Auro-3D, powered by Barco and Auro Technologies, is a new surround sound system designed along three spatial axes (width, depth and height), rather than the two axes as found in traditional surround sound. The full Auro-3D speaker layout is defined for up to 13.1 channels, with 11.1 being the current ideal solution for environments such as commercial movie theaters.
Directed by Anthony Hemingway and executive produced by George Lucas, "Red Tails", an action-drama based on the 'Tuskegee Airmen', a group of combat pilots during World War II, will be the first commercial Hollywood film release to utilize the Auro-3D surround system.
"When we first heard demonstrations of what the Auro-3D 11.1 audio format is capable of, it gave us great ideas for new possibilities in storytelling," said Rick McCallum, the film’s producer.
"'Red Tails' is about combat pilots, and sound from all around will surely boost the overall movie experience – so it's an ideal film to be mixed in 11.1 with the most realistic effects ever heard in commercial cinema."