GECs

Dolby Institute’s sound designing techniques to help broadcasters

Published

11 years ago

November 19, 2014

MUMBAI: A movie experience is usually about compelling video effects that has the power to blow one’s mind away. But have you ever paid attention to the sound of an aeroplane crashing into a building or a fast moving car bashing against another one. The effort that a sound designer puts into layering sounds and making it sound real is hardly ever recognised.

In order to create more awareness about sound designing, two renowned sound designers from the US are undertaking a unique teaching model along with Dolby Laboratories. The Dolby Institute, created over a year ago, is a non physical place that aims to reach out to producers and writers both professional and budding. As part of this training, Dolby Institute director Glenn Kiser and supervising sound editor Steven Cahill are traveling to various countries.

Currently amazed with the Indian culture as they tour film schools and broadcasters, the duo are trying to spread the word about the opportunities sound designing can provide to film and TV. In its India leg, they are meeting students at FTII and Whistling Woods as well as providing insights to broadcasters such as Star India, Viacom18, Epic TV, Zee Network etc. “We are presenting case studies where sound was used creatively to enhance quality. The idea is to bring rich experience from outside to India,” says Kiser.

While students get an introduction into the sector, broadcasters will learn the aesthetics and nuances of the technique. This apart, the Dolby Institute has tied up with the Sundance Film Festival to provide aid to low budget movie producers who have the idea but not the technique to execute it.

According to them, VFX has made its mark as to how fulfilling it is for storytelling and the institute’s hope is to get sound designing to the same level. However, while sound has been created in 3D for nearly five decades, it is actually picture that has taken time to change from SD to HD.

It was in the 1990s when sound became an important aspect of storytelling but in India it is only now that some directors have started giving it a thought. “Between Indian personality driven stories and music being so overly thought of before, the chances are that they would be less apt of sound driving at the moment,” says Cahill.

The four day workshop will demonstrate how to use sound as a budget saving device as well as script writing and directing with sound in mind. “The entire sound budget of a film could be less than five VFX shots,” says Cahill adding that it constituted just 1 per cent of the budget of blockbuster Avatar.

In the American television scenario, a lot of film directors shifted to TV in the 1990s, primarily due to HBO, bringing along with them their teams and sophistication. “The technology and aesthetics of a film director made an immersive experience on both broadcast as well as OTT,” says Kiser naming NCIS, True Detective, House of Cards, 24 and Game of Thrones as examples of fantastic sound designing.

Action, thriller and horror lend themselves as most apt for good sound designing. Kiser adds that it is also possible to alter sounds so that the viewer can experience it from the character’s point of view. With lesser processes and people, sound can have the same narrative impact as visuals, he says. This was adapted by Pixar in its animated movies where they built a whole realistic audio world that could be experienced with closed eyes.

However, the challenge that sound designers face is about being the last in the chain of processes. “The best ones were where the scriptwriter and sound designer would collaborate to imagine the sound while the script was made,” says Kiser. Usually, sound is added once the entire film is cut so the options are limited. He adds that scenes have to be thought of by the director and executed by the sound designer.

Nowadays, too little time is allotted for post production, so this crucial part gets pushed to the end. “If you don’t give sound its full due, it’s only 50 per cent good because you aren’t giving it even 50 per cent of the time or talent,” says Cahill.

The duo seem to be elated with the response they have been receiving from India and will be looking forward to return and check some of the students’ projects to provide tips and criticism.

Up Next

“Traditional STBs can no longer handle complex requirements of innovative operators”: Matthias Greve

Don't Miss

Kasthuri to air grand finale of ‘Chinnadha Bete’ on 21 November

Click to comment

GECs

Sun TV posts steady revenue, profit dips amid rising costs

Published

1 week ago

February 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CHENNAI: It appears there is still plenty of Sun to go around in the Indian broadcasting landscape, even if a few clouds have drifted across the financial horizon. Sun TV Network Limited, the Chennai-based behemoth that dominates airwaves across seven languages, has tuned into a steady frequency for the quarter ending 31 December 2025. While the numbers show a resilient revenue stream, the company’s latest broadcast reveals a few static-filled spots in its profit margins.

For the quarter in question, Sun TV’s total income climbed by approximately 3.31 per cent, reaching Rs 958.39 crores compared to Rs 927.66 crores in the same period last year. Revenue from operations also saw a healthy bump, rising 4.32 per cent to Rs 827.87 crores.

The real star of the show, however, was domestic subscription revenue, which surged by 8.86 per cent to Rs 472.99 crores. This growth highlights the enduring appetite for Sun’s diverse content, which spans everything from daily soaps in Tamil and Telugu to its burgeoning OTT platform, Sun NXT.

Despite the revenue growth, the picture quality of the profits was slightly blurred by rising costs. Eitda for the quarter stood at Rs 409.79 crores, a dip from the Rs 432.14 crores recorded in the corresponding 2024 quarter.

The profit after tax followed a similar downward trend, settling at Rs 316.44 crores against the previous year’s Rs 347.17 crores. Advertisers also seemed to have switched channels slightly, with advertisement revenues sliding to Rs 291.94 crores from Rs 332.17 crores.

Sun TV isn’t just playing on home turf; its sporting ambitions are becoming increasingly global. The network now owns three major cricket franchises: SunRisers Hyderabad in the IPL, SunRisers Eastern Cape in SA20, and SunRisers Leeds Limited in The Hundred (UK).

The foray into British cricket saw the company acquire a 100 per cent stake in Northern Superchargers Limited (now SunRisers Leeds) for approximately £100 million. While these franchises brought in Rs 14.61 crores this quarter, they also incurred corresponding costs of Rs 19.89 crores. Over the nine-month period, however, the cricket business is a major player, contributing Rs 487.64 crores in income.

The company’s bottom line took a minor hit from exceptional items, including a Rs 4.23 crore charge related to India’s new Labour Codes, which consolidated 29 existing labour laws. Additionally, the consolidated results reflect the amalgamation of Kal Radio Limited with Udaya FM, a move that became effective in May 2025 and required a restatement of previous figures.

To keep investors from reaching for the remote, the Board has declared an interim dividend of 50 per cent, that’s Rs 2.50 per equity share. This comes on top of earlier dividends of 100 per cent (Rs 5.00) and 75 per cent (Rs 3.75) declared in August and November 2025, respectively.

With a massive cash reserve and a dominant position in the South Indian market, Sun TV continues to shine, even if the current quarter required a bit of fine-tuning. For now, shareholders can sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

GECs

SPNI hires Pradeep M with responsibility for standards and practices in the south

Published

2 weeks ago

February 3, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India has hired Pradeep M to handle standards and practices for its southern market, bolstering its compliance bench as content rules tighten across platforms.

Pradeep, who has nearly 13 years in the entertainment media industry, takes on responsibility for content standards in a region that is both linguistically diverse and regulatorily sensitive. His brief spans television, OTT, sports and digital platforms.

He specialises in content review and compliance across shows, commercials, on-air promotions and international feeds, ensuring alignment with broadcast, OTT and advertising codes. He has also handled brand approvals and sponsorship integrations for heavily regulated categories—including online gaming, cryptocurrency, NFTs and lottery brands—offering guidance shaped by fast-evolving rules.

Before Sony, Pradeep worked at Jiostar as assistant manager for content regulation from November 2024 to January 2026. Earlier, he spent nearly seven years at Viacom18 Media, rising from senior executive to assistant manager in content regulation between 2018 and 2024. There he served as a key compliance touchpoint for the network.

His career began on the creative side. Between 2013 and 2018, he worked as executive producer on feature films and television shows, gaining hands-on exposure to production. He also had a stint as a non-fiction show director at Star TV Network in 2017. That mix of creative and regulatory experience gives him a dual lens—how content is made and how it must be managed.

As regulators, platforms and advertisers all tighten the screws, broadcasters are investing more in gatekeepers who can keep creativity within the lines. Sony’s latest hire shows where the industry is heading: in the streaming age, compliance is content’s quiet co-star.

GECs

Colors Gujarati rolls out two new shows from 2nd February

Published

2 weeks ago

February 2, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Colors Gujarati has unveiled two new prime-time shows as part of its push to strengthen culturally rooted storytelling for regional audiences. The channel will premiere the devotional saga Gangasati–Paanbai at 7.30 pm, followed by the romantic family drama Manmelo at 9.30 pm from February 2.

Inspired by Gujarat’s spiritual and literary heritage, Gangasati–Paanbai: Shyam Dhun No Navo Adhyay draws from the timeless bhajans and poetry of saint-poetesses Gangasati and Paanbai, weaving devotion and human values into a contemporary narrative aimed at younger viewers.

In contrast, Manmelo explores love and responsibility across social divides, tracing the lives of three middle-class sisters whose relationships with three affluent brothers reshape their futures. The show delves into ambition, emotional conflict and the realities of married life, offering a layered family drama.

A Colors Gujarati spokesperson said the new launches reflect the channel’s commitment to authentic Gujarati entertainment that blends cultural values with modern storytelling.