Audio Overview

Voice Actors, find you instructions here: Voice Actor’s Guide

Our first step is to identify the bulk of the audio we need. We list all the characters with lines or efforts, read through the script with our sound designers to identify major sound effects, and analyze initial concepts for the composers to chew on.

• We send scripts to voice actors (VAs), and the sound designers begin gathering materials.

As we gather lines from the VAs, they go through voice over (VO) ingest. This allows us to make sure they are sorted and formatted correctly, and do an initial pass for errors. We then contact VAs for fixes and first round of retakes.

Second round of ingest, we do initial cleanup on the audio to remove flubs and run through any initial processing. We find more retakes to send back to VAs.

• First round of VO ingest for technical errors & initial sorting. Second round for initial cleanup. Voice actor retakes as needed.

Next, an audio editor begins the rough audio edit for a sequence. Most other VA retakes are determined during this process. The first edit has several parts and versions prepared from the various takes the VAs recorded for each line. The audio editor uses their best judgment in constructing these versions, selecting which takes to combine and setting initial pacing for dialogue and the occasional major sound effect. These edits are presented to the audio supervisor for first review.

The audio supervisor provides feedback and narrows down the versions to the best few takes. The audio editor takes these notes and revises the audio edits. Then, the few best versions are presented to the directorial team.

The directorial team selects the final takes and gives their notes. One final audio rough edit is made with the single selected takes. The audio supervisor checks it again before it is sent to the animatic video editor.

• Several versions of the first audio rough edits are made. The audio supervisor reviews, a second round of edits are made, and then the directorial team chooses the final VO takes. Last edits are reviewed by the audio supervisor. More VA retakes before it’s finalized.

Now audio assets are passed to the animatic video editor. Sound effects, a multi-track version of the final rough audio edit, etc. Like with the audio rough edits, the supervisors review the first version(s) of the animatic, edits are made, and then the directorial team reviews it. Once the animatic is finalized and approved, it is passed to the video, animation, and audio departments, and a multi-track version of the animatic’s audio is given to the audio department.

• The animatic is created. It is reviewed by the supervisors, second round of edits, and then reviewed by the directorial team. The final animatic goes out to most departments.

Now that audio timing is generally set, audio editors can finally do all the time consuming clean up & processing. Then the sound designers refine the initial sound effects, continue preparing others, and apply voice effects. This is where we begin identifying and recording additional efforts and lines needed from VAs.

• Audio is thoroughly cleaned up & prepped for mixing. Sound designers apply voice effects & work on sound effects.

Once the video department begins compositing and editing animation, there may be more audio tweaks, and audio tweaks may lead to tweaks on the video side. Any final voice over is recorded & added. Some music may enter during this process. There will be regular check-ins between departments and with supervisors.

• Sound designers finish the effects. Audio & video departments communicate any remaining tweaks to timing and required assets. Timing and audio assets are completely finalized.

Once audio and video are otherwise finalized, music is added, and the audio mixer takes over for audio balancing, stereo work, refining intelligibility, etc. The audio department’s final step is to master the audio for publishing to YouTube. The mastered audio will be the version exported in the final, ready-to-release video.

• Add remaining music. Mix & master.

We review the ready-to-release product one final time before public release.