Dialogue Editing

Glossary 347
Top and Tail The removal of unnecessary silence or extraneous material from the
beginning and end of a sound clip (dialogue, SFX, BG, ADR, etc.). The resulting
clip is ready for use.
VITC (Vertical Interval Timecode) It is inserted into the vertical interval (blanking)
of a video stream. You can occasionally see VITC as dancing white dots and
bars at the top of a television picture. Unlike LTC, VITC can be read at nonplay
speeds, even when the tape is stopped, which makes it useful for scrubbing to
a location on a tape to spot an event. Most timecode translators automatically
switch from LTC to VITC at nonplay speeds and then back to LTC once picture
lock is achieved.
Voiceover vs. narration In documentary sound editing, voiceover is a disembodied
voice derived from character interview material. Narration is usually studiorecorded
and not directly linked to a fi eld recording. A character in the fi lm can
also be the narrator, but the fi eld recording material is still called “voiceover,”
whereas studio material is always called “narration.” Voiceover carries the legitimacy
of the fi lm’s characters, while narration is usually omniscient, sometimes
known as the “voice of God.”
Vox pop (vox populi—Latin for voice of the people) Film interviews in which members
of the “general public” are asked their opinions on a certain topic. These interviews
are intended to appear spontaneous and unrehearsed and to reveal the
opinion of the “man on the street.”
Wild sound (wild track) Any sound recorded on the set with no associated picture
(as opposed to “sync sound”), including wild dialogue, room tone, effects, atmospheres,
and more.
Work track A “safe” track in a dialogue session that contains no useful program
material. Work tracks provide a comfortable environment for recording or
opening extra material, editing in a sync-destroying mode (such as Pro Tool’s
Shuffl e), or doing other work tasks that can damage material sharing the
track.
X (X, Y, Z, and more) tracks Tracks housing dialogue lines removed from the dialogue
tracks because they were rerecorded (ADR). X tracks aren’t mere trash
bins—lines moved to them must be fully edited and prepared for the mix in
case the loop line is unacceptable in the mix or the director decides to keep the
original line.
Zeppelin One of many humorous names for the fuzzy, energy-absorbing microphone
covers seen on location shoots.