Isolation and Diffusion Add Sound Vibrancy to Animation Suites
ATLANTA, GA - Academy Award-winning Blue Sky Studios, a feature film animation company known for its work on Robots and all three Ice Age movies, recently turned to Auralex Acoustics , the industry leader in innovative sound control solutions, to alleviate acoustic problems in its facility.
With four large 5.1 surround-sound and seven 2.1 Avid edit suites, the main acoustical concern was to isolate the sound between the rooms of the facility. The physical shape and dimensions of the suites created a challenge as many of the rooms are perfect rectangles and squares, which is not an acoustically ideal environment as sound will bounce and echo throughout the room, particularly at low frequencies.
By incorporating Auralex’s SheetBlok Sound Isolation Barriers, StopGap Acoustical Sealant, SonoSuede ProPanels and CornerTraps, Blue Sky Studios was able to decrease the sound transmission between each of the studio’s suites.
The black vinyl Auralex SheetBlok Sound Isolation Barrier acts as a thin, dense sound barrier and decoupler in ceilings, walls and floors. The Auralex SonoSuede ProPanels system is ideal for any professional studio because of its unique mounting capability, which spaces the panels away from the walls, improving low-frequency absorption. Auralex’s StopGap Acoustical Sealant is used for reducing sound transmission at the perimeter of walls and doors as well as around electrical box cutouts. The highly elastic, water-based sealant is paintable, non-staining and flame retardant.
“We were trying to improve the sound quality of each of the rooms,” says Gerard Sam-Zee-Moi, video systems engineer at Blue Sky Studios. “There was no sound treatment in any of the rooms and we were looking for a solution that would not only prevent the sound from bouncing all over, but also be visually appealing. Auralex’s SonoSuede panels were the perfect fit. They helped make the rooms not only sound great, but look good as well.”
Wholly owned by Fox Filmed Entertainment, Blue Sky Studios created Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, the third installment of the Ice Age movies. Its next feature film, Rio, is set to be released in April 2011. In addition to its recent projects, the studio also produced the feature film Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who! and worked on an animated sequence in the feature Fight Club. Blue Sky Studios also created animated alien creatures in Star Trek: Insurrection, monsters for Alien Resurrection, animated the final ‘Genesis’ sequence in Titan A.E. and created several dancing, singing cockroaches for the MTV show Joe’s Apartment. Blue Sky Studios also made the 1998 Oscar-winning Best Animated Short Film, Bunny, which set new cinematic storytelling standards for the computer animation industry by being the first to use advanced ambient lighting.
About Auralex Acoustics Inc.
Located in Indianapolis, Auralex Acoustics was founded in 1977 with a mission to provide top-performing acoustical treatment products at the best value. Since then, thousands of satisfied Auralex customers have experienced improved acoustics, expert advice and exceptional customer service. Auralex products enjoy widespread use among prominent artists, producers, engineers, corporations, celebrities and government agencies.
Auralex Acoustics has become the industry leader in innovative sound control solutions and continues to enjoy rapid growth through an international network of authorized dealers. Visit the Auralex Web site at www.auralex.com. Auralex can be reached via email at auralexinfo@auralex.com or by calling 1.800.959.3343.
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