For further information, please contact info@dyetracks.org First Film Release with Pure-Dye Analog Hollywood, August 11, 2003—DreamWorks SKG and the Dye Track Committee have announced that all prints of the upcoming Jason Biggs, Christina Ricci romantic comedy Anything Else will feature pure-dye cyan analog soundtracks. Slated for release on September 19, 2003, the new feature is the first to use environmentally friendly cyan tracks in lieu of traditional silver-applicated tracks on 100 percent of its initial US print run. Environmental benefits of the cyan soundtrack include the elimination of caustic chemicals and silver itself from the print manufacturing process. The switch also enables a significant reduction in water usage: were all US print manufacturing to convert to cyan tracks, the ongoing savings would be equivalent to the drinking water needs of a town of 75,000. Silver-applicated tracks have the further disadvantage of a comparatively high manufacturing reject rate. "We at Dolby are proud to have been part of the Dye Track Committee since its inception and to have developed the technology to make this transition possible," said Ioan Allen, Vice President, Dolby Laboratories, and Dye Track Committee member. "As the world becomes more environmentally aware, it is good that the film industry is making its own contribution to the quality of the future." In exhibition, cyan soundtracks require red-light soundtrack readers, which have been standard in new projector models for some time. It is estimated that approximately 85 percent of the projectors in use in the US are now equipped with red-light readers, and the members of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) have announced a target of all their members' screens being equipped by this summer. This wide usage has made a 100 percent cyan release practical for the first time. John Fithian, NATO's president, announced that "NATO and its theatre company members are pleased to support the conversion to environmentally friendly cyan tracks. We are grateful that DreamWorks has taken this important step, and we look for other studios to follow suit." The move to pure-dye soundtracks has been spearheaded by the five-year-old Dye Track Committee, which consists of representatives of Eastman Kodak, Dolby Laboratories, and print laboratories that include Deluxe and Technicolor. The technology has been thoroughly and successfully tested by labs, film distributors, and exhibitors over the past three years. Digital soundtracks are not silver-applicated, so are not affected by the decision to use cyan analog tracks. |
