"Da Gnome's Tips for Great Post Sound"

Things YOU should know about Audio Post BEFORE you start shooting!

Hyper-link index - click to go to a topic directly:

• What can I do to make our Post Sound job go better?
• Can I use/get/maintain Digital Sound on my project?
• Start with a good production mixer
• What to do WHILE YOU ARE SHOOTING to insure GREAT POST SOUND
• Analyze your Post Sound needs IN ADVANCE -
• Making sure you have budgeted enough time, but not too much time
• Be realistic and prepared for your show's ADR needs (Automated Dialogue Replacement - if needed)
• Be prepared to define your Sound expectations to the Sound Supervisor (Sound effects Editing and Design)
• Know what part Foley will play in your domestic and foreign mixes (effects recorded in sync with picture)
• Knowing what part MUSIC will play in your project, and how to handle it IN ADVANCE
• Mixing (also called re-recording or dubbing)
• Editing Tips
• When will this page be finished ?

Q: What can I do to make our Post Sound job go better?

A: Follow the tips provided below to help us to help you make your post sound job painless, pleasant, and incredibly cost-efficient.

Q: Can I use/get/maintain Digital Sound on my project?

A: YES! No matter whether you are editing on FILM, or using one of the new digital non-linear editing systems, Digital Production and Post Sound can be yours for the asking, if you ask the right questions!

You can use Digital Sound on your project by starting with a Production Mixer who will record your production sound (your "sync sound") using a digital recorder.

You can get Digital Post Sound on your project by contracting with a digital sound house who knows how to use your digital production audio to edit and mix digitally;

If you START with a Production mixer who records directly on TIMECODED DAT, you can maintain DIGITAL Production SOUND all the way through your project, right through the MIX!

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Hire a great Production Mixer -

In order for the production audio (the NAGRA or DAT recordings from the set or location) to be properly mixed and sound great, the Production Mixer needs to correctly record it in the first place. A GREAT production mixer is the cheapest piece of insurance you can buy on your project. A great mixer will save you THOUSANDS of dollars in ADR time, actor looping costs, editing nightmares, questions about "should we loop this?". By the time you are through shooting, a BAD production mixer can add THOUSANDS of dollars to your post costs, add weeks of time to your completion, and possibly even RUIN your film (if the production dialogue is unuseable - don't think it can't happen to you!)

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• WATCH LEVELS for OVERLOADING - there is ONLY ONE cure for a distorted line - a RETAKE!
• SLATE all takes properly, and will INCLUDE proper SOUND REPORTS
  • nothing is more maddening than trying to decipher incorrect or incomplete Sound Reports months later!
• note CHOICE or CIRCLED TAKES correctly;
• maintain absolutely perfect sync (so it will work properly with the picture weeks later while you are editing),
• eliminate extraneous set noise so the Mixer has clean dialogue to use during the Mix,
• RECORD WILD LINES for coverage on location, so the ambeince will match the production dialogue better
• INSIST on RECORDING TV Coverage while you shoot
  • If you will need TV CLEAN coverage, try to shoot it on the set if possible - it will match better!
• Provide FILL or ROOMTONE for as many scenes as possible
  • often overlooked, this is a VERY IMPORTANT step, and one that an experienced production mixer will take care of for you automatically. IF YOU GIVE HIM TIME on the set.
  • PLEASE take the few seconds extra this step needs - it can save you lots of ADR time later on!
• Advise you IMMEDIATELY of problems that will compromise your post sound later on - LISTEN TO HIM!

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• Decide on whether you are recording your production audio digitally (DAT) or analogue (NAGRA)
• In either case, if you are editing electronically later on, USE SMPTE CODE on your dailies
• If you're using SMPTE, RENT A SMART-SLATE!
  • SMPTE code will help greatly later on, when you are sorting out your dailies, and editing. Use It!
• If you are editing electronically, HIRE AN EXPERIENCED DIGITAL ASSISTANT EDITOR
  • As with the production mixer, a great assistant will KNOW how to get the most out of your edit system,
  • and a great assistant will know how to create a flawless Edit Decision List (EDL) - without this you're sunk!
• Digitize your audio dailies directly from the DAT or NAGRA - your options are greatly enhanced later on
  • Yes, this means you can/must sync your dailies in your edit system -
  • If you CANNOT digitize directly, use BETA SP (using the MFM tracks) instead of 3/4" U-Matic, PLEASE!
• Hire a good script supervisor - his or her notes are invaluable to the Post Sound job!

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• Targeting 5% of your shooting budget for Post Sound is a good place to start -
  • Sure you can probably find someone to do it on a shoestring, but will they make it sound great?
  • And how can you be sure that the money you save up front doesn't come back as OVERAGES later on?
• Remember - less budget = less time = less sound - this usually means your M&E is "thin" (and rejectable!)
• If you're expecting to have sound on your second unit footage, DON'T shoot it MOS to begin with!
  • You'll be amazed at how much of your budget you can eat up replacing nonexistent production sound.
• Try not to steal from your post sound budget to "put it on the screen" - you'll have bigger problems later on!
• As a general rule, 4 weeks of sound editorial is a minimum for a modest feature film;
  • As the complexity of the film increases, so does the time (and budget) required to complete it
• The more mixing time you can afford, the easier and potentially better your mix will be;
  • 5 days is a minimum for even a low budget film - that's 2 film reels (or 2000 feet) of mix per day.
• Remember "It is better to have it in the can than to fix it on the ADR stage later";
  • If possible, try to get a good take while you are shooting - ADR is slow, expensive, and a compromise
  • On that note, give your production mixer TIME to get scene ambiences when you are shooting!
• Try to hire the composer far enough in advance that you can REVIEW THE SCORE before you mix!
  • Nothing eats mix time like swapping music out on the stage because it isn't what you expected (or like!)

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• If you must ADR, please be prepared to deliver TBW lines (lines "to be written") to the ADR supervisor as soon as possible.
• Remember, when scheduling talent for looping sessions, most ADR stages cannot accomodate you with a few minutes' notice - a nominal amount of time should be allowed for scheduling (usually a week after delivery of the locked cut is about right)
   

   

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• Please remember that no one, not even Kreskin, can read your mind to determine what you want the sound to be like
• SHARE your vision with your Sound Supervisor, Sound Designer, etc...
• Be prepared to ARTICULATE that vision in words they can relate to..."I'd like the scene more green" is better said to the color timer than the sound designer, in most cases!
  In some cases, offering a concrete example of what TO DO or what NOT TO DO can save a lot of time..."Whatever you do, I don't want it to sound like (name some sound effect) in (name some bad movie)" - or conversely "I really liked the camers flashbulbs in "Raging Bull" - I had something like that in mind for this sequence..."

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• Be realistic! - if you have a low budget feature where people SIT around a lot, you won't need 10 days of Foley
• If you have "Terminator 4", I'd bet you can't do it on four days of Foley, no matter HOW fast the walkers are!
• Guidelines:
  • Low budget show, 3-4 days as action dictates - Medium Budget, 1 day per reel (9-10 days);
  • Big budget show - Sky's the limit...Could take as much as 6 weeks of Foley!

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• KNOW what you want from the composer
• Hire a great composer that can deliver what you want
• Support him, and review with him frequently during the process
• Listen to the final score BEFORE it gets to the mix stage
• Moving, changing or replacing a music score while mixing is EXPENSIVE and TIME-CONSUMING!!!
   

   

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• KNOW what you are expecting the film to sound like when you are done
• SHARE that vision with the mixers, exactly as you shared it with the Sound Supervisor
• For BEST results, be prepared to make FIRM DECISIONS on sound-related issues
• The more you can make up your mind QUICKLY, the less time your mix will take
• Yes, you can try things, but remember that Mix time is EXPENSIVE, and is usually limited.
   

   
   
   

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• If you are cutting on AVID or LIGHTWORKS, be sure the Assistant makes a GREAT EDL
• If you have DIGITIZED YOUR DAILIES directly from a high-quality source, we can now EXPORT YOUR SOUND via OMF for direct import into our digital soun dediting systems. This saves you time and money!
• Prior to spotting, be sure your reel breaks are firmed up;
• Remember that once you've locked and ddelivered to sound, changes are COSTLY!
• Remember: deliver any temp effects that you are in love with to the Sound House, so they can put them IN for you!
   

   

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Q: When will this page be finished ?

A: Well, probably never, but it will be continually evolving as there is a lot of information yet to upload. If you enjoyed this page, please let us know. You can email your comments to gnome@gnomedigital.com and your thoughts will be appreciated.