AES Technical Committee

Audio for Cinema

Chair:    Julian Pinn      Send Email
Forum:    Committee Discussion Forum

“The truth is, for me, it’s obvious that 70/80 % of a movie is sound. You don’t realise it because you can’t see it.”

Danny Boyle


Areas of Concentration

AES TC-AC is the Audio Engineering Society's Technical Committee on Audio for Cinema.

Reporting to the AES Technical Council (TCL), the primary focus of TC-AC is on developing technical publications, paper sessions, tutorials, workshops and conferences in areas across the complete motion-picture audio supply chain from production through to cinematic exhibition.

TC-AC's membership is drawn from a wide set of disciplines representing many key stakeholders of the motion-picture industry and is well placed to act as a hub for liaison, discussion, education, and coordination where necessary on topics and issues that impact the global industry as a whole.

New members are always welcome.

Current Areas Of Work

  • Cinema Loudness:
    Following the initial conclusions of much expert debate and the results of a number of surveys, AES TC-AC is currently bringing together work-in-progress straw-man presentation document that aims to define the problem of inappropriate loudness in cinema with the view to canvas input from key stakeholders and obtain buy-in on what the most effective step-by-step remedies might be in.

Meeting Schedule

  • Quarterly Plenary Meetings:
    We meet for 90 minutes on the 2nd Thursday of the first month of each quarter (January, April, July, and October) typically using Zoom.
  • Ad-Hoc Meetings:
    Additional meetings between quarterly meetings as necessary either as the plenary TC or as ad-hoc task groups.
  • In-Person Conference Meetings:
    In-Person Conference Meetings may occur in addition to or instead of a quarterly depending upon timing.

Mission Statement

  • Coordinate the development of technical parameters of sound for the cinematic experience, including loudspeaker performance, components for multichannel sound systems, loudness and sub bass loudness-measurement techniques.
  • Coordinate workshops, tutorials, master classes and poster sessions in the field of audio for cinema at AES conventions, conferences and related events. Propose subject matter for technical papers and encourage their creation and dissemination at these events and for the AES Journal.
  • Promote awareness of new creative trends and technical developments that may impact and all aspect of audio for cinema, including direct interface with owners and operators of professional-grade re-recording stages that create theatrical-release soundtracks.
  • Encourage technical communications and education within the myriad of groups in the audio for cinema community.
  • Create enhanced awareness within the larger pro-audio community of the technical and creative challenges faced by the audio for cinema industry.
  • Work closely with SMPTE and other industry groups that are in the audio for cinema arena to coordinate efforts toward common goals, including proposing standards work and facilitating research.


Meeting Report:

These documents do not necessarily express the official position of the AES on the issues discussed at these meetings, and only represent the views of committee members participating in the discussion. Any unauthorized use of these publications is prohibited. Authorization must be obtained from the Executive Director of the AES: Email, Tel: +1 212 661 8528, Address: 551 Fifth Ave., Suite 1225, New York, New York 10176, USA.

2022-7-27     TC-AC Meeting Minutes 2022-07-14
Description: Meeting held on July 14, 2022

2022-6-7     TC-AC Meeting Minutes 2022-06-02 Rev. 3
Description: Meeting held on June 02, 2022

2022-6-3     TC-AC Meeting Minutes 2021-11-10
Description: Meeting held on November 10, 2021

2022-6-3     TC-AC Meeting Minutes 2021-07-28
Description: Meeting held on July 28, 2021

2020-7-1     TC-AC Meeting Minutes 06-08-20
Description: Minutes of TC-AC Committee Meeting at 148th Convention, Vienna | June 08, 2020

2020-7-1     TC-AC Meeting Minutes 01-06-20
Description: Minutes of TC-AC Committee Meeting | January 16, 2020

2020-7-1     TC-AC Meeting Minutes 10-17-19
Description: Minutes of TC-AC Committee Meeting at 147th Convention, New York | October 17, 2019

2020-7-1     TC-AC Meeting Minutes 05-23-19
Description: Minutes of TC-AC Committee Meeting held on May 23, 2019

2020-7-1     TC-AC Meeting Minutes 03-22-19
Description: Minutes of TC-AC Committee Meeting at 146th Convention, Dublin | March 22, 2019

2018-11-30     Meeting minutes
Description: 19 October 2018 - AES NY

2017-10-18     TC-AC meeting minutes 5_July_2017
Description: TC-AC meeting 5th July2017

2017-3-22     Meeting Minutes AES 141-LA September 2016
Description: Minutes of TC-AC meeting at 141st Convention

2013-7-11     Loudness Metering
Description: Engineering Brief presented at Rome 134 by Alessandro Travaglini


Technical Report:

2013-7-11     HELM: High Efficiency Loudness Model for Broadcast Content
Description: Paper from Budapest 132 on HELM: High Efficiency Loudness Model for Broadcast Content, submitted by Alessandro Travaglini, et. al.

2013-7-11     Defining the Listening Comfort Zone in Broadcasting through the analysis of the Maximum Loudness Levels
Description: Paper presented at Budapest 132 by Alessandro Travaglini, et. al. on loudness broadcast issues

2012-4-27     Cinema & Home Theater Audio Compatibility
Description: "Implications of Standards Changes in Cinema Sound on DVD and Home Theater" Wilfried Van Baelen

2012-4-21     A New Draught Proposal for the Calibration of Sound in Cinema Rooms
Description: A New Draft Proposal for the Calibration of Sound in Cinema Rooms from Philip Newell

2012-4-15     Is the X Curve Damaging Our Enjoyment of Cinema?
Description: A technical examination of the theory behind the X-curve. Paper originally given to SMPTE 2011 Sydney Conference by Glenn Leembruggen

2012-4-11     Dr. Toole Presentation on Cinema Audio
Description: A PowerPoint presentation prepared by Dr. Floyd Toole concerning issues of audio reproduction and the current standards

2012-4-11     Newell et. al. Cinema Standardization V.2
Description: Reference documents from Philip Newell et. al. on Cinema Standardization


Other:

2020-7-1     Request For Proposal
Description: TC-AC Cinema Loudness – Control and Conformance Request For Proposal | September 2019

2020-7-1     TC-AC Mission Statement
Description: Overview of functions to be undertaken by the Audio for Cinema Committee

2015-4-21     TC SDCTV Agenda Warsaw
Description: Agenda for TC Meeting in Warsaw, Poland

2015-4-21     138th/TC-SDCTV Agenda
Description: Agenda for the SDCTV Committee meeting at the 138th Convention

2014-7-10     Nordtest Room Calibration Method
Description: This documents the Nordtest method of in-situ measurements of permanently installed public address systems, submitted to SC-04-08 by Mr. Brixen. This document was suggested by chair Ben Kok as a good starting point for comment and revision as the Standards group works towards a cinema sound calibration Standard.

2013-10-11     TC-SDCTV 135 Agenda (v2.0)
Description: Second draft version of TC Agenda for New York 135th Convention

2013-9-10     AES 135 TC AGENDA (V1.0)
Description: Agenda for TC meeting in New York

2013-7-11     High Efficiency Loudness Model
Description: Powerpoint from Alessandro Travaglini, et. al. for reference in Cinema Loudness Group

2013-4-22     ROME TC MEETING AGENDA - v4
Description: One additional discussion item added under "Immersive Audio"

2013-4-20     ROME AGENDA - TC-SDCTV v3
Description: Updated version 3 of agenda for TC meeting in Rome, Italy

2013-4-17     ROME AGENDA - TC-SDCTV
Description: Draft agenda for our TC meeting in Rome, Italy during the 134th Convention.

2012-10-13     SFO TC SDCTV MEETING AGENDA v2.0
Description: Revised meeting agenda for TC meeting at San Francisco convention. Meeting time scheduled for Sunday, Oct 28, at 9AM.

2012-10-1     TC SDCTV Meeting Agenda (v1.0)
Description: Proposed agenda for the TC Sound for Digital Cinema and Television. Note a discussion on room measurement techniques and sound system performance may be proposed to become standards work

2012-4-11     Budapest April 28 Agenda
Description: Agenda for Budapest TC Meeting of this Group


Committee Members

 Floyd Toole  Kurt M. Graffy  Neil A. Shaw 
 Peter Mapp  Robert Ellis-Geiger  Robert Schulein 
 Garry Margolis  Glenn A. Leembruggen  David Weinberg 
 David Murphy  Kevin Gross  Scott Norcross 
 Andreas Floros  Esben Skovenborg  Nuno Fonseca 
 Charles van Winkle  Jeff Levison  Vene Garcia 
 Steve Martz  Phil Manchester  Linda Gedemer 
 Paul Keller  Carlos Ronconi  Eelco Grimm 
 Curt Hoyt  Philip Newell  Gunter Oehme 
 David Revel  Brian Vessa  Alessandro Travaglini 
 Kent Siew  Sean Richardson  Wilfried Van Baelen 
 Shusen WANG  Miles Rogers  Mark Genfan 
 Ron Lagerlof  Jennifer Rarick  Dmitri Chernov 
 M.K. Ramkrishnan  Peter Soper  Darren Ma 
 Rod Elliott  Bob Claeys  Chuck Mulhearn 
 John Burnett  Nicolas Hamon  Steve Haas 
 Brian Claypool  Ioan Allen  Lon Neumann 
 Michael Karagosian  Douglas Greenfield  John Murray 
 Robert Lee  Bruce Black  Charles Robinson 
 Julian Pinn  Alan Haigh  Florian Camerer 
 Phillip Williams  Kazuho Ono  Sunil G. Bharitkar 
 Andrew Poulain  Richard Van Everdingen  Bert Van Daele 
 Kate Tary  Tamas Szekely  Roger Dressler 
 Steve Strassberg  Dr. Gerhard Bauer  Fei Yu 
 Mark Mayfield  Michael Kratschmer  Paul Tapper 
 Steven Ghouti  Frédéric Sauvé  Shawn Nageli 
 Stephanie Willis  Reginald Walsan  Samuel Nucach 
 Arjun Demeyere 

To request membership in this Technical Committee please email the Chair by using the link above.

AES - Audio Engineering Society