Soundtrack

[maxmcadams94]

This will probably be the simplist and most embarassing question I will ever ask. I should already know this but how is it that when filming a motion picture, every characters dialogue is on a seperate track. People are always saying that when editing you need multiple tracks for dialogue when I seem to have one. How does this work? Thanks

Max

[David Mullen ASC]

It makes it easier to mix later, and make changes to the edit, if you keep the dialogue on separate sound tracks while editing.

 

In the old days of mono analog 35mm print sound, you'd mix everything down to one track eventually, although you'd store a mix where dialogue is separate from music & effects ("M&E") for making foreign dubbed versions later.

 

Mixing is important to balance sound levels plus make ADR work (dialogue replaced in post) all match original sound.

[Brian Drysdale]

This will probably be the simplist and most embarassing question I will ever ask. I should already know this but how is it that when filming a motion picture, every characters dialogue is on a seperate track. People are always saying that when editing you need multiple tracks for dialogue when I seem to have one. How does this work? Thanks

Max

 

You can put the dialogue on just one track, however, by putting each character in a scene onto separate tracks during the editing (although sound recordists will often split their tracks during the shooting) it allows the editor to have to have control things like overlapping dialogue, increase gaps, fade up a track etc. The sound mixer can apply different settings like sound level, low and high frequency filters, reverb to each track for best effect.

 

If there is only one location track the editor will break down each character's dialogue onto a different track eg Dialogue #1, Dialogue #2 etc. It makes sense when you have CUs, Wide Shots and you start using sound from one shot (eg CU) over another shot (eg WS, reaction shot etc).

 

Ideally the dialogue tracks should be recorded as clean as possible - a good sound recordist will tell you when you've got background noises or overlapping dialogue. They'll also insist on recording a atmosphere or buzz track of the location so that the editor can use this to cover gaps or variations in background sound levels in the dialogue tracks when the levels are adjusted during the dubbing mix.

 

 

You also do the same for sound FX tracks and music tracks. By this process you can build up your film's sound layer by layer. It's well worth reading up on the whole process.