Inter BEE Special Interview
Journalist Taro Kimura has a keen personal interest in all things related to “audio”, “video” and “communications” – above and beyond the professional interest he naturally has through his work. This year he has been invited to act as supervisor for the Inter BEE News Center. In connection with this he was asked to participate, both as a professional journalist and as a private broadcasting/video fan, in one-on-one interviews with other individuals closely connected to Inter BEE as a prelude to the event. It is hoped that these discussions will help paint a clearer picture of Inter BEE. His second guest is Masaki “Mick” Sawaguchi, currently an audio consultant at Pioneer’s R&D Center, who is quite literally a pioneer and motivator in the world of broadcast sound engineering.
2007.9.28
Inter BEE Special Interview
Audio Section
Taro Kimura & Mick Sawaguchi
Part 2
The production side is well prepared for the coming age of surround sound. For it to take off what we need is a change in attitudes among all concerned.
Profile: Taro Kimura | Mick Sawaguchi
- Kimura
- In the case of news reporting, how should we go about using 5.1?
- Sawaguchi
- I think you can certainly use it for news coverage, but in this field the problem is with immediacy and the quality of the lines. In other words, we face problems with how to transmit the material from location to studio. Once the hardware constraints are lifted, we are on the path to more realistic reporting, I think.
- Kimura
- Local reports on approaching typhoons would be amazing – more so than a movie perhaps. Well, I suppose there is a lot of research and development that still needs doing, but do you think there will be a change in attitudes among the people who will actually use the technology?
- Sawaguchi
- I think it will be phased. The first phase involves the attitudes of those in production. The mixing engineers have to become aware of how surround sound can be used effectively instead of conventional stereo to make something good. The next phase involves the executives. They have a different perspective to that of the production side. In other words, they base their decisions on what they see as ways for the organization to generate profits, to make sales. It doesn’t matter whether it is stereo, surround, or even monaural – as long as it leads to profit growth. So the second phase involves these executives coming around to considering the possible merits of using surround sound. The third step is horizontal linkage. It’s not just a matter of raising the awareness of the production staff and executives; in the final analysis, it’s about the end users being able to enjoy surround sound in their living rooms.
- Kimura
- Looking at a TV control room today, the video equipment seems to take up about 95% of the space, leaving audio with the remaining 5%. But in future there will be more audio-related work, won’t there?
- Sawaguchi
- That depends on what you are making. If we are talking about studio production, many stations have used the opportunity provided by the switch to digital broadcasting to update their hardware. So they already have in place the audio equipment required to support surround sound. The production side is all set to go.
- Kimura
- To be able to capture good sound, to be sure there is going to be good sound, it’s likely that people will do things differently. In other words, in future we will no doubt see choices being based on good sound.
- Sawaguchi
- Well, that’s where the production staff display their expertise. Until now, priority was given to locations that would look good on screen. That will remain a criterion, but at the same time people will start to choose places that sound good. Once that happens, quality will improve.
- Kimura
- Listening to you, I am beginning to think that surround sound would be most effective in TV commercials. Would you agree?
- Sawaguchi
- Yes, indeed. Actually, the theme of the Audio Section at this year’s Inter BEE Symposium is “Commercial production and surround sound.” This topic was chosen because here in Japan the advertising industry hasn’t yet awoken to the potential of surround sound. In contrast, 40 to 50% of TV commercials in the US are being made in surround sound. People working in the American advertising industry feel quite comfortable with it. In Europe the figure is 5~8%, while in Japan it’s zero. Part of this has to do with the fact that in America the infrastructure is in place on the user side – in other words, home theater.
- Kimura
- I wonder what a commercial with surround sound is like.
- Sawaguchi
- Many examples are like those preview clips that summarize a movie plot. Working with that narrow window of just 15 or 30 seconds, I think you could make a strong impact if you were to use sound effectively,
- Kimura
- For that to happen in Japan, do you think there will have to be a shift in the attitudes of the advertising agencies?
- Sawaguchi
- Yes, that goes for the ad agencies, but in the case of TV commercial production, there will also have to be a new awareness among their clients. If the sponsors with the most money to invest can change their mind, the ad producers will too. The studios will always be ready to accommodate.
- Kimura
- You haven’t mentioned the creative staff. I think it’s important that they explain the merits of using surround sound to the agencies and sponsors. Perhaps the creative side isn’t yet fully aware of the potential of sound.
- Sawaguchi
- Perhaps they tend to lapse into routine work, in which all you need is narration, some sound effects, and music. It’s about delivering a 360-degree sound experience and how to harness that to create the sort of commercial the client is looking for.
- Kimura
- I think, even with a 20-second commercial, you could create something really interesting. But then the person watching it must have the proper surround sound setup. Perhaps we still have some way to go before there are enough viewers with a home theater in their living rooms. Is the problem with Japanese housing?
- Sawaguchi
- Perhaps, but then again the problem may have something to do with the lack of opportunities to experience surround sound. For example, there is no proper place set aside in these giant electrical goods stores for customers to really experience surround sound. So the users don’t know what they are missing. If they could just listen to real surround sound, no one would say they don’t like it.
- Kimura
- What’s the situation with the content side of things? Is there enough stuff available for people to enjoy?
- Sawaguchi
- In 2006, there were about 1,400 programs broadcast in surround sound. In 2000, there was just 1. [laughs] So, judging from that, we are seeing rapid growth. [Continues to Part 3]
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Profile Taro Kimura, Journalist Born in the U.S. (Berkeley, CA) in 1938. Left the U.S. for Japan with his parents in 1941 as Japan and America prepared to wage war. Graduated from Keio University Law School in 1964 and joined NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) soon after to begin his career as a correspondent in the Kobe broadcasting station’s city desk. From 1974, he worked successfully as a correspondent in Beirut, Geneva, and Washington D.C., and returned to Japan in February 1982. For the next six years, he served as a newscaster on the program, News Center 9PM. Upon leaving News Center 9PM in 1988, he resigned from NHK and established his own company to embark on a new life as a freelance journalist. He worked with FNN (Fuji News Network) as a newscaster on programs like News COM (from 1990) and News Japan (from 1994) while acting as a news analyst on the program, Super News from 2000. He is also the recipient of many prestigious awards such as: the 12th HBF Prize Award in 1986 and the 1987 Vaughn-Ueda Prize for International Reporting in 1988 — which has been described as Japan’s “Pulitzer Prize”, awarded to correspondents who make outstanding journalistic contributions for promoting international harmony. |
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Profile Mick Sawaguchi Consultant, Audio Promotion Dept.
Masaki “Mick” Sawaguchi specializes in sound design for drama productions. Since 1985 he has been helping to pave the way for the digital age by engaging in studio design and software development for multichannel surround sound. In 1987 he started working on FM drama using Dolby Surround, and in 1992 he became involved in HDTV drama using 3-2 surround sound, developing the software for production, as well as drawing up production guidelines and conducting surveys on next-generation audio as part of his activities to generate widespread interest in the new technologies. In recent years he has become involved in planning and running the Audio Section of the Inter BEE International Symposium; he has served as a judge for the Mixing Section of the JPPA Awards; he is a Commissioner of the Japan Section of the AES, and a JAS director; and he has also served as Co-chair for the AES Technical Committee on Studio Practices and Production.
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