A sound report is a

filmmaking Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, cast ...

term for a sheet of paper created by the

sound mixer A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals from electric or electronic instr ...

to record details of each file recorded during filming. A sound report is arranged in a table format, where the rows represent each file recorded, which at the least would contain columns for noting down the

scene Scene (from Greek σκηνή ''skēnḗ'') may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Scene (subculture), a youth subculture from the early 2000s characterized by a distinct music and style. Groups and performers * The Scene who reco ...

, slate or shot and

take A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production. Film In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup". Takes of each s ...

number, and a wider column for remarks about the particular take's sound. A report would typically note the title of the production, the date, the audio roll or tape that the file is recorded on, tape speed or

sample rate In signal processing, sampling is the reduction of a continuous-time signal to a discrete-time signal. A common example is the conversion of a sound wave to a sequence of "samples". A sample is a value of the signal at a point in time and/or spa ...

, bit depth, and

timecode A timecode (alternatively, time code) is a sequence of numeric codes generated at regular intervals by a timing synchronization system. Timecode is used in video production, show control and other applications which require temporal coordinatio ...

information. More detailed reports may include the location, production company, director, the model of the mixer, recorder and microphones used on the day, the names of the sound crew, and columns indicating which tracks were used for any given take. The sound mixer will fill out the report during or after each take, noting down if there were any wild lines, any extraneous or unwanted sounds, and any other information useful in determining the take's sound quality. The sound mixer may in some way mark takes that were good, or of high quality, to provide a simple visual indicator as to the best takes. The report will be given to the post production department, where it would be used to determine which takes are of the best quality without having to listen through to every one, so the film editor and/or dialogue editor can more easily determine where alternate good takes may be found to replace those of lower sound quality, and can quickly determine how the sound needs to be edited.

References

Film production {{film-term-stub