In this episode, Neil and Jason talk to ‘Mr. Loudness’, Mike Thornton, about the issues of television programme loudness and dialogue intelligibility. Why is the background music too loud? Why can’t the viewers hear what the actors are saying? And why are films so loud in the cinema?

In a comprehensive and compelling journey starting with radio transmission concerns in the 1930s, to the present-day woes of broadcasters and streaming platforms, Mike’s accessible and understandable explanations demystify the raft of complex sound challenges that filmmakers continue to face in delivering effective soundtracks.

About the presenters:

Mike Thornton -

Web: https://www.production-expert.com/author-bios/2019/11/26/mike-thornton

Loudness tutorials:

Start here for Part 1 of Mikes series of 6 videos: https://youtu.be/jvcfwtrL0uw?si=QVhc9ee-wgWb-cO8

Neil and Jason –

Details about Neil and Jason’s work as dialogue editors and mixers and how to contact them is here: https://www.theaudiosuite.com

Details of Neil’s 1-to-1 and Coaching Programmes for ambitious media professionals are available at

https://www.drneilhillman.com and https://soundproducer.com.au/coaching

Technical notes:

Written, produced and presented by Jason Nicholas and Dr Neil Hillman

Recorded using the Squadcast remote recording system

Programme edited by Jason Nicholas