dolby labs = "sound mix" or "sound post-production"

[jackisdead]

Scanning through IMDB today, I came across something that made my eyebrow raise. Dolby labs credits themselves(at least on IMDB I haven't been able to confirm in an actual crawl) "Sound Post-Production" or "Sound Mix". Now I could be reaching or beeching a tad here but, do they do enough creatively with the sound mix to warrant a "sound mix" credit and or are they involved with enough of the sound post-production on film to deserve that one? Shouldn't be like "soundtrack encoding by" or something to that effect? Sorry if this has already been addressed here.

[JoeMilner]

I totally agree. It's ludicrous for them to attach themselves, credited like that, on HUNDREDS of films. And, many of their "credits" are for films that are a LONG ways from doing any post sound, many have yet to even start shooting.

As most everyone knows, one can be credited on the IMDB with one of the "stock" job titles, or you can devise your own. With that it mind, it baffles me that Dolby would credit themselves with "sound mix" or "sound post-production" as if they are a sound editorial house or mixing stage.

It just ain't cricket!

[danijel]

If you look at it in technical way (not labor), you could say 'Sound Mix' is Academy mono, DolbySR, Dolby Digital, DTS .... and that's usually what it states. I haven't seen a credit for 'Sound Mix' or 'Sound Post-Production' that states 'Dolby Labs' on the actual pages about the movies.... Can you point out an example?

[JoeMilner]

Sure. Actually, I can point out 996 of them. Dolby's credits are listed in the "Other Companies" section of the film's IMDB page. Scroll down to the bottom of almost any current film and you'll find it. This is where the Visual FX companies and such have their credits (as opposed to the actual VFX artists themselves). You'll often see companies like Skywalker, Todd AO, Soundelux, Danetracks, even Puget Sound has a couple

Type in "Dolby Labs" in the search box on the IMDB and you get the full list.

At the top of Dolby's list is the upcoming Harry Potter film, which won't be out until 2010. A total of 149 films are "in development", some only have a script or even less ("optioned property") at this point (this info is available on IMDB Pro). So basically, they're taking a credit on many films that don't even exist yet, and some that may never exist.

Or, for something that's actually out, try "Speed Racer", "Forbidden Kingdom", etc etc etc.

In addition, in the technical details section it almost ALWAYS says "Dolby" in the Sound Mix field.

I have a feeling it's someone a little over-zealous in the publicity department at Dolby that's responsible. Not that it REALLY makes any difference, but for people who DON'T know and are looking at those credits, it's a little misleading "Hey, we should go to Dolby Labs to get our sound post done, look how many films they have!". I mean, more people in the world know what Dolby Digital is than know what a sound editor does, so...do they really need MORE publicity?

Like I said, it's just not cricket to be credited like that. Might I suggest "Sound Printmaster", or jackisdead's suggestions?

best,

[jackisdead]

Thanks Joe. I guess thats all I was gripping about. It seems there is already enough hurdles in the way of sound getting more recognition for the impact it has on the filmmaking process. So, adding confusing and misleading credits(that arguably dolby is doing) makes it harder to distinguish who the hell did the sound on these films....?

[ggegan]

Credit inflation is an old tradition in Hollywood, most egregiously practiced by so-called "producers". It's hard for me to get too worked up over Dolby being a little grandiose in their credit.

If I counted all the films that I worked on over the years where I didn't even get a credit (not counting the ones that spelled my name wrong or had me attached to the wrong job) my resume would be three times as long as IMDB lists, but the fact is that after the first couple of dozen or so, it really doesn't matter much.

I've seen all sorts of credit lists from people that have them working on films in capacities that I know they didn't or that they didn't work on at all. I don't think anybody ever checks the credit roll at the end of the films to make sure the person's resume is honest. As a matter of fact, I don't even check the credits of the films I work on to make sure my credit is correct anymore.

Next time you go to a movie, stick around to the last credit and then count the number of people still in the theater. Management will probably have turned the lights on already so the cleaning crew can get started, so it should be easy to get an accurate count.

[JoeMilner]

Agreed, but you have to admit that crediting oneself for sound post-production on a film that at this point is only an "optioned property" is a little, ummm, goofy?
Nothing to lose sleep over, but dang!

best,

[JoeMilner]

And, how about the Dolby Digital trailer at the head of the film, and the logo on the poster, and and and???
Whew

OK, I'm done, back to work. I'll be sure to grill the Dolby engineer at my next printmaster.

Have a nice day everybody!

[ggegan]

Originally Posted by JoeMilner

Agreed, but you have to admit that crediting oneself for sound post-production on a film that at this point is only an "optioned property" is a little, ummm, goofy?
Nothing to lose sleep over, but dang!

best,

Especially considering that a couple of the Dolby engineers have a nasty habit of falling asleep in the middle of the print master so you have to wake them up to do the error check at the end of the reel.

[jackisdead]

I am not going to run out and protest down alameda street in burbank or anything. Its just, we get enough apathy from the public, hell our clients even. It seems to add insult to injury having the people who encode the prints with surround magic credit themselves with mixing the film or handling the sound in post-production. I am aware fighting for table scraps like I am attempting here isn't progress either. I guess my eyebrow rose and along with it a little frustration.

[JoeMilner]

Ha! I won't name any names, but that did happen on one printmaster. I'm like, "what's that rumbling noise in the right surround? Oh. Snoring".
Awesome.

[danijel]

Originally Posted by jackisdead

I am not going to run out and protest down alameda street in burbank or anything.

No, but next time they take such credit for your film, you should add yourself to the IMDB as 'Dolby Printmaster Tech'.
An eye for an eye!

[danijel]

Originally Posted by JoeMilner

Ha! I won't name any names, but that did happen on one printmaster. I'm like, "what's that rumbling noise in the right surround? Oh. Snoring".
Awesome.

Joe, I'm sure that was his way of expressing confidence in you

[JoeMilner]

Ha! Good one

At that point, I'm thinking "Hey! This is MY day to not pay attention! I've been watching this thing for the past 2 months. Stay awake, willya?"

Kidding, kidding. No doubt about it, the Dolby engineers are all top-shelf, and without Dolby technologies films would not sound the way they do; I just find the credit thing a little silly.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

[BVoss]

Maybe it's really dolby thinking ahead.

Maybe, just maybe, they're planning on opening stages of their own.

It's kind of like the gas prices. The news reports that they're going to go up, so people accept it when it happens.

Or, maybe it's just some overzealous individual in their publicity department.

I vote for the latter.

[BVoss]

Originally Posted by JoeMilner

Ha! I won't name any names, but that did happen on one printmaster. I'm like, "what's that rumbling noise in the right surround? Oh. Snoring".
Awesome.

HAHAHAHA

I was around for a similiar situation. And it was the soup.

[Henchman]

Do not under estimate the importance of gtting an unjust crediut retracted.
Especially on IMDB.
The way I look at it, is there will coem a day when you and the person who took an undeserved credit, could be going up fpr the same job. And if he's taken credit for your work, and get's the job, and you did nothing to get it corrected, you'll only have yourself to blame.