Editing the Sound

While the editor is putting the programme together, he or she will incorporate most of the sound which is relevant to the content of the programme, but will not be over-concerned with the niceties of atmosphere tracks and sound effects until the picture is locked-off. When picture-lock is reached attention is turned to finishing the soundtrack.

This can be achieved in a number of ways:

1. At its simplest, a final soundtrack may be mixed down by the videotape editor at a linear on-line edit.
2. An editor using a non-linear editing system can create a final mix after he or she has adjusted levels, incorporated cross-fades and laid in extra effects and atmosphere, on the same computer system used to edit the picture.
3. An alternative to the above is for the non-linear editor, having finished the picture, to incorporate cross-fades and laid tracks before passing the programme to a dubbing theatre for commentary recording, the addition of library sound effects and final mixing.
4. Drama, feature films and television documentaries are likely to involve a separate sound editor, sometimes called a dubbing editor, who takes over the project at picture-lock. The sound editor, who may have one or more assistants, will be responsible for laying all the sound tracks which may be pre-mixed before they are finally incorporated into the final mix in the dubbing theatre. The more complex the production, the more complicated the tracklay may be, including specially composed music, re-recorded dialogue (known as ADR – Automated Dialogue Replacement), library atmospheres and specially recorded Foley effects – which include footsteps, clothes rustling, knives and forks at meals etc. A high budget feature film will actually employ music editors, dialogue editors, Foley editors, all with their own assistants.

What Does a PA Do?

The PA might be required to find library effects, tapes or CDs to be incorporated into the sound track. During the final run-through of the master sound track the PA should time any music for copyright details.

Dubbing cue sheet for a simple dub.