ADX History – West Side Story

Mar 2, 2015ADX History, ADX Technology, Blog, Lifestyle

west side story header2

On July 8th and 9th, 2011, Audionamix presented high-definition screenings of the classic film “West Side Story” at the historic Hollywood Bowl. The newly remastered print of the iconic film was accompanied by a live performance of the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the direction of world-renowned Composer & Conductor David Newman. Speaking about the project at the time, Mr. Newman said, “West Side Story is already a timeless classic, but to experience this incredible soundtrack live at the Hollywood Bowl could not be possible without Audionamix’s technology. I am most excited to be part of this project.”

How exactly did ADX help create this amazing result?

While collaborating with Chace Audio by Deluxe, our proprietary source separation technology was used to remove the original musical score, leaving behind pristine clean dialog and effects tracks. These tracks were then used to create a new “music free” version of the entire feature film. The Los Angeles Philharmonic performed the musical score live and in sync with the original cast’s voices to create a brand new visual and sound experience at the legendary Hollywood Bowl.

The technique used involves sampling sound waves for instruments and then instructing a computer to scrub out their appearances on the soundtrack. The end result was nothing short of miraculous.

wss_video_screenshot

View before and after videos of the Audionamix process from The New York Times

After the debut at the Hollywood Bowl, the performance was repeated around the country and the world – including New York, Philadelphia, Minnesota, and London – accompanied by a different orchestra in each locale.

These early events proved such a success that dozens of other cities and orchestras have signed on to celebrate this iconic film and its music.

On March 6 in Boca Raton, Florida, Jamie Bernstein (daughter of Leonard Bernstein) will discuss her father’s legacy and present a screening of West Side Story accompanied by the Festival Orchestra Boca. Future performances will be held March 7-8 in Denver, Colorado and March 9-10 in Brussels, Belgium.

If you can’t attend these performances, be sure to check the official West Side Story website for announcements of upcoming shows.