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
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
We'd like to wish all our colleagues (old and new), friends and clients, all the very best for the festive Season!
What a year it's been: some fantastic creative work and collaborations; a new building/home (in Melbourne), and some exciting developments in both our Sydney and Melbourne offices/facilities!
While the creative industries continue to face many challenges, both here in Australia and overseas, we remain committed to bringing film-makers the best talent and technology to help bring their creative visions to life! 2014 will be no different, so we look forward to seeing you all in January.
WE WISH YOU ALL A VERY RESTFUL BREAK, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
Stew - Tropfest Finalist 2013
Soundfirm have completed the sound post production on the Tropfest finalist, “Stew” which made the top 16 short screening at this years event in Sydney’s Centennial Parklands.
Alex Francis and Diego Ruiz at Soundfirm Sydney where instrumental in the design, mix, foley and edit of the soundtrack They worked closely alongside Director, Steven Woodburn & Producer, Sam Smith to create a beautifully imagined short about repressed childhood memories.
Soundfirm have a long and rich pedigree in supporting emerging film-makers and shorts: often providing resources and in-house creative talent to get ideas from script to screen.
Sound Design & Foley – Alex Francis, Soundfirm Sydney
Dialogue & Mix – Diego Ruiz, Soundfirm Sydney
Around the Block
Soundfirm were extensively involved with the post-production of Sarah Spillane's AROUND THE BLOCK, one of six Australian films that were selected for the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival line up.
Set around the riots in Redfern during 2004 AROUND THE BLOCK is about breaking family and cultural cycles for a hopeful future. Up-and-comer Hunter Page-Lochard and Christina Ricci star in this contemporary story of love, revenge and triumph, as a young Aboriginal boy becomes torn between his unexpected love of acting and the disintegration of his family.
The film is set for wide-spread Australian release in early 2014.
3rd AACTA Awards - Nominees Announced
Congratulations to all of the 2014 AACTA Awards nominees!
Particular shout out to Warwick Ross' "Red Obsession", Anna Broinowski's "Aim High in Creation", Ben Nott & Morgan O'Neill's "Drift", Ivan Sen's "Mystery Road" and Joanna Werner's "Dance Academy - Series 3", all of which Soundfirm have been involved in.
We look forward to celebrating the Australian film & television industry in January 2014.
For more info: http://www.aacta.org/winners-nominees/3rd-aacta-awards-nominees.aspx
Hidden Universe 3D
Soundfirm have completed the full sound post production track on Russell Scott’s landmark IMAX release, "Hidden Universe 3D".
Mixed in our Melbourne facility, Head Mixer and Sound Editor, Chris Goodes was charged with creating an immersive and compelling sound track, often to mute CG images.
Soundfirm also led voice over records, foley production and editing; seamlessly deploying our facility in Sydney, alongside Melbourne resources.
The giant-screen documentary adventure “Hidden Universe 3D” takes audiences on an extraordinary journey deep into space in the cinematic medium that transports audiences like no other. With the full power of IMAX 3D cinematography, the deepest reaches of our universe are brought to life with unprecedented clarity through real images captured by the world’s most powerful telescopes—seen on-screen and in 3D for the first time.
Stunning, high-resolution 3D images of space allow moviegoers to explore the earliest galaxies, watch stars being born in vivid clouds of gas and dust, tour the surface of Mars, and witness images of distant celestial structures including stunning views of the Sun. Seen for the first time in IMAX 3D, these dramatic new images offer fresh insight into the origins and evolution of the universe.
Narrated by Golden Globe winner Miranda Richardson, “Hidden Universe 3D” is a December Cinema Productions film produced in association with Film Victoria, Swinburne University of Technology, and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Executive produced by Emmy®-award-winning producer Tony Wright. Produced in association with MacGillivray Freeman Films. Produced by Stephen Amezdroz and written and directed by Russell Scott. The musical score is by Dale Cornelius.
“History has taught us that no matter how well we understand a system – whether it is a biological system like a human being, or a physical system like a galaxy – when we look at it in a new or more in-depth way, we see and learn new things,” said Greg Poole, one of the two astronomers featured in the film. “It’s hard to say exactly what form these new insights will take, for that is the nature of scientific discovery. It’s impossible to predict.”
What is possible to predict is that starting in September, Hidden Universe 3D will take us all deeper into space than ever before.
For Soundfirm:
Chris Goodes – Mixer & Sound Editor (Melbourne)
James Ashton – Voice Over Recordist (Melbourne)
Adam Connelly & Mario Vaccaro – Foley (Sydney)
Top Accolade for CEO, Roger Savage.
http://www.film.vic.gov.au/media/screen-leaders-2013
Soundfirm Founder and CEO, Roger Savage, has been awarded the ‘John Howie Award for Outstanding Leadership, Achievement and Service to the Victorian Screen Industry' at the Film Victoria Screen Industry Awards.
Roger’s career spans in excess of 45 years: moving to Australia from England in 1964, he engineered some of the most important Australian popular music recordings of the period and, concentrating on film sound tracks and post production in the early 1970’s, some of the country’s most celebrated films.
Roger has always been on the cutting edge of technology, and has consistently driven innovation in the way film soundtracks have been created and delivered. After 30 years in Port Melbourne’s Crockford Street, Roger has recently moved Soundfirm's facility in Melbourne to a purpose built warehouse space on Fennell Street, at the same time investing in projects and technologies (including Dolby’s Atmos) for the benefit of the next generation of film-makers.
Congrats on this much deserved accolade!
Gayby Baby
Following the successful completion of the 'opening shot' short for the ABC, Director Maya Newell returned to Soundfirm for the post production on her feature film, "Gaybe Baby."
Soundfirm's Andy Wright once again took the lead, with intelligent sound design and mixing, building on the great work he had done with Charlotte and Maya prior. We are delighted to be involved and, further, would encourage audiences to not only engage with this smart film, but also to back the campaign for equal rights in Australia at:
http://www.australianmarriageequality.org/
#sayyestolove - 'Gaybe Baby' will be in cinemas from the 3rd September 2015.
https://www.facebook.com/GaybyBaby
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/growing-up-gayby-opening-shot-2/
Soundfirm have completed the full picture and sound post production on Maya Newell’s documentary, ‘Growing Up Gayby,’ for Screen Australia and the ABC.
Newell’s film is part of the ABC’s ‘OPENING SHOT’ series: a collection of documentaries made by Australia’s next generation of filmmakers. ‘GROWING UP GAYBY’ opens the season, and follows director Maya Newell, herself raised by two mums, as she explores the impact of gay parenting.
Soundfirm completed the entire project out of their Sydney facility, including accommodating Rochelle and the offline in their cutting rooms (on Fox Studios), through to the Full Grade (Da Vinci’s Resolve via the Dolby PRM Monitor) and online edit, with the narration record, sound design and final mix also completed under the one roof. Soundfirm even managed the transfer and treatment of very old VHS archive material which became crucial to the story-telling in the edit.
“Maya’s film is a really smart piece of journalism: intelligently made, and well crafted. It’s been a pleasure working with her, Charlotte and Rochelle,” said Paul Willey, Soundfirm General Manager.
“Soundfirm have a genuine passion for factual story-telling, and we love collaborating with young film-makers to help get these wonderful narratives on screen and into the public consciousness,” he added.
The film is available on ABC's catch-up service, ABC iview, and via the Opening Shot Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/ABC2
Director, Maya Newell.
Producer, Charlotte Mars
Offline Editor, Rochelle Oshlack
Colourist, Angela Cerasi
Online/Deliverables/Media Management, Bruce Emery & Shane Goddard
Senior Sound Editor/Mixer, Andy Wright
V/O Recordist, Diego Ruiz
General Manager, Paul Willey
Facility Co-ordinator, Jasmin Cornford
Aim High in Creation
Soundfirm was delighted to be involved with the making of ‘Aim High in Creation’, an enthralling revolutionary comedy about the cinematic genius of North Korea's late Leader, Kim Jong-il. Soundfirm’s Melbourne facility completed the final cinematic mix before the film made its world premier at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) earlier this year.
Determined to stop a gas mine being built near her inner-city Sydney home, Anna Broinowski (Forbidden Lie$), in a world first, goes to North Korea to meet the masters of propaganda filmmaking, who teach her how to make a revolutionary drama in which "heroic workers" overthrow the "evil gas miners" - all executed in the Dear Leader's proudly melodramatic style. Back in Sydney, Anna's brave western cast follow the North Koreans' instructions, culminating in an uplifting, anti-capitalist drama. The film forges an astonishingly human bond between North Korea's filmmakers and their western counterparts. An unexpected connection is found with the most isolated nation on Earth: Filmmakers, no matter where they work, are family.
For Soundfirm:
Andrew Neil - Mixer
For more information: