Video and Binaural Audio

low_iso wrote:

Victor Engel wrote:

I recall one time I was at a theater when the wrong lens was on the projector for showing previews. Up next was a preview for a scary movie with what was supposed to be a startling loud noise. The problem was, the waveform (shown on the right of this image) was being displayed on the screen, and the image of the sound displayed before the sound came. So it was obvious that the startling sound was about to be blasted out of the speakers. So the audience was not startled. At least not those who noticed the track being displayed on the screen.

Less likely it was the wrong lens, more likely the projector aperture plate wasn’t fully inserted.

OK. I'm fairly ignorant about these projector details.

No lens would project sprocket holes unless the projector was a 35/70,

I didn't say sprocket holes were shown. It was years ago (mid-90s) so I don't remember the details. Maybe they showed, but I don't remember that. I do remember seeing the wave form.

but then the lens used for 70mm projection would show 35mm as a “postage stamp” image in the middle of the screen.

The waveform was visible at the edge of the screen. Otherwise the picture mostly filled up the screen.

The sound track offset 21 frames, advanced, because the sound head is 21 frames downstream of the aperture.

Of course. That part I knew.

On your comment about the 50% of film being audio, I think audio was more important for Star Wars than for any previous film. And it wasn't just the technology in projecting the sound. It was also the layers in the mix of producing the sound.

Lets not debate that one. There were many films before Star Wars that broke ground with sound, including introducing new soundtrack formats.

OK. Let me rephrase. In my own experience with watching movies, no movie before Star Wars had as significant an impact from sound. Perhaps significantly, I grew up in Guatemala in the '70s. I didn't see many movies there. Fantasia is the only one I can immediately recall to mind. We did see others when visiting Canada or the US - movies like Herbie, Disney movies, etc.

Have you ever watched Star Wars movies without sound? I think probably more than half of the experience is lost without it. Not so much with television, though.

My point about that was that you an watch most films without sound and sort of get the point. Even watching a Star Wars film, you’ll get the basic plot and story line, and get the added benefit of seeing a space battle with realistic sound (that would be none, in a vacuum).

Since you mentioned 2001, that's one point that was done differently there.

If you kill picture, in many films where the narrative is carried primarily visually, you’ll disconnect from the story. Listen to a space battle scene without picture, it’s hard to tell who’s winning.