Award-Winning Supervising Sound Editor, Re-Recording Mixer + Senior Sound Designer | MPSE
Unsolicited Audio Advice to PICTURE Editors: Noise Reduction* I'm back with this little impromptu series (aka, I write things as I encounter them out in the world!) and wanted to share a quick and easy one. Editors, please don't use noise reduction - let that happen in the mix. Not even to "clear it up" for the "ref mix." Just avoid it - and if you encounter pushback, tell your producer/director/client that you're doing your job by not doing that. Us audio engineers will love you for dropping a note on our timeline saying "can you help this section out?" versus us getting baked + artifact heavy audio files. Then we have to likely email you or slack you asking for the raw file then waiting until we get a new AAF after you've had to bug your AE or worse, come back to your desk after you shipped prep to mix. Thank you for being open to hearing this end of it! Happy projects, gang.
But what if I have a bunch of hidden tracks called “outs” with the original reference files so the mixer can just go there and get them if the artifact noise is too much? :)
For picture editors, yes. Don’t do noise reduction. For dialogue editors, I find some mixers want noise reduction and some don’t. If you don’t know what they want, it’s good to ask.
Alternatively, have a spare track or two for noise reduction during playback and deliver raws to sound. An A/B type of thing. Communicates a vision without interfering with the delivery.
I like the new(ish) Avid Media Composer ProTools export. It gives you foldered, and colour coded, export of rendered and unrendered tracks. Nice to see what you need to match or fix so easily!
I always ask for the AE’s to not include rendered audio suite effects during the AAF output. If there are trouble spots that the Editor is sensitive to I ask that they note those with markers. If an audio clip does need to be sent with a rendered audio suite effect, I ask that they put the raw file on the track directly below it. I’ve had few problems or push back as they appreciate the clear instructions.
Ohhhhhh man and that’s for VO recording studios too. I’ve gotten quite a few ruined recordings over the last two years from VO studios slamming everything through voice denoise or mouth declick
Thanks for the tip! We could have two versions, though - one with filters for screenings (pre-mix) and one without for the sound department.
This is excellent advice. I get the temptation to go a step beyond, not to mention the ever-imposing need to get directorial approval. The latter is an interesting one. I have a theory (and have heard from many others) that some directors will see a GREAT edit, but middling temp sound will cause them to perceive it as "off" even though they can't put their finger on why. Double edge sword for picture editors - you have to do enough sound to sell the cut but not so much that you're a) wasting time; b) like you said, doing things the mixer can't undo.
I let the editor do as they please, but ask them to include a muted untouched track in the deliverables. This way you can please a director that becomes attached to the version in the edit. Also, there are plenty of editors that would also tout about doing sound, just because the material is in "their computer", and "it is easy". I had the best collaboration with editors that asked first what they should do, sometimes doing a quick cleanup for them. Having a tea or a coffee with the editor when they start is a miracle more often than not.
Freelance Re Recording Mixer/Dialogue Editor
2moI agree, a possible work-around suggestion, that keeps all parties involved moving forward...if your using the AAF as your source for your files, you can uncheck "include AAF effects" and you would then get the unprocessed files. Also, if the AE turns over all sound rolls you can use field recorder guide mode to swap out to original files. This is all not at all to nullify your ask, I totally agree, however when/if that ship has already sailed these steps have helped me keep moving forward without having to request...