Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1197255
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y W I N T E R 2 0 2 0 19 quality of the original production. Exterior shots should be miked closely to eliminate the "room." 2) The quality of the original production recording is the fi rst deciding factor in how one is going to match the ADR. Obviously, if the original is recorded in a quiet background setting with excellent mics and actors that project adequately, the choices made on how to match the ADR are easier. Not by any means the usual case. The worst scenario is a bad or tough production situation followed by resistance to looping either the whole scene or line versus just one word, etc. 3) A great many actors dislike doing ADR altogether. The attitude walking into the booth will determine how well the whole session is going to proceed. Pulling teeth all day is not fun for anyone. An actor who is more willing to get it right will endeavor to try to do the things that are necessary for it to all work together. Listening to the production lead-up line should indicate the two most essential elements for good ADR: projection (energy) and pitch. I have found that the ADR editor who monitors the session for these elements ends up being more successful in the fi nal outcome. The director is usually concentrating on the performance that they need. One more element to be considered is the timbre. If the actor in the scene is sitting … have them sit. If they are walking, have them move their arms. If the voice is coming from the chest versus the throat alone, then it is imperative to be aware of this and bring it to the attention of the talent. 4) If ADR is being done because of problems with the original recording, then matching is a little easier. Problems arise when the director wants to give a different "feel" to the scene or intention. The biggest non-match situation is if someone is originally "yelling" and their face contortions indicate that, or the lead-up line is already highly charged, etc., but the director has a change of heart and wants the expletive to be much "softer." Unfortunately, I can't tell you how many times I have had to go back to the original production because it had become painfully obvious that the new reading completely belies the picture up on the screen. 5) The "soup" that this all sits in is the context, and that includes the backgrounds playing in the mix, the music, and the FX. Having something to "hide" in helps the process. The real trick to matching well-recorded ADR with good performance is making sure the EQ is working and the room reverb is matching also. A little exterior "slap" helps exteriors or street scenes between buildings, etc. The diffi cult room matching is usually with interiors of different medium or small rooms. Large rooms or halls, etc., are much easier to add by hearing the production and looking at the picture itself. EQ is usually a matter of taking out a little booth mic effect (usually in the lower registers). I have also found that equalizing the room effect from any given plugin has desirous results. I hope I have not been stating all the obvious. I must say that giving up on any of the elements involved will shortchange the outcome. I think that one has to be courageous enough to speak up during the whole process for good matching to work. And it is always just that … a lot of work. S o , t h e r e i s s o m e i n s i g h t f r o m t w o o f t h e b e s t i n t h e b u s i n e s s ! I s p o k e w i t h s e v e r a l o t h e r s f o r t h i s a r t i c l e a s w e l l a n d t h e c o n s e n s u s w a s t o u s e t h e s e t o o l s t o g e t i n t o t h e b a l l p a r k f a s t , a n d d e v e l o p y o u r o w n s k i l l s a n d t e c h n i q u e s t o g e t m o r e r e f i n e d a n d e v e r - i m p r o v i n g r e s u l t s . T h a t ' s o n e o f t h e t h i n g s t h a t m a k e s m i x i n g s o s e d u c t i v e ; t h e r e i s a l way s m o r e t o l e a r n . . . a c r a f t t o h o n e . G e t t o w o r k e v e r y o n e , a n d s e e y o u o n t h e d u b s t a g e ! " A HANDFUL OF COMPANIES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING TOOLS TO HELP MIXERS SMOOTH OUT THE DIFFERENCE IN TONE BETWEEN PRODUCTION DIALOGUE AND ADR."