Candidato: Antonio Catalano

Relatore: Prof. Sandro Massa

Co-relatore: Prof. Marco Re

Abstract:

Sound in cinema is approaching an important evolution based on systems, technologies and apparatus intended for the so called tridimensional or immersive playback. To deeply understand the importance of this scenery change is very iportant to acknowledge the long history of improvements, both technological and stylistics, that affected audio in films since its introduction in the twenties. This project thesis aims to investigate actual cinema sound state of the art and the radical impact of the revolution that is about to happen in the field, without loosing sight of improvements evolved until recent days.

In the first chapter, an historical recognition on audio signal management systems in cinema will be carried out: from the birth of sonic movies in the 1927 to the recent advent of digital cinema following the progressive demise of the printed film as the standard format for production, distribution and final playback. Some of the most important innovations will be highlighted, most of which have been engineered by the famous multinational named Dolby Laboratories. Modern Digital Cinema Systems will be analysed in detail and a case study of a real post production facility's D-Cinema, operating in Rome and named Laser Film s.r.l, will be provided.

The second chapter will focus on what could be considered the final link of cinema's B- Chain; that is to say the structural and acoustic aspects of rooms and how sound produced by loudspeaker finds itself interacting with reverberation and reflections coming from walls, floor and ceiling.

In the third chapter the most relevant innovations of immersive tridimensional audio for cinema will be discussed. Immersive audio is meant to broaden the sense of involvement experienced by cinema audiences in a three dimensional field. Its goal is to produce a sound diffusion similar in all aspects to the one of the scenic fiction. The main focus will be on Atmos, the brand new solution engineered by Dolby; aspects related to both theatrical playback and authoring production issues of Atmos soundtracks will be carried out. In order to guarantee a dissertation as exhaustive as possible, some of the principal features of Atmos most important competitor, system Auro11.1 by Barco, will also be discussed.

The fourth and last chapter will concentrate on the developments in terms of acoustic and electroacoustic treatment that cinema's B Chain are expected to undergo in order to meet tridimensional soundtracks' increased resolution and directionality. To further clarify this topic, a real Atmos certified mix room project will be presented. It is one of the very firsts in Italy: at the time of writing, its construction is still in progress in Laser Film s.r.l. new headquarters in Rome.