Dialogue Editing

130 NOW, THE ACTUAL EDITING
Figure 10-1 Idealized tracking session for a pop song as seen on Apple’s
Soundtrack Pro. Each instrument occupies one track on a song. On another song,
the track geography may be totally different, depending on the song’s needs.
combination of EQ, dynamics, and effects for each instrument and voice
throughout the song.
If the guitar lives on the same track throughout the song, you can easily apply
its required processing without interfering with the other instruments and
without any undue automation acrobatics. If you record a few bars of guitar
on a certain track and then drop in some drums followed by a few lines of
vocals, you can imagine how diffi cult it becomes to control the music. You’ll
spend all your time executing exotic processing automation and lose focus
on the real issue—telling a story through music.
In many ways you face the same issues in dialogue editing. Within a scene,
each camera angle, each perspective, every character behaves like an instrument
in a pop song. By properly organizing the scene, you gain the same
control you achieve in music mixing. Each shot will have its unique characteristics,
and by putting each one on its own track—within that scene—you’re
making life much easier for yourself and for the mixer.