Dialogue Editing

Afterword
You’ve been through the whole process of dialogue editing. You’ve taken a
fi lm, whose narrative was complete but whose sound structure was a mess,
and turned it into a clean, clear gem that has focus, point of view, and tension.
You’ve sought out the very best of the sounds recorded on the set and folded
them into the story without compromising the director’s vision. You’ve
removed from the dialogue the telltale artifacts of the fi lmmaking process as
well as the annoying noises that everyone makes while talking.
Then you presented all of this to the mixer in a way that ensured a quick,
productive, artistic mix. In short, you’ve successfully presented the moviegoer
with the cleanest, smartest, most appealing dialogue sounds possible. This is
no small feat, and it warrants real congratulations.
I’ve shown you my approach to organizing and editing dialogue. This system
works well for me, but you’d expect that. Take from this book what works for
you, look to others for more advice, and fi gure out the rest. Your own personality
and way of thinking will mold your way of editing.
I love this job. Despite its pressures, frustrations, and occasional tedium, I
can’t imagine doing anything else to make a living. My tracks are my babies:
I fi nd them in a totally undeveloped state and I slowly raise them to stand
on their own. The fi nal tracks speak with their own voices; I merely help
them to fi nd themselves. But within each of “my” tracks is a bit of me. When
I see a fi lm I’ve worked on and I listen to the dialogue, I feel like a proud
parent watching my grown children telling their stories.
Like all trades, cutting dialogue is at times nothing more than a job. Of course
there are days I’d rather be at the beach or playing with my cats. There are
times when I want to choke the editor or the director, but then I remember
that it’s not my fi lm, and whatever pressure I feel is much, much worse for
them. Too many times the thought of one more screening makes me want to
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