Tuesday, February 15, 2000
Sony Cinema SDDS 8-Channel Renewing the “Large-Screen Experience”
Sony Cinema Products Corporation, responsible for the innovative SDDS Motion Picture Soundtrack format, reports that a record number of films are scheduled to be released with the firm’s advanced 8-Channel digital sound format. First introduced in 1994, Sony Dynamic Digital Sound provides the unique ability to convey to audiences up to eight channels of sound around the audience; an additional pair of Left-Center and Right-Center Loudspeakers — located either side of Center Speaker — provides many creative and technical advantages for today’s directors and filmmakers.
“Now that a growing number of film dubbing stages are equipped with the creative tools and techniques to handle eight-channel film mixes,” offers Gary Johns, president/COO of Sony Cinema Products Corporation, “more and more of the major studios are releasing films with SDDS 8-Channel soundtracks.”
Designed exclusively for the cinema industry, Sony Dynamic Digital Sound is regarded as the premium digital sound format by leading film directors and sound professionals. Throughout Hollywood, a growing number of motion-picture studios are specifying SDDS 8-Channel soundtracks for their important releases.
Upcoming films scheduled to be released in SDDS 8-Channel:
* “Erin Brockovich,” directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Julia Roberts, scheduled for release March 17, 2000. (This film was mixed by Larry Blake and Michael Keller at Soundelux Vine Street Studios Stage 3, Hollywood.)
* “U-571,” directed by Jonathan Mostow and starring Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton and Harvey Keitel, scheduled for release April 21, 2000. (This film is being mixed by Steve Maslow and Gregg Landaker at Universal Stage #6.)
* “The Patriot,” directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Mel Gibson, scheduled for release June 30, 2000. (This film will be mixed by Kevin O’Connell and Greg Russell in the William Holden Theatre, Sony Studios.)
* “Hollow Man,” directed by Paul Verhooven and starring Kevin Bacon, scheduled for release July 28, 2000. (This is Paul Verhoven’s second SDDS 8-Channel release; the first was “Starship Troopers.” It will be mixed by Mike Minkler and Frank Montano at Soundelux/Todd-AO West.)
* “Vertical Limit,” directed by Martin Campbell and starring Chris O’Donnell, scheduled for release Summer 2000. (This film will be mixed by Scott Millan and Bob Beemer in the Kim Novak Theatre, Sony Studios)
* “All The Pretty Horses,” directed by Billy Bob Thornton and starring Matt Damon, scheduled for release Fall 2000.
* “Sixth Day,” directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, scheduled for release Fall 2000.
* “Charlie’s Angels,” directed by McG, and starring Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and Cameron Diaz, scheduled for release November 7, 2000.
Other recent SDDS 8 Channel releases include “Stuart Little,” directed by Rob Minkoff, “Girl, Interrupted,” directed by James Mangold, and “The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc,” directed by Luc Besson.
“A growing number of directors and supervising sound editors are looking to provide sound tracks that complement the large-screen excitement of their movies,” says Bill Mead, Sony Cinema Product’s VP of marketing. “Today’s larger auditoriums need more power than three-loudspeaker systems can adequately deliver. SDDS 8-Channel does not sound louder — it sounds better. Five up-front loudspeaker channels can cleanly deliver peak energy with less distortion and less audience irritation. Overall, the audience receives a fuller and richer sound.”
Call Sony Cinema Products Corporation at 310-244-5777.