Recording Dialog and Narration

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The most important part of nearly all film and video productions is the dialog and narration that occurs throughout. A great deal of effort goes into making the dialog clear and accurate. Smooth dialog audio helps draw the viewer into the production. In many cases, dialog recorded on the set might be unusable due to environmental factors. As we've learned, it is possible to replace certain dialog segments in the studio using ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement). Animation dialog, voiceovers , and narration are also recorded in the studio. This section is devoted to recording dialog, in its many forms, in the post-production studio.

Replacing Existing Dialog (ADR)

Imagine that you are a production sound mixer on a film about a WWII submarine crew. The set is a recreation of a WWII sub that can be moved and turned by large hydraulics and electric motors in order to simulate the rocking of a submarine under fire from depth charges. The hydraulics and motors are constantly making a racket, and it seems that every time the main character says a line, one of these motors makes a horrible sound that can be heard everywhere, including through the body mic and boom micrendering the recording useless. The machines have to be in operation, as the boat needs to move during these scenes. What are you going to do? ADR, the process of replacing these lines with new ones recorded in an audio studio by the same actor, is the answer. Any recorded dialog that contains too much environmental sound or is flawed in other ways must be replaced in post-production using ADR.

As ADR may be done weeks or months after a specific scene was filmed, the talent will need to practice their lines while watching and hearing themselves in the original scene. Getting it just right can be difficult. A common practice is to "loop" one line at a time, repeating it and recording each pass while the talent reads the line while watching himself or herself on a monitor. This process, known as dialog looping , helps the actor get into the moment and relive the scene in order to get a recording that closely matches the original filmed performance.

Using Loop Record Mode

Pro Tools has a special record mode called Loop Record that can help with ADR. Select Loop Record from the Operations menu or press Option+L to enable loop recording. A loop figure will appear around the Record button in the transport window, as shown in Figure 5.12. Using Grid mode, select an area about five seconds in length for a test recording. Record-enable a track and start recording. You will see that the area will first record as normal, but then Pro Tools will cycle back to the start point and record over the same area again and again until you stop. If you have a QuickTime movie loaded, it too will cycle in sync with Pro Tools, allowing the talent to see themselves for each take.

Figure 5.12. Loop recording. The arrowed circle around the Record button indicates that you are in Loop Record mode.

Note that the pre-roll and post-roll settings are not taken into account when loop recording. In other words, if you set up a pre- and post-roll amount to give the talent time to prepare before saying the line, Pro Tools will start out with the pre-roll amount; but as soon as the end point is reached, it will immediately return to the start point without pre-roll and continue recording, completely ignoring the post-roll amount and only pre-rolling for that first cycle.

It is common practice to create countdown beeps for the talent. Three beep tones allow the talent to prepare and accurately time the start of the line. Set up in and out points that include the countdown beeps and some breathing room after the line, as shown in Figure 5.13. Granted, this method uses a little more disk space than needed, but it gets the job done nicely . It is sometimes necessary to copy the original line to a spot before the countdown beeps so that the talent has a reference. Some actors like to have the original line playing in one ear as they re-read it. You should be prepared for just about anything.

Figure 5.13. Setting up loop record for ADR. Notice the in and out points include the countdown beeps before and a short space after the line that is being replaced on the track above. This gives some pre- and post-roll for the talent to catch a breath and prepare.

NOTE

CREATING COUNTDOWN BEEPS

Creating beeps is pretty simple. In Grid mode, select an area of one frame. Open the Audiosuite plug-in Signal Generator. Set it up for a 1kHz sine tone at -20db or so. Hit Process. Now you have a tone beep. You can option+drag this new region to a place one second later. Repeat. Now you have three beep tones at one-second intervals. You can select all three tones plus another second worth of time after the last tone and consolidate selection (command+option+3) to create one region with three countdown beeps in it. If you line up the end of the region with the start of the line to be re-read, you will have a perfect countdown for the talent.

Loop recording does not create multiple files, one for each time it loops . Instead, Pro Tools records one continuous file that has regions in it that correspond to each cycle of the loop recording. The last region is usually shorter than all the rest since you must hit stop before the end point or Pro Tools will go back and start a new region. Each time you record, a new file will be created with a unique name (see below). Each pass of the loop during that recording will have a corresponding region that is also uniquely named according to the conventions listed below. You will be able to keep track of each take and each pass in those takes using the naming convention.

As only the last pass of the loop recording is left "on top" in the track, you need to be able to drag other takes from the Audio Region List window into the track for auditioning and editing, and you need to be able to do this with sample accuracy. The region needs to be placed exactly where it was recorded initially or it will be out of sync with the picture. A simple way to do achieve accuracy is to set up your in and out points using Grid mode with the grid value set to one frame. This way, every region created during the loop recording will start on a specific frame number. Dragging regions from the list into the Edit window this way is easy and somewhat foolproof. Using markers at the start of an ADR line can also help speed up editing and auditioning of takes, as shown in Figure 5.14.

Figure 5.14. Here you can see a marker at the start of a line that will be looped for ADR. Notice that the marker is right on a frame boundary and the grid is set to one frame. Grid mode is activated.

It is always possible to re-sync a region to its original record location by using Spot mode. In Figure 5.15 you can see the Spot Dialog and in the lower portion, the original time stamp number. This time stamp is created when the file is originally recorded. By clicking the up arrow next to the time stamp number, the original time stamp will be placed in the region's start time slot. After clicking OK, the region will move to its originally recorded location.

Figure 5.15. The Spot Dialog being used to place a region at its original recording time by using the time stamp at the bottom of the window. Pressing the arrow button next to the Original Time Stamp SMPTE number will load that number into the Start value for the region.

File Management and Pro Tools' Naming Conventions

Looping dialog can create many audio files that need to be organized in order for you to make sense of them all. You must also understand the naming convention in Pro Tools to keep track of ADR takes. Pro Tools names audio files and their associated regions starting with the name of the track they are recorded into. For instance, say you're about to start an ADR session and you create a track called ADR 1 for the first line you wish to loop. You could use the character's name with a scene number, or anything else you like, as long as you know what it means. Pro Tools will name the first file recorded into that track ADR 1_01. The next time you record onto that track the file will be named ADR 1_02, and so on. If you change the name of the track to ADR 2, then the next time you record onto that track, the file name will be ADR 2_01, and so on.

Let's say you record four cycles of the five-second loop of ADR 1. In the Audio Regions List, you will now find the bold name ADR 1_01 for the entire file and then a series of regions named ADR 1_01-1, ADR 1_01-2, and so on, one for each pass of the loop recording. Figure 5.16 shows the Audio Region List after recording several takes each with four passes of the line. You can see all the region names created by just these two takes.

Figure 5.16. The Audio Regions List after two takes of ADR 1 in Loop Record mode. Each take has four passes, each with its own region name below the file name in bold.

As long as you take reasonable notes while recording, it should be a snap to recall the favorite take and pass the director noted while recording. If the director wants to hear the third pass of take 4, you should be able to look over in the region list and find ADR 1_04-03 and drag it to the start point or marker, hit Play, and listen. Having the region list sorted by Creation Date, as shown in Figure 5.17, will keep your most recent takes at the top of the region list, making it easier to find them when you need them.

Figure 5.17. Selecting the Sort by Source File Creation Date option will keep the most recent recordings at the top of the region list. This can speed up take auditioning.

NOTE

UNDOING RECORD DOES NOT DO WHAT YOU THINK

"Undoing" after recording does not get rid of the audio file you have recorded. The audio file will be removed from the region list, but it is still on disk and will remain there until you manually remove it. The only way to undo a recording in progress is to hit Command+Period while the transport is still moving, either in record or during post-roll. This will end the recording and leave no audio file on disk. The take number will not increment. It will be as though nothing had happened . If, instead, you simply stop or "undo" the recording, an audio file will be created on disk and the take number will increment, even if you undo the recording!

Pro Tools will keep incrementing the take number even if you remove the last take in the region list. You can use the remove regions command (Command+Shift+B) to remove and delete regions and files from disk, but the take number will still increase. With ADR, to avoid confusion later it is wise to just keep recording and keep all the takes. Only changing the track name before the "_" character will reset the take number to 01. If you do a lot of ADR, you will need drive space and you will have a gazillion files in each session. Oh, the joy!

From a workflow point of view, there are many other ways to do ADR. For instance, you could use playlists to keep track of different takes or even different characters . Depending on how you like to work, different situations will require different work models. The method above should get you started, and along the way you will find what works best for you.

Third-party solutions that are specifically designed for ADR work do exist. Gallery Software's ADR Studio is designed to integrate into Pro Tools and help automate the process of ADR. At the time of this writing, this software is not yet compatible with v6.0.

Recording Technique

When recording ADR, you want the new dialog to sound identical to the original so that smooth transitions are possible when editing ADR into the original tracks. If the sounds are too disparate, ADR lines will stand out like sore thumbs later on in the mix.

To make the new dialog sound identical to the original, you need to know what type of mics and mic placement were used during the shoot. The production sound log sheets should give you a clue. It is nice to be able to go on the set and see for yourself how the miking is being done. In the ADR studio, try to re-create the mic placement used on the set. Use the same microphone, if possible. The recording room should be rather large (>5000 cu. ft.) and uncolored by early reflections. This can help when you place the mic farther away from the talent. Try to get the talent in the same position as they were in the shootstanding or sitting can affect the sound of their voice dramatically. Try to avoid having a solid table in front of the talent unless there is one in the scene you're working on. Tables, music stands, and any other obstruction in close proximity to the person reading can affect the sound quality. Music stands with light frames and holes in them work better for holding scripts rather than large, heavy stands or tables. Try putting a piece of carpet on the stand to reduce reflections into the mic. Figure 5.18 shows a typical ADR setup.

Figure 5.18. A typical ADR setup using the standard Sennheiser MKH 416B shotgun mic to mimic the miking used on the set. Notice the music stand with a light frame to avoid sonic coloration.

Recording Voiceovers and Narration

Voiceovers and narration are usually recorded in the studio. Certain exceptions exist wherein the talent's voice is from another scene and is being superimposed in the current scene to function as narration, but 99.99 percent of the time, voiceovers are recorded in a controlled studio environment.

Voiceovers usually have a warm and close-up quality, which separates them from the more natural-sounding dialog onscreen. To achieve this sound, a rather dead recording room is used, along with a large diaphragm-condenser microphone. The talent is normally quite close to the mic in order to take advantage of the mic's proximity effect, which will increase the low-end response and warm up the voice. Be careful not to get too close and boomy, as clarity is very important for a voiceover. Good voiceover talent will know how to control the mic and their diction , including plosives like "Bs" and "Ps." Still, since the talent is so close to the mic, it is a good idea to use a pop filter to lessen any wind noise and plosives.

NOTE

PLOSIVES, POP FILTERS, AND MIC PLACEMENT

Plosives are sounds that occur during normal speech that result in a small amount of wind exiting the mouth. The letters P, B, T, F, and sometimes S can cause this to happen. This wind can interact with the microphone diaphragm, causing undesirable low-frequency sounds. Positioning of the mic outside the path of the wind coming from someone's mouth can help minimize these effects. A common technique is the use of a pop filter to prevent the wind from getting to the microphone. Professional announcers and narrators will have good technique for minimizing the plosives in their speech. For inexperienced talent, a pop filter or creative mic placement can be used to great effect in minimizing these unwanted sounds.

There is no special workflow when recording voiceovers. Just create a track and start recording, with a stopwatch handy. You might need to put a piece of music underneath while recording if that is how it will be heard in the end; the music can help the talent time their reading and create a pace for the narration. Timing each take of a voiceover is important especially in short TV commercials, where time is money and the client has certain key points that must be emphasized .

NOTE

BACKUP RECORDER DURING SESSIONS

It is a good idea to have another recorder running while recording someone in the studio. Talent is usually paid by the hour , and if you were to lose some recording due to a disk failure or some other unforeseen event, having a backup can be a lifesaver. It is common to have a DAT machine running in the background during a session. This way, if the perfect take happens but your computer fails to capture it, the DAT will have a copy that you can load in later. This can save studio time and keep a project on schedule.

A Note about Animation Dialog

Animation is always a special case. Normally, no animation takes place until the dialog has been recorded. This means that the dialog recorded in the studio is really the beginning of production for animated projects. Recording dialog for animation requires a multiple microphone setup. This allows several actresses and actors to be in the same room, or at least to be able to see one another and react to each other's lines. This is necessary for the dialog to have a natural flow, to sound "real."

Animation dialog sessions are often videotaped in order to give the animators visual clues for facial expressions and mouth movements. With cameras involved, time code becomes necessary, as each video clip must reference the same SMPTE as the audio recording. With video, the frame rate will be 29.97 drop or non-drop. Keep in mind that this might have to be conformed to film speed if the final product is intended for theatrical presentation. Find out whether this is the case during pre-production. The animation team needs to be coordinated with audio for the process to run smoothly. If you are involved in a mixed media project that includes film or video and animation, the audio complexities are magnified. Careful planning and communication will help minimize the trouble.

For animation dialog, it is best to have a large room with high ceilings, fairly dead walls, and a low reverberation time for recording. With multiple characters recording at the same time, acoustic separation without a loss of visual contact is a factor. A large room that can accommodate all of the actors can be a plus in this regard. Also, a large room makes the recording more neutral by reducing early reflections. As the animated characters may be in any situationoutside or insidea neutral recording can be manipulated to emulate many different spaces. If there is too much room sound in the dialog, it will be difficult, if not impossible to make the dialog sound like it took place outside. Small isolation booths might sound dead, but usually their small dimensions result in low-frequency modes (100-400Hz) that do not sound natural. If you are stuck with a small recording room, effective bass trapping will be needed to achieve desired results.

Creating Rough Tracks for Video Editing

When you have finished recording the dialog, you might end up with many tracks of production audio, ADR, and narration. It is then possible to create a "rough" dialog track that other editors, both for picture and sound, can use to help their process along. You can use this rough dialog track to help in recording foley. The picture editor can use the rough track to help fine-tune the visual edit. The dialog track is the basis of the whole soundtrack for a film or TV show.

In order to provide a complete dialog track that is usable for everyone, you must export a mixdown file. In the case of a film or other long-form project, the complete film or video might be broken up into several parts to make it more manageable. Normally, these are called reels, and each reel might be 20 minutes in lengththis way, each session does not reach an unreasonable size. A two hour session with 64+ tracks and a gazillion edits is not likely to be very stable on any system. Breaking it down into six 20-minute reels makes the process much more manageable.

In order to create this mixdown file, select the whole project timeline or reel as shown in Figure 5.19, and choose Bounce To Disk from the File menu. The Bounce dialog box, shown in Figure 5.20, will open. If you are sharing files with other editors, publishing the file as an OMFI would be a good choice. The OMFI file will ensure proper sync when imported in another workstation. Otherwise, creating a stereo AIFF file at 48kHz/16bit resolution will be usable by most anyone . Make sure that the SMPTE start time is specified to any editor who will use the file. The time stamp Pro Tools creates might not be recognizable by other applications.

Figure 5.19. Selecting the whole project or reel. The use of markers at the very beginning and end of a file can make this easy to do.

Figure 5.20. The Bounce dialog box. Here you can choose the type of file that will be created when you bounce the selected portions of your session to disk.

You could store these files in a folder called Rough Tracks or Rough Dialog Tracks. That way, the file will not be confused with more completely mixed dialog tracks. This will also give others working on the project a way to identify rough tracks from other mixes . Complex naming schemes can be created to help determine what a certain file is for in a large project. Experience and experimentation will help you come up with a naming scheme that works for you. The organization needed for a large project such as a film is complex and paramount to getting the job done well and on time.

NOTE

USING MARKERS TO SELECT THE WHOLE PROJECT TIMELINE

Create a marker at the exact start time of the program material in your reel. This marker could simply be called "start." Also create a marker called "end" at the exact end point of the reel. Use Grid mode with a value of one frame to place the cursor before creating a marker so that the marker will be at the exact SMPTE time you specify. Once both markers are created, double-click in the marker timeline and an area will be selected that includes all markers. If your start and end markers are the outermost markers in the session, double-clicking the marker ruler selects everything in between and including those markers. Viol ! You have the whole session selected accurately to the start and end SMPTE times for that reel. Also, once you have selected the whole session, Option+clicking on the Zoomer tool icon will zoom the session to include the whole selection.

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