These days, I cut on a Pro Tools rig, although in the past I've used AMS Audiofile, Sonic Solutions, and mag for dialogue. Usually, I edit in a small, quiet cutting room, with good sound isolation and really quiet air conditioning. The dialogue editor makes the dialogue work.Ĭould you describe your working environment? And when the production sound can't be saved, the dialogue editor is involved in the ADR process, that is, the re-recording of voices in the studio, to replace problem field recordings or to beef up performances.ĭialogue editing is all of these things and more. These editors help present the actors in their best light, quieting dentures, eliminating belly noises, and sobering slurred syllables. Dolly squeaks, camera noise, crew rustling, and light buzzes must go otherwise, the magic of the movies is compromised. He replaces washy wide-shot sound with clean close-up takes, establishes depth in otherwise flat scenes, and edits tracks for maximum punch and clarity.ĭialogue editors also work to remove the filmmaking from the film. The dialogue editor wades through the outtakes to find better articulations, quieter passages, sexier breaths, and less vulgar lip smacks. He takes the more or less finished film from the picture editor, makes sense of the edited sounds, organizes them, and finds out what works and what doesn't. What's the main goal of a dialogue editor?Ī dialogue editor is responsible for every sound that was recorded during the shoot. In this interview with Waves, John was kind enough to shed some light on this somewhat mysterious corner of the audio universe. John Purcell is author of Dialogue Editing for Motion Pictures: A Guide to the Invisible Art, the definitive book on the subject.