Barco, Guinness World Record holder for the brightest digital cinema projector, announced today that industry icon Lucasfilm Ltd. has embraced the Auro-3D® 11.1 audio format for the commercial release of Lucasfilm's latest movie 'Red Tails', slated for release on 20 January, 2012. Auro-3D® allows the creative forces behind today's most successful films to envelop the audience in rich realistic sound for a more compelling motion picture experience.
Auro-3D®, powered by Barco and Auro Technologies, is a revolutionary sound system designed along three spatial axes (width, depth and height) rather than the two axes as found in traditional surround sound. The full Auro-3D® speaker layout is defined for up to 13.1 channels, with 11.1 being the current ideal solution for environments such as commercial movie theaters. As Auro-3D® technology is compatible with existing formats, standards and distribution mechanisms, only a minimal hardware and installation investment is required to upgrade from traditional 5.1 to the Auro-3D® 11.1 audio format.
“When we first heard demonstrations of what the Auro-3D® 11.1 audio format is capable of, it gave us great ideas for new possibilities in story telling,” states Rick McCallum, Producer for 'Red Tails'. “'Red Tails' is about combat pilots, and sound from all around will surely boost the overall movie experience – so it's an ideal film to be mixed in 11.1 with the most realistic effects ever heard in commercial cinema.”
“We were incredibly excited to have the opportunity and privilege to work with Lucasfilm Ltd. and Skywalker Sound on the release of 'Red Tails' in the Auro-3D® 11.1 audio format,” remarks Brian Claypool, Senior Director Strategic Business Development at Barco. “In addition, having Skywalker Sound install Auro-3D® in the world's most utilized mixing facility to support our Auro-3D® 11.1 audio format was indeed a great honor and we look forward to engaging more visionary talent in the creation of 11.1 soundtracks at Skywalker Sound.”
'Red Tails' - produced by Rick McCallum, directed by Anthony Hemingway and executively produced by George Lucas - is an action-drama film based on the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American combat pilots during World War II.
About Skywalker Sound
Skywalker Sound is one of the largest, most versatile full-service audio post-production companies in the industry. Feature production credits include sound design and audio post-production for a varied slate of films from all corners of the film industry. In addition to feature film post-production and sound design, the Skywalker Sound scoring stage has recorded a wide variety of artists and projects – from rock bands and symphonies to commercials, theme park rides, film scores and video games.
About Auro Technologies
Auro Technologies (www.auro-3d.com; www.auro-technologies.com) is a spin-off of the Galaxy Studios Group and owner of the Auro-3D® Technology Suite. The Auro-3D® system is designed by Wilfried Van Baelen, founder of Galaxy Studios. Galaxy Studios is worldwide renowned for its state-of-the-art leadership in audio innovation for music and film sound. The Auro-3D® suite offers ground-breaking, easy-to-use and unprecedented levels of sound reproduction capabilities to the professional, automotive, broadcast and consumer electronics (such as gaming, smartphones, multimedia PC, notebooks, tablets, audio players, digital TV, media libraries and packaged media) markets.
