Dialogue Editing

202 DAMAGE REPAIR
program material (that is, the dialogue) while monitoring the removed noises,
you’re damaging the original track and should back off. If you don’t have this
monitoring option, you can listen to what you’ve removed by placing the
de-clicked/de-crackled soundfi le on a track adjacent to the original region,
syncing the two, and listening with one of the regions out of phase. If your
sync and level are precisely aligned, you’ll hear only the removed sounds or
distortion harmonics.
De-crackling isn’t the fi rst line of defense against distortion or removing
clothing rustle. You stand a much better chance of making a proper fi x if you
go back to the original recordings and fi nd an alternate take, or just give up
and loop the line. Even so, it’s good to have a bag of tricks to help you out of
impossible situations. The result may not be glorious, but at times mediocre
is better than nothing.
Solving Dolly and Crane Noise Problems
Dollies and cranes are a particularly ugly source of noises, which tend to
go on much longer than run-of-the-mill ticks, clicks, and pops. A moving
dolly can spread its evil across several lines of dialogue, so doing something
to fi x such noises is much more complicated. Before giving up and
calling the scene for ADR, try to reconstruct the damaged part of the scene
from alternate takes, hoping that the noises don’t always fall on the same
lines.
Fixing a line ruined by dolly noise is no different from other fi xes that call
on alternate takes. First fi nd valid alternates, then line them up under the
damaged shot and fi nally piece together the outtakes to create a viable line.
You have to know how to quickly and painlessly locate the other takes from
that shot in order to fi nd alternate lines, more room tone options, and the
comfort of knowing you’ve checked all possibilities.
Alternate Takes
Because life isn’t always fair, sooner or later you’ll run into noises within
words. Then you’ll have to look through the dailies for alternate takes that
convey the same energy and character as the original but without the unfortunate
noise. At fi rst, going back for alternate takes seems a monumental task,
so you invent all sorts of excuses not to do it. Once you realize that it’s a not
lot of work, though, you’ll discover a huge new world of possibilities that
make your editing not only more professional and effective but much more
fun and rewarding.