When you hear the name Dolby Atmos, the immersive 360-degree virtual surround sound technology, you may think of big-budget blockbusters with explosive explosions, roundabout shots, and dazzling orchestral scores.
But Dolby Atmos isn't just about making as much noise as possible. In fact, technology can be used in a much more subtle and nuanced way to enhance shows and movies that you would never have previously associated with object-based surround sound.
Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year is one of those shows where a jury seeks to uncover the next UK rising star in the field of portrait painting. Candidates are challenged to make eye-catching portraits of famous celebrities. The winner receives a commission of € 10,000 (about € 12,000 / AU € 18,000) to paint a celebrity, earning them a coveted spot in a national gallery.
Filmed at London's Battersea Arts Center, the show takes place as part of a grand gallery, with brush-brushing on canvas and the murmur of guests echoing through the cavernous room.
It's a healthy, relaxing watch, and it's definitely not the kind of show you're hoping to get from the cinematic sound of Dolby Atmos. We visited Sky Studios in West London to see their new Dolby Atmos certified mixing studio and understand why this technology is perfect for Portrait Artist of the Year.
What is Dolby Atmos?
Dolby Atmos is an audio format, like stereo or surround sound, that involves recording the audio from a soundtrack to a movie, sporting event, or video game, and treating it in a more immersive way.
However, unlike stereo or surround sound, Dolby Atmos places audio in three-dimensional space, giving the impression that sound reaches it from all angles. For example, the sound of a helicopter sounds like a hiss.
This process takes place in sound studios where sound designers and copy mixers take this audio and move it digitally into this virtual 3D space. When you watch the movie using Dolby Atmos-compatible audio devices, you'll hear the sound effects move around you, exactly as the sound engineers intended.
Many cinemas are now equipped with Dolby Atmos equipment, which use strategically placed tweeters and speakers to immerse viewers in a bubble of sound. It is not only relegated to theaters; A growing number of home audio devices, including sound bars, wireless speakers, and hi-fi systems, incorporate Atmos technology to achieve a similar effect in your living room.
Viewers have this kind of kit that Sky is targeting with its growing list of Atmos-compatible shows.
(Image credit: Dolby)
Build the study
Built last year, Sky's new Dolby Atmos mixing studio is a favorite piece for the station's head of audio team, John Cochran, who told us it had "gone on the air." opportunity "to create the new space.
However, Sky's association with Dolby began long before that, with Sky Sports releasing virtual surround sound technology in 2019 for its Premier League soccer cover. Since then, the Sky Dolby Atmos production has evolved into rugby, boxing on demand, as well as original drama.
Atmos makes sense in the world of live sports, where it can get you into the game, with the cheers of the crowd coming to you from every angle. But how can technology bring a comforting paint program to life?
Portrait Artist of the Year Welcomes Joan Bakewall and Stephen Mangan with Jazz Star Courtney Pine
(Image credit: Sky Arts)
The art of subtlety.
For Rob France, head of home content engineering at Dolby, it's about conveying the beauty of space, what the Battersea Arts Center has to offer.
"We have so many beautiful spaces that they sound good when we're in it, and 5.1 and 5.1 stereo systems don't deliver that naturally beautiful sound," he explains.
"What we want is to create the feeling of being present. The particular interest of the portrait painter of the year is that it is essentially a visual spectacle; it is about painting portraits."
This may not be the kind of show you hope to get from Dolby Atmos, but as France says, having a cutting edge sound experience "really helps to put the viewer in that space and to give an idea of what the candidates are listening to. her around, "and this gives viewers at home a glimpse of the pressures they face performing in this pressurized environment.
Jodie Kidd sits down for a portrait from season 5 of portrait painter of the year
(Image credit: Sky Arts)
Sound designer Finn Curry explains that the use of multi-directional dialogue combined with the resonant nature of the Arts Center gives the audio a "sense of richness" by "enhancing what already exists," rather than adding effects. Fantastic that damages the show itself.
He says, "the show has a slight impression of time, people talk about how they paint," and it's up to him to show these muted bits of dialogue and bring out the sound of reverberating, instructional hosts. to the candidates
As guests get in the way, their voices naturally echo off the walls of the Arts Center, lost in traditional stereo sound.
With Dolby Atmos, his voices have a sense of tone, which resonates in the studio as well as the space itself, providing a real sense of immersion for the viewer, making you feel like you are in the room with him.
It also makes it easier to understand what candidates may feel; By the time the judges tell them they can start painting, their voices find their way through the quiet gossip and subtle background music, and the artists' nervous anticipation is felt as they pick up their brushes.
It is not enough to add drama; Using Dolby Atmos means that you can hear sounds that are normally not that clear. the sound of brushes on the canvas, pencil scratches on paper and mixing paints on a palette.
The difference is subtle but noticeable, and these seemingly minor sound details add up to create an immersive viewing experience. you could easily get lost in the sweet atmosphere of the show.
More and more soundbars benefit from Dolby Atmos support, like the Samsung HW-Q90R (shown).
(Image credit: Samsung)
Looking Ahead
Portrait Artist of the Year may look stunning in a Dolby Atmos certified studio, but what about viewers at home? Doesn't Sky spend a lot of time attracting a handful of viewers with access to Atmos-compatible gear?
According to Cochrane, it doesn't matter if there are only a few people with Dolby Atmos speakers and speakers; For him, it really pays for Sky to "do everything possible to do my best."
After all, the more shows, movies, and video games that Dolby Atmos supports, the more likely consumers are to start investing in such gear, and for Cochrane, no genre could attract the Audio Tech Feast. .
"I think Dolby Atmos has a wide variety of applications, be it television, theater or exhibitions."
With Sky, as well as streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube, increasing their Dolby Atmos output, it is now up to viewers to choose between standard sound and impressive immersion.