Surface To Air Productions

A Brief Glossary of Post Production Terminology

ADR - Automatic Dialog Replacement. Also known as "looping" or "post sync". The vast majority of dialog heard in films since the 60's was not recorded during filming. This is due to a number of factors including poor set acoustics, wind, planes flying overhead, etc. Therefore, after filming, the actors must go into a studio to record their lines in a controlled environment while watching themselves onscreen.

The term "looping" applies here because an actor can watch each shot repeated until their speech matches the lip movement onscreen. (The higher the budget, the more takes are possible. Also, some actors are much better at ADR than others.) Actors may additionally be asked to record alternate dialog words, for later replacement of profanities for television or airline versions of the same film.

Anomaly - Any sound that was not part of (or not intended for) the original soundtrack. Such sounds include buzzes, hum, clicks, pops, electronic noises, etc. Optical soundtracks (stripes found along one or both edges of a film) typically have characteristics similar to those of vinyl records. Digital soundtracks can suffer from electronic noises during playback and "new" anomalies can manifest during dubbing.

Bumper - Similar to a trailer except, on average, approximately ten seconds' worth of snippets from a film or simply a few lines of onscreen text including the title.

Commentary Editing - Selection and arrangement of remarks by directors, producers, composers and actors for commentary tracks as found on DVD (and formerly Laser Disc). Commentaries rarely are recorded exactly as the public hears them in the finished product. Microphone thumps, coughs, mastication, body sounds and long pauses between words or thoughts are all removed toward producing a clean, cohesive, more interesting track. "Arrangement" includes better placement of remarks about specific items onscreen, since they sometimes are referenced after a shot has passed from view. It further includes restructuring of certain sentences to make better sense (only if the result will say the same thing), as not all thoughts are uttered in perfect final form. Finally, blocks of commentary are organized to play well against the picture onscreen, allowing key parts of the original soundtrack to yield the story wherever possible. This is accomplished during the final mix between commentary and soundtrack.

Conform - The process of causing a soundtrack to fit the exact length of a movie, especially if the audio source is shorter or from a differently edited version. Conforming also includes the editing (cutting) or replacement of dialog for television or airline versions of a given film. In the latter case, certain shots or entire scenes may have been removed from the video prior to synchronization of the soundtrack. In all cases a "conform" differs from a "layback" because the former offers nothing simple toward soundtrack synchronization. Conforms are usually rife with problems. A conform for a single film can require many hours to complete.

Dub - The process of making a copy of a soundtrack, with the result using the same type of medium. Dubs differ from transfers in that the latter involve copying from one medium to another. Another type of dubbing is also known as re-recording. (See re-recording.)

DVD - Digital Versatile Disc. Not "digital video disc", which is a common but incorrect interpretation of this acronym. The DVD medium is "versatile" because in addition to - or instead of - video, it can store audio and computer data.

EQ - Equalization. To make compensation(s) for the lack (or presence) of bass sounds, midrange sounds and high frequency sounds. For example, EQ issues can arise in film restoration when part of one version of a soundtrack is "borrowed" to fill a gap in another version. I.E., if the English version is missing some sound effects and this section is "borrowed" from the Italian version, the Italian version may have been mixed with less bass and more high frequencies. This can cause a viewer to notice a change in sound, especially if the gap comes during the middle of a shot. Therefore, the borrowed piece must be adjusted - if possible - to have "equal" amounts of bass and high frequency sounds to match the English version.

Evaluation - A service requested by a movie studio. Involves listening to multiple, complete soundtracks for purposes of selecting the best audio source(s) for a film restoration project. A written report for each soundtrack is standard operating procedure. Among other things, these reports list any anomalies heard, timecode locations of the anomalies and ratings for the severity of each (1=minor, 2=moderate, 3=rejectable). Once all versions of a soundtrack have been evaluated, a "best source" will be determined for recommendation to the movie studio.

Finishing - The final stage of mastering. The last step before a master is sent to a plant for mass production of tapes or discs or both. Although masters usually go to a movie studio (or other owner) for QC prior to mass production, this is not always the case.

Foley - Sound effects recorded in a studio, usually while watching a shot, in attempts to match movements onscreen. As with dialog, most every sound effect heard in movies was not recorded during the original filming. Foley artists create and perform many sound effects after the fact, particularly concerning body movements. These includes footsteps (on a variety of surfaces), fight punches, clothing rustles and other sounds that otherwise could become too time-consuming to match from a sound effects library.

Layback - A process whereby a soundtrack is played back from a source and recorded in sync with a videotape master. This is among the "simplest" of post production procedures, as long as there are no differences in length between the soundtrack reels and the video picture. (Otherwise this task becomes a "Conform".) Laybacks also differ from Transfers in that the latter usually are not recorded as the soundtracks on videotape masters.

Mastering - Creation of a prime audio source from which all other copies will be made. Ideally, a master should be flawless with no anomalies. Masters for film may be made on any medium, digital or analog. Despite current digital technology, many movie soundtrack masters are still made on analog 35mm "mag" film. (Film with a brown oxide magnetic coating.)

Mixing - The process of combining dialog, music and effects into a pair of stereo tracks, a single mono track or a set of several surround sound tracks. Many domestic (American) films are mixed with emphasis on effects and music. Contrary to this, foreign soundtracks for the same films - particularly in Spanish speaking countries - are often mixed with more emphasis on dialog. Concerning the mixing of audio commentaries for DVD, soundtrack levels remain low until they are brought up between remarks made by a director, producer, composer or actor. Mixing may also involve combining (or "folding down") a set of surround sound tracks into a two-channel encoder, for use in production of VHS and DVD. This two-channel signal is then split into several tracks again by the decoder in a home DVD player, VHS player or other device.

Non-domestic Soundtracks - (aka Foreign Versions) Any version of a film containing a language that is non-native to the country of origin. For many films made in the United States, studios usually arrange the hiring of actors abroad to dub (or, ADR) additional languages for international distribution. The most common locations include Paris, Rome, Barcelona (for Castillian Spanish), Munich or Berlin, Rio de Janeiro (for Portuguese), and Mexico City or Santiago (Chile) for Latin American Spanish. Other languages may also include Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Farsi, Danish and Russian.

In this process, copies of a film's music and effects tracks are sent abroad where they are mixed locally with the added language after dubbing is complete. (English also is sent separately, as a guide during ADR.) Finally, masters for the non-domestic soundtracks (and copies) are sent to the U.S. for vaulting, preparation of airline versions, television / cable broadcast versions and home video (VHS and DVD).

QC - Acronym for "Quality Control" or "Quality Check". Similar to an "Evaluation" in that a complete, written report is made for purposes of listing any anomalies heard, the timecode locations of the anomalies (if any), ratings for the severity of each anomaly (1=minor, 2=moderate, 3=rejectable). Differs from an Evaluation in that no "best source" is being determined. Usually performed on behalf of (or by) a studio for checking a master prior to vaulting, to check the work of a vendor, or both.

Re-recording - A type of dubbing that usually takes place when a film soundtrack is being mixed on a sound stage. The original elements of music, effects and dialog are gathered together and selected. Then they are mixed, simultaneously being "re-recorded" onto new tape or film as masters. The process of creating new surround sound versions from soundtracks that were originally mono or two-channel stereo may also be considered as being "re-recording".

Restoration - Applies to any film (particularly those from antiquity) requiring special care and attention during preparation for re-release and / or archiving. If a film print remains in such a state that it can be projected, it will undergo a cleaning process prior to either telecine or having a new print struck. Audio may be dubbed from the optical track on such a print or from alternate soundtrack sources. This audio may also require further electronic "cleaning" and enhancement.

Surround Sound Mixing - The process of directing sounds (using a mixer) to discreet left, right, rear, center and subwoofer channels. With films made since the early 1990's this is usually performed during re-recording on a sound stage. For film soundtracks that previously did not have surround sound, multiple channels are induced electronically, usually via special computer software.

Sweetening - Fine EQ adjustments and optional addition of electronic effects / filters during the mastering stage of a recording.

Synchronization - The process of "locking" audio tracks together so that they will play synchronously with a film. Since most film soundtrack masters are maintained separately from the print (or, "Printmaster"), the audio must be synchronized with the latter each time a new version is made. Although a soundtrack usually does appear on the Printmaster, this is almost never used because the quality of optical soundtracks is inferior to that of analog tape, mag or digital audio.

Telecine - (pronounced "tella-sinny" or "tella-kinny") The process of transferring film to video, most often to digital video. Roll by roll, the best available film prints are loaded on a machine where their images are projected onto a special CRT (cathode ray tube). From the CRT the video signal is sent through a complex series of electronic filters on its way to videotape. When requested by the studio, a colorist (the person operating the telecine facility) may also transfer the audio soundtrack simultaneously. However, due to special audio gear needs - gear that is usually not part of a telecine arsenal - the task of final soundtrack synchronization (or even restoration) usually falls upon personnel and facilities specializing in this.

Telecine may be considered a "creative" process because value judgments must be made by the telecine colorist. During a film transfer, such judgements involve shot-by-shot brightness, contrast and color hue adjustments, among other things. For this reason a given production's original director and / or producer(s) may opt their own involvement at this stage. When directors or producers are not involved - as is most often the case - the "look" of the result is solely up to the colorist.

Trailer - An advertisement for a film, shown on television and in theaters. Running times can vary from fifteen seconds to three minutes. An assortment of clips from a film, arranged in such a way that will (hopefully) elicit excitement and anticipation in viewers.

Transfer - The process of playing back a soundtrack on one medium while recording it onto a different medium. (Differs from "dubbing" in this respect.) Also differs from a "layback" in that a transfer does not entail the creation of a master.

Voiceover - Narration added to a film soundtrack or to a commercial. Similar to ADR in that a person's voice is recorded in a controlled environment (a studio vocal booth). Differs from ADR because no attempts are made to match onscreen lip movement. The main constraint applicable to voiceovers is that of time, as they can run no longer than the sequence at hand.

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