Lost audio and dialogue: problems and solutions

Albert Manera, head of the post-production company The Chameleon Sound, addresses in this Tribune the issue of dialogues in film and television, whose sound treatment has been questioned in recent times by the industry.

you have to have Careful when the treatment of the audio of the conversations in current cinema and television. Many people sing to the sky stating that the dialogue is not understood and try to find its explanation in the series or movie itself, or in the equipment of your television. In fact, accessibility features are even being proposed in television standards such as HbbTV with an expanded dialogue channel.

If as a viewer you cannot follow the dialogue of a sequence, you disconnect y you stop paying attentionn.

The dialogues have to reign, in my opinion, above all else. If as a viewer you cannot follow the dialogue of a sequence, you disconnect and stop paying attentionn, and if you lose interest, everything else is of no use.

There are many issues that can affect the issue of dialogues, and some of them are closely linked to a very strong and deeply rooted culture in Spain: dubbing.

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The heritage of the world of dubbing

Traditional dubbing in Spain has been a voice in the foreground which can be heard perfectly... because you can't hear anything else. I worked on several films with a film director named Luna rice, who always said that dubbing was the cancer of cinema. And he was right in that sense.

I worked on several films with a film director named Luna rice, who always said that dubbing was the cancer of cinema. And he was right in that sense.

Decades of dubbing have meant that several generations have the accustomed ear to the dubbing dialogue. When you play an original version, shot on set with direct sound, it is not the same. Sometimes, the dialogues also get lost among effects, atmospheres or subtle elements. This perception extends to a new generation of filmmakers who treat sound with all possible nuances.

I don't think that dubbing is a profession for the future., because young Spanish people are getting used to watching movies in their original versions. It doesn't occur to my children to watch a dubbed movie.

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The dialogues and the interpreters

On the other hand, there are many actors no work the voice. for them it's not important.

An important part of the training of an actor is know how to speak. There are actors who insist on whispering and making things very difficult for us, because they speak softly or do not project their voice. Fortunately, there are more and more actors who have realized that the voice is an important means of interpretation and, therefore, it must be worked on. This is also evident in a gradual improvement of dialogues in fiction.

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The viewer experience at home

I think that the viewer appreciates and enjoys being able to hear things well and that the sound is part of the narrative in fiction. We have to think that when the sound is rich, the audiovisual product increases in quality. We have a very clear example in music: people greatly appreciate being able to listen to music with the highest quality and spend money on it.

It is also necessary to think that television sets, sound bars, tablets or phones increasingly have better listening systems in which the Bad mixes are noticeable and good ones too.. It is very important to take care of all the details and give the viewer a good product.

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Sound pickup and mixing

one last point, which is ours, is work the dialogues well from various perspectives. One option may be to not only use the micrfromhanger phone to capture the dialogues, but also make them carry inalonbrics. The union of the two microphones It will give body to the voice and the skeleton and drive that the dialogues need to have.

The union of the two microphones will give body to the voice and the skeleton and push that dialogues need to have.

Then there is the issue of mix. It is essential to have a good montage of dialogues and a good mix in which the conversations are at an interesting point and are not covered by the abundance of mmusic, effects or noises that on many occasions they want to be in the movies.

For me, dialogues are a absolute priority. The first thing I do when starting an audio mix is ​​work on the dialogues. If this part is not there, I do not continue further. Therefore, it is essential spend all the time necessary for this process that is so vital for the development of a project.

Albert Manera

Responsible for The Chameleon Sound