Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1152266
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y S U M M E R 2 0 1 9 41 a soundstage; for everyone really. But for us, we don't have to be as vigilant listening for a plane landing or a siren approaching that could spoil a take. WHO DO YOU DELIVER TO? The physical media goes to the digital imaging tech (DIT) or a loader. Depending on whether it is a digital or film shoot. Since TV is shot digitally, by and large, it's the DIT. They take our SD/CF card, ingest it into picture editorial's workflow, and bring it back. At this point, it's their dialogue to match to dailies and use in their picture- editing platform. SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM FOR ERROR WITH ALL THESE FILES FLOATING AROUND ACROSS DEPARTMENTS WITH DIFFERENT SYSTEMS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE PRODUCTION. IS IT ALL KEPT TOGETHER BY A TIME-OF-DAY TIMECODE TRACK? It's interesting that you bring that up because on set it's the Audio Department that's in charge of time! We check with the head of post-production before each shoot and decide what type of timecode we are going to use, set that up in our clackers and recording units. We give those clackers you've seen on screen to the 2nd assistant camera op, and they sync their cameras to us. So, every file should have the same timecode and a certain pre-arranged naming convention so everyone can stay on the same page. Next stop along the chain, I was lucky enough to speak with JON CORONA, an audio editorial assistant at a large post- production facility. HOW DO THESE SHOWS COME TO YOU? Every show is different. The deliveries vary depending on the timeline of the picture editor's AAF and the state of the production mixer's audio dailies or sound rolls. In essence, there is no standard. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE ALL OF THESE MOVING PARTS? We start by renaming the sound files in the sound rolls. BY HAND!? No. Well, sometimes, if it comes to that, but usually we use a program that "THE PHYSICAL MEDIA GOES TO THE DIGITAL IMAGING TECH (DIT) OR A LOADER. AT THIS POINT, IT'S THEIR DIALOGUE TO MATCH TO DAILIES AND USE IN THEIR PICTURE- EDITING PLATFORM." –PRODUCTION SOUND MIXER BLAS KISIC batch renames the files with scene, take, and timecode info. Many times, these files will show up and have a name that is only a numeric sequence. It's not human-friendly, and we are trying to prep for our dialogue editors. MAKES SENSE. THEN WHAT? We use a feature that's been in Pro Tools for some time called "Field Recorder Guide Track." We use it to point Pro Tools to the sound rolls for an episode and, under some pre-selected criteria, it indexes them. It helps us create a timeline with all the sound roll files matched to the correct shot from the picture delivery. From time to time, there is a naming or timecode error, and we'll have to place a file by hand. When we think we have everything in the session, we use yet another program to phase lock our new sound roll-created timeline against the AAF timeline from the picture department. This assures that all the files are in sync with greater accuracy than a timecode number. AND TO WHOM DO YOU DELIVER? It depends on how busy we are. Usually, we post the resulting PT session with the picture, AAF, and assembly to that show's dialogue editor on our server. But if a show has a quick turnaround, we may split the PT session into equal parts and post it to multiple dialogue editors.