It is very useful for finding ticks, pops, and other short-duration noises.

Shot (setup) A single camera position (or lighting setup) during a shoot. Dialogue

editors organize sessions based on shots, since it’s logical for different setups to

carry distinct sound characteristics.

Single system A recording or projection process in which sound and picture are

on the same medium. Sound recorded directly onto videotape is an example of

single-system recording; a married film print is an example of single-system

projection.

SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) The professional

standards organization that developed the SMPTE timecode standard for NTSC

Video: 29.97 fps, drop or non-drop frame.

Sound report Created by the location mixer, a description of the contents and

details of a field recording. It is essential in dialogue editing when looking for

alternate takes and wild sound.

Sound roll The original field sound recording media, whether ¼-inch tape, DAT,

or hard disk. Each sound roll is accompanied by a sound report that describes

the contents of the tape.

Source time In an EDL, the timecode that indicates the location within the original

field recording that corresponds to an event in a session.

Spot (1) A DAW function that allows you to position an event to a specific timecode

location. Spotting is useful for returning a region to its original location. (2) The

process of determining where to place ADR lines or production effects.

Stem The final components of a film mix, usually LCRS or wider. Typically, there

are stems for dialogue, SFX, backgrounds, Foley, and music, each containing the

final decisions made by the mixer. When the mix is done, the stems are combined—

hopefully without further alteration—to form the print master.

Streamer A visual cue, usually in the form of a vertical line moving from one side

of the screen to the other, that tells an actor when to begin an ADR line.

SVA (stereo variable area) See Lt/Rt.

Sync pop See plop.

Talking head An onscreen interview element in a documentary film. When the

picture editor cuts from the subject to other material (B-roll or cutaway), the

subject’s disembodied audio track is referred to as voiceover. Picture editors cut

from talking head to voiceover for illustrative purposes and to allow for editing

of the voice track.

Telecine (1) A device used for transferring film to videotape or digital files. (2) The

process of transferring film to videotape or digital files. Once called a film

chain.

Telecine log A record of a telecine session used by the picture department and the

negative cutters to maintain a solid relationship between the film negative and

the videotape. The log can also carry audio metadata. Proprietary telecine log

formats include FLEx and ALE files.

Temp mix (temp dub) A preliminary mix of a film usually made for a specific

screening. The reasons for temporary mixes include focus groups and studio

screenings, festival submissions, whims of the executive producers, and so on.

Temp music Music added during the picture edit to set a mood, increase drama,

enhance the story, and/or facilitate editing. When picture editing ends, a composer

will create music in the spirit of the temporary music, or a music consultant

and music editor will acquire appropriate music, which then must be

licensed.

3 : 2 pulldown A method of transferring film running at 24 fps to NTSC video

running more or less at 30 fps, without changing the speed of the film. One

frame of film is transferred to two successive video fields; the next film frame

goes to three video fields, and so forth. Also called 2 : 3 : 2 pulldown or 2 : 3

pulldown.

Top and Tail The removal of unnecessary silence or extraneous material from the

beginning and end of a sound clip (dialogue, SFX, BG, ADR, etc.). The resulting

clip is ready for use.

VITC (Vertical Interval Timecode) It is inserted into the vertical interval (blanking)

of a video stream. You can occasionally see VITC as dancing white dots and

bars at the top of a television picture. Unlike LTC, VITC can be read at nonplay

speeds, even when the tape is stopped, which makes it useful for scrubbing to

a location on a tape to spot an event. Most timecode translators automatically

switch from LTC to VITC at nonplay speeds and then back to LTC once picture

lock is achieved.

Voiceover vs. narration In documentary sound editing, voiceover is a disembodied

voice derived from character interview material. Narration is usually studiorecorded

and not directly linked to a field recording. A character in the fi lm can

also be the narrator, but the field recording material is still called “voiceover,”

whereas studio material is always called “narration.” Voiceover carries the legitimacy

of the film’s characters, while narration is usually omniscient, sometimes

known as the “voice of God.”

Vox pop (vox populi—Latin for voice of the people) Film interviews in which members

of the “general public” are asked their opinions on a certain topic. These interviews

are intended to appear spontaneous and unrehearsed and to reveal the

opinion of the “man on the street.”

Wild sound (wild track) Any sound recorded on the set with no associated picture

(as opposed to “sync sound”), including wild dialogue, room tone, effects, atmospheres,

and more.

Work track A “safe” track in a dialogue session that contains no useful program

material. Work tracks provide a comfortable environment for recording or

opening extra material, editing in a sync-destroying mode (such as Pro Tool’s

Shuffle), or doing other work tasks that can damage material sharing the

track.