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

What happens then?

1. We manage the audio and video elements we receive from our clients. Then load it in. Does it work and do the formats match? Tracks have to be built from elements that are in sync, at the proper speed, without dropouts, and at good audio levels. All sound elements have to be lined up with picture. Make sure everything is in sync and is where it is supposed to be. Make sure that all timecode and sample rates match.

2. Once dialogue elements are in place, they need to be groomed and cleaned up. This means checking a variety of factors:

             Dialogue that is too hot, too soft, too far away from the mic, unintelligible, or poorly performed may have to be replaced and rerecorded in the studio.

            Obtrusive background noises need to be removed, including clicks and pops, annoying hum or noise that is either environmentally or electronically sourced; mouth clicks from actors; any other undesirable sounds including refrigerators or air conditioning systems, camera noise, boom noise, off set talking, airplanes, or passing cars.

             Background noises that do exist and are OK in the track need to be consistent from cut to cut. This means that quite often it is necessary to put a sound in a shot that isn’t there, to make it match the other angle where the sound is there. This includes crickets, traffic, background tones, anything that might be missing from an adjacent shot.

3. As dialogue is being cleaned up and backgrounds are relatively matching, effects may be added, particularly background sound effects, walla (crowd noises). Some footage that is shot MOS will need to have sounds put in it, including clothing foley, footsteps, breathing, and any other sounds required.

4. Music may be loaded at any time; the earlier it is loaded, the less effects will have to be built, because in some areas music may blanket the soundtrack and obscure the need for effects detail. Building effects under a scene with heavy music may be a waste of time and effort.

5. As the mix takes shape on the DAW, a variety of parameters of all the sounds need to be addressed for a wide variety of reasons. Each track may need adjustments in EQ, dynamic range, ambient reverberation, etc, to make it work appropriately within the scene.