Immersive Audio: Futureproof Workflows for the Real World

Metadata

Publisher: SMPTE — White Plains, NY, USA
Doc Type: Journal Article
Content Type: Original Research
Abbreviated Title: SMPTE Mot. Imag. J
Volume: 131, No. 1, pp. 12–22
Abstract: Mastering and distributing immersive audio is currently done using proprietary workflows, limiting its interoperability and ultimate acceptance. To move forward with the SMPTE ST 2098-2 Immersive Audio Bitstream (IAB) in an eloquent manner, it is important that the workflows be as efficient and interoperable as possible while creating futureproofed content. It is also critical that the equipment we expect to process and play IAB is interoperable. We are at the crucial beginning stage in the rollout of IAB, and the workflows that are adopted now will shape how the industry moves forward. The key is to plan, budget, and create for the big picture: long-term delivery of both feature and television content to multiple distribution channels rather than the immediate, short-term window. Designing and mixing immersive audio at the beginning rather than adding it later makes the product better and is more efficient. This allows the content to be delivered to any market and saves money in the long run. Futureproofing is the key to building a valuable and versatile library. Shooting and finishing in 4K/HDR, designing and mixing in immersive audio, and authoring these into Interoperable Master Format (IMF) are key to the longevity and salability of the library. Interoperability is the key to efficient distribution, and it must be nurtured and finessed to realize its full potential. To achieve full interoperability, content creators and distributors need to make their business case and push manufacturers for the adoption and full implementation of standards.
Publication Date: 2022-01-01
DOI: 10.5594/JMI.2021.3134756
ISSN: Print: 1545-0279 | Electronic: 2160-2492
Link: https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2021.3134756
Author(s): Brian A. Vessa
bio
Brian A. Vessa is a dedicated audio professional with over 35 years of experience in the industry. After attending the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Engineering School, Los Angeles, CA, USA, he became a recording engineer, producing albums and recording orchestras. He transitioned into film as a music editor and sound editor, became a rerecording mixer at Cannon Films, Los Angeles, CA, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Los Angeles, CA, and then handled audio restoration at NT Audio, Santa Monica, CA, USA. He was hired by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Culver City, CA, USA, in 1998, and today is their executive director of digital audio mastering and representative to Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI). He is a member of the Academy Sound Branch, SMPTE, and the Audio Engineering Society (AES). He is the founding chair of the SMPTE TC-25CSS Technology Committee on Cinema Sound Systems and serves on many SMPTE and AES committees. He was a member of the original committee that conceived and created the Interoperable Mastering Format (IMF), helping write a fully detailed standard for IMF prior to it being brought to SMPTE. He has been instrumental in standardizing the Immersive Audio Distribution Bitstream (IAB) for Cinema and IMF as well as a host of related standards. He is a past chair of the DCI Technical Committee and has written many audio specifications, including a white paper on near-field mixing for home theater that has been widely adopted.
Keyword(s): Audio, Automation, DCP, Immersive Audio, Immersive Audio Bitstream (IAB), IMF, Audio Mixing, Workflow
Copyright: © 2022 SMPTE

Bibliographic Reference(s)

Plan, budget, and create for the big picture. ■ Create for the long-term delivery of both feature and television content to multiple distribution channels rather than the immediate, short-term window. EXTERNAL
Interoperability is the key to efficient distribution and a reliable consumer experience. ■ Must be nurtured and finessed to realize its full potential. ■ Content creators and distributors must make the business case for it. ■ Manufacturers must be encouraged to adopt and implement standards to achieve full interoperability. EXTERNAL
Designing and mixing for immersive audio from the beginning rather than adding it later…. ■ Makes for a higher quality product. ■ Is more time-efficient. ■ Is more cost-efficient. ■ Allows immersive content to be delivered to any market at a moment’s notice. EXTERNAL
While it may appear to be more expensive to futureproof up front, it is actually far cheaper in the long run. EXTERNAL
Futureproofing is the key to building a valuable, versatile, and salable library. ■ Shooting and finishing in 4K/HDR. ■ Designing and mixing in immersive audio. ■ Authoring all into IMF to create a single mezzanine master. EXTERNAL
Automation is the key to efficient distribution; interoperability is the key to automation. EXTERNAL
R-REC-BS.2159-8 — International Telecommunication Union-Radiocommunication (ITU-R), BS 2159-8 (2019), “Multichannel sound technology in home and broadcasting applications.” EXTERNAL
SMPTE RDD 52:2020 [Active]
SMPTE RDD 57:2021 [Active]
SMPTE ST 377-42:2021 [Active]

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Brian A. Vessa; Immersive Audio: Futureproof Workflows for the Real World, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 131, Issue: 1, 2022); SMPTE, 2022. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2021.3134756

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Brian A. Vessa; Immersive Audio: Futureproof Workflows for the Real World, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 131, Issue: 1, 2022); SMPTE, 2022. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2021.3134756

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<span class="citation">Brian A. Vessa; <cite>Immersive Audio: Futureproof Workflows for the Real World</cite>, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 131, Issue: 1, 2022); SMPTE, 2022. Available at <a href="https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2021.3134756" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2021.3134756</a></span>

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Brian A. Vessa; Immersive Audio: Futureproof Workflows for the Real World, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 131, Issue: 1, 2022); SMPTE, 2022
doi: 10.5594/JMI.2021.3134756
url: https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2021.3134756

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Brian A. Vessa; <cite id="bib-10-5594-jmi-2021-3134756">Immersive Audio: Futureproof Workflows for the Real World</cite>, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 131, Issue: 1, 2022); SMPTE, 2022
<span class="doi">10.5594/JMI.2021.3134756</span>
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