Conforming is quickly becoming a major component of the dubbing process - enough to merit an entire section to itself. This is the beginning of that section, so expect to see changes.
The conform is perhaps one of the more important functions a studio will have to perform on a current project. With most feature films as well as TV shows (or "on demand" - type productions such as Netflix), a final sound mix is not available well into the final weeks before the official release. To ensure that deadlines are met, the dubbing process (detection, adaptation, casting auditions, recording) begins as soon as the first elements arrive. When an updated version is received, the two are compared to see what has changed. In my original notes below, I talk about comparing only the dialogue stems if those are available, but that is very rarely the case. Usually, up until the final mix is available the only thing one has to work with is a stereo track from the accompanying picture.
The original production should provide copies of the new script to the dubbers, with notes on what has changed (change lists) as well as the full script with the changes highlighted. Mind you, this is no guarantee that the text is accurate: those texts are prepared by interns and often contain mistakes and omissions. The best method is to listen through the versions yourself.
Continue:
- Listening
- Marking the dialogue changes and additions
- Tools and their shortcomings, recommendations for improvement
Conforming and additional takes
Conforming is done when a production that is under way receives an updated version of a show. A comparison is performed between the older and the newer versions, differences are noted, and the recording is re-edited to match. If the dialogue has changed or there are new lines, actors will be asked to come in for additional takes. When conforming for dubbing, we compare not only the picture changes but also the audio. It is possible that while the picture remains the same between versions, things in the audio have changed - takes that change the meaning of a scene for example, and affect the story. The process of comparing picture changes yields an Edit Decision List, or EDL a list of blocks of time that correspond from one version to the other. The process of comparing the audio between the two versions produces a list of changes that may include entirely new scenes that were not in the original version and need to be detected and adapted, or changes in the mix where general walla in the preliminary version is replaced by specific phrases in the final version. Typically the two versions are listened to simultaneously, one panned left and the other right (preferably listening only to the dialogue stem). Thus changes between the mixes will be immediately obvious even if the picture remains the same.
This happens more and more frequently, particularly with films currently in production, which introduces new challenges to the dubbing industry. Dubbing studios are required to work at the pace of the original production and follow any and all modifications. The ultimate goal is the global release of a film everywhere simultaneously, an economic model that has been gathering momentum in recent years [7].
Tools
When comparing the two versions one of the best tools available is Conformalizer, which lets you not only produce a change list (EDL) but also apply it directly to ProTools. If you already have an EDL provided by the picture department, then Virtual Katy can conform your ProTools session.