By Paul Matwiy, Sound Engineer for JAK Productions
Two decades ago, George Lucas's Star Wars captivated audiences worldwide with its spectacular special effects, music score and sound effects. Cutting edge blue screen technology coupled with interactive camera motion control techniques created a visceral epic that pleased even the most zealous of fans. Star Wars and its subsequent episodes help to create a new era in special effects and sound production methodologies, including the THX Theatre Certification Program for cinemas developed for "Return of the Jedi".
With the release of Star Wars - Episode One, a new generation of movie goers will see and hear first-hand why Star Wars has become an American icon. As in any great theatrical release, the music score, dialog and sound effects, plays a critical role in helping to define the movie going experience. For our producers, the sound reproduction system played an equally vital role in determining the final outcome of the upcoming feature.
When pre-production for Star Wars - Episode One began, producer Rick McCallum insisted that all audio playback be through THX certified systems. Rick had first hand experience using THX systems on the "Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" TV series and on the film "Radio Land Murders". "After evaluating several 5.1 reproduction systems, we chose as our monitoring system of choice the MPS 150 (Multichannel Pro Solutions) and home THX 150 Speaker System series and powered subwoofers from Culver City, CA based Miller and Kreisel Sound Corp. The M&K MPS 150 and home line of speakers provide excellent sound quality while adhering to the THX Standard of performance, and they do so within remarkably compact enclosures."
An M&K 150 system was initially installed in our multi-media screening and conference room at Skywalker Ranch. The system performed so well that an additional system, including monitors for Left, Center and Right plus a THX Surround controller were installed on the first of many Avid editorial rooms.
We feel that high performance audio is essential in picture editing and the use of the M&K 150 system, with its excellent dialogue intelligibility, allowed us to catch production sound faults early in the process. In addition, high quality sound can affect an editor's decisions by providing an enhanced emotional context to a scene. During the production process, our editors were so taken with the quality of sound, that a full M&K 150 system, along with associated THX electronics, was shipped to Leavesden Studios in England, to be used in the cutting of the production dailies.
We now have five M&K 150 speaker systems in use at Skywalker Ranch. These are located in our two Avid Editorial suites, our Multi-Media screening room, our Production Office, and in the "Star Wars" sound design studio.
The sound design studio has provided the ultimate test for the systems, since we have to please five time Academy Award winning sound designer Ben Burtt as well. The system employed in the Sound Design studio includes a complete M&K 2510 speaker system (3 LCRs, 4 surrounds, and 2 MX-350 subwoofers), the Lucasfilm THX CC-4 Crossover, THX controller and amplification systems from Parasound, and equalization by Rane corporation. Ben is very happy with the sound of the system, and more importantly, has high confidence in the abilityof sound designed in this studio to translate correctly into the bigger mix and screening rooms.
-----------------------------------------
WE USE AND LOVE
MK SPEAKERS !!!