Source:-business standard
Dolby Laboratories, the America-based company that specialises in audio noise reduction and develops technology for sound design and engineering, has brought its Dolby Institute initiative to India.
Led by Glenn Kiser, director of Dolby Institute, the institute is having its first taste of the Indian media and entertainment industry through a series of interactions and workshop across film and television institutes, film studios and broadcast networks like Epic, Star India etc.
“We feel there is immense talent here. Not only that, we hope that eventually, we’ll be able to start a brick and mortar institute not only in the US, but in India too,” says Kiser.
Launched at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, the Dolby Institute has the mission to help engage and educate artists and filmmakers on the importance of sound and picture to the overall film experience, and to invite filmmakers and artists to think critically about these tools from the very beginning of the creative process.
“This is our first time in India and we realise that Indian media and entertainment industry has a lot going for itself. Not only is the visual content vibrant, but there is immense talent in the professionals here. Our interaction with the students at the FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) in Pune earlier this week showed us the talent pool on offer,” says Kiser.
Kiser and Steven Cahill, a sound designer by professions who is also part of the institute will be in India for a week and are meeting various broadcasters to educate and exchange notes on sound production and processing.
“The Indian (M&E) industry is at an inflection point of sorts thanks to the emergence of HD (high definition) technology, not only for television sets, but also for production. What HD does is that it gives the chance to produce more sophisticated and ‘film quality’ content for the small screen. In the US, we are seeing a lot of technicians and professionals making a transition from cinema to television as content production becomes more sophisticated,” explains Kiser.
Cahill adds, “Apart from imparting technical knowledge and holding discussions on the technical nuances of sound design, I feel it is very important for the new film-makers to realise that attention towards the visual component of the projects (film or television) can always be heavily skewed as against the sound component and that is something they should be wary of. It’s very easy to get carried away and keep on adding layers to the visual component and keep the sound bit for the end. This means you have less time to experiment with the sound and provide finesse on that front. You have to learn where to stop with the visual and concentrate equally on the sound, if you want to dish out good, technically sound and holistic content, especially in the age of technologies HD and Dolby Atmos.”
Throwing more light on the Dolby Institute, Kiser reveals that the outfit has tied up with the Sundance Academy in the US and currently offers grants to one film project a year. The institute along with the people at Sundance chose one film that they feel has the content and scope for sound sophistication and requires the grant and helps out the filmmaker(s) not only financially, but also gives advice on sound processing and design. The first such fellowship was given to Mike Cahill’s I Origin in December 2013 under the Dolby Family Fund Sound Fellowship. The film was later screened at the Sundance Film Festival.
Dolby Laboratories, the America-based company that specialises in audio noise reduction and develops technology for sound design and engineering, has brought its Dolby Institute initiative to India.
Led by Glenn Kiser, director of Dolby Institute, the institute is having its first taste of the Indian media and entertainment industry through a series of interactions and workshop across film and television institutes, film studios and broadcast networks like Epic, Star India etc.
“We feel there is immense talent here. Not only that, we hope that eventually, we’ll be able to start a brick and mortar institute not only in the US, but in India too,” says Kiser.
Launched at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, the Dolby Institute has the mission to help engage and educate artists and filmmakers on the importance of sound and picture to the overall film experience, and to invite filmmakers and artists to think critically about these tools from the very beginning of the creative process.
“This is our first time in India and we realise that Indian media and entertainment industry has a lot going for itself. Not only is the visual content vibrant, but there is immense talent in the professionals here. Our interaction with the students at the FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) in Pune earlier this week showed us the talent pool on offer,” says Kiser.
Kiser and Steven Cahill, a sound designer by professions who is also part of the institute will be in India for a week and are meeting various broadcasters to educate and exchange notes on sound production and processing.
“The Indian (M&E) industry is at an inflection point of sorts thanks to the emergence of HD (high definition) technology, not only for television sets, but also for production. What HD does is that it gives the chance to produce more sophisticated and ‘film quality’ content for the small screen. In the US, we are seeing a lot of technicians and professionals making a transition from cinema to television as content production becomes more sophisticated,” explains Kiser.
Cahill adds, “Apart from imparting technical knowledge and holding discussions on the technical nuances of sound design, I feel it is very important for the new film-makers to realise that attention towards the visual component of the projects (film or television) can always be heavily skewed as against the sound component and that is something they should be wary of. It’s very easy to get carried away and keep on adding layers to the visual component and keep the sound bit for the end. This means you have less time to experiment with the sound and provide finesse on that front. You have to learn where to stop with the visual and concentrate equally on the sound, if you want to dish out good, technically sound and holistic content, especially in the age of technologies HD and Dolby Atmos.”
Throwing more light on the Dolby Institute, Kiser reveals that the outfit has tied up with the Sundance Academy in the US and currently offers grants to one film project a year. The institute along with the people at Sundance chose one film that they feel has the content and scope for sound sophistication and requires the grant and helps out the filmmaker(s) not only financially, but also gives advice on sound processing and design. The first such fellowship was given to Mike Cahill’s I Origin in December 2013 under the Dolby Family Fund Sound Fellowship. The film was later screened at the Sundance Film Festival.
