Dialogue Editing

210 DAMAGE REPAIR
editing. Having everything at your fi ngertips strips you of most excuses for
laziness.
There are any number of ways to organize the database of your original
recordings. Some editors prefer Excel-style spreadsheets. Others like to create
a database in a program such as FileMaker Pro, which enables complex
searches and endless report formats. You can view in creation order (like a
DAT) or by scene, shot, comment, or whatever else you like. I fi nd it useful
to make comments in the database as it helps me fi nd other takes. At the very
least, my notes warn me that I’ve already visited a take only to discover it
was no good. You feel pretty stupid checking out the same take more than
twice.
Choose the Right Parts
You’ve imported the likely alternates into your session. Now you have to fi nd
out which one will make the best fi x and then cut it into your track. I fi nd it
easiest to move my work tracks directly beneath the track with the damaged
region. (See Figure 12-6.)
To select the best alternate take, try the following procedure. You’ll develop
your own technique with time, but this isn’t a bad way to start.
Figure 12-6 Move several work tracks directly beneath the track with the damaged
line. This way you can easily and safely compare and edit your alternate takes. In
this example, the original line is on Dial A (top) and three alternates are lined up
on the work tracks.