Dialogue Editing

88 SCREENING THE OMF/POSTCONFORM—THE SPOTTING SESSION
• Get a list of the director’s ADR wishes, as this not only will tell you
which lines must be replaced but will also give you some insight into
the director’s aesthetics and hobby horses.
• Make sure you have all the materials you need. This is a rare time
when you have the attention of the director and others from the
production. If you’re having a problem getting materials from the
production offi ce, now’s your chance to lean on someone with
authority.
• Make sure you understand the schedule—screenings, ADR recording
dates, rough dialogue mixes for the SFX department, dialogue
premixes, and so on—before the meeting is over. This initial screening
should make you feel more informed and confi dent, not the opposite.
It’s All about Listening
If this is your fi rst time seeing the fi lm, you’ll have to work doubly hard
during the screening. You need to listen for dialogue issues (off-mic recordings,
noisy settings, radio mic problems, dolly noise, etc.), and at the same
time pay attention to the narrative so that you know what’s going on and can
start to think about the dialogue’s contribution. Following the narrative is
never really the problem—that part comes naturally. The hardest aspect of a
screening is suspending the story enough so that you can notice the problems.
Left to our own devices, we tend to “veg out” with the movie and fail
to notice all but the most obnoxious dialogue errors.
Staying in contact with a fi lm you’re screening and looking beyond the story
are largely matters of brute-force discipline. You just have to make yourself
focus. A few tricks may help.
• Take the best seat in the room, front row center if you’re screening on
a workstation. You, more than anyone, need to hear the tracks.
• Be relaxed. Find a good chair and get comfortable.
• Use a form like the one in the Figure 7-1 to remember what questions
to ask and what to listen for.
• As each scene begins, immediately identify the room tone, the noise
level, and the quality of the dialogue. Take notes if necessary. By
gathering this information at the beginning of each scene, you needn’t
worry if your mind wanders a bit. As soon as the scene ends, be alert
for the next scene’s troubles.
• Watch for moving cameras. When the camera moves there’s likely to
be dolly noise or perhaps unwanted footsteps. When the camera
moves up or down, there’s a good chance of camera pedestal or crane