""Star Wars: Episode I ñ The Phantom Menace"" To Be Released In 8-Channel SDDS

17-May-99

In a move to further enhance the filmís presentation, ""Star Wars: Episode I ñ The Phantom Menace"" will be released in 8-channel Sony Dynamic Digital SoundÆ (SDDSÆ), it was announced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Sony Cinema Products Corporation.""We want audiences to become completely immersed in the movie,"" said Rick McCallum, Producer of ""Star Wars: Episode I ñ The Phantom Menace."" ""This meant filling up the theatre with a more articulate, spatial soundtrack, using as many channels as possible. SDDS provides us with two additional ëdiscreteí front channels and Surround EX gives us an additional rear surround channel, so now we have the best of both worlds, especially in a THXÆ-certified theatre.""Gary Rydstrom, Academy AwardÆ-winning sound designer and Director of Creative Operations for Skywalker Sound, commented on mixing ""Star Wars: Episode I ñ The Phantom Menace"" in 8-channel SDDS. ""Having the five channels across the front gave me an even greater creative flexibility to isolate and highlight important effects elements, enhance the beauty of the score and keep all the dialogue crystal clear. This was my first 8-channel SDDS mix and Iím very happy that we ran the extra mile to do it.""""We are delighted to help Lucasfilm deliver the best possible experience to ""Episode I"" audiences around the world,"" said Gary Johns, President and Chief Operating Officer of Sony Cinema Products Corporation. ""Sony developed SDDS and its 8-channel feature especially for such innovative filmmakers as George Lucas and his team, who strive to lift moviegoers out of their own environments and into another world.""SDDS is regarded among some practitioners in the film industry as the motion picture industryís highest quality digital sound system and for its unique 8-channel (five instead of three behind-the-screen) capability. As film soundtracks have become more adventurous and complex, filmmakers are using the five ëdiscreteí screen channels to minimize loudspeaker overload distortion and improve the clarity and realism of their work on todayís giant move screens.Over 1150 8-channel SDDS-equipped screens are located in he worldís top-grossing theatres. THX-certified 8-channel SDDS screens are elevating the moviegoing experience in such key sites as Century Plaza, Century City (Lowes/Cineplex Theatres); Mann Chinese, Hollywood (Mann Theatres); AMC Van Ness 14, San Francisco (AMC Entertainment); Universal City 18 Cinemas, Universal City (Loews/Cineplex Theatres); Mann Village Theatre, Westwood (Mann Theatres): Star Southfield, Southfield, Michigan (Star Theatres): UA Union Square, New York (United Artists Theatres)"" Sony Lincoln Square, New York (Loews/Cineplex Theatres); Majestic Theatre, Memphis (Maico Theatres); UA Galaxy Theatre, Dallas (United Artists Theatres); Le Chateau du Cinema, Lomme, France (Best/Claeys Group0: Kosmos, Berlin, Germany (UFA); Imperial, Copenhagen, Denmark (Virgin/Nordisk): Utopolis, Kirchberg, Luxembourg (Bert/Claeys Group): Lido Cineplex-Theatre, Singapore (The Shaw Organization) and Kinepolis Madrid, Spain (Kinepolis Group).SDDS has been adopted by virtually all major film distributors including Buena Vista Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Dimension Films, DreamWorks SKG, Miramax Films, New Line Cinema, PolyGram, TriStar Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. To date, more than 475 films have been released with SDDS soundtracks and over 7,000 screens around the world are SDDS-equipped.For more information, contact Bill Mead at 310 244 5791 or email: bill_mead@scpc.sony.com, or contact Lynne Hale, Lucasfilm Ltd. At 415 682 1962 or email: hale@lucasfilm.com.

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