Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/681510
44 S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 C A S Q U A R T E R L Y
ALCHEMY ON THE DUB STAGE
THE CONCIERGE
"Welcome to the dub stage." Clients, especially first-
time ones, can frequently show up at the mix carrying a
lot of baggage. They are entrusting a critical part of the
process—one of the last stops along the way—to col-
laborators who they may not know well or even at all. In
addition, there may be many "fix it in the mix" items to
be addressed. The camera angle they were never able to
get now needs to be solved by the sounds of something
happening off screen. The ADR that didn't quite turn
out means the virtually unusable production track now
needs to be saved. They are entrusting their precious
package to you in order to bring their vision to fruition
and guide them through this process. And all within an
ever-dwindling span of time. No wonder they're nervous.
Allaying those concerns by projecting confidence and
knowledge helps. The first step is to have a discussion
with the client about what their objectives are and how
by Mark Rozett CAS
of Managing Client
Wizardry
you, as a team, will REALISTICALLY be able to achieve
them. Are you mixing for movie theaters, video, or the
Internet? Explain the differences in compatibility for
those mediums to head off any later disappointments.
You don't want to engage in "audio masturbation" on
the dub stage—finessing every subtle detail only to have
it all obscured during a later playback on a pair of crappy
computer speakers.
It's helpful to explain your favored way of working to
the client and negotiate any modifications to accommo-
date their needs. Outline the overall schedule—includ-
ing pre-dubs, final mixing, playback, and "tweaks." This
understanding of the process will go a long way in know-
ing what to expect in the coming days—for both you and
your client—as well as create a more pleasant mood on
the dub stage during the process.
THE CAPTAIN AND THE MECHANIC
There's no denying there IS an element of magical fun in
what we do—why else would the non-masochists among us
do it? You can't help but feel a surge of power as all those
tracks light up and run through your fingertips—every-
thing coming together for the ride, as you sit behind what
literally looks like a rocket ship. This is usually the first
time anyone has seen the film in an approximately com-
plete form and the excitement can be palpable—and it's a
great gig for a control freak. The enchantment of motion
pictures is unleashed right there on your dub stage.
Unfortunately, however, it turns out that there IS a
human being behind the curtain, and the magic actually
is hard work. The apparently effortless final result is, in
fact, backed by 10,000 hours of experience. When you
are able to perform instantaneous prestidigitation—
"Take the 60-cycle hum out a production track?