Promoting DTS:X for IAB with Uttam Neupane's Studio, First in Nepal and South Asia

Uttam’s studio has become the first in Nepal and South Asia to complete a DTS:X mix and export an IAB master. The IAB DCP of the title, “Pujar Sarki”, has been successfully released. In Nepal, there were 14 screens in 10 theatres where the IAB DCP was presented through Dolby Atmos systems, demonstrating compatibility with Atmos playback systems (Appendix 2).

In an exclusive behind-the-scenes interview, the film’s director, Dinesh Raut, and Uttam praised DTS:X technology.

“The challenge for us was making the audience feel the 1980s experience with sound. The DTS:X sound format greatly helped the audience experience that era,” said film director Dinesh Raut.

“I had to create a huge soundscape to carry the audience along with the story. The sound of gunfire, bullets passing, and crowd noises were made into DTS:X objects and panned in 3D spaces. I wanted the audience to leave the cinema with the character of ‘Megharaj Khatri,’ so I completely removed the background music, foley, and SFX, so we could only hear ‘Megharaj Khatri’ shouting slogans. I used a lot of reverb made in DTS:X objects with large sizes in top and bed channels, making the reverbs a character that surrounded the audience in a 3D space. It sounded like the scene was happening inside the auditorium,” said Uttam.

This case study highlights the successful implementation of DTS:X for IAB by Uttam, demonstrating the transformative impact of immersive audio technology on the film industry in Nepal and beyond.