Night Journey: Audio Logging

After logging all the film clips from the rushes I set about cropping and logging all the audio files and narration files.

In a similar way to how I logged the footage clips, I referred to the log sheets whilst listening through the audio rushes and made notes for myself on the log sheets as to the content of the clips and usability and reflected these points in the file title for the subclip and logged them in appropriately named bins.

Audio Log Sheet 1

In order to be able to synch the sound files to corresponding footage effectively I made notes regarding details such as the length of the train featured in the sound recording, which recordings / takes were the clearest,or better clips.  I also made notes as to how the clip may be used, for example, as a 'train in tunnel' sound or 'metal bridge' sound.


Audio Log Sheet 2

 

Not all the recordings in the Audio Rushes files were actually listed on the sound Log Sheets so as I listened to the rushes through I made additional entries on the log sheets and continued to annotate the log sheets with my own notes.

After cataloging the audio tracks I then moved onto doing the same with the Narration rushes.  Again I set up an appropriately named bin and gave each subclip a descriptive title for easy location when it came to assembly.  

At this stage, having gone through the footage, audio and narrative rushes I was developing a good idea of how the film would fit together and how I could use the audio tracks effectively in sound design as atmos tracks, Foley / sound effects and dialogue layers.

Although it was a laborious task, I actually enjoyed going through the footage, audio and narrative rushes.  It was good to have a clear idea of what material was available to work with and how the subclips would fit together (in my different versions of the film) as I developed each idea for the film.

I learned a valuable lesson about the importance of preparing thoroughly, and keeping up to date notes.  I was proud that, should I fall under a bus, anybody could have picked up where I had left off and continued with the project as the system I used, the preparation that I had done and the notes that I had made were straight forward, well managed and logical.

I also learned to take the time to experiment with ideas, and not just stick with my first idea.  I really wasn't sure about whether an Amsterdam scene would work, but because everything had been prepared and logged properly it didn't take too much time to try it out.