Our new age of COVID-19 has placed a higher importance on working remotely. Without the benefit of having an audio person in the same room it is important to consider the unique variables of reviewing audio work outside the studio. Below are some tips and guidelines for understanding the workflow and best practices of post production audio, especially in a remote context. Remember….Post-Production begins at Pre-Production!
Workflow
Social distancing requires a remote approval system and clear communication between client and post team. This image shows a simplified step-by-step process of what our time together would entail working remotely on a feature-length film. Each project has a different scope but the general flow of work remains the same.
Properly Monitoring Your Mix
How are you viewing the work and more importantly, what are you using to listen to the audio mix? Studios are acoustically treated and calibrated to match how your film will sound in a theater. These calibrations work for television and web-based audio content too. However, monitoring in an untreated room, or a noisy environment, or on poor sounding speakers can have a significant adverse effect on how you perceive the work your post team has accomplished. From left-to-right, this image shows a progression of ideal to terrible when reviewing the audio for your project. At the end of the day, your audio needs to sound great on every platform available. However, during the post process it’s vital that you and your mixer are on the same page about how you are listening. Knowing how you’re listening will give significant insight into what you’re hearing. For instance, are you feeling that there’s not enough low frequency power during an action scene? It makes a big difference to know whether you’re viewing on a dub stage or on an iPhone. If possible, review your mix on as many systems as you have access to. Just make sure you keep track of how you’re monitoring and discuss it with your post team.
Viable Software Options
SessionLinkPro - browser-based, can record dual mono, syncs with video
Source Connect - wide array of product options, used in many studios already
Cleanfeed - currently audio only, great for podcasts or voice overs
Sessionwire - standalone app, better suited for studio-to-studio recording
Accessible but Poor Performing Options
Zoom
Skype
Google Hangouts
Real-Time Feedback & Remote Recording
Remote recording has become much simpler over the last decade with widespread access to broadband internet and decrease prices in basic high quality audio equipment. Currently, there are several viable options for providing real-time feedback and even recording voice over or ADR synced with video. Each has their own set of pros and cons. Depending on the needs of your projects some platforms may work better than others. The good news is that I can help you navigate the product field and breakdown technological obstacles as well as choose the right option that fits your budget.
Itemized Feedback and Remote Approvals
There’s a variety of ways to provide feedback for revisions. Whether it’s a question or comment it’s always best to reference an exact timecode. Frame.io provides an excellent way to do this by allowing you to comment directly onto the same platform that hosts the video. Your mix will be married to the same picture-locked video file that I am using, then uploaded to the service for your review. Your comments can then be exported and each specific item can be reviewed in chronological order. After changes are made, the updated mix will be uploaded to the service and, if needed, any additional notes can be made.