Dialogue Editing

The Final Mix 319
the premix of the other elements of the fi lm, as well as during the fi nal mix,
the 8, 12, or 16 multitrack recordings you created during the dialogue premix
become playback tracks. Typically, they’ll show up on individual console
channels and will be slaved to one or more master faders to make life more
sane for the mixer. Global dialogue adjustments (for example, “Make it
louder!”) can be controlled from these master faders, whereas individual
dialogue premix tracks will be controlled from their channel strips, whether
for reequalizing an ADR line or lowering a PFX door slam.
The number and sequence of premixes depend on the fi lm type, the console
size, and the mixer’s habits. Obviously, an action fi lm will demand a lot of
time on SFX and Foley, whereas on a dialogue-heavy fi lm, with only atmospheric
sound effects, the mixer may bring the nondialogue elements directly
to the fi nal mix. Giant consoles with ample automation allow premixing
of any element without having to record anything. This is the best of all
worlds because the mixer can focus on detail during the premix without
commitment.
The fi nal mix is where all elements fi nally meet each other. Music, more than
likely already mixed at another facility, will appear as a set of LCRS (or wider)
elements, and sound effects, backgrounds, and Foleys will show up raw or
as multitrack premixes. As you would expect, monitoring the fi nal mix
depends on the format it’s being prepared for. A Dolby SR mix will be monitored
on LCRS; a Dolby Digital mix, in 5.1 channels and SDDS, on fi ve
behind-screen speakers plus surround. The fi nal mix is not only about story,
style, balance, and emphasis, but also about sound image.
Just as the premixes were recorded “wider” than necessary to allow for fl exibility
in the fi nal mix, so the fi nal is mix recorded onto discrete multitrack
groups called stems, which provide yet more fl exibility. As the mix progresses,
the fi nal mixed dialogue is recorded on LCRS stems (or wider stems depending
on the format), either on hard-disk or on 35 mm magnetic fi lm. The same
goes for SFX, BG, Music, and Foley—to preserve fl exibility during the fi nal
pass and, more important, to facilitate the creation of print masters in various
release formats.
Print Master and Special Mixes
When the mix is fi nished, two tasks remain. First, it must be mastered in a
format that enables the shooting of an optical negative to hold all of the channels
for the release print. From this optical negative, a soundtrack can be
printed onto fi lm.