Miles Foster-Greenwood

Post-production sound mixer in Austin, Texas

Technical Information

Necessary files from picture editor

  1. AAF - A file exported from your editing software which contains all of the audio tracks that the picture editor was using, including volume automation and fades. Please include at least 6 seconds (144 frames) of audio handles. Embedded or referenced AAFs both work fine. For the audio format, please use 24-bit/48 kHz. Some workflows (such as “nesting” in Adobe Premiere) lead to problems in the AAF exporting process. OMF is another file type that works, but these days AAF is more common and reliable.

  2. Reference video - Apple ProRes Proxy codec works well with Pro Tools and is what I prefer. Avid DNxHD at a low bit-rate also works. 1080p or similar resolution is best. Avoid h.264 if possible, but I can convert it and use it in a pinch. Ideally, your video will have timecode burned in and a 2-pop before the start of the program. It is good practice to have your first frame of picture start at 01:00:00:00, with any leader and 2-pop starting before the 1 hour mark.

  3. Production audio and sound reports - These are necessary for accessing all available mic channels and looking for better sounds in alternate takes. Sometimes a copy of the script can be helpful.

Track organization

It is best to group all of the dialogue on one set of tracks, sound effects on another set of tracks, and music on another set of tracks. Scratch camera audio is not needed unless it's the best audio you have. Please do your best to preserve all scene and take metadata in the production audio tracks.

On feature films, the picture editor may be working mainly with the mix track from the production sound mixer. This is a good workflow as long as all timecode metadata is carefully maintained and comes through in the AAF. In this case I will access the different mic isos through the Pro Tools Field Recorder function. If this workflow is unfamiliar to you, it's best to include all mic channels in your edit timeline/AAF.

Deliverables

All projects will recieve a stereo mix and a 5.1 mix at minimum. For larger projects, we can mix in Dolby Atmos, an immersive multichannel surround format. I will also provide all stems required by you and your distributor.