""The World Is Not Enough"" In Dolby Digital Surround EX
The latest Bond film, MGM/UA's ""The World Is Not Enough,"" has been produced with a Dolby Digital Surround EX soundtrack at Pinewood Studios. It is the first U.K. production to use the new format, which has been installed in over 5,225 cinemas worldwide, 350 of which are alreadyñor are about to beñlocated in the U.K. Film sound mixers are excited about the added dimension and control of effects that Dolby Digital Surround EX provides. The rear wall channel can make effects such as fly-overs and fly-arounds seem much more realistic, while the more localised sidewall channels make the movement of sounds onto or off the screen more convincing. Together, the three surround channels also produce a more stable surround image for atmosphere and music, and create an optimum surround sound experience for a larger percentage of the audience. John Hayward AMPS, a Senior Sound Mixing Engineer at Pinewood Studios, is enthusiastic about working with the new sound format: ""After mixing ëThe World Is Not Enoughí the Surround EX system in my dubbing theatre will always remain switched on, and all my future Dolby mixes will incorporate the Dolby Digital Surround EX format,"" he said. Following its debut with ""Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace,"" Dolby Digital Surround EX is quickly becoming the format of choice for blockbuster hits. New and forthcoming titles in Dolby Digital Surround EX include ""Toy Story 2"" from Buena Vista, ""The Fight Club"" from Twentieth Century Fox, ""The Bone Collector"" from Universal, and ""The Messenger: The Joan Of Arc Story"" from Columbia. As more titles are released in the new format, the number of equipped cinemas will continue to grow. ""The major chains have already equipped their largest screens, and now we are starting to see Surround EX installed in mid-size houses,"" says Peter Seagger, International Sales Director. ""We are also seeing a trend, particularly in Europe, towards all new multiplex screens not only being equipped with Dolby Digital (which is now the norm), but also with Surround EX. We therefore expect this to become a standard format fairly quickly.""