Sound

Plan sound early, test on mute

Plan the sound before the animation is final, and make sure the picture reads with the sound off.

Picture and sound bars start together at the left. A late sound bar is dashed and crossed out. A speaker icon with a slash is labelled picture reads on mute.picture sound late picture reads on mute

Takeaways

  • Music direction before animation lock.
  • Approve one slice of picture and sound first.
  • Review on mute: do the holds carry information?
  • A music-led montage is judged differently.
  • Block the whole film as an animatic before polishing.

What it means

When sound is added last, it can only decorate. When it is planned from the start, score, effects and voice shape the animatic and the picture shapes the audio. The matching discipline is a mute pass: music can hide a weak picture rhythm, so review the film silent and see whether each hold still carries information. A music-led montage is the exception, where the silent pass is a diagnostic.

In a RasanAI film

Music direction and audio notes exist before animation lock. One representative slice of picture and sound, with a transition, a proof moment and a hold, is approved before the film is finished. The muted review is part of every check, and a person marks holds with nothing new to say.

Origins and sources

Studios describe considering score, effects and voice from the start; editors warn music can prop up a weak picture edit. They disagree only on how early music leads, so the mode is chosen on purpose.

Evidence: Studio practice, and single practitioners.

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