PRODUCER'S NOTEBOOK

The Fifth Column: Dialogue 

Finally – the lines!

In our last installment about reading ADR scripts, we will cover the dialogue column, located at the right of the page. Yes, this is what the actor will actually be saying. This is also where you will find some more direction geared to acting and the notation to indicate pauses. The performance direction is always in parentheses, tends to be brief (“fast”, “angry”, “sad”, etc) and obvious. The more subtle direction (“Not wanting to tip his hand”) is usually in the Notes column, as we discussed the last entry. 

In dubbing, it is very important to specify the length & location of each pause.  These notes can make the difference between an average script and a good one. If the script notation is accurate, then an actor should be able to the hit synch pretty accurately without even previewing the original Japanese loops.

How long does a pause last? That is the million dollar question and it is certainly open for discussion. How long should a pause last before you write another loop?  What might be a new loop for one writer, might simply be one loop divided by notation for another. Subtleties like this will become obvious once you start working with each script.

We will use the same example as we did for the Notes.

Timing notation inside the dialogue column includes:

`  An incredibly brief pause, just a few frames; you may not even register this when you start off. A pause is referred to as a “hitch”. This specific notation is sometimes called a “mini-hitch”.

^   A brief  but obvious pause; you see the character stop talking and then start again a beat later. Referred to as a “hitch” or a “carrot”.

/   A long pause; perhaps two beats long.

//  A longer pause, which could even have had its own loop number. You’ll find a lot of these used during long OFF, MNS and THOUGHT FILTER loops where the original Japanese dialogue had a definite pause but the ADR writer doesn’t think it’s necessary to write another loop for the rest of the dialogue. Sometimes, the writer will include interior time-code to indicate exactly where the dialogue starts again.

Be warned: this can ruin a recording schedule. A 10-line monologue notated as just one loop will be show up on a loop count as one loop and be scheduled accordingly. But it may take as much time to record as five loops. If there is a distinct pause inside a loop where the engineer can actually stop recording and then pick up again for the rest of the dialogue, that loop should probably be split up in the script.

You may also run into these terms further describing the dialogue:

ALT – “alternate line”

The writer has provided an alternate line that will be recorded and either used or discarded at the mix stage. Sometimes the client is on the fence about a line of dialogue and just wants two versions recorded. But there are a number of cover-your-ass reason to record alt takes. The client may have preferred the original line but the writer felt a revision would synch better. Specific names, pronunciations, call outs or terms are not known or haven’t been approved yet, so you record all the versions that are in the running. The last thing you want to do is call the actor back for one or two words.

REAX – short for “reaction”

Something has happened to the character and he or she is reacting to it without using any words. Usually the character is reacting to something physical. He just got pushed against the wall or punched. A chain of reactions can occur in one loop. A character gets punched, falls backward, tries to catch himself but but falls down the stairs. Reax are often further described by their tone. They can be desperate, comical, etc.

But sometimes the reaction is to something emotional. The character sees a gift left on his bed and has a “happily surprised reax”. The character sees his best friend take a bullet and has an “anguished reax”. Even a memory can create a reaction. Reax are not to be confused with…

EFFORTS

The character is straining to accomplish something physical, even if it is as minor as picking up a chair, and the vocalization needs to match that. Any physical exertion is an “effort”.

PRONUNCIATIONS 

One last note…Very often, scripts will include names or phrases whose pronunciation can stop a session in its tracks. A good producer should catch these words and ask the client for the correct pronunciation. These explanations should be included in the script. They can be included in the Dialogue column or at the top of the script.

The best way to make sure you are using the correct pronunciation is to have the client do a phone session where he reads the words. The phone session can live with the show drive, where the engineer can always access it. Each word or phrase should be edited into its own file so it is easy to locate. Otherwise, a phonetic document that includes all the tricky words and phrases is a good option.

No one is going to remember a word from episode #2 by the time episode #31 is being recorded. It takes work to dig up pronunciations and anything that stops a session, costs money. A little organization will keep a show running smoothly.

That covers the basics of ADR scripts. I hope this was a helpful series of posts. Please feel free to send me your questions, comments, and suggestions.