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A) Glossary from Purcell John. Dialogue Editing for Motion Pictures. A Guide to the Invisible Art. Focal Press, 2007.

There are many outstanding film sound glossaries. David Yewdall’s Practical Art of Motion Picture Sound, Third Edition (2007), contains a glossary with concise, no-nonsense definitions useful to sound editors and designers. Another, Larry Blake’s “What’s a Binky?”—a legendary collection of film sound terminology—was originally published in Mix Magazine; it is now available on a number of web sites. This is one of the most comprehensive film sound dictionaries ever compiled and offers a refreshing glance of what things are really called in the working world. For a massive glossary of film editorial terminology, see Norman Hollyn’s The Film Editing Room Handbook; for a narrative-treatment glossary with a historical bent, turn to Film Sound:Theory and Practice edited by Elisabeth Weis and John Belton.This glossary isn’t as comprehensive as those just mentioned. Instead, it focuses on terms specifically applicable to dialogue editing and other concepts that affect those who edit dialogue. Some terms fall into the realm of picture cutting or mixing, but they’re nonetheless part of the basic vocabulary of dialogue editors.

A/B reel A reel of film not longer than 2050 feet (about 22 minutes). When movies

were edited on film and mag, picture and sound editors worked in reels no

longer than 1000 feet. After the premixes, these reels were joined to form 2000-ft

lengths. Today, most sound editors work directly in 2000-ft lengths, since the

inconvenience of large film units on a flatbed or upright editor is no longer an

issue.

ADL (AES31 audio decision list) The ADL is a file format for exchanging information

between different types of workstations, both sound and picture. Its format

offers far greater detail and accuracy than the conventional CMX edit decision

list, which it’s gradually replacing. See EDL.

ADR (automated dialogue replacement or automatic dialogue replacement, depending

whom you listen to) An electronic means of rerecording dialogue lines that

combines machine control, monitor switching, and cues for talent and naming.

The term ADR is often used interchangeably with postsync and looping, although

there are mechanical and procedural differences between the three.

ADR call sheet (ADR cue sheet) A detailed list of the lines that need to be rerecorded

in a studio to repair damaged lines or add new information.

ADR recording log A log of recording of an ADR cue that contains information

about each take, including whether it’s the “buy” (the one chosen), as well as

instructions to the ADR editor. Also referred to as a “session report.”

ADR spotting session A screening of a film to determine which dialogue lines

will be rerecorded. After the screening, the ADR supervisor makes detailed,

standardized notes concerning each ADR cue.

A-frame The first of five frames in a complete cycle of the 3 : 2 pulldown. During a

telecine transfer from 24 fps film to NTSC videotape, certain film frames are

repeated to maintain correct speed. Knowing which is the A frame is vital when

establishing a direct relationship between film frames and video frames—something

you must know when cutting negative.

ALE (Avid Log Exchange) file A type of telecine log used to manage film negative

information and ensure a solid relationship between film negative frames and

video frames. Similar to a FLEx file.

Alternate take Any take of a shot (setup) other than the one chosen by the director

and picture editor. Alternate takes are valuable sources of replacement dialogue

and room tone, which is why dialogue editors spend so much time going

through them.

Answer prints These are the first prints to emerge from the lab after negative

cutting and before mass duplication. The answer prints are used to correct the

final look of the film and to ensure that no mistakes were made during negative

cutting. The first answer print provides the dialogue editor with the first real

chance to see what the film looks like and to solve lingering sync problems.

Assembly In the picture editing process, the first meaningful stringing together

of selected takes in script order. Often very long, the assembly allows the picture

editor and director to understand the material and to begin a meaningful rough

cut.

Auto-assembly/autoconform The reconstruction of all audio events within the

picture edit, using the EDLs, original tapes or files, and software to control the

process. An auto-assembly recreates the picture editor’s work with original

sounds, in contrast to an OMF, which uses Avid or FCP soundfiles. Also called

PostConform (a trademark of Digidesign).

Batch digitizing The picture workstation equivalent of an auto-assembly. Most commonly,

batch digitizing takes place at the end of the picture editing process to

create a high-resolution version of the fi nal picture cut.

Bin (Avid) A folder in which files are stored in the Avid workstation. A dialogue

editor without access to original recordings can convert the Avid or FCP bins

to DAW sessions (via OMF) to make alternate takes and wild sound available.

B-roll In news-style documentaries, the supporting or illustrative footage. Contrast

this with interview or talking head footage.

BWF (broadcast wave format) An improvement on the wave (.wav) soundfile

format. In addition to audio information, a BWF file can carry shot descriptions,

technical logs, and timecode.

Change notes Information provided by the picture department to describe changes

made to the film after picture lock. The audio tracks must be conformed to

match these changes. Change notes can be handwritten or automatically generated

by the picture workstation.

Changeover On a multireel film, the switch from one projector to the other during

a reel change. Nowadays, few films are projected on two projectors, but rather

are spliced into one continuous string and stored on a horizontal platter. Nonetheless,

due to the displacement between the projector gate and the sound head,

care must be taken when preparing print masters. Approximately the first 20

frames of a subsequent reel must be copied to the tail of each reel. This extension

is called a pullup or a “changeover tail.”

Channel mapping An audio-routing matrix used when performing an autoassembly

(PostConform or autoconform). The audio channel relationship between

an event’s description in the EDL, the source material, and the target channel

can be set while preparing for an auto-assembly. This is particularly valuable

when loading sounds from a 2-channel medium into a multichannel session.

Clean edit list Required for auto-assemblies, an EDL free of illegal events, unnecessary

information, non-Latin fonts, and legacies from previous edits. Today,

this is rarely an issue, since nonlinear picture editing machines automatically

generate a clean list.

CMX Initially the result of a partnership between CBS and Memorex, it was the

pioneer in machine controllers for online editing. The CMX3600 edit decision

list, which describes and stores editing information, is still the standard means

of communicating event information between picture and sound departments.

See EDL.

Color timing The adjustment of a film’s colors and brightness in the lab, which

usually occurs while the sound department is editing. Also called “grading.”

Comment A line or lines of information beneath the event line on a CMX edit

decision list that can be used to insert scene/take data into the region names in

the dialogue editor’s session.

Conformation Any change made to a reel after picture lock. Sometimes unavoidable

yet loathed by the sound department.

Coverage The manner of shooting a scene to provide sufficient material to work

with. A scene that lacks the takes/angles needed to piece together a decent

assembly is wanting of coverage.

Crossfade A transition in which one sound element fades out as another fades