the Universal Imax theater, which -- trust me -- was absolutely ear-splitting. I can't go to screenings anymore without bringing along some kind of ear protection... and I'm relieved and surprised on the occasions I can live without them.

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And as an update: caught a screening Wednesday night and it was WAY too loud. At one point (with my earplugs in) I whipped out my iPhone SPLnFFT app and measured a sustained peak at 113.5 dB (not exaggerating). Very, very, very loud. And the dialogue was buried.

 

The movie had some very good moments, the photography was beautiful, terrific visual effects, but was way too long and had giant gaps in logic. A pal of mine called it "the best-made terrible movie in years," and it's hard to argue with that. Wonderful on a technical level except for the mix.

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I saw it last night on IMAX film and I though the dialogue was fine, so did the people I was with. I didn't find it too loud, but that's a setting. The subwoofers were shaking the seats with rumble in some scenes (like the rocket launch), but I could still understand everything. Must be a calibration issue.

My sister saw it at a different theater in town (also IMAX film) and said they thought the dialogue was fine. She was at the science museum IMAX that I know takes their projection seriously. I know people that used to work there.

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" The regular theater screens, many states have a rule that a licensed projectionist must be in charge of the projector room...the requirement of a licensed projectionist in many states (all?). "

In California I got my license from the DMP (Department of Movie Projection) and as I had been licensed prior in Hawai'i, I did not have to go through the steps, beginning with a learners permit (good only for 8mm and Super 8mm), and an internship with 16mm;  I passed the endorsements for both flat and 'scope, the X designation for Xenon, the 3D designation for 3D projections, and the D endorsement for Digital projectors.  Each requires separate exams and practical's...

I almost lost my license ( asuspension, actually, as it take 2 offenses for revocation) once as an inspector from the Bureau of Weights and Measures clocked me showing a 2:10 movie in just over 2:09; they said I was up-cutting on the changeovers, however It was actually a slight voltage/capacitance variation in one of the projectors servo-sync circuits. 

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-from the above article: "But Nolan said the movie’s sound is exactly as he intended and he praised theaters for presenting it correctly."

This pretty much says it all. It is the way Nolan wants it to be. The rest of any discussion should be whether we agree with the guiding principles and objectives, the creative decision and philosophy that Nolan discusses in the article, not whether there is some problem in the mix or the theater.

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I love the film and found myself getting lost in the story.  There were only a couple, or a few moments, where the dialogue was obscured by effects and music. I thought to myself, it's one of those tense moments where the characters think they're going to die in space, all hell is breaking loose around them, they can't hear themselves think, so that must be the motivation for unintelligible dialogue.

 

I fail to see why anybody would walk out and demand their money back as some did, but to each their own.

 

I probably liked it because I dig the whole 5th dimension construction/time loop aspect of it all. It's very 'new age', very current. You know, the more that laypeople read about Quantum Mechanics, the more their minds give way to a pseudo-spiritual view on the world, which becomes pseudoscientific I guess as some make outlandish claims that really nobody can affirm or refute, but that's just the nature of people wanting to either feel special, or completely not special, in the universe... it's science and spirituality joining forces. Seems Nolan and his Brother were inspired by these themes, which I find fascinating. So I dug the film.

 

Who cares if a few lines were obscured here and there. What stood out to me was how brash and gnarly some of those pickup truck burning down a dirt road sounds were. My god it's like someone put a lav under the mud guard and threw that in the mix at fill tilt.

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JW: " The rest of any discussion should be... "

exactly... I noted that this movie is being promoted for awards, including sound awards; any sound awards it gets will indicate approval by the voters....

 

THR: " Nolan — who said he is a fierce believer that “sound is as important as picture” — said that he likes to hear how his movies sound in actual theaters. “Usually [i visit] six or seven. I like to hear it out where people are going to see it, not just in the cocoon of the dub stage. That is something I have done for years, because everything we are doing is intended to communicate something to the audience." ... Nolan attributed Interstellar’s sound to “very tight teamwork” among composer Hans Zimmer, re-recording mixers Gary Rizzo and Gregg Landaker and sound designer Richard King. "

notice he does not include Mark Wiengarten...

no surprise: " Underscoring the considerable thought that went into the movie's sound, Nolan concluded, “We mixed for months and months and we talked about everything. We must have mixed this film over six months. It was a continuous, organic process and discussion.” "

 

now we know!

and, soon we vote

meanwhile: Deadline: " With a drop of just 22% from its opening frame, Interstellar’s 2nd weekend grossed an estimated $106M on over 15.4M admissions from 21,290 screens in 63 markets. The international cume to date is $224.1M, which is 13% over Christopher Nolan’s 2010 Inception and 6% ahead of Gravity in the same markets at the same point of release. "

Edited by studiomprd
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It still sounded better than Superman from last year. That is still the worst sound in a major picture I have ever seen.

 

The Subs clipped out a couple of times, but I did not strain to hear the dialogue as much as some that I have seen at the same IMAX theater.Maybe I'm getting used to this style? Egads.

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Was it perhaps an artistic choice? A gut-wrenching performance? To make the viewer really feel the pain of the protagonist, to turn this into a really almost visceral experience? I haven't seen this movie, but in modern music this happens all the time and it can have a riveting or repulsive effect

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I have read so many articles on folks complaining about the dialogue, it's very interesting. Every show I have the pleasure of being hired on big or small I spend majority of my time working with the location, what can I do to make wherever I am quieter. Only in the recent years have I come to the realization that clean dialogue is not the most important goal anymore. It's how can I capture the most organic tracks from what the location has to offer. Sure the sound of AC and or buzz from HMI ballasts and generators is unpleasing and must be corrected if possible but the audience does not know this. They just want to hear those words on the page jump out at them. To me dialogue is king and must be clean and clear for the audience yet for Nolan to use it as an added disorienting element is just fantastic. I found myself trying to fight my way to hear what they were saying placing me in the location with the characters.

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Jeff Pendergrass, on 17 Nov 2014 - 6:13 PM, said:

 "To me dialogue is king and must be clean and clear for the audience yet for Nolan to use it as an added disorienting element is just fantastic. I found myself trying to fight my way to hear what they were saying placing me in the location with the characters."

 

 

 

 

I doubt you would feel the same way if your favorite vocalist was buried by the instrumental track to the point where you had to fight to understand them. One could assume the Mr. Nolan firmly believes that a picture is worth..........well you know the rest.

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