James Cameron's Deepsea Challenge 3D
'Deepsea Challenge 3D' traces James Cameron’s record-breaking solo dive to lowest point on earth, the Mariana Trench, in the South Pacific. Soundfirm were tasked with delivering the full theatrical sound post production on this epic and ground-breaking documentary feature.
Working closely with Cameron’s team, Soundfirm crafted a track that seamlessly wove the documentary location sound with re-imagined under-water worlds, particularly capturing the environment inside Cameron’s dive capsule and in the Mariana Trench itself.
“The creative challenge came in building an underwater sound-scape where no location production sound existed,” said Soundfirm's Sound Supervisor, Chris Goodes. “Those worlds had to be carefully re-imagined, without compromise to the documentary, or the narrative,” he added.
The feature was mixed in 7.1 (by Goodes), as Soundfirm utilised resources across both their facilities in Sydney and Melbourne to deliver the sound post production.
Sound Designer, Steve Burgess, worked tirelessly with Chris Goodes and James Ashton (FX/Atmos Editor) in Melbourne, while Andy Wright completed the dialogue edit, pre-mixes, and oversaw foley (George Alamaras and Mario Vaccaro) and narration tracks from Soundfirm’s Sydney facility, on Fox Studios.
The film has been recognised and acclaimed in several ‘craft’ categories at recent awards, including Best Feature Length Documentary at the 2015 ACCTA Awards, held at Sydney’s Star Entertainment Centre, and at Best Feature Documentary at the prestigious MPSE Golden Reel Awards in Hollywood.
- Motion Picture Sound Editors, Golden Reel 2015 – Nomination, Feature Documentary
- ACCTA Nomination: Best Feature Length Documentary
- ASSG Nomination: Best Sound for a Documentary
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/103470630[/vimeo]
Soundfirm @ MIFF 2014
Soundfirm at the Melbourne International Film Festival 2014
Soundfirm are well represented at MIFF 2014, with no less than four films posted by us making the cut; including the Spierig Brothers epic thriller, ‘Predestination’ (Ethan Hawke, Noah Taylor, Sarah Snook) which opens the Festival on the 31st July. Projects include:
‘My Mistress’ – full post production, picture/sound and re-investment (Soundfirm Sydney & Melbourne )
‘Electric Boogaloo – The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films’ – sound post (Soundfirm Melbourne)
‘Paper Planes’ – sound post production (Soundfirm Melbourne)
‘Predestination’ – sound post production (Opening Night film) (Soundfirm Melbourne)
‘Baby Baby’ [Short Film] – Soundfirm Sydney.
MIFF runs from the 31st July to the 17th August at various venues in the City.
Go support them - and we hope to see you for a celebratory drink at the bar on Opening Night! Enjoy the Festival.
http://miff.com.au/program/search
Life at 9
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njCiHO-Cq-o[/youtube]
Soundfirm Sydney have completed the full picture and sound post production on ‘Life at 9’ – the 5th installment of the seminal ‘Life Series’ of documentaries, for Heiress Films and the ABC.
‘Life at 9’ provides a window on Australian childhood in an effort to uncover just what it is that gives a child the best chance at life. Explored through ‘Independence’ (episode 1) and ‘Creativity’ (episode 2), the series represents a comprehensive study of childhood development, from first picking up their stories at aged just one, to now, 8 years later.
Soundfirm undertook the full post production from their Sydney facility; from on-set and on-location data management, though to a complex multi-camera conform, grade and online; full sound post production, and management of delivery to the ABC.
Producer, Naomi Just, said “Soundfirm saw us through our picture and sound post production for “Life at 9”, helping us with a holistic production pathway, for which I am most grateful.”
“’’The Life Series’ is a really important and compelling piece of documentary,” said Soundfirm General Manager, Paul Willey. “We’re proud to have been able to deliver an end-to-end solution; working through the complexities of the series with the client, and meeting the challenges inherent in a project of this scale head-on.”
‘Life at 9 – Independence’ airs on the ABC tonight, 29th July 2014; episode 2, ‘Creativity’ airs on the 5th August, both at 20.30hrs.
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/life/
https://www.facebook.com/thelifeseries
Soundfirm Post Production:
Offline resources – Spectrum Films, Fox Studios
Jasmin Cornford – Post Production Manager
Colourist – Angela Cerasi
Online Editor – Shane Goddard
Senior Mixer/Head of Sound – Andy Wright
VO Recordist – Diego Ruiz
4k upgrades for Soundfirm Picture Post Kit
Soundfirm have upgraded their Mistika systems to add 4k render ability – and have additionally purchased 2 x Mamba FX licences to provide further compositing support to their picture post production suites.
Soundfirm General Manager, Paul Willey, said “we were the first facility in Australia to deploy SGO’s Mistika, and we remain very committed to their tools for high-end 2D and 3D picture post production. Mamba is a very light-weight but powerful set of tools that adds creative flexibility when completing conform FX, in support of third-party visual FX vendors, for theatrical and broadcast projects. The 4k render upgrade ensures we can Master and post produce pictures in the high resolutions that clients expect, as 4k and RAW acquisition slowly but surely becomes the norm.”
http://www.sgo.es/mistika-post/
The Redfern Story
Soundfirm have completed the picture and sound post production on Darlene Johnson's 'The Redfern Story,' which this week enjoyed it's World Premiere at The Sydney Film Festival.
Cutting rooms (for Editor, Deb Prince) were provided at our Sydney Facility, leading into grading, online editing, sound post, voice-over and DI/broadcast deliverables - all managed under the one-roof.
Producer, Sue Milliken, said "thank you to everyone at Soundfirm for your care, commitment, and endless patience [with the film]. We really appreciate it."
The World Premiere will be on Sunday 8th June as part of the SIFF. This special screening is presented in partnership with ABC TV and Screen Australia's Indigenous Department. It is followed by a talk, The Redfern Story: From the Streets to the Stage, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, hosted by Vivid Ideas.
Screenwriter: Darlene Johnson
Producer: Darlene Johnson, Sue Milliken
Cinematographer: Simon Smith
Editor: Deb Prince
Company Credits:Production Company: Samson Productions Pty Ltd
The Rover given prestigious midnight slot at Cannes Film Festival 2014
Congratulations to David Michod and Liz Watts! The Rover has been given a prestigious midnight slot at Cannes Film Festival 2014. This will be the world premiere of the film with it opening nationally on June 12th.
Investment: our new Meyer Sound Cinema Loudspeaker System arrives!
Soundfirm installs Meyer Sound Atmos system
Soundfirm has selected a Meyer Sound cinema loudspeaker system for its Dolby Atmos dubbing stage in its new Melbourne location. The large mixing room is Australia’s first to feature an all-Meyer Sound screen channel and surround loudspeaker system.
Owner Roger Savage, a veteran re-recording mixer whose film credits include the family classic Babe and the musical Moulin Rouge!, selected the Meyer Sound system.
“When we decided to install an Atmos room, we needed surround loudspeakers capable of full-range response, and Meyer Sound sounded so much better than anything else we’d experienced,” says Savage.
The monitoring system incorporates three Acheron 80 screen loudspeakers, eight HMS-12 and 29 HMS-10 cinema surround loudspeakers, six X-800C high-power cinema subwoofers, and two 500-HP subwoofers in the rear for surround low end.
Chris Goodes, Soundfirm’s chief re-recording mixer, has mixed a number of projects in the new room. “The first thing I took to was the top end,” he says. “The Acherons are so much better than what we’d been using before. The dialogue clarity is outstanding, and you can trust what you’re doing with equalisation. You never have to question whether the speaker is changing the sound. And you can work for 10 or 12 hours on this system without fatigue.”
Projects mixed by Goodes since opening include The Monkey King, an Atmos mix for the Chinese market; Predestination, a feature starring Ethan Hawke; Deep Sea Challenge, a James Cameron documentary; and Hidden Universe for IMAX release.
Savage appreciates the streamlined installation of the 48V remotely powered surround loudspeakers. “Installation and setup was much easier than the conventional approach,” he notes. “You simply run a single cable with 48V power and audio for the internally bi-amplified surrounds. This saves installation costs, particularly when you’re dealing with an Atmos system.”
The new mixing theatre also includes a Harrison Trion mixing console with 240 inputs, five Avid Pro Tools systems, a 10-metre-wide screen, and a Christie 4K projector with 3D capability.
“The independent mixers who use the room all comment on how great it sounds,” reports Savage. “The Meyer Sound monitors have lived up to our high expectations, and exceeded them – particularly with Atmos.”
These Final Hours
Set to be released in Australian cinemas on the 12th June 2014, ‘These Final Hours’, follows the story of a young man’s journey on his last day on Earth. The once self-obsessed partygoer (Nathan Phillips) saves the life of a young girl searching for her father, leading him on a path of redemption.
Soundfirm provided Director, Zac Hilditch and first-time Producer, Liz Kearney, with a top of the line sound package rolled out across their two Australian facilities. A talented team of ADR and foley recordists provided a strong foundation that lead into a thrilling final mix in Soundfirm’s premium Melbourne facility. Yet again a seamless “under-one-roof” interstate approach has been used to provide a client with the best possible service to suit their post-production requirements.
Sound Mixer - Chris Goodes
Sound Editor - Rob Mackenzie
ADR - Diego Ruiz & Nicky Robinson
Foley Team - Steve Burgess, Mario Vaccaro, George Alamaras & Alex Francis
Director - Zac Hilditch
Executive Producer - Robert Connolly
Producer - Liz Kearney
Post-Production Producer - Rachel McKellar-Harding
Schapelle
Soundfirm have recently completed and delivered the full sound post production on “Schapelle”; one of the most hotly-anticipated dramas on Channel Nine's Summer programming line up.
The telemovie follows the true story of the 27-year-old beauty school drop-out from the Gold Coast, who was arrested at Bali airport with 4.2kg of marijuana in a boogie board bag. At first, Schapelle's arrest was barely noticed by the Australian media, but once photographs and details of the story were published, it sparked a media frenzy. Schapelle (played by actor Krew Boylan) avoided the death penalty, but was sentenced to 20 years in Bali's notorious Kerobokan Prison. Her arrest and trial become a real-life soap opera that shocked and divided the nation. A decade later the question remains, did she really do it?
The films's broadcast, on the eve of Schapelle's own release in Bali on the 10th February, sparked a controversial dialogue in the media, and across social networks.
“Schappelle” sees Soundfirm continue to develop their reputation for finishing high-end TV dramas, Docu-dramas and Telemovies, bringing over 30 years of feature film experience to the Australian TV market. Soundfirm oversaw the sound design, foley, ADR and final mix of this project across their facilities in Melbourne and Sydney. Their inter-state facilities have once again delivered an "under-one-roof" solution for sound post production; building the best sound team of dialogue, FX and atmosphere Editors (regardless of location) to the film, as well as ADR and foley.
#schapelle
Soundfirm Post Producer: Melissa Lee (Melbourne)
Foley Team: Mario Vaccaro, George Alamaras & Alex Francis
ADR: Diego Ruiz & Nicky Robinson
Dialogue Editor: Ralph Ortner
Sound Mixer: Ralph Ortner
FX Editor: Simon Rosenberg
Dolby Atmos Adds New Dimension to The Monkey King
January 23, 2014 Dolby Atmos Adds New Dimension to The Monkey King
Melbourne, January 23, 2013-Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: DLB) announced today that The Monkey King (Filmko Entertainment Ltd., Beijing) will be mixed and released in the Dolby® Atmos™ cinema sound platform. The Monkey King, a much beloved story, is as much a part of Asian culture as The Odyssey or The Wizard of Oz is to the West. This first installment in a trilogy of live-action 3D movies is a prequel to The Journey to the West, the often told story of the Monkey King's adventures on the road to India.
Dolby Atmos has quickly become the preferred choice for next-generation cinema sound among major studios, award-winning filmmakers, and exhibitors around the world.
"As an important player in the filmmaking industry, we are always looking forward to delivering exceptional experiences through great storytelling and new technologies. Dolby Atmos will help us use sound to transport audiences right into the world of The Monkey King," said director Soi Cheang.
Dolby Atmos unleashes the potential of sound in storytelling by giving filmmakers the creative freedom to easily place or move sounds anywhere in the movie theatre to create a lifelike, virtual reality of sound and the most engaging cinema experience ever.
"Mixing in Dolby Atmos is a major leap from 5.1 and 7.1. Greater dynamic range and full-range overhead monitoring allows so many new options to creatively enhance the spatial environment. This is especially useful with music and the atmospherics in The Monkey King, creating more space for onscreen dialogue and effects. Using objects in Dolby Atmos gave us fantastic directional information. During mastering, the Dolby Atmos mix automatically folded beautifully into 5.1. Soundfirm Melbourne's new Dolby Atmos mixing stage sounds incredible and is a pleasure to mix in. We can't wait for the next opportunity to tackle another Dolby Atmos mix," said Chris Goodes and Steve Burgess, Sound Designer and Rerecording Mixers, Soundfirm.
"We are incredibly excited and are really looking forward to the release of The Monkey King in Dolby Atmos," said Leong Yan Yoong, Regional Director, South East Asia, Dolby Laboratories. "At Dolby, we are passionate about providing filmmakers and storytellers with innovative technologies and tools to help them create the most epic experiences."
The Monkey King will be the first Dolby Atmos movie to be mixed by Soundfirm, Australia's largest independent postproduction company (www.soundfirm.com.au).
About Dolby Atmos
Dolby Laboratories is equipping the cinema world with its new Dolby Atmos technology, the only object-based cinema sound platform available today. Dolby Atmos unleashes the potential of sound in storytelling by providing sound experts the creative freedom to easily place or move specific sounds anywhere in the movie theatre, not just where there happen to be speakers. The result is what moviegoers have described as the most engaging and lifelike cinema sound experience ever.
Introduced in April 2012, Dolby Atmos has been embraced by all the major Hollywood studios, six Academy Award® winning directors, and 12 Academy Award winning sound mixers, among others. More than 450 Dolby Atmos screens have been installed or committed to in 40 countries with more than 150 exhibitors. One hundred films from 10 different countries-representing a broad range of genres from action thrillers and animated features to comedy and horror-have been or are scheduled to be released with Dolby Atmos sound since the first film debuted in June 2012.
Dolby Atmos has received technical achievement awards from both the Hollywood Post Alliance and the Cinema Audio Society. As the inventors of the only object-based audio format used in the cinema today, Dolby is working closely with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers in driving adoption of standards for object-based audio.
For the latest list of Dolby Atmos titles, visit dolby.com/atmosmovies. To learn more about Dolby Atmos, visit dolby.com/Atmos.
About Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB) creates audio, video, and voice technologies that transform entertainment and communications in mobile devices, at the cinema, at home, and at work. For nearly 50 years, sight and sound experiences have become more vibrant, clear, and meaningful in Dolby. For more information, please visit www.dolby.com.
Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Dolby Atmos is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories. "Academy Award®" is a trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. S14/27711 DLB-G
Media Contact:
Cheryl Koh
Dolby Laboratories
cheryl.koh@dolby.com