Golden Village Multiplex first in Singapore to launch Auro 11.1 audio technology

Golden Village Multiplex is the first cinema operator in Singapore to support three-dimensional, immersive Auro 11.1 by Barco sound technology.

Long, Long Time Ago depicts
Singapore some 50 years back.

Auro 11.1 will thrill audiences at Golden Village Suntec City in Singapore with the launch of Jack Neo’s latest Chinese New Year comedy/ drama Long, Long Time Ago (我们的故事), which debuts 4 February. The film was natively mixed to take full advantage of the new immersive technology at Galaxy Studios Belgium.

Set in mid-to-late 1960s, just after Singapore gains independence, the story revolves around heroine Zhaodi going back to live with her parents in a kampong after she is widowed. The film charts key milestones in Singapore's history such as Singapore's first elections as Zhaodi (Aileen Tan) struggles for a better life for herself and her children.

Neo explains why he included Auro 11.1 by Barco support. 

Yesteryear has been lovingly reconstructed, down to kampong life, floods, fights and misunderstandings, and the concerns of the multi-ethnic society of the time. This will be a nostalgic journey for those who lived through the first decades of Singapore's independence, and an eyeopener to life then. Mark Lee shines as Zhaodi's strong-willed, straight-talking younger brother Ah Kun while Suhaimi Yusof as Osman provides additional comic relief.

Director Jack Neo highlighted the flood and fight scenes as being particularly evocative due to support for Auro 11.1 by Barco, and the viewer truly does feel in the thick of action.

Whether watched at Golden Village Suntec City or at another cinema, do stay right to the end, where photographs of the cast as children, and then of key business figures in Singapore when they were young are shared as the credits roll.

Graphic displayed on the screens at Golden Village Suntec City, showing how different speakers above and around the audience contribute to the Auro 11.1 by Barco experience.

Auro 11.1 by Barco brings three layers of speakers to convey sound from all around as well as above the viewer to create an impactful experience. Says Sebastian Fong, Manager, Projection Management, Golden Village Multiplex, “Visualisation has grown tremendously in recent years. On the other hand, the evolution of audio technology has been at a gradual pace. This makes Auro 11.1 by Barco a monumental evolution in the history of cinema audio technology. We understand that 50% of the movie experience relies on pitch-perfect audio, which makes it most gratifying for us to be the first cinema operator to launch Auro 11.1 in Singapore.”

Wilfried van Baelen explains how he conceptualised
Auro technology.

Wilfried van Baelen, CEO at Auro Technologies, added that Auro 11.1 by Barco can reproduce elusive "3d reflections" which are what is missing from sound reproduction today. Unlike other technologies where speakers are placed only on a horizontal plane and directly above, the Auro 11.1 by Barco system uses a speaker layout based on three axes (x=width, y=depth, z=height) and three vertical layers (surround, height, top) to provide a natural, true-to-life reproduction of sound.

More than 125 films today leverage on the new technology. Jeffrey Katzenberg, the CEO of DreamWorks Animation, has praised Auro 11.1 for offering the best cinematic experience to movie patrons. DreamWorks Animation’s latest film, Kung Fu Panda 3, is currently playing in theatres in Auro 11.1 by Barco.

Eddie Tan, General Manager, South East Asia Entertainment for Barco said: “Auro 11.1 by Barco is the apex of cinema audio. Every boom, swoop and whisper will be fully experienced, making your movie experience the ultimate adventure. Auro 11.1 gives film fans the biggest reason to watch movies within the theatres and not in the confines of their homes. We thank Golden Village for this partnership and for launching Auro 11.1 in Singapore.”

Interested?

Check the Golden Village website on how to experience Auro 11.1 by Barco at Golden Village Suntec City

View the list of movies which support Auro 11.1 by Barco. The technology can only be experienced in Singapore at Golden Village Suntec City

Watch the trailer for Long, Long Time Ago

Hashtag: #GVAuroBarco