8.1 Dialogue Editing Workflow and Best Practices

Dialogue editing is a crucial step in post-production audio. It involves cleaning up recorded speech, syncing it with video, and enhancing clarity. Editors use various techniques like waveform editing, crossfades, and clip gain adjustments to create seamless, natural-sounding dialogue.

Maintaining consistency is key in dialogue editing. Editors use room tone to smooth transitions, ensure continuity across takes, and employ sync markers for precise alignment. Proper track organization and the creation of dialogue stems streamline the workflow and prepare the audio for mixing.

Editing Dialogue Clips

Waveform Editing Techniques

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• Waveform editing involves visually inspecting and manipulating the waveform of dialogue clips to remove unwanted sounds, breaths, or noises
• Editors use tools like the marquee selection, split, and trim to precisely isolate and remove unwanted portions of the waveform while preserving the integrity of the dialogue
• Waveform editing can be used to remove plosives (p-pops), sibilance (harsh s sounds), and mouth noises that detract from the clarity of the dialogue
• Editors often zoom in to the sample level when performing detailed waveform editing to ensure precise cuts and avoid introducing clicks or pops

Crossfades for Smooth Transitions

• Crossfades are used to smoothly transition between two adjacent dialogue clips, preventing abrupt changes in room tone or ambience
• Editors apply short crossfades (typically 2-10ms) at the edit points to create a seamless transition between the outgoing and incoming dialogue clips
• The length and shape of the crossfade (linear, logarithmic, s-curve) can be adjusted based on the characteristics of the dialogue and the desired smoothness of the transition
• Crossfades help maintain the natural flow of the dialogue and minimize any noticeable cuts or edits

Adjusting Clip Gain for Level Consistency

• Clip gain allows editors to adjust the overall level of individual dialogue clips without affecting the underlying waveform or any applied automation
• Adjusting clip gain is useful for balancing the levels of different takes or performances to maintain consistent dialogue levels throughout a scene
• Editors often use clip gain to quickly match the levels of alternate takes (pickups) to the surrounding dialogue, ensuring a seamless integration
• Clip gain adjustments can be made in small increments (0.5-1dB) to fine-tune the balance and avoid overcompressing the dialogue in the mixing stage

Isolating Dialogue with Frequency-Based Editing

• Dialogue isolation techniques involve using EQ and filtering to separate the dialogue from background noise or ambience
• Editors can apply high-pass filters to remove low-frequency rumble, room tone, or wind noise that may be present in the dialogue recording
• Low-pass filters can be used to attenuate high-frequency hiss, sibilance, or unwanted background noise that competes with the dialogue
• Notch filters can be employed to surgically remove narrow bands of frequency that contain specific unwanted sounds, such as electrical hum or buzzing, while minimally affecting the overall dialogue

Maintaining Dialogue Consistency

Using Room Tone for Smooth Transitions

• Room tone refers to the natural ambient sound of a location, captured without any active dialogue or significant background noise
• Editors use room tone to fill gaps between dialogue lines, creating a consistent ambient background throughout a scene
• Room tone is typically recorded during production, with the actors remaining silent and the microphones capturing the natural ambience of the space
• By layering room tone underneath the edited dialogue, editors can smooth out transitions, cover any edit points, and maintain a cohesive sonic environment

Ensuring Dialogue Continuity Across Takes

• Dialogue continuity refers to the consistency of the dialogue's sound, performance, and ambience across different takes and angles within a scene
• Editors closely listen to the dialogue tracks to identify any noticeable changes in room tone, background noise, or the actor's performance between takes
• When necessary, editors may need to replace or swap out words, phrases, or even entire lines from alternate takes to maintain continuity and match the visual performance
• Techniques such as time-stretching, pitch-shifting, and waveform editing can be used to finesse the dialogue and ensure a seamless match across different takes

Using Sync Markers for Precise Alignment

• Sync markers are visual indicators placed at specific points in the dialogue clips to aid in precise synchronization with the picture
• Editors often use the clap of the slate or a distinctive transient (such as a door slam or footstep) as a reference point for placing sync markers
• By aligning the sync markers across different takes and angles, editors can ensure that the dialogue is precisely synchronized with the corresponding visual elements
• Sync markers are particularly useful when working with complex scenes that involve multiple camera angles, overlapping dialogue, or rapid cuts

Leveraging Timecode for Efficient Workflows

• Timecode is a standardized time reference used to identify specific frames or moments within a video or audio clip
• Dialogue editors rely on timecode to efficiently navigate, sync, and reference specific points within the project timeline
• By using timecode, editors can quickly locate and align dialogue clips with their corresponding picture frames, ensuring precise synchronization
• Timecode also facilitates collaboration and communication among the post-production team, allowing editors, supervisors, and mixers to refer to specific moments using a common time reference

Dialogue Track Setup

Organizing Tracks for Clarity and Efficiency

• Dialogue track organization involves structuring and labeling the dialogue tracks in a logical and consistent manner
• Editors typically create separate tracks for each character or speaker, making it easier to manage and process the dialogue for each individual
• Tracks are often labeled with the character's name, abbreviation, or a unique identifier to quickly identify and locate specific dialogue elements
• Additional tracks may be created for group ADR, walla, or crowd dialogue, keeping them separate from the main character dialogue
• Editors may also create dedicated tracks for dialogue alts, production sound effects, or specific processing (such as EQ or noise reduction) to maintain flexibility and organization

Creating Dialogue Stems for Mixing

• Dialogue stems are submixes of the edited dialogue tracks, typically organized by character or narrative groupings
• Editors create dialogue stems to simplify the mixing process and provide the re-recording mixer with manageable subgroups of the dialogue
• Common dialogue stem groupings include principal characters, supporting characters, group ADR, and production sound effects
• By routing the individual dialogue tracks to their respective stems, editors can apply global processing, level adjustments, and automation to the entire stem
• Dialogue stems allow the re-recording mixer to focus on the balance and integration of the dialogue subgroups within the overall mix, rather than managing individual tracks