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ADR workflow
I just finished filming a short a couple of weeks ago and ran into a problem with my audio. All my external audio has a horrible white hiss that came from an issue with my shotgun mic and my DR-100. I’m thinking it had something to do with either the xlr cable or the phantom power. I digress though.
After spending hours and days trying to fix it with soundsoap or izotope xr and soundtrack pro, it was decided by everyone in the production that the only way to fix the exterior dialog is to do ADR. I never really paid attention to audio in film school but I have a rudimentary question about ADR and it’s workflow.
I have been told by several people to shoot it in a controlled room with the same mic that I used with my production. I already have tone and wild lines from the locations we are redoing the dialog.
The big question is do I still record back to the DR-100 with the same mic and boom position as what we shot the scenes with? I also wanted to know what else to prepare for with my timelines in FCP and would I also need to slate the scenes in my ADR session?
Any other advice from some pros here would help a lot for when I record my ADR at a studio tomorrow night.
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5 Replies
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Hi James,
A studio will probably not sound like another location. Is the problem footage outside or inside? Any chance you can go back to the location to do the ADR?
Regards,
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum Leader
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide -
The problem footage is all exterior in three different locations. An enclosed bus stop, a town square and the top floor of a parking garage. It would be tough to go to the location again because it would be at night and we filmed in the morning. The town center is three times as busy at night and wouldn’t match with the other exterior shots we have. The other problem is the film permit has expired and we don’t have enough funds to record again there. We’d have to guerrilla it. The other problem is I would have no way to have the actors see and hear their original dialog.
Would the ADR not sound as good doing a multitrack with the wild lines and other stuff I picked up the day we shot it?
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James,
If you have other audio to establish the sound basis, then yes, that might work.
The issue is the ambience the mic picks up while the dialog is being recorded. That creates a sound signature comprised of direct and reflected sound in the space the dialog was recorded.
Of course, if you’re not matching any of it, it doesn’t matter as much. You just don’t want to be in a small dead studio when the action is happening in a liver space. You can add early reflections from a reverb/delay effect, but they usually don’t sound like rooms.
So try adding your other sounds and remember to play with how far away fro the mic the talent needs to be to create the perspective you have in similar shots.
How’s that sound to ya?
Regards,
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum Leader
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide -
That is awesome advice. Thank you. I usually have excellent sound but the sound guys we hired never worked with my setup, so I have a feeling that may have contributed to the problem in the first place. I do wonder, what kind of field recording device do you suggest for a indie filmmaker. I like my dr-100 but sometimes I don’t get the volume or fullness I would on higher end things I have used on other shoots. Keep in mind that I need to keep it in a reasonable price range.
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James,
I always use a mixer with good limiters in front of the recorder to prevent accidental overs. That let’s me run a hotter level overall. If you aren’t using a mixer, the entry level I suggest is a Sound Devices 302.
Regards,
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum Leader
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
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