ADR Mixer

To get perfect, clear dialogue in each shot of a television show or movie, Film Directors use a secret weapon: An ADR Mixer. As an ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) Mixer, you correct sound problems related to the lines Actors speak. Sometimes, you remove background noise or smooth out rough edges in speech. Other times, you replace certain words or phrases with bits from alternate takes.

Usually, your projects kick off with a meeting with the Director and other Sound Engineers to find out which scenes seem off-kilter. Together, the two of you decide what parts of the film you’ll focus on.

You begin by correcting as much as you can on your own using a Digital Audio Workstation. If you can’t correct the problems, you must schedule the Actor to come into the studio and lip-synch replacement lines. These are stressful sessions for Actors, and you do your best to put the talent at ease through your enthusiasm and coaching.

You show them the piece, remind them how the line should be spoken, and then record as they speak the line in time with the film. The fewer takes you do, the less expensive the process is, so you work quickly and calmly to get the job done.

After you edited the new dialogue into the original track, you finish up your work by making sure all the background sound matches up. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to create the crystal clear lines of dialogue that make a scene shine.