Dialogue Editing

50 GETTING SOUND FROM PICTURE DEPARTMENT TO SOUND DEPARTMENT
in listening for dialogue issues that I can’t really give you a fair answer.”
Armed with this reply, you don’t waste precious screening time trying to
think of something clever to say about the fi lm.
Essentials for Dialogue Editing
Picture editing is fi nished—well, almost fi nished—and there’s enormous pressure
on you to get moving. The fi lm is inevitably behind schedule, and
somehow you’re expected to take up the slack. However, if you start too soon
you run the risk of having to make too many unnecessary conformations—
adjusting your already manicured scenes to a new picture cut—which wastes
your time, wrecks your budget, and shatters your mood far too early in the
project. At the same time, no one wants to be a jerk and single-handedly delay
the production on principle.
What Is Needed?
So, just what are the rules about what you absolutely must have before starting
to edit the dialogue on a fi lm? The following paragraphs will tell you.
Keep in mind that they contain some terms not discussed yet. If you’re unfamiliar
with an acronym or expression, check the glossary.
Locked Picture You need a locked picture, split into reels. There’s locked and
then there’s locked. Assume that even the most organized director/editor team
will make a few picture changes after declaring the fi lm locked. Conformations—that
list of changes awaiting you on your desk each morning—are just
part of the game. On the other hand, beginning to cut the dialogue on a fi lm
whose direction is unclear or that must still undergo focus group testing is
crazy. You may spend more time making changes than editing. Even so, you
don’t have to wait for the entire fi lm to lock. Often, the interior reels stabilize
before the fi rst and last reels. After all, the fi rst reel carries the burden of
exposition and character introduction, while the fi nal reel resolves the story
and sends the viewers on their merry way. So when time is of the essence
and everyone is on your back, you may be able to start on a “safe” interior
reel.
If the production provides a digital picture, such as a QuickTime movie,
make sure to obtain a “hard” copy on videotape. You can use the tape to
redigitize the video if needed, and the tape can serve as the arbiter of sync
problems.