A special screening of the futuristic Robot; Oscar-winning sound editor Resul Pookutty; a swanky multiplex in Mumbai, and a sound crash due to technical glitches. This incident on October 4 has only brought to light the debate that though the country has witnessed a surge in the number of multiplexes, they are not well equipped with the right equipment, especially for sound.
Mudassar Aziz, film director and writer of Dulha Mil Gaya and writer of Zindaggi Rocks and Dil Diya Hai, points out that sound quality is not paid as much attention as is due. ?I partially agree to the notion that our multiplexes lack the equipment necessary for providing brilliant sound quality. Those hired to check, maintain and alter sound quality in our multiplexes, are neither knowledgeable nor interested in putting the equipment to optimum use. I hold them responsible for the inferior results,? he says.
However, Deven Chachra, promoter and MD, Satyam Cineplexes, begs to disagree. ?When every multiplex operator is spending so much time, money and effort to offer its viewers the best technology, it would be unfair to say that we try to keep things to a bare minimum. Multiplexes are equipped with state-of-the-art digital Dolby sound system, thus maintaining optimum level of sound quality. If there is an issue, it will be a one-off case where the operator is still running a conventional sound system,? he argues.
?A potential chance of a breakdown is with the soundcard. Traditionally, a soundcard is kept in spare across three to four screens since the failure rates are low. The replacement cycle also is an average of three to four days,? reckons Sunil Punjabi, CEO Cinemax India Ltd. ?We are continuously taking feedback from both a consumer perspective and a producer perspective. Our floor managers are asked to speak with patrons about their experience. Our focus is on all pressure points of delivering quality,? he adds.
Sanjeev Mirajkar, production head, High Ground Enterprises, whose forthcoming production Bhindi Baazaar Inc is scheduled to release in February 2011, reiterates that there is a problem. ?Our theatrical sound output is not up to the mark because of sub-standard programming/engineering of sound equipment, poor maintenance and lack of trained staff.?
Aziz adds, ?The duty of a multiplex owner is to provide the output equipment and they do that. But quality control is the need of the hour. What?s the point of buying the most expensive DVD player when you aren’t using all its features??
Kunal Sharma, a sound professional, who has worked on films like That Girl in Yellow Boots, Udaan, Gulaal: Love… Power… Revolution, Black Friday and Devdas, speaks about one of the reasons why theaters set the levels less than half the optimum. ?Recording engineers often strain the system to raise a human whisper to the level of passing cars (from the movie scene) at the studios. Theatres keep their settings lower to limit damage to their systems and to the human ear. So much so that what is ultimately put out to the audience is something different.?
Chachra explains that they are maintaining the Dolby Digital and DTS, which is the best sound system accepted globally. Sharma feels differently. ?We have a standard level at which we mix. Sound is mixed in 6.1. Cinemas play a movie at 5 or 5.5, which is not the full potential. A theatre might play a movie on a four-track format, which has been made on a six-track mix. This is not at optimal level.? Also, many theatres do not even call the Dolby people to set the sound and much of what is set goes for a toss. ?We need to keep in mind that old movies were mixed in mono. Sholay was the first to be made in stereo. With Dolby there is so much more potential and while we at the studio are tapping it, it isn?t the ultimate output.?
Another issue is the tug-of-war between aesthetics and acoustics. ?Knowing fully well that a good heart is what you need for true companionship, why is it that you get attracted to the good looks first? It’s instinctive, isn’t it?? asks Aziz. ?At the creation level, I can vouch on behalf of every director in the country, that equal attention is given to sound whilst making the film, but by the time the film reaches out to everyone, things change,? adds Aziz.
?We always believe that first impressions are of what one sees. We treat hearing as a back of the head sense,? elucidates Sharma. ?What we don?t realise is that hearing is instinctual and what comes into play first. Thus the pull and push factor where aesthetics and acoustics are concerned. The bottomline is they have to match.?
Chachra understands what is required to provide a complete movie viewing experience. ?We maintain a perfect balance. Picture and sound are an important component and we ensure that we provide the viewers with best in class technology. ?
?Cinemax has always been focused and geared towards giving the best to its customers and content creators. We?ve had good reviews about our cinema halls and haven?t faced an issue in either projection or sound quality. The experience inside the screen is an optimum mix of quality acoustics and aesthetics,? explains Punjabi.
Producers and the Guild will have to take a stand and people need to be made aware of whether they are getting their money?s worth. ?Theatres charge Rs 250-300 per ticket. Service includes great seats, food, etc, but the sound isn?t right. They are cheating me as a sound designer and the audience as well.
People will judge the film according to what they see or hear. We need to, as a mass, understand what is going wrong,? clarifies Sharma.
?Better alignment and regular testing and maintenance of sound equipment in the halls are required. Trained staff or regular training for projection staff is needed. Although Dolby and DTS charge hefty licence fees for coding of the sound tracks, they don?t seem to be doing much to ensure that the output is desirable at the halls, as they mostly do their routine checks within mixing studio premises,? states Mirajkar.
When the level/quality/mix of sound is not up to the mark, if one walks out and asks the multiplex manager why, they will be forced to pull up their socks. ?Just as each one refusing to buy a pirated DVD is the sureshot way to kill piracy, an aware audience that questions the staff at multiplexes when they experience bad audio quality is the only way things will change,? says Aziz. ?One doesn?t need a Ph.D in sound to know when a romantic comedy is sounding too loud, or an action flick isn?t quite sounding energetic. Each time you address the theatre staff, the person in charge will be forced to regularly conduct the requisite checks.”
?Having said that we haven?t faced issues at Cinemax, we believe that if there is an issue with sound quality, we would like it to be addressed. We are a platform where the content creator meets the content consumer and wish to deliver quality experience to both partners in the value chain,? concludes Punjabi.