A Proposal for a Standard to Improve Soundtrack Dynamic Range and Dialog Clarity for Better Enjoyment of Digital Cinema

Movie soundtracks that are mixed on a digital workstation with dialog levels at -35LKFS with peaks at -1dBFS, often translate to dynamic fluctuations of up to 50dBSPL, which, while mimicking ‘reality’, often annoys many audience members. As Netflix states on their Sound Mix Specifications page: “…content which is not excessively dynamic provides a better experience for our customers.” (1) Oscar winning sound designer Randy Thom has even stated: “The proliferation of digital movie houses with high fidelity amplifiers and speakers has provided Directors with a powerful set of instruments which they can use wisely or foolishly.” (2) — As stated on canadianaudiologist.ca: “Unlike previous analog sound, current digital sound is said to not distort at loud volumes and can be increased to extreme levels without static, fuzziness, or distortion. In other words, making sound louder with digital is less likely to reduce sound quality. As a result, movie producers, studios, and directors are generating soundtracks at very high sound levels - levels that can be annoying, and could potentially be harmful to hearing.” (3) — A well designed soundtrack with clear dialog and acceptable dynamic range should begin during the re-recording mix and print master stage to mitigate audience ‘annoyance factor’. This paper explores a simple mixing strategy which can greatly improve the listening experience for cinema audiences.

Published

2022-10

Content type

Original Research

Keywords

Digital cinema soundtrack, DCP, LUFS, LKFS, dBFS, B-chain, Randy Thom, LFE, A-weighted, C-weighted, X curve, Annoyance Level Acceptance, Loudness

DOI

10.5594/M001954

ISBN

978-1-61482-963-8