The Beijing-based China Film Group is a state-run company involved in most aspects of the countrys’ entertainment including film and TV production. Recently, its Sound and Picture Production Center installed 147 Genelec monitors across 28 recording studios, editing rooms and production studios.
China Film attributes the upgrade to the increased importance that being placed on audio by consumers. ‘In film and television, sound is greater than visuals, where “greater” refers to the spatial extension,’ says China Film Sound Director, Wang Danrong. ‘Sound fills the entire space, while visuals are confined to the screen.’
This shift has placed different demands on the monitoring environment, with engineers placing more emphasis on precision and uniformity. ‘When evaluating a piece of equipment, we usually consider its technology and parameters,’ Wang Danrong continues. ‘Personally, I believe it’s essential to look at the brand’s history and its pursuit of sound. I find Genelec’s pursuit of “real” sound quite reliable.’
Supporting China Film through the process, Digital Media Technology Co (DMT) took on responsibility for the design and integration of the monitoring system. ‘Genelec’s outstanding product quality and stable performance have always been our guarantee of confidence in system design,’ says DMT Technical Director Wang Yufei, who served as the project’s overall supervisor. ‘When you recommend a professional product to a client, you don’t want it to have any issues. Nowadays, the production cycle for filmmaking is tight, and the importance of delivering projects on time is comparable to live television broadcasts. Any flaws in sound could potentially delay the film’s release, so the entire range of Genelec solutions can be said to help films meet their scheduled release dates.’
The breadth of the project has seen China Film equip four 7.1.4 immersive rooms, 20 rooms with either 5.0 or 5.1 surround systems, and a further four stereo rooms entirely with Genelec Smart Active Monitoring. Rooms 212, 311 and 312 all serve as 7.1.4 immersive pre-mix stages, while Room 412 is a dedicated Atmos mixing stage largely powered by 8361 three-way coaxial monitors from The Ones series – complemented by 8350 two-way models overhead, with a 7380 subwoofer handling LFE.
System calibration of all of the studios in the complex have used Genelec’s GLM software. ‘Using GLM, there’s almost no need for extensive manual operations,’ notes Wang Guanghou, Mixing Engineer at China Film. ‘Just running GLM once covers most aspects. The consistency of the LCR channels after GLM calibration is better. Moreover, GLM allows for precise adjustment of the subwoofer’s phase. In the past, adjusting 90° and then listening, adjusting 180° and listening again. Doing this for every angle consumed a lot of time but with GLM it’s quite user-friendly now, and the calibration methods are indeed more numerous and effective than before.’
With the rooms equipped and calibrated, one of the major advantages has been the consistency of sound throughout its Sound and Picture Production Center. ‘Although the models in each room may differ, there is a basic consistency in all Genelec monitors,’ Wang Danrong explains.
‘The mixes I do on Genelecs translate well to other places,’ adds Zhu Yanfeng, a mixing engineer at China Film. ‘There won’t be a situation where the performance of the monitors is too exaggerated, leading to the discovery of missing elements when changing the listening environment. I think Genelec’s response curve is relatively smooth and flat. The sound coming out of Genelec monitors, I feel, is relatively guaranteed.’
The result of this is the ability to hear more details earlier in the process, creating a speedier transition to the final mix, and a more efficient workflow. Wang Guanghou has his own metaphor for the sound characteristics of the new monitoring environment. ‘Genelec’s sound is like lightly roasted coffee, preserving its original and authentic aroma without any additives or miscellaneous flavours.’
