How do you handle the movie audio when doing a cue?

ironchef_marc · Post by **ironchef_marc** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 6:40 am

Here's how I do it.
I set up a template with all my markers with the movie audio copied to 2 tracks. Using trim L and R I isolate the dialog and sfx on one track and the temp music on the other.

When I do a cue I change the chunk start time. Now of course the movie audio does not match. I then re-copy the movie audio to the sequence trim the excess. Works well other than the fact it does take time to copied the movie audio and also even after deleting unused soundbites the full movie audio usually about 1.5 GB is duplicated for each cue.

It would be great to see DP with a special function for handling movie audio so it trims track accordingly when changing the chunk start and having the ability to have multiple DP projects referring to the same movie audio file.

Another way maybe would be to have a way to specify the audio output of the movie but I do like to have the quick option to turn on the temp track in DP.

Anyway there's got a be a better way to do this so I'd like to hear your way of handling it.

thanks!

icm

malditoyanki · Post by **malditoyanki** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 10:04 am

When I import audio from movie the audio import starts right where i happen to have the video...so if I'm at 57 mins 18 secs then that's where the audio import starts (not the beginning of the entire video file. Is this what happens when you do it? Oddly, for some it doesn't work the same way as it does for me.

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 10:44 am

Try not trimming the movie track. The the chunk start time should follow in sync. It sounds like you are creating more work for yourself.

ironchef_marc · Post by **ironchef_marc** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 10:48 am

malditoyanki wrote:When I import audio from movie the audio import starts right where i happen to have the video...so if I'm at 57 mins 18 secs then that's where the audio import starts (not the beginning of the entire video file. Is this what happens when you do it? Oddly, for some it doesn't work the same way as it does for me.

Yes that's correct, although that's not really my question!

ironchef_marc · Post by **ironchef_marc** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 11:03 am

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:Try not trimming the movie track. The the chunk start time should follow in sync. It sounds like you are creating more work for yourself.

I'm not trimming it. Changing the chunk time the movie audio is no longer in sync, unless I'm doing something wrong?

instacue · Post by **instacue** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 11:38 am

FWIW, this is how I do it - hope this helps.
When scoring a film, to begin I open the Quicktime Movie in DP and set up a chunk ("Entire Film") that starts 10 seconds before the first frame of picture, usually 0:59:59:50. I then import the film's audio to two audio tracks in the chunk, "production sound" and "temp music". When scoring individual cues, I choose a tempo and create a chunk (a copy of my scoring template) which starts 2 bars before the downbeat of the cue. I note the SMPTE number of the downbeat of that 2 bar lead in and go back to the "Entire Film" chunk, select that SMPTE number as the start and way beyond the intended length of the cue for the end, copy the production and temp music tracks and paste them into 2 audio tracks in the scoring cue's chunk starting at that same SMPTE number.

Once the cue is composed, recorded & mixed I import the mix into the "Entire Film" chunk on a stem in sync (odd numbered cues on the "A" stem and even numbered cues on the "B" stem). Once the entire score is composed and recorded, the "entire film" chunk has the complete score in it, in sync, on two or more stems.

Hopefully in DP 8 this process will be simpler - since they've announced that in DP 8 the quicktime audio will play back in perfect sync - we might not have to copy and paste production audio into scoring cues anymore...

ironchef_marc · Post by **ironchef_marc** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 12:04 pm

I see just as labour intensive as my method except you don't duplicate the movie audio with each cue.

instacue wrote: Hopefully in DP 8 this process will be simpler - since they've announced that in DP 8 the quicktime audio will play back in perfect sync - we might not have to copy and paste production audio into scoring cues anymore...

Can you explain that feature?
thx!

malditoyanki · Post by **malditoyanki** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 12:12 pm

Why not just re-import the movie audio after adjusting a chunk start?

Also, after getting a quicktime with split dialogue/temp on left and right I'll strip out the right channel then re-create a new version of the movie with dialogue only. QT7 can do this

This allows me to avoid importing and splitting completely. I can just reference the original if I need to check the temp score (bane of my existence) and just use my new "dialogue only" QT file synced to DP.

instacue · Post by **instacue** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 12:16 pm

ironchef_marc wrote:I see just as labour intensive as my method except you don't duplicate the movie audio with each cue.

instacue wrote: Hopefully in DP 8 this process will be simpler - since they've announced that in DP 8 the quicktime audio will play back in perfect sync - we might not have to copy and paste production audio into scoring cues anymore...
Can you explain that feature?
thx!

If QT audio stays in perfect sync in DP 8, then it will be able to chase DP, which would make copying and pasting of production audio unnecessary. I don't know if that's the case, only based on what they've announced so far...

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 12:29 pm

malditoyanki wrote:Why not just re-import the movie audio after adjusting a chunk start?

Or simply working on clones of the imported soundtrack track, leaving at least one "as is."

Having re-read the initial post, it seems the isolation of the various elements (VO, SFX, etc) is what is the issue in "trimming" things. I assumed you meant trim as in cutting the soundbite as opposed to using the Trim audio plug. If that is so, then just don't cut the soundbite in at least one track.

Duplicate the track with the imported sound and mute the section(s) not desired in the various copies. I. E. - copy one for dialogue, SFX, etc.

You basically described your process as this:

•Using trim L and R to isolate the dialog and sfx;
•Change the chunk start time (now out of sync since the master is sliced up... non?)
•Re-copy the movie audio to the sequence trim the excess.

This may all be moot as DP 8 has revamped how it handles quicktime video.

ironchef_marc · Post by **ironchef_marc** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 1:08 pm

malditoyanki wrote:Why not just re-import the movie audio after adjusting a chunk start?

Also, after getting a quicktime with split dialogue/temp on left and right I'll strip out the right channel then re-create a new version of the movie with dialogue only. QT7 can do this This allows me to avoid importing and splitting completely. I can just reference the original if I need to check the temp score (bane of my existence) and just use my new "dialogue only" QT file synced to DP.

I do re-import the movie audio but that's what I want to avoid as it duplicates the file and takes up too much space.

I hear you on the temp but gotta refer to it and have it handy whether you like it or not.

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 1:33 pm

ironchef_marc wrote:Now of course the movie audio does not match.

This does not make any sense. Why is it going out of sync?

ironchef_marc · Post by **ironchef_marc** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 1:49 pm

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:
ironchef_marc wrote:Now of course the movie audio does not match.
This does not make any sense. Why is it going out of sync?

I set up my master template from which I go back to for each cue.
(i.e. each cue gets its own DP project)
When I change the chunk start time to move the start of my cue on bar 3 (my template is 120 bpm so I simply set the chunk start time 2 sec before the cue is supposed to start)

then the movie audio I have has changed it still start at the beginning of the movie as opposed to playing back from where the chunk starts. It'd be cool that locking the audio file would actually automatically trim the excess at the front so it stays in sync but it does not.

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 1:54 pm

OK, whatever floats your boat. DP was designed to use each chunk as a cue and that is the most efficient, IMO. I'm still not understanding your workflow, but that's OK. I have my own.

kinnylandrum · Post by **kinnylandrum** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 2:16 pm

I just line up the chunk to the movie file, regardless of where the movie actually starts. I usually start the cue at least a bar ahead of where I want the music to start, sometimes more, in case I want to add something to the front. I monitor the movie audio through my mixer, and compose to that, turning the movie audio up or down or on or off at the mixer.

Then I simply record the movie audio to a stereo track, like any other audio. I then mix that with the music I've recorded, often bringing the movie audio up or down, cutting or ducking noise, etc. I bounce that to QT file for the client, and also bounce a music only mix, and I'm done. Import the audio with offsets, etc is just too much head-scratching for me.

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How do you handle the movie audio when doing a cue?

How do you handle the movie audio when doing a cue?

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