#Action movie effects star wars full#

Film sound, especially dialogue, requires sharply focused and highly localized projection. In these versatile functions, THX must reconcile the contradictory requirements for film and music sound. A special subwoofer lends credibility to earthquakes, thunderstorms and other rumblings.Īs part of an integrated audio-video system, Home THX also reproduces music from such sources as CD's, cassettes and radio. Since these speakers have exactly the same timbral character as the three front speakers at the screen (left, center and right), the viewer experiences a seamless sonic environment and remains unaware of the separate sound sources. Holman), Home THX can suggest sound impinging on the viewer from all directions, even though only two small ambiance speakers are placed along the side walls of the room to the left and right of the viewer. But it goes beyond Dolby in several important aspects.īy means of a so-called decorrelation circuit (invented by Mr. Lucas's first feature, 'THX-1138' (1971) - is based on the Dolby Surround Sound principle, widely employed in movie houses and home theater installations. THX - supposedly an acronym for Tom Holman's Experiment but also part of the title of Mr. Naturally, this sense of sonic immersion is more readily evident in action drama than in quiet, conversational films. Viewers forget the smallness of the television screen compared to a theatrical screen. Through sound, an image on a flat screen becomes a three-dimensional experience. It could be argued that effective sound matters more for movies seen at home than in theaters, because multidirectional sound greatly increases the viewer's involvement in the action, giving the illusion of being situated within the scene. Holman, a professor of film sound at the University of Southern California and the technical director of Lucasfilm, 'We now have the capability of creating in the home a multidimensional sound field virtually identical to that in the mixing studio.' 'Home THX lets the viewer in his living room hear a modern multidirectional movie soundtrack exactly as the film's director intended it to be heard,' says Tomlinson Holman, who developed THX at Skywalker Ranch, Lucasfilm's secluded technical facility in the hills north of San Francisco. 'That's why I have been bothered by the poor sound reproduction in many theaters and most homes.'īecause the video image, even at its infrequent best, is inferior to film, Home THX does not concern itself with the picture. 'Sound is half the experience in seeing a film,' he says.

#Action movie effects star wars full#

Lucas considers sound as essential to full cinematic effect as image. So far, about 600 theaters throughout the world (including Loews Orpheum and Loews Village Theater VII in Manhattan) have been outfitted to meet the strict performance standards set for THX by Lucasfilm. Lucas's production company - created THX, a new approach to achieving the ultimate level of image projection and sound reproduction. To assure the proper presentation of his work, Lucasfilm - Mr. Not many theaters were equipped to show these technically demanding films to full advantage. Lucas created a genre whose allure depended largely on spectacular images and sound generated through special-effects technology. In the classic 'Star Wars' of 1977 and later films, Mr. Thalberg Memorial Award at the Oscar ceremonies in March, he was cited for pioneering work in film technology. When George Lucas was presented with the prestigious Irving G.