5.1 Dolby surround mixing for cinema and streaming

In the cinema, sound comes from every direction. From the front, from the sides and from behind. That makes the cinema one of the best places to let people hear sound, but it also calls for a very different mix than for TV or online.

I mix cinema commercials and films in 5.1 surround. I mixed the Efteling cinema commercial for Danse Macabre, for example, and the films Moerasdraak and Marion.

And a 5.1 mix isn’t just for the cinema. Streaming services play films and series in 5.1 too, for everyone with a surround set or a soundbar at home.

A cinema sounds different

A cinema is large and calibrated to a fixed, fairly loud level. What sounds just right on a laptop is often too loud or too harsh in the theatre. That’s why I mix in a room with a 5.1 setup and listen at cinema level. That way I hear exactly what the audience will hear.

Cinema commercials also have loudness rules, just like radio and TV. A commercial may stand out, but the audience shouldn’t be blown out of their seats.

Delivery

After the mix I deliver everything the way the cinema, distributor or streaming service wants it. A 5.1 mix for the DCP, the digital film package the cinema plays, or for streaming, and usually a stereo version for online and TV as well. On request I also deliver separate stems for dialogue, music and effects. Handy if the film is later dubbed or subtitled.

Below you’ll find some productions I’ve mixed in 5.1.