Press release from SAFC
Adelaide Studios has received Dolby Premier Accreditation, making it one of only two studios in Australia with this prestigious certification.
Dolby Premier Accreditation is the gold standard for studios and a measure of technical excellence at every level of the Studio’s operation. Room acoustics, monitoring standards, equipment selection, installation standards, synchronization accuracy, mixing competence and technical experience are all measured and evaluated by a Dolby expert as part of the certification process.
South Australian Film Corporation CEO, Richard Harris welcomed the news of the accreditation: "This places us amongst just two Dolby Premier Accredited Sound Mixing Studios in Australia. We aimed high and I am justifiably proud of this achievement and congratulate the whole team who worked so well together to ensure this key goal was reached."
Adelaide Studios was designed and built with Dolby Premier Accreditation in mind. Equipment specification was drawn up by current and former SAFC staff and freelance mixers, while Adelaide acoustician Dr Peter Swift of AECOM produced a theoretical design that computer analysis suggested would meet the Dolby requirements.
“Given the exacting acoustic requirements for Dolby Premier compliance and the knowledge that the physics of the acoustic field is more complex than the algorithms employed in even recent sophisticated computer modelling software, it is a credit to the design and construction teams and the rigorous testing procedures undertaken during and post construction, that such a positive outcome was achieved,”Dr Peter Swift said.
Mike Rowan and Adrian Medhurst were key members of the team, which was led by SAFC Studios Services Manager, Jo Mulcahy
"You know that feeling you get when you are certain you are involved in something that will be really, really special? I've had that feeling since the start of this project about five years ago, and the end result is full justification. I've been building mixing equipment and been involved with mixing theatres for about 38 years. Adelaide Studios Dolby Premier Studio, the work of many people, is the pinnacle of that career," said Mike Rowan.
James Seddon from Dolby spent a week testing the Adelaide Studios, and only very fine adjustments were necessary to achieve accreditation. This contrasts with several other studios world-wide where major re-working has been required to achieve the desired result.
Rolf de Heer, who was the first to make use of the sound mixing theatre for his latest feature The King is Dead! said of his recent experience just prior to the accreditation: "My favourite place in the universe used to be the mixing theatre at Hendon, but once I sat down in the chair in front of the new Adelaide Studios mixing desk, with that huge screen in front and that extraordinary sound coming out, then I knew that this is my favourite place in the universe."