Hello all:

I searched for info on this topic but haven't come out with much. I'm wondering if its possible to use a PC with Adobe Premiere 6.0 and direct the audio channels to make a surround sound effect. Or, does anybody know of a program for mixing surround sound that doesn't cost an arm-and-a-leg? It would be cool to think that you could use your NLE system and homemade movies to have great, surround sound for something like a Dolby 5.1 system.

Just curious,

Kyle "Doc" Mitchell

Unfortunately, I know of only one company that makes what you are looking for:

http://www.minnetonkaaudio.com/Products_3.htm

They are pretty expensive but at least you can probably do a search off of the info that you find on their website and see if anyone else has what you are looking for.

I found a drag and drop program that did imersive, 3D sound, and was only maybe $200. It may not be Dolby, but as close as I will ever get.

I'll see if I can't find it again.
Keith

I think one of the cheapest surround sound editing programs
is Cool Edit Multitrack... you do need an Dolby Digital Encoder
or DTS encoder though. These do fall down in price. I think
there might even be an open source utility available.

If you can hang on 'til the end of the summer, Micro$soft will be releasing a new bundled audio codec called CORONA. CORONA will offer native 5.1 surround sound with all M$ OS's.

Guys:

Thanks for the info. Now a follow up question: When you guys watch a narrative, do you ever notice the surround sound? Especially if the sound is such a way not to really really draw attention to itself?

I guess the bottom line of the my question is: Do you think extra production money would be well spent on getting a program to make surround sound in post-production? I'm big on sound in movies myself, but I was wondering if people really pay attention - or care about the surround sound. For my next movie project, I'm really trying to tell a lot of the story with sound. In your opinion is that a mistake?

Sorry I guess that was more than just one follow up question.

Thanks!

Kyle "Doc" Mitchell

Telling a story through sound is a nice idea. And I certainly think
it can work. It will probably be harder to do though. In the matter
of surround sound, I really doubt much people will notice, but
that depends ofcourse on how they get your movie. If they
bought it on DVD you can bet they expect surround sound. If
they downloaded it over the internet no-one will complain.
It all depends. If surround sound is *needed* for your story,
then ofcourse, you should use it. But keep in mind that a lot
of people do not yet have surround sound or have it poorly.

Tell us some more about your target audience and how they
are supposed to get your movie. Then we can answer the
question a little bit better I think.

Rob:

Ah! Very good questions - and thanks for the comments too! My target audience would be for non-computer viewers. The story I plan on really utilitizing this for would be about a young-man who struggles internally to find "his place" in the world. He has weird visions and has bizarre encounters with nature (being alone in the forest with wind blowing) and hears sounds - voices, ambient noise - which clouds his judgement. He is always at odds with himself mentally. Thats where I thought Surround sound would be cool. Get those voices and sounds to come around the viewer - kinda freak the audience out like it does the character. I don't know. This is all just brainstorming kind of stuff. Surround sound wouldn't really be too necessary, but just cool. Thats of course if I still use this idea for a narrative!

Regards,

Kyle "Doc" Mitchell

Kyle... how is your audience gonna get your movie? Buy it in
a shop (ie, mass retail), buy from you? etc?

Hello:

Woops! Duh . . . you asked this in the last post and I didn't answer. I really only make these movies right now for my friends and family. So, the audience will get the movie by me sending physical material to them (and they would hopefully "donate" to me to cover the cost of sending the movie.) I won't send it over the Internet for the most part - but I do do that for some friends. So, my audience will get my movie by buying from me.

One thing that I like to do (I've only done once since I've only made 1 movie that was long enough not to be considered a short) is have a premier for the movie. Last summer, when I "premiered" my 1st movie, my friend and I were working at a hi-tech, professional home theater store. We borrowed a high ANSI lumen, D-ILA projector and 110" or 106" screen (I can't remember) with speakers, receivers, and the such. We decorated my backyard somewhat like one of the sets from the movie and had everyone we knew come to the show. As I was watching the movie, I was thinking "man, you know it would be cool to have this in surround sound . . . ." Thats where I got the initial idea. Now, I've got to figure out if its worth it. Questions like "how is the audience gonna get the movie after premiering and the such" are really good questions. Its making me think that surround sound is just a cool extra feature - an expensive cool feature. The way I see it now is if my story is good and the sound is in stereo, nobody will probably care. At least I wouldn't think my family would (my friends might; some of them are a pretty critical crowd).

I'll have to think about it. It's probably just too much money to get software for a surround edit, and its not worth it. Still, I just like sound. I can't imagine how the Normandy battle scene in Saving Private Ryan would have felt like without the sounds of the bullets whizzing by and the lapse between the flash of the muzzles and the bullet impacts . . . .

Anyways, thats a long answer to a short question. I'll be sending the movie myself to family and friends, and have a cool premiere for the movie when I'm finished. Thanks for your guys help!

Kyle "Doc" Mitchell