Tutorial 2: Track Creation and Organization - Post-Production Audio Workflow Series

Summary

In this tutorial, Michael Cullen explains how to create and organize tracks for a film sound editorial session using Pro Tools. He walks through the process of categorizing audio into five families: dialogue, sound effects, Foley, backgrounds, and music. Cullen demonstrates how to set up multiple tracks for each category, ensuring a streamlined workflow for mixing and editing. The session is optimized with proper labeling, color coding, and the use of timecode pops (TP) to ensure synchronization. This video provides an essential guide for sound professionals looking to efficiently organize their sound design projects.

Takeaways

• 😀 Proper track organization is essential in film sound editing, with five main families: Dialogue, Sound Effects, Foley, Backgrounds, and Music.
• 😀 For Dialogue tracks, use mono audio tracks and name them appropriately (e.g., dx1, dx2) to align with the audio clips that will be inserted.
• 😀 Sound Effects tracks are categorized into Mono and Stereo tracks, and typically consist of 4 Mono and 4 Stereo tracks.
• 😀 Foley tracks are designed to capture sound effects made by characters (e.g., footsteps, cloth rustling), and should be set up with both Mono and Stereo tracks.
• 😀 Background tracks should be split into two groups of four tracks, with one mono track followed by three stereo tracks in each group.
• 😀 Music tracks are organized into pairs of four stereo tracks, which can be color-coded for easy identification.
• 😀 Organizing tracks in sets of eight is a common practice in film sound editing, helping align the workflow with typical mixing board layouts.
• 😀 A TP (Time Pop) is used to sync sound and visuals, consisting of a 1-frame audio clip that plays 2 seconds before the start of the film.
• 😀 The TP audio clip is usually a 1K tone at -20 dB, and it is duplicated across all tracks to ensure synchronization during editing.
• 😀 To prevent sync issues during editing, use a TP in all tracks and mute all TP clips except the first one in each family.
• 😀 Once the tracks are organized, save the session and prepare to import the picture lock and corresponding audio clips sent from the editor.

Q & A

What are the five main audio families in film sound design that are organized in the tutorial?

The five main audio families in film sound design are: Dialogue, Sound Effects (or Heart Effects), Foley, Backgrounds, and Music.

Why is it important to organize tracks in sets of eight in a Pro Tools session?

Tracks are organized in sets of eight because most mixing boards have faders grouped in sets of eight. This organization makes it easier to navigate the session during the mixing process, keeping it clean and manageable.

What is a 'Fut' track and what is its purpose?

A 'Fut' track is a special audio track used for dialogue lines that need to be processed in some way, such as going through a phone or passing through a wall. It's primarily used for dialogue that requires specific audio effects.

What type of sound effects go into the PFX tracks in the session?

The PFX tracks are designated for production sound effects, which are audio recorded on set during filming. These are typically the raw sounds that were captured in the field.

How does the tutorial suggest organizing sound effects tracks in Pro Tools?

The tutorial suggests creating four mono audio tracks and four stereo audio tracks for sound effects. Each track is named sequentially, such as FX1, FX2 (mono), and FX5, FX6 (stereo).

What are Foley effects and how are they different from regular sound effects?

Foley effects are special types of sound effects made by actors or sound artists to mimic everyday sounds, like footsteps or cloth movements. Unlike regular sound effects, Foley is specifically recorded for each film and is often tailored to the actions on screen.

Why is it important to use color coding for different track families?

Color coding helps visually organize the tracks, making it easier to distinguish between different audio families at a glance. This can improve workflow efficiency, especially in large projects with many tracks.

What does a 'TP' track represent and how is it used in the session?

A 'TP' (Timecode Pulse) track is a one-frame audio clip that helps synchronize the audio with the visuals. It plays two seconds before the start of the film and is used to ensure all tracks stay in sync during the editing process.

How do you create and apply the TP tone in Pro Tools?

The TP tone is created using the Signal Generator plug-in in Pro Tools. The standard tone is a 1K tone at -20 dB, played for one frame. After creating the blank clip, the signal is rendered into it, and the clip is then duplicated across all tracks in the session.

What is the purpose of muting the TP clips on all tracks except the first one?

Muting the TP clips on all tracks except the first one ensures that the reference tone (which helps sync the audio to the film) does not play during editing, preventing it from interfering with the actual sound being worked on. This makes the session more manageable.