Improper Playback Level !!

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The industry is not ignoring the standard 85db reference level - the directors are. Many films are mixed at very high levels because the director wants the film "loud", but nobody can do anything about this - what the director wants, he gets, unless the outcry is loud enough from the public. This is a very stupid practice because there is only 20db above the reference level until digital clipping sets in, so limiters have to be used to compress the high end of the dynamic range.

Every mixing engineer I've met heavily dislikes this practice, and most wear earplugs when mixing such movies.

The "target" SPL for dialogue is 85db, and a "normal" film mix tries to go for this.

If you do not like films this loud, you can always contact the offending studio and complain. I would not buy or see a movie in a theater that assulted my hearing in this way. The few times I have been in a theater when I encountered a film like this, I got my money back and left, and made sure the manager knew the reason why. If enough people do this, the studios will get the message - after all, they depend on the public for their $$$.

Is there anything in a movie that can be used as a reference for the "reference level" such as the DD, DTS or THX intro?

I think the THX certified discs may have some sort of tone, but the only thing that actually exists in a movie is the fact that in a "normal" movie, the dialogue target SPL is 85db. If you are getting dialogue that is 85 db SPL during normal speech, the level should be about what it was mixed at - very generally of course.

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The film companies are more paranoid about public acceptance than you might think. They despirately do not want to drive people away. I would write the offending company a well thought out letter. If enough people feel as you do, they will listen. They may make crappy movies, but they are not stupid where it can hurt them - in the wallet.

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