In the tone lies the emotion
Renzo Selmi advocates more acoustic quality in advertising
Renzo Selmi is committed to greater acoustic quality in advertisingBy Bruno Amstutz The Selmi recording studio is regarded in the advertising industry as a guarantee for high-quality radio commercials. However, the acoustic workshop also produces a wide range of original compositions and aims to raise the sound quality of TV commercials to a higher level.
Renzo Selmi and Christoph Grunder, owners of Selmi Tonstudio, are advocates of good sound. As is well known, sound makes the music, even in radio and TV advertising. The numerous awards they have won show that they have often hit the right note: the studio has received 38 awards from ADC Switzerland and two from ADC Germany, as well as 10 Golden Ear awards, 3 Clio Awards and 2 golden ITVA awards.
However, according to Renzo Selmi, the sound quality in Swiss advertising is not at its best; sometimes he feels like he is in an acoustic third world country in Switzerland. For Selmi, 60 percent of the impact of TV commercials in particular lies in the soundtrack, which conveys the emotions and reinforces and influences the expression of the images. Despite this, the sound engineer identifies a major acoustic deficit in Swiss commercial productions.
Even expensive commercials are often dubbed cheaply
"The soundtrack is often the weakest link in the production chain," complains Selmi, "sometimes less money is spent on it than on the catering for a major film production." In his opinion, the carelessness of the acoustics also leads to a carelessness with which viewers consume many commercials.
When the protagonists on the screen are speaking ten meters away, it sounds like a crime to Selmi when he hears that the speakers in the studio are sitting twenty centimetres in front of the microphone. When he dubs commercials, he has his voice actors recite their lines in the garden in the snow and rain if necessary.
Productions in the USA have also heightened the studio managers' awareness of the quality of original compositions. "In the USA, sound carries more weight," says Selmi, "and it's easier to find professional musicians who do their job to a high standard without false pretenses." He and his team also know where to find such people in Switzerland.
When orchestral music is required, an orchestra plays for Selmi, not a synthesizer. From Ländler to Michael Jackson soundalikes, the sound specialists offer a wide range of original compositions.
There is plenty to do, but Selmi does not want to expand. In addition to the owners, a sound engineer and a secretary are employed and freelancers are brought in as required. "We want to stay at the forefront of technology," explains Selmi, "but not grow. Size kills creativity."
Renzo Selmi and Christoph Grunder, owners of Selmi Tonstudio, are advocates of good sound. As is well known, sound makes the music, even in radio and TV advertising. The numerous awards they have won show that they have often hit the right note: the studio has received 38 awards from ADC Switzerland and two from ADC Germany, as well as 10 Golden Ear awards, 3 Clio Awards and 2 golden ITVA awards.
However, according to Renzo Selmi, the sound quality in Swiss advertising is not at its best; sometimes he feels like he is in an acoustic third world country in Switzerland. For Selmi, 60 percent of the impact of TV commercials in particular lies in the soundtrack, which conveys the emotions and reinforces and influences the expression of the images. Despite this, the sound engineer identifies a major acoustic deficit in Swiss commercial productions.
Even expensive commercials are often dubbed cheaply
"The soundtrack is often the weakest link in the production chain," complains Selmi, "sometimes less money is spent on it than on the catering for a major film production." In his opinion, the carelessness of the acoustics also leads to a carelessness with which viewers consume many commercials.
When the protagonists on the screen are speaking ten meters away, it sounds like a crime to Selmi when he hears that the speakers in the studio are sitting twenty centimetres in front of the microphone. When he dubs commercials, he has his voice actors recite their lines in the garden in the snow and rain if necessary.
Productions in the USA have also heightened the studio managers' awareness of the quality of original compositions. "In the USA, sound carries more weight," says Selmi, "and it's easier to find professional musicians who do their job to a high standard without false pretenses." He and his team also know where to find such people in Switzerland.
When orchestral music is required, an orchestra plays for Selmi, not a synthesizer. From Ländler to Michael Jackson soundalikes, the sound specialists offer a wide range of original compositions.
There is plenty to do, but Selmi does not want to expand. In addition to the owners, a sound engineer and a secretary are employed and freelancers are brought in as required. "We want to stay at the forefront of technology," explains Selmi, "but not grow. Size kills creativity."
