Audio for Picture Overview• Sound for picture can be

grouped into the following stems:

• Dialog (ie. Spoken word)

• Sound FX

• Music/Score

•Often different “teams” of people work on producing the audio for each of the above 3 elements.

• During the final mix or “dub” these 3 elements are brought together.1

Picture Soundtrack Overview

Dialogue / Narration

Picture Soundtrack

Production Dialogue

ADR

Narration/Voiceover

Animation Dialogue

Foley

Sound FX

Jingle Music (Ads.)

Soundtrack Music

Musical Score

Environmental Music

Ambience

Foley / Sound FX

Music

2

Dialogue• Dialogue (spoken word) is

usually recorded on location during filming (production) by a team consisting of the Boom Operator, Sound Mixer and Cable/Utility Person.

• The sound crew’s aim is to capture dialogue from the actors as cleanly as possible

• They may also attempt to capture some “room tone” and a few environmental sounds3

Location Audio Equipment

• Recording dialogue on-set is usually done using a boom microphone. These mics tend to have a highly directional polar pattern to avoid spill and noise.

• Small lavalier (spot) microphones are also used in some cases.

• Recording is done via a small mixer to a portable medium such as a Nagra, DAT or Hard Disk Recorder.

Sennheiser MK416 Boom MicMackie 1202 Mixer

Nagra V Digital Recorder

Countryman B6 Lavalier Mic - used in addition to boom mics.

4

Location Recording Formats• Location (aka

production) audio was originally recorded to analog tape (usually 1/4 inch and in mono).

• The de facto standard device for many years was the NAGRA tape deck.

• Later versions had 2 tracks plus a time-code track (Nagra IV - STC)

Nagra III - 1962. This was a mono deck that used 1/4 inch analog tape.

Nagra IV - 1971. This upgrade included 2 mic inputs and a built in limiter

5

Location Recording Formats

• Analogue formats were eventually replaced with digital devices.

• Nagra has brought out the Nagra V which records to an internal hard drive

Nagra V - 2002. This device records in stereo at a resolution of up to 24 bit/96 kHz to an internal hard drive. It is fully SMPTE

compatible and records in BWF (Wav) file format.

6

Location Recording Formats

7

The Nagra VI digital audio recorder was awarded the TEC Award for “Outstanding Technical Achievement” at a ceremony in New York on Saturday October 10th 2009 during the 127th

AES show.

What has happened to the Nagra IV?

Location Recording Formats

• Other hard disc based recorders have been released most of which can transfer files directly into Pro Tools.

Fostex FR-2. Records 2 tracks of audio with time-code to a PC card at a resolution of up to 24

bit/96kHz.

Zaxcom Deva V. This device records up to 10 tracks to an internal hard drive and backs up to a DVD drive.

8

ADR - Automated Dialogue Replacement

• ADR is the process of re-recording dialogue from an actor once filming has ceased (post production).

• ADR is (usually) done in a studio with the actor viewing themselves on screen and re-speaking their lines.

• ADR is often required for scenes that contain a lot of background noise and the location sound is unusable.

• NB - Narration is also recorded in this way.9

Foley• Foley effects are sounds that

accompany live action/movement on the screen.

• They include footsteps, clothes rustling, doors opening etc - sounds that are difficult to capture during filming.

• Foley sounds are recorded during post production on a dedicated foley studio/stage by a foley artist whilst viewing the picture.

• Foley is named after Jack Foley (1891-1967) who is credited as being the inventor of foley.

10

Sound FX• Sound FX are classed as

any other sounds, besides Foley, that are non-dialogue and non-musical. Example - explosions, gunshots, mechanical sounds etc.

• Sound FX also includes any non-synchronous sounds (eg. off camera sounds that don’t require sync to picture)

11

12

Music in Picture• Music included in

film/TV etc can take several forms:

• Score

• Performed/environmental music

• Soundtrack music

• Music is usually included to create/convey a “mood” for the visual action. It can also be, in some cases, part of the action.

Empire Strikes Back (1980). Soundtrack Contains the score

written by John Williams

Top Gun (1986). Soundtrack album

contains several songs heard during the movie.

Walk The Line (2006). Soundtrack album contains songs performed by

the actors in the movie

13

Musical Score• Often a composer may be

hired to write a musical score for a picture.

• A rough “cut” of the film will be given to them after shooting and the composer will work from that.

• The method of production/recording for the score will depend on the budget for the picture. Larger budgets allow for a full orchestra (see left).

Warner Bros Scoring Stage

14

15

The Final Dub (Mix)• Once all the elements of

the soundtrack have been recorded and edited, they are then mixed together.

• This process is referred to as “Dubbing” and is carried out (usually) on a Dub Stage.

• A dub stage will be located in a cinema-type area and (usually) house a large format console to handle the multiple signals involved in a soundtrack.Film Dub Stage at Twickenham Studios, London

Film Dub Stage at Soundfirm Studios. Melbourne

16