Dislocations in sound design for 3-d films: sound design and the 3-d cinematic experience

Since the success of James Cameron’s Avatar (2009),1 the feature film industry has embraced 3-D feature film technology. With 3-D films now setting a new benchmark for contemporary cinemagoers, the primary focus is directed towards these new stunning visuals. Sound is often neglected until the final filmmaking process as the visuals are taking up much of the film budget. 3-D has changed the relationship between the imagery and the accompanying soundtrack, losing aspects of the cohesive union compared with 2-D film. Having designed sound effects on Australia’s first digital animated 3-D film, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010),2 and several internationally released 3-D films since, it became apparent to me that the visuals are evolving technologically and artistically at a rate far greater than the soundtrack. This is creating a dislocation between the image and the soundtrack. Although cinema sound technology companies are trialing and releasing new ‘immersive’ technologies, they are not necessarily addressing the spatial relationship between the images and soundtracks of 3-D digital films. Through first hand experience, I question many of the working methodologies currently employed within the production and creation of the soundtrack for 3-D films. There is limited documentation on sound design within the 3-D feature film context, and as such, there are no rules or standards associated with this new practice. Sound designers and film sound mixers are continuing to use previous 2-D work practices in cinema sound, with limited and cautious experimentation of spatial sound design for 3-D. Although emerging technologies are capable of providing a superior and ‘more immersive’ soundtrack than previous formats, this does not necessarily mean that they provide an ideal solution for 3-D film. Indeed the film industry and cinema managers are showing some resistance in adopting these technologies, despite the push from technology vendors. Through practice-led research, I propose to research and question the following:Does the contemporary soundtrack suit 3-D films? ; Has sound technology used in 2-D film changed with the introduction of 3-D film? If it has, is this technology an ideal solution, or are further technical developments needed to allow greater creativity and cohesiveness of 3-D film sound design? ; How might industry practices need to develop in order to accommodate the increased dimension and image depth of 3-D visuals? ; Does a language exist to describe spatial sound design in 3-D cinema? ; What is the audience awareness of emerging film technologies? And what does this mean for filmmakers and the cinema? ; Looking beyond contemporary cinema practices, is there an alternative approach to creating a soundtrack that better represents the accompanying 3-D imagery

Designing spatial sound: Adapting contemporary screen sound design practices for virtual reality

The introduction of 360° film and Virtual Reality has meant practitioners have had to adapt to a multitude of new platforms and specifications, with no existing pathways or working methodologies. Audio for Virtual Reality is continually being redefined, with contemporary film sound practices having to adapt to new forms of audio spatialisation and headphone delivery. The variations in virtual reality platforms also necessitates different delivery requirements, with the audio often a secondary consideration. Sound designers and editors are either delivering a non-spatial soundtrack, or they are having to adapt to various spatial plugins and/or game engine platforms in the creation of a cohesive spatial soundtrack. This paper will examine and discuss the current state of sound for Virtual Reality from a creative practice perspective

Inaudible Visions, Oscillating Silences

‘Inaudible Visions, Oscillating Silences’ is an exhibition aims to re-awaken appreciation of sound at large and daily soundscapes in particular. The exhibition provides a dynamic and creative stage for the thesis theoretical stance on a phenomenological approach to silence as consensual states

Digital 3D and the contemporary soundtrack: Competing cinema spaces

3D film allows filmmakers to create visual imagery that is no longer bound to the single plane of the screen. Often occupying the z-space, 3D imagery provides a suture beyond the narrative, by placing the audience within the frame. Although surround sound has been described as being 3D, and new immersive sound technologies are marketing themselves as being 3D, is the contemporary cinema soundtrack homogenous with the 3D imagery? As the image and the sound occupy two individual volumes within the cinematic z-space, the relationship between image and sound is fracturing, highlighting a dislocation. The relationship between the imagery and the soundtrack is being challenged with the added dimension of the visuals. This paper investigate

Designing a sonic landscape: A practice-led approach to creating 3-D sound space for screen

Through practice-led investigation, this paper questions the potential immersive environment of the soundtrack through alternatives to loudspeaker playback through the use and portrayal of sound space

Designing sound for 3D films

This chapter gives an overview of the state-of-play of sound for 3D films and explores the industry adoption of digital 3D into the cinema, with a focus on the creation and exhibition of the soundtrack and its relationship with the image. An overview of the technological advancements in the editing, mixing and exhibition of 3D film is provided, including consideration of immersive sound formats. Designing soundtracks specifically for 3D films is presented from sound acquisition to final exhibition. There is also discussion on the use of the cinema space and the articulation of language needed to define sound placement

Aural landscapes: Designing a sound environment for screen

Cinematic environments are created through image, dialogue, music and sound, but the craft involved in creating an environmental soundtrack often goes unnoticed by the film viewer. Soundscapes are rarely just background: they are powerful storytelling vehicles in their own right, of equal importance to the visuals. This article examines the process of creating an environmental soundtrack for cinema from the perspective of a sound designer. Particular attention is given to how sound is created and layered to enhance, embellish and produce the film's narrative. Using contemporary Australian films, notably Australia (Baz Luhrmann, 2008) and Happy Feet (George Miller, 2006), the article examines the different challenges in creating an environmental soundscape for both an animation and a live action film. The films Avatar (James Cameron, 2009), Little Fish (Rowan Woods, 2005) and The Magician (Scott Ryan, 2005) are also cited to highlight various approaches to environmental representation in film sound. While both Australia and Happy Feet rely on the landscape and environment as integral storytelling components, the approach to creating their respective soundscapes requires not only natural recordings, but also the creation of many previously unheard sounds using synthetic sound design

The battle of 3D film volumes: Sound v's image

With the recent emergence of digital 3D stereoscopic films, the image has been increasingly the focus of the immersive experience for the cinema audience. With surround sound having been introduced from as early as Disney’s 1940 release of Fantasia in Fantasound, cinema sound has traditionally been at the forefront in the creation of an immersive cinematic experience, however now appears to be foreshadowed. Over the past 2 years, parallel to the changes in screen technologies, cinema sound has been attempting to provide a true 3D aural immersive experience. Some in Hollywood argue that cinema sound has been in 3D since the initial introduction of surround sound, and it is only now, that the film image has become 3D and has finally caught up. Cinema sound practices have not seen a shift with the introduction of the 3D imagery, with the exact same soundtrack being shared by both the 2D and 3D release of the same film. The introduction of surround sound provided an additional dimension to cinema allowing the sound practitioner to move sounds from apparently within and beyond the visual frame. With the introduction of 3D visuals, the image is no longer sitting on a 2D plane, and it can now artificially detach from the screen itself. 3D imagery is now occupying a greater volume of the visual spectrum, however the volumetric space occupied by the soundtrack remains independent and dislocated. Although there is a shift with cinema sound technologies to increase channels and speakers, does this in fact provide a 3D sound solution or does it actually contribute to the breakdown in relationship between the soundtrack and the image

Creating a homogenous 3-D auditory image

With the recent emergence of digital 3-D stereoscopic films, the image has been increasingly the focus of the immersive experience for the cinema audience. With surround sound having been introduced from as early as Disney’s 1940 release of Fantasia (1940) in Fantasound, cinema sound has traditionally been at the forefront in the creation of an immersive cinematic experience, however now appears to be foreshadowed. Over the past 2 years, parallel to the changes in screen technologies, cinema sound has been attempting to provide a true 3-D aural immersive experience. Some in Hollywood argue that cinema sound has been in 3-D since the initial introduction of surround sound, and it is only now, that the film image has become 3-D and has finally caught up. Cinema sound practices have not seen a shift with the introduction of the 3-D imagery, with the exact same soundtrack being shared by both the 2-D and 3-D release of the same film. The introduction of surround sound provided an additional dimension to cinema allowing the sound practitioner to move sounds from apparently within and beyond the visual frame. With the introduction of 3-D visuals, the image is no longer sitting on a 2-D plane, and it can now artificially detach from the screen itself. utilising the z-space of the cinema. However, the z-space is also occupied by the soundtrack, often creating a dislocation between image and sound. Although there is a shift with cinema sound technologies to increase channels and speakers, does this provide an effective 3-D sound solution or does it actually contribute to a breakdown in relationship between the soundtrack and the image

The immersive cinematic sound space: audience perspectives

The changing materiality of moving images and picture sources is a crucial aspect of the space in which screen stories are told. Technologies that capture and present moving images are responsible for our understanding of what we see as audiences; and as makers, how we create reality on screen. The immersive cinematic experience is influenced by many factors, including, but not limited to, the production, narrative, technology and screening environment of the film. Since the introduction of digital cinema, directors have provided increased immersion through 3-D imagery and immersive 3-D sound technologies. Despite excitement in the production industry, new immersive technologies are being introduced into the cinema exhibition space with caution. Cinema managers are not rushing to upgrade to new technologies despite increased production of 3-D and immersive sound films. The cost of upgrading equipment, and with many new technologies not yet standardised, makes any technological investment a costly risk. This risk also factors in audience (customer) demand. John Kellogg warns that the immersive technologies need to be affordable for theatre owners, if not they will invest in upgrading their chairs (Giardina 2014). This cautious approach to upgrading technology is reminiscent of the format war that occurred during the introduction of wide screen and Cinerama. With 3-D introduced to bring the audience back to the cinema, how much of an attraction are immersive exhibition formats? Many are now stating that the 3-D experience is underwhelming, especially considering the premium price of tickets. In addition to changes in digital vision technologies, the digital soundtrack is also undergoing development with competing immersive sound formats vying for cinema standardisation. During 2014, the author conducted an online survey with 201 participants to investigate audience awareness of contemporary and emerging cinema technologies. This paper analyses the results and identifies audience literacies of contemporary cinema technologies and formats. Although vendors are pushing the benefits of their new technologies, what influence does the audience have? Is the audience demanding more from the cinema? What is the technical literacy of the cinema audience? Does the cinema audience understand the differences in new immersive technologies, including the immersive sound formats, or is contemporary cinema exhibition adequate