Cutting Edge Problem

[Brent Hahn]

On Friday I was directing some ISDN VO, and I'd be giving the guy notes -- the usual stuff, little changes, nothing mindbending -- and he was having major problems. Finally he confessed that he was reading the scripts off an iPad, which he'd only had for a day.

Saves trees, for sure, but it makes your tweakin' pencil pretty useless.

This is soon going to be a regular thing, I'm sure. So I've been messing around with an Illustrator solution, where you import a .pdf of your script and create another layer on top of it with a transparent bg upon which you can write freehand. Works, but clunky.

There's also the Flintstone version of the above, which would be a plexiglass overlay and a China marker.

Any other ideas?

[nd33]

An app like this for pdf annotation?
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ianno...363998953?mt=8

I'm sure there are other options too with a bit of searching!

[Henchman]

a pad and paper.

Seriously, is it that important for a PAID talent to be wasting peoples time, so he can play wit his mew toy?

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by nd33

An app like this for pdf annotation?
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ianno...363998953?mt=8

I'm sure there are other options too with a bit of searching!

Exactly like that -- thanks! I can't try it out myself, but I'll forward the link to the guy.

[Henchman]

I think your idea of plexiglass would be the most efficient.
Or get some clear acetate cut to size, that would do the job as well.

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by Henchman

I think your idea of plexiglass would be the most efficient.
Or get some clear acetate cut to size, that would do the job as well.

I forwarded the app link to the guy, and I'm doing another batch of spots with him tomorrow... hopefully I'll have a progress report!

For this kind of thing (promo-by-the-yard) the iPad's not a huge deal, but for something like an ad agency project with a script that's 20 seconds too long and 6 opinions in the room, it'd be a disaster. Correction: it will be a disaster. Good to address it now.

[Henchman]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

I forwarded the app link to the guy, and I'm doing another batch of spots with him tomorrow... hopefully I'll have a progress report!

For this kind of thing (promo-by-the-yard) the iPad's not a huge deal, but for something like an ad agency project with a script that's 20 seconds too long and 6 opinions in the room, it'd be a disaster. Correction: it will be a disaster. Good to address it now.

Believe me, I know what you mean.
I've done my fair share of Advertising VO's.

[Fajita]

Originally Posted by Henchman

Believe me, I know what you mean.
I've done my fair share of Advertising VO's.

yep, six people arguing behind you on how the talent should read the word "the"

[Bill@AudioVision]

...And if I hear another "I don't know... what do you think?" I'll scream.

Back on topic though, I'm looking for something for very long scripts (400+ pages) to allow for quick edit marking, but I would not need to revise the actual copy. I'm sure more of these aps are going to pop up.

[Brent Hahn]

This just in... just wrapped another session with the same guy. He used the app described above and it worked great. Should be even better once he picks up a Nintendo DS-type stylus to use with it.

[nathand]

I recently recorded the VO for a feature film. Prior to the record dates the Re-Recordist on the film (A very heavy cat you guys all know of) stopped by to assure I wouldn't "F" it up. Among other things he insisted upon, that the talent not read off a music stand was his number one priority. I've heard the old "you get phasey recordings because of the slap off the stand" line plenty of times before, but never let it keep me from working that way. Obviously for this session I was happy to oblige and figured out a set-up where by the talent could read the script off a large LCD TV screen. It worked and sounded great. For the few changes that were required on the script I simply did them myself. The talent was not a "seasoned" VO artist, so he did not have his own shorthand for making notes on the script.

I liked the set-up so much I tried it the next day on Advertising session. It lasted only a couple of minutes before it was obvious it was going to be much more hassle than it was worth. When an eraser is the most necessary piece of equipment in the VO booth, the script on the monitor deal just doesn't work.

Now I just want a fancy slotted wood stand.

[Henchman]

The studio I worked at in Vancouver, had all their music stands covered with felt.

Never ever had any problems with slap or anything like that, whether it was VO or ADR.

And I did a LOT of ADR and VO recording there.

[nathand]

Originally Posted by Henchman

The studio I worked at in Vancouver, had all their music stands covered with felt.

Never ever had any problems with slap or anything like that, whether it was VO or ADR.

And I did a LOT of ADR and VO recording there.

Ya, I have carpet on my stands. And like you, I've never heard any kind of slap issue. However, I've been told the frequencies that would cause the problem will travel right through carpet or felt and reflect off the stand back towards the mic...

[Henchman]

Originally Posted by nathand

Ya, I have carpet on my stands. And like you, I've never heard any kind of slap issue. However, I've been told the frequencies that would cause the problem will travel right through carpet or felt and reflect off the stand back towards the mic...

Well, I call heavy bull#$t on that one.

You'll get more reflection from the glass, than a stand covered in felt or carpet.

[apple-q]

Originally Posted by Fajita

yep, six people arguing behind you on how the talent should read the word "the"

reminds me of this classic


YouTube - Orson Welles ... Birds Eye (Findus) frozen peas radio commercial

[philper]

A similar issue (re iPad) came up for a friend of mine who engineers a famous string quartet, that not only plays very gnarly modern scores but also rents themselves out as a string section. This last means sometimes getting scores day-of, and lots of notes, changes etc. They asked about iPads, but so far any app they've tried was slower and clumsier than a paper score and a pencil.

phil p

[Jfriah]

How about...

Turn his iPad up to the brightest setting, switch to a 'flashlight' app so it has a nice bright white screen, get an 8.5x11 sheet of paper (lined or unlined, whatever) and a Sharpie and he should be able to nicely see backlit-script and notes as he writes on that piece of paper. Just like tracing!


Jeff
(also a thumbs-up on covering your music/note stands with anything to pad it: foam, towels, whatever you have. Bounce and ring are bad things)

[smurfyou]

Originally Posted by nathand

Ya, I have carpet on my stands. And like you, I've never heard any kind of slap issue. However, I've been told the frequencies that would cause the problem will travel right through carpet or felt and reflect off the stand back towards the mic...

Yeah, I call BS on that too. Granted if someone is paying me money and insisting I don't use a stand I'll oblige. But show me 100 VO studios and I'll show you 100 copy stands with carpet or some other form of padding. Only exception I can think of is a desk for seated talent.

[Thomas W. Bethe]

I have never seen a bare music stand in a professional voice over studio. They are always covered in something. Ours have a piece of carpeting clipped to them and we never have any problems. Am I missing something here???