Reading an ADR Script

This is what an ADR script looks like:

Can you make sense of it? Probably not. That's why I've put together this next series of posts. This is a primer for actors who have just landed their first dubbing job. If you don’t freak out the first time you stand behind the podium and look down at an ADR script, then I've succeeded. 

ADR scripts are nothing like those for plays or traditional, live action scripts or even scripts for original animation. They don't make for a good read. There are no scene numbers and no camera angles. But there is plenty of time code. 

They are all about function. Their format serves to help the voice director easily and quickly communicate with the recording engineer and voice actors. Their very specific notation also helps actors match the mouth movements of their characters. The dialogue in a good ADR script will synch beautifully without a lot of tweaking in the bay. I've said it before - time is money in a recording studio.   

As you can see in the sample excerpt above,  there are five columns of information in a typical ADR script: Loop, Time Code, Character, Notes, and Dialogue. I am going to explain what each column means. You’ll probably still have plenty of questions during your first ADR session. But after you’ve read this series of posts, you won’t look like a deer in headlights. You’ll know what’s going on.

In the next post, I'll tackle the first two columns of an ADR script using the sample excerpt above.