ABSTRACT
The editing process adds to the image track a number of sound tracks that may be combined in various ways. On television this ‘audio space’ is usually dominated by the human voice, as commentary or dialogue. That means that an initial task at the sound editing stage is to make sure that the voices, which carry so much of the meaning, are clear, audible and well placed (the BBC’s 2015 production of Jamaica Inn was severely criticised in the press and on social media for ‘mumbling’ actors and inaudible dialogue). At the same time, the intro - duction of layers of sound from many different sources creates a rich and varied audio dimension. On feature films and large productions, a supervising sound designer with a team of assistants work on the sound tracks, while on some tele - vision productions such as news broadcasts, it may be necessary for a single editor to put together both picture and sound. Occasionally, in the high-speed nearpanic conditions that characterise some topical television work, sound editing may be reduced to some hasty ‘track laying’ a few hours before the dub.
