tel: 818-882-3300      john@command-post.com

How is dialogue handled once the shoot is completed?

Once your dialogue is recorded on timecode DAT (or even 1/4" Nagra, my favorite), it begins it’s journey at telecine, where most often it is synced up to your picture and a FLEX (film log exchange) file is produced. This file, which also stores film keycode and video timecode information and will be supplied to you on disk and printout by the telecine facility when the job is done, can then be fed into your non-linear picture system to produce a Nagra cut list so the 1/4" or DAT may later be conformed for dialogue editing.

You also have the unusual option of syncing your dailies in your non-linear system. This will save some time in telecine, but the duties of syncing dailies will then rest with your picture editor.

First you will record and log in your picture dailies from 3/4" or BETA video to your non-linear picture system, then you will separately enter your sound dailies from a 1/4" center track timecode machine, in both cases recording your timecode reference from the tapes into your non-linear edit system. Once your dailies are synced in your Avid system or other non-linear picture editor, the system will then produce a Nagra cut list, which we can use to online your sound tapes directly into our digital audio workstations. Final Cut will produce an audio cut list only if you have the Cinematools option.

Command Post have a choice of two, different auto conform software packages in house to conform dialogue or other elements to the highest quality standards. 

The best quality soundtrack will be produced by a specific dialogue editing process which is completely separate from the picture editing process.

This process includes, but is not limited to, removing unwanted noises, such as clicks, hum, background noises; checking sync; choosing good settings to control the dynamics of any dialogue; inserting noise or backgrounds to make different takes match each other, and much more.