The
theme of audio continues to be digital technology aiding creativity. Audiences
expect new and better experiences in every area of entertainment. Technology
allows editors and mixers more creative time to build a better show, whether it
is for the movie theater, the TV set, the Web or for the videogame console.
For
example, two projects we worked on this year were 300 and August Rush. With 300, the film was based on an epic graphic novel retelling
an ancient Greek legend. Effects had to be larger than life and the mix had to
support the character's heroic nature.
With the
Hitchcock Theater's digital workflow, we can move files easily from editor to
mix console and try out new sounds until the perfect result is achieved. In August
Rush, the film is about a young boy who hears music in the every day sounds of
cars passing and the wind in the trees. This storyline lead to an intense
collaboration between the sound editors and the composer. Sound effects
transform into music. Because we were able to share effects and bits of music
digitally, the film's sound was molded into a special audience experience.
Chris
Jenkins is Senior Vice President at Universal Studios Sound.