Dialogue Editing

46 THE SOUND DEPARTMENT
props needed. He supervises the Foley recording sessions as well as the
editing, often carried out by an army of Foley editors.
Foley Walker and Foley Recording Engineer
Together these Foley artists bring you the actual sounds that liven up the
track, enhance the drama, and cover gaps. The Foley walker must fi gure out
which prop or shoe/surface combination will produce the right sound, and
the Foley engineer is responsible from all technical considerations, from
microphone placement to track layout.
Foley Editors
Whether footsteps or key jangles, most Foley has to be edited after the recording
session. Foley editors must, of course, get everything into sync, but that’s
the most superfi cial aspect of their work. Rearranging a series of footsteps
for maximum dramatic effect or structuring the elements of a body fall
to suggest more than meets the eye is their job. Dedicated Foley editors
won’t be found on smaller fi lms. Instead, other editors will handle this
responsibility.
Music Editor
Few people understand the music department. For one thing, the music editor
often reports directly to the director, not to the supervising sound editor, and
so usually is a bit of an outsider. She must work closely with the fi lm’s composer
to “fi t” the score onto the fi lm and seduce acquired music into the fi lm’s
structure.
Rerecording Mixer
Sooner or later the fi lm gets mixed. The mixer has to make sense of the scores
of tracks generated by the sound guys. Somehow, it usually works. The rerecording
mixer almost always works for the studio that mixes the fi lm. He’s
the ultimate source of answers to the question: Can you fi x this in the mix?
In many ways a sound postproduction crew is hierarchical. There are apprentices,
assistants, editors, and a supervisor. This may ruffl e some egalitarian
feathers, but the system is designed to constantly train the next wave of
editors. Study all you want, but editing is still largely learned on the job, and
nothing beats working under an experienced craftsperson.