World-class studios soundproofed with Wavebar®, creating a premium noise-free set for uninterrupted film production.

Voice, music and sound are an integral part of any screen production – feature films, documentaries, television series, commercials. For a successful production and scene cuts, filming in a space that allows for clear sound, uninterrupted by outside noise intrusion, is essential. A world-class production space that offers just that now exists in New Zealand. It has opened its doors to large-scale film and television projects and is a gigantic multipurpose stage and production facility. Pyrotek’s Wavebar, an effective solution to improving acoustics of the massive complex, is part of this project, providing the fundamental clarity and quality of sound.

The studios cover an astounding 11,725 m2, making it a state-of-the-art studio complex. With four individual 2,900 m2 studios easily transformable into a Mega Stage, they truly offer flexible production space, possibly the largest clear span film stage in the Southern Hemisphere. Ensuring dialogues recorded during film making are suitably clear is a challenge on its own as there is often unwanted noise to deal with. The colossal size of the studio structure makes it a job even more complex.

Pyrotek was approached by the engineering and acoustic consultants of the project to develop a solution to protect the entire space from external noise, rain noise being a major issue, potentially causing disruptions to the on-set work of actors and Production Sound Crew. As studio acoustics are not an unknown to Pyrotek, after multiple meetings with the engineering, acoustic and construction teams, our specialists knew Wavebar® was a clear and easy choice, becoming a preferred specification for the project. A flexible, mass-loaded vinyl noise barrier with superior acoustic transmission loss, Wavebar effectively reflects unwanted noise, preventing it from penetrating into the studio space.

Additionally, any suggested solution was to conform to the NZ Building Code. Wavebar’s compliance with multiple international fire standards made this an easy requirement to fulfill.

Installed into the ceiling of the giant complex, Wavebar successfully closed off the stage of fiction from the world of reality, allowing the sound crew to record only what is really meant to be heard.

Being easy to cut and install, even around obstructions in the ceiling, Wavebar noise barrier allowed for a simple and efficient installation process: tear-resistant and highly flexible, it easily wraps around pipes, ducts and cables, providing an acoustically secure fit with no leakage of noise.

Wavebar is available in various weights, widths, roll lengths and sheet sizes to suit the specific application. The 4 kg/m2 barrier was selected for this specific project as it provides a sufficient amount of mass to reflect noise yet is lightweight enough to be used in a ceiling application. Supplied in easy-to-handle rolls at a volume of over 8 700 m2, securely screwed into the roof structure battens, Wavebar now covers the entire massive ceiling area, keeping all external noise out.

Thanks to Wavebar, the film studios offer an acoustically superior filming space and on-site production has already begun with more to come – international feature films, commercials and more. Wavebar will play a silent but crucial role in all future productions coming out of these film studios.

Architecture & Design Team

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Pyrotek

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