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Author Topic: "It's Complicated"Sound Level Jim Cassedy Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1661 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Dec 2006 posted 12-24-2009 10:25 AM                     In with my print of "It's Complicared" is a piece of paper from the distributer stating that "Nancy Meyers, director of It's Complicated" has requested that you make sure the sound system is set at 7.0 decibels to ensure best presentation". Nancy, dear- - I tell you what- - you don]t tell me how to project films, and I won't tell you how to direct them, OK? But if it makes you happy, I'll set my sound system to "7.0 decibles" which is about the same level of sound a running refigerator makes if you're sittiing on the other side of a room from one. If anyone has any questions as to why they can't hear the dialog, I'll direct them to you. Sincerely, JimC  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 12-24-2009 10:45 AM                     That same letter came from another director just a month or two ago. I emailed a response letting them know 7.0 db would be inaudible in an auditorium and their verbage should have said 7.0 on the fader. Its not like it matters though. They are just copying and pasting the last letter and claiming a new director wrote it as if that will somehow make the people in the theaters that don't already turn their faders up to 7. It doesn't. For that matter, these directors had nothing to do with these silly letters. Setting the fader to 7.0 is industry standard. If a theater is not already running their movies at this level, they are not going to change their ways because of a form letter. If they want to solve the problem, record the trailers lower!  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 12-24-2009 11:51 AM                     So what you're saying is that a stern warning with nothing to back it up doesn't work? I never would've figured...  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-24-2009 12:04 PM                     Maybe they are referring to setting SDDS system to +7.0dB? If so...then that would certainly be loud enough!  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-24-2009 02:51 PM                     No go on the fridge, Jim. I think 7 dBC is more like the sound of a normal person breathing across the room. A quiet fridge is more like 30-40... --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 12-24-2009 03:04 PM                     What about those theaters that are engineered such that 7.0 on the CP650 will blow the dentures out of the old folks watching these films? I think these letters would have a bigger impact if they offered some actual information to go on... "Did you know..." -- screen channel volume in db, surround volume in db, pink noise test, that kind of stuff.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 12-24-2009 05:15 PM                     It wouldn't matter. A shitty EQ will still sounds loud and harsh to the patrons at 5. The system has to be properly setup in order to be able to run with the fader at 7 and not create customer complaints.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-24-2009 10:10 PM                     Brad, you do know that "7" on the CP650 is indeed louder than "7" on any other processor, including all of the other Dolby processors, don't you? It is something like 2 or 3dB louder. Steve  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 12-24-2009 11:10 PM                     Nope, that is a fact I did not know. All of mine still run at 7 though for 90% of all features and CP650s make up 80-something percent of the locations I look after on a regular basis. (The Michael Bay shit has to be turned down.) So what's the technical reason?  |  IP: Logged Benjamin Putman Film Handler Posts: 3 From: Alameda, California, USA Registered: Nov 2008 posted 12-25-2009 12:50 AM                     quote: Jim Cassedy Nancy, dear- - I tell you what- - you don]t tell me how to project films, and I won't tell you how to direct them, OK? Maybe someone should tell her how to direct, frame down and you will see more boom mic than I can recall having ever seen in a wide release film. It's painful.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-25-2009 03:12 AM                        With digital intermediates, why aren't these prints released hard matted to 1.85? or maybe give a little leeway of safety margin for theatres not quite cut exactly to 1.85 -- maybe allow out to 1.77. In the digital world this should be a piece of cake to accomplish with every print.  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-25-2009 08:08 AM                     Why is the presence of out-of-frame boom mics a problem? Maybe Nancy Meyers expects projectionists to do their jobs without being told. --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-25-2009 09:22 AM                     Regarding the CP650 fader... It appears that Dolby got their calculations wrong way back on the Cat 85. The CP500 matched the legacy products but the CP650, rather than agreeing with all others, decided to "correct" a long ago mistake. The net result, the CP650 is louder on all volume setting than all legacy products. Steve  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-25-2009 06:33 PM                     quote: John Hawkinson Maybe Nancy Meyers expects projectionists to do their jobs without being told. Doubtful...she did send the letter that started this thread off after all.  |  IP: Logged Jim Cassedy Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1661 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Dec 2006 posted 12-26-2009 09:22 AM                     quote: John Hawkinson No go on the fridge, Jim. I think 7 dBC is more like the sound of a normal person breathing across the room. A quiet fridge is more like 30-40... But John, I have the little knob in MY refigerator set to "7"  |  IP: Logged

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