Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1081203
55 Q1 2019 / CINEMONTAGE to the mixer, with discrete left and right rear surrounds for the master balance, the mix gets a nice surround pocket when decoded to 5.1. "We have to be extra careful that the stereo mix folds down clean," he says. "Because Roberto likes to screen the show in stereo, the surround material is always checked to make sure it does not overload that mix. Like Vicki, my favorite reverb is Altiverb, which I use on hard effects, Foley and backgrounds. I switch between stereo and 5.1 outputs." COLLABORATION IS KING Lemar considers Kobett to be a collaborative mix partner. "We have very similar mixing styles, which really helps us be quick and efficient," she offers. "We only have two days to get 50 to 65 minutes of runtime mixed, played back and out the door. During our first pass of a scene, when we're running with just dialogue and music, Ken is really focused on the story and how he can elevate it with his tracks." "Vicki and I teamed up last year, and I couldn't be happier," Kobett confirms. "She is fantastic with dialogue noise reduction, ADR matching and music. As a mix team, personality and workflow are really crucial to a harmonious stage. And Eric Huzeo, our stage tech, is a crucial part of that team dynamic. He is first-in, last-out and a constant positive force." In terms of on-stage negotiations between dialogue, music and sound effects, "Whoever has the sharpest and loudest zings, bangs or booms wins," Lemar concedes. "Our effects editor does a really great job of having all the big moments covered, because he doesn't know what the final music will be doing. When we receive the music from our incredibly talented composer, Adam Taylor, we have nothing but great choices. "Sometimes, we choose to feature the effects a little more; sometimes music is really propelling and commenting on the scene, and we can use effects to support and supplement," she continues. "It all depends upon what's happening on screen. We do our initial pass in 5.1-channel and, at our showrunner's request, play back the two-track left/right derived simultaneously from the 5.1. Usually there aren't any surprises in the down mix. And since most of the playback notes are minor level adjustments, we know what we do in the two-track will translate back to the 5.1." Lemar relates that Netflix recently changed its audio delivery specifications to -27 dBFS on a dialogue-weighted scale, according to the ITU-R BS.1770-1 algorithm. "Most network and cable shows measure overall loudness with a target of -24 dBFS to ITU-R BS.1770-3," she says. "We check our levels after our technical playback during the morning of day two. If we need to make any adjustments, we can do that while addressing the first round of notes. We then do a final check after the playback for our showrunner to make sure we're still in spec." Most of the playback notes were to make things louder, according to Lemar. "We had a note recently to turn down a sting, and the showrunner prefaced it with, 'I can't believe I'm actually going to give this note.' Roberto wants the dialogue to pop and our mix to jump at the scare moments. If we get an audible reaction from him during playback then we know we've done our jobs! Our mission is to make sure the dialogue stands out in the mix. There are lots of exterior scenes that are quite noisy; it's all about how much noise you can clean out without sacrificing clarity. Or maybe getting the dialogue to cut through when a tornado is ripping through town." Reviewing his experience with Part 1 of Chilling Adventures, Coblentz considers meeting the show's schedule to be the most daunting task. "Each episode is a mini-feature with running times between 55 and 65 minutes," he says. "Our timeline to turnover is 20 episodes, back-to-back. And Netflix has just ordered an additional 16 [for the second season]. These timelines are normal in the primetime slots of 42-minute programs. But add more time to the story, and no commercials, and you have…streaming broadcast at its finest! "My editors, recordists and mixers all work under the highest levels of expectation," he concludes. "We have developed a well-oiled machine on the show that never ends!" Perhaps Sabrina has cast a sonic spell on them as well. f Ken Kobett.