~ Dialogue Editor
Dialogue editing is a crucial process for the film's sound experience.
The dialogue editor is responsible for every sound that was recorded during the shoot.
They treat unwanted noises by removing/reducing artifacts or blending different takes, improving the sound quality.
Managing the dynamic range of the dialogue is also very important. It should maintain a consistent level, but also respect the dynamics of the performance.
It's a vital part of making the dialog more distinguishable in terms of clarity.
~ Cleaning film dialogue
The dialogue editor should know how to handle noise.
Noise reduction is a very specific technique that requires experience to work with, otherwise, it can do more harm than good.
If a dialogue editor succeeds at their task, their work will be invisible to the viewer. There's a fine line between solving a problem or creating a new one.
Improving audio quality is also heavily dependent on the quality of the original recording.
Overprocessing the dialogue can result in a lot of artifacts and damage the audio quality.
Some re-recording mixers prefer to be in charge of the noise reduction themselves, as they can listen to the entire mix in context, not just the isolated dialogue.
~ Is editing dialogue technical or creative?
Dialogue, technique and story
Dialogue editing is primarily a technical process, but it can also have an impact in how the film is perceived.
The speed and smoothness of fades between transitions, can impact the viewer's sensation of the narrative. Additionally, the replacement of certain words with others having a different pronunciation can affect the desired emotional tone. Although it's a technical role, it requires a sense of storytelling.
~ Boom or lav?
Which microphone should I use?
That depends on the situation and the quality of the recording.
Usually, during the mix (post production), you want to avoid having both at the same time, unless you make sure phase is not a problem.
Boom microphones tend to capture more of the performance and ambient sound, but they will not sound as clean and intimate as lav microphones.
On the other hand, lav microphones tend to capture a more detailed dialogue, but they can also capture unpleasant sounds such as mouth plosives, clicks, and clothing noises...
Their utility will vary, but it's always good to record with both. That'll give the dialogue editor or re-recording mixer more options to choose whichever better suits the scene and sounds better.
+ Dialogue editor tips