Preparing Sound Effects Tracks

Take your reel of fine cut picture and put it in the first track of the synchroniser, nearest you. If you are using a fourway synchroniser this will leave you space for three soundtracks. It does not of course mean that your film can only have three soundtracks. You can prepare three, rewind and then prepare more. Put the cutting copy in the first track of the film horse and three reels of white blank leader in the other three tracks. Place the cutting copy leader in the first track of the synchroniser and take up the slack end on a split spool. Next you can take three new leaders and put them in the three empty tracks of the synchroniser. On the start of the first one you should write the title of the film and the words “Effects track 1, Reel 1 of 1-Head”. On the start of the second one you should repeat the operation identifying it as Effects track 2 and likewise the third track as Effects track 3. You can then take up the ends of the leaders on split spools and wind on. Wind down to the start mark on the picture leader. Check that the other start marks on the other leaders are in level synchronisation — opposite the one on the picture. If they are, you can wind down to the first frame of picture.

Matching sound and picture

Wind down to the point where the leader on the cutting copy is joined to the first picture and, in exactly the same place, mark the ends of the other leaders. At this point you will start to join on sound or spacing. When you have marked it you can wind on, letting the three leaders on the tracks run out of the synchroniser. Now look at the first picture. It shows a car drawing up and stopping. Find the appropriate sound and put it in the second track of the synchroniser. You must synchronise the sound so that it stops at the same time as the car. Move the track about until it fits to a frame. Then wind back until you are opposite the first frame of the picture. Put a mark on the magnetic track parallel with the point at which the picture leader joins the first frame of the action — the point you have already marked on the other three leaders. Now you can make your cut, joining the track you have marked on to the first of your new leaders. For the time being join spacing onto the other two leaders. Then check all your joins to ensure that they are parallel with the join at the start of the cutting copy.

PREPARING SOUND EFFECTS TRACKS

Using separate tracks
The cutting copy (B) shows the car arriving and stopping. The sound of the car goes on track (A) starting level with the picture. A back up atmosphere track of distant traffic goes on a second track (C) starting at the same point. The third track (D) not needed for this shot is built up with spacing.