Dialogue Editing

340 GLOSSARY
Fundamental frequency The lowest frequency in a harmonic series and almost
always the lowest frequency present in the pitch of a note made by a musical
instrument. Also called “fi rst harmonic.”
Genlock A system allowing vertical, horizontal, frame, and color synchronization
of two or more video devices such as cameras. In audio applications, the most
common genlock reference is black burst, which synchronizes all digital audio
devices in a chain to each other and to the video devices within the facility.
Genlock provides speed and timing information so that multiple machines
play at the same speed and their frames begin at exactly the same time. This
provides synchronization accuracy of much less than a frame (when combined
with another synchronization protocol such as MTC, LTC, VITC, or Sony
9-pin).
Group loop The recording of extra, nonprincipal voices during postproduction to
add mood and texture to a scene, to enhance the plot, or to provide other
information.
Guide track (1) A fi eld recording under impossible circumstances with less than
ideal results. Knowing that the track is needed for reference but useless for
sound, the location mixer labels the track “Guide track.” (2) A temporary mono
(or wider) mix provided by one sound editing department to another as an
editing aid. A dialogue editor will periodically provide a mono guide track of
his or her progress to the SFX and BG editors so that they can make better judgments
than when working against the unedited OMF.
Handle Extra sound material extending beyond the visible (and audible) boundaries
of a region. Handle duration can be determined during OMF creation or
auto-assembly. As a rule, dialogue editors want handles to be as long as possible.
See load spacing.
Harmonic An integer multiple of a fundamental frequency. For example, a string
vibrating at a fundamental frequency of 100 Hz will have a harmonic at 100 Hz
intervals. The harmonic structure of a musical note is what gives it its color.
The harmonic nature of buzzes and hums is what makes them so hard to
clean.
Headroom (1) The area in a shot between the top of the frame and the subject.
Shots with a great deal of headroom are often diffi cult to mic with a boom.
(2) The available dynamic range between the reference signal level and distortion
or digital zero.
Keykode (a trademark of Eastman Kodak) A machine-readable barcode printed
onto a fi lm negative during its manufacture that provides an automatic method
to capture key number information during telecine transfer. This information
is stored in telecine logs, such as FLEx or ALE fi les, and is vital in negative cutting.
The term “keycode” is used sometimes when referring generally to machinereadable
code on fi lm.
Latency The delay imposed on an audio signal by a processor. It can become signifi
cant when using a series of plug-ins during a mix.