The term spotting is used in the motion-picture and video production industries to refer to the process of deciding where within a
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
the
musical score and
sound effects
A sound effect (or audio effect) is an artificially created or enhanced sound, or sound process used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media. Traditi ...
will be located, a process often referred to as "spotting for sound".
Spotting takes place after the
director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''Di ...
"locks" the film, an act which signifies their decision that no more shot changes will be made to the piece. The results of spotting are "spotting sheets" which contain the time cues – organized by scene, shot, and time code reference – that will subsequently be useful to those artists contributing to the project's
sound design
Sound design is the art and practice of creating sound tracks for a variety of needs. It involves specifying, acquiring or creating auditory elements using audio production techniques and tools. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including ...
. After being locked and spotted, the cut goes into
postproduction
Post-production is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording individual program segments.
The ...
.
References
Cinematic techniques
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