How To Create Music And Effects (M&E) For A Dub

Steps To Follow When Creating Music And Effects (M&E) For Dubbing

1. Watch through the whole film being dubbed. This is to help you get the feel of what type of film is being dubbed. Different films will require special attention during the creation of m&e. For example, a comic movie will have different attention to effects compared to horror or trailer. This is why I would advise to watch through before doing anything to get the capture of what is happening.
2. Watch through putting markers on specific points that might need special attention during the creation. This is helpful because it will help you capture everything without leaving a thing out.
3. Arrange your library of effects. Why should you arrange it or put it in order? This is to help you ensure that you have all the effects that you may need during the creation of m&e. If you happen to miss any of it, it is good to download and ensure that your library is full and ready for use.
4. Take your humble time and now start your m&e creation. Always use the best listening devices during the creation of m&e. This is to help you get the feel of your effects on how the sound.

Things To Consider In Creating The Best Music And Effects For Dub

1. Synch

This is a very important thing in the dub. As you saw it was present during recording and now, it is present in making m&e. this now shows you how important synch is in dubbing. M&e for dub should and must be created in synch. What do I mean by this synch in m&e creation? The sound effect of an action should not affect the action we should feel the sound and the action be realistic and happening concurrently. Many dubs sound comes second after-action happened or sound coming before the action happens. This is very wrong and so confusing to the audience and this makes the audience lose the feel of enjoying the film.

Synch is so essential. As you create m&e for a dub, ensure you are very keen to synch the claps, footsteps, door bangs, punches in a fight scene, claps, and many other effects that you may encounter.

2. The Levels

This is another very important thing when making your m&e. check your levels and ensure that your effects are heard and not competing with the ambiance you lay. Levels are very important. As you know loud sound may or it is harmful to your ears. Ensure what you doing with your m&e is healthy to the listener. Ensure your levels are -10db when creating your m&e. These levels too may change depending on the client’s demand so be able to change with the clients demand.

3. Songs

Songs in a film of dub you are creating an m&e for should always remain the same unless the client demands a change. If no do not change the song. Changing the song may lead to changing the feel of the entire film. And as you know dub is for entertainment and partly learning. It is so entertaining to watch a song in a different language and dub in a different one as long as the meaning is still maintained. Where no songs in the original ensure what you use is in line with what you have in the film. Be very careful when it comes to choosing the song to use when no song is provided.

4. Ambience

This sets the mood for the film. Ensure your ambiance captures the audience’s attention especially where there is some suspense shock or emotion being focused. This is so challenging to capture, but it is the most important thing in m&e.

Challenges Faced During Creating Music And Effects For A Dub

1. Synching the effects

This is a great problem to synch effects especially when two or more events are happening at the same time or very fast. It is so challenging, and this is what carries the m&e part. Synched effects make your m&e good. Always ensure the synch is well. 

2. Time

This can be a very great challenge especially when the m&e has timelines to meet. Do not create an m&e with high timelines set for you. Request for enough time in order not to rush creating the m&e.  enough time to create m&e for dub will give you significant result as you will capture all effects needed to be captured in the m&e.

3. Missing Required Effects Online

This is the greatest challenge m&e creators face when making m&e for dub. Missing effects online since some are so challenging getting and synch the effects. This calls for the creativity, of which, at some point it can be very hard to meet the creativity. This is because you might be needed to improvise a lot to meet the required effects needed.

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