The way we consume content has changed and, as a result, content creation spaces are in massive demand. In this article, Guy Singleton takes a quick look at the dynamic shift that has driven this phenomenon. And he explains why we can help to provide you with an amazing home studio!
Guy Singleton MIET LCGI MInstLM (our principal engineer) is a fully qualified and registered electrical and electronics engineer. He teaches and lectures internationally and is a subject matter expert for CEDIA’s education council, specialising in lighting, HVAC, home theatre design, fundamental electrical theories, electrical maths and control systems and programming. Guy has been at the helm of Imagine This for over 20 years.
The release of content used to be an ‘event’.
Take, for instance, the Star Wars film. It first hit theatres in May of 1977. The first VHS of Star Wars was released in May 1982 and it found itself on terrestrial some years later, for a New Year’s Day bonanza.
Today we find ourselves consuming content in an entirely different way. There is a certain generation of youngsters that will consume a box-set of an entire series from a broadcaster like Netflix in just one sitting. That’s over 10 hours of content in potentially one sitting. That is an appetite never before seen in this industry!
So, as you can see, content release and consumption is no longer an ‘event’. We consume content at such a rate and in different environments. When you hear the phrase “as the director intended’, this refers to the movie theatre, because that’s what the director used to intend as the place of consumption. Nowadays that’s changed. Families more often watch movies in the lounge or the media room. That’s been proven with some of the latest blockbusters going straight to streaming services like Disney+, HBO, Netflix and Apple.
So, what does that mean for the production of that content and home studios?
Will the 2.35:1 aspect ratio for movies remain the norm, as the theatre screen was the original means of delivery? Or will those ratios change to our domestic display aspect ratios? Will 1.78:1 / 16:9 take over as the preferred director’s ratio choice? It seems likely that this will be the case.
Don’t get me wrong, there is still a place for the ‘big screen’ experience. But times are changing and there is a definite shift into local content consumption.
Will Dolby Atmos capable soundbars feature in the post-production plan when those film studios start putting together the soundtrack?
Content doesn’t just mean movies…
The newest generation will enjoy UHD / HDR / HFR gaming, Dolby Atmos lossless music, movies direct to streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube and physical media such as 4k HDR Blu-rays (yes, they still exist). We consume far more than those studios can supply. Demand far outstrips supply and that means that the content creation spaces are the next big venture.
For many years we’ve settled for at least a stereo setup and some of the more advanced home systems may have included 5.1 or 7.1 codec capable environments. Almost all of the newest shows that are available to stream have full Dolby Atmos capable soundtracks. Very often they are Dolby Vision capable or at the very least HDR10+. So even the quality of our home displays has seen a giant leap forward.
I have two Dolby Atmos / Dolby Vision rooms at home and this has elevated my enjoyment to new levels. Both are subtle 5.1(3).4 rooms with excellent processing and amplification, as well as the newest LG OLEDs to handle the image. I have to say that I consume my content in a totally new way. Streamed movies and series boxsets in Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. We play the latest games in UHD with HFR in the most immersive audio formats and we still have the option, with Apple Music, to listen to our favourite music tracks but in the latest audio formats.
So if Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” in Dolby Atmos seems appealing, or if calling in a napalm strike in the latest Call of Duty, in full Dolby Atmos will have your mouth watering, then this new era of audiovisual advances will have you enjoying those ‘events’ more and more. They will also come round in less time than one every six years, they will be there every day.
Our Home Studio Solution
We are renowned for creating the finest home cinemas and larger luxury screening rooms. For 25 years, our skills and experience have allowed us to create the spaces that allow the delivery of media content. But of course, our deep understanding of audio, video and acoustics naturally also makes us perfectly placed to build the content creation spaces of the future.
We provide solutions for industry professionals who want to develop the very best content creation spaces. From gaming to music, from movies to short personal expressions of creativity; we design and build a home studio space that’s right for you.
For many years we as an industry have been hooked up on the consumption of content. In 2022, the creation and production of the very same content at the highest possible level is key. Check out our latest PMC Demo Room case study as an example of this.
If you’re interested in knowing more about our home studio solutions, please drop us a line.
We can because we are Imagine This……
In Conclusion
For a quarter of a decade, we have been installing the very finest home cinemas. Our skills in audio, video and room acoustics have been honed over the years and we are recognised as leaders in our industry. With the modern and insatiable need for content, it is inevitable that content creation spaces and home studios are equally in huge demand. If you are looking for your own content creation space, we have the technical skills and experience to deliver an amazing home studio space for you.
Further Reading
For further reading, please see Guy’s article about Spatial Audio, or perhaps a technical article on dynamic range and noise floor? Here’s our Luxury Screening Room project and here is a Basement Cinema.
(Additionally, if there is a topic you would like us to address in our news articles, please let us know using the contact form below.)