QC Fail for not enough LFE

[cjguitar]

Yeah, in cases like that I'd suggest writing on the QC report "Directors/Producers choice". QC people are crazy…

[FullFrequency]

Originally Posted by cjguitar

Yeah, in cases like that I'd suggest writing on the QC report "Directors/Producers choice". QC people are crazy…

Yeah, really crazy. Thankfully it's already been resolved. The distributor they sold it to who had it QCd understood straight away and just went with it, although I have the QC house email (a massssssive worldwide company) so I might send an inquisitive email just to find out their perspective to see if there was any thought process involved that I hadn't considered etc, although I doubt it....

[pethenis]

I did a TV doc about the Nigerian film industry, aka "Nollywood". here's a fine example of what they produce:

ONLY LOVE1 part 1 - YouTube

Skip to 2 minute 35 for the dialogue to do your head in...

It got rejected because we used bits of some of these films in the doc. Reason; there was distortion. I spend a day on the phone explaining to the QC department that it was indeed distorting, because all these film sound distorted, that's what they do over there.

I explained that I even "tamed" the distortion a bit to get rid of some of the harshness, but all I got back was "Yeah, but it's distorted..."

I had to give up, but even the production company had some serious trouble explaining that they actually wanted this in. It was perfectly clear that it was tied to the subject and everyone that watched it understood it. All except the QC guy ;-)

[JSt0rm]

QC departments just want to do QC multiple times on the same film. More $$$$$

[ggegan]

Anything to justify their existence.

[NickH_UK]

My favourite QC experience was when I had a Master returned due to 3 Audio dropouts. I dutifully looked up the time codes on the QC report. The 'dropouts' were End of part 1, End of part 2 and the End of the Episode.....

[philper]

If I'm sure I didn't screw up, then I immediately refer notes like this to the director. It's up to them to go to bat for their decisions, not me. In cases like these usually an email or call from the director shuts them up.

phil p

[ThisIsSka]

There was a thread very similar to this where someone submitted a film where no LFE was used at all. And that got rejected by QC. It was suggested that they add an LFE boom when the mixer's name showed up in the credits.

[soundboy]

Originally Posted by philper

If I'm sure I didn't screw up, then I immediately refer notes like this to the director. It's up to them to go to bat for their decisions, not me. In cases like these usually an email or call from the director shuts them up.

phil p

+1
I just developed a thick skin around QC reports. Usually a call or email clears these things up.

[Dallas Taylor]

I once got a kick back from QC about "pops" in dialog.

wait for it..

There were kids playing soccer on-camera directly behind the interviewee. They flagged all of the instances the ball was kicked.

[mattiasnyc]

Originally Posted by Dallas Taylor

I once got a kick back from QC about "pops" in dialog.

wait for it..

There were kids playing soccer on-camera directly behind the interviewee. They flagged all of the instances the ball was kicked.

LoL....

[jimdrake]

Originally Posted by FullFrequency

Although this would be acceptable for DVD release, this would probably be rejected by the digital platforms.

is DVD not a "digital platform"?

[gsilbers]

i deal with this on the studio end. (big studio/distributor)

procedure is:

-recieve rejected qc report.

-give to producer/director

-he will fix or sign off on any rejection , labeling them as "creative"

-check if "creative" desicions are not against studio specs. usually textless related which the studio needs for international orders and that sort of stuff related to future dual language masters (fully filled M&E etc)

-return notes to qc.

-qc will spot check fixes and label items as creative.


ive dealt with hundreds of movies with no lfe. or minimal lfe.

the ONLY issue that the distributor cares about is that there was no mistake during the layback.

QC will just not know if it has nor not LFE.
but if directors says thats how its suppose to be then problem solved.

[pisser]

I had a qc report come back once with 30 pages of failures due to no lfe and no surround info. Director sent a note back saying it was meant to be like that. End of story.

[FullFrequency]

Thanks for the replies everyone. the director told the distributor it was supposed to be like that and they said ok.

[Frank S.]

In dealing with a recent QC issue myself I discovered that the QC techs are basically told that if they don't find something wrong they aren't doing their jobs and won't be needed.

[Pedantic Sound]

I couldn't imagine being a QC tech... sound awful.

[Vytis]

A few years ago I worked for a London based video digitisation company, we used to get Digibeta masters from Universal and Paramount and transcode to a variety of specs for video-on-demand. Once a freelance QC guy failed the feature film 'Babel' because it had 'missing audio'. It was a new film and nobody had seen it so nobody could comment. They asked me if I could 'fix' the audio, or if they had to ask for a re-supply!!!
Check it out around 02:30
Babel - Tokyo night scene - YouTube

They actually sent an email to the guy at Paramount 'informing' him about the problem and providing specific timecodes. He got back saying he'd not seen the film either and that he would get in touch with the production and see what's going on. A few emails later the QC guy 'passed' the tape adding 'intentional' to his comments.

[Vytis]

Imagine if they'd asked me to find an mp3 of Earth Wind & Fire and fill the gaps!

[gsilbers]

QC is defenitly not easy.

you get burnt for missing stuff and yuo get burnt for rejecting for stuff.


most of you probalbly work with new releases so QC has to be very alert.


also, there is a LOT of crap out there. and if a movie is going to get aquiered by a big studio then a qc is the last guy in line.

if a qc guy did not notice something and lets it go and approves it and that title gets picked up by germay 2 years later and they reject for it then the big distributor is not contractually obligated to back to the producers and ask for a fix. then the big studio is stuck with a lemon and just paid a lot of money for a bad product which will need to pay extra for fixes if its posible.

but man, whatching the same movie at least 15 times just sucks.
air master, adquisitin titles, dvd compression masters, foreign version, different aspect ratios, 5.1 pass, ltrt pass, me pass. and most recently 3D pass, 3d left eye, 3d right eye. J2k pass, uncompress .avi pass, proress pass.


all alone in a dark room for 8-10 hrs.

[JSt0rm]

Originally Posted by gsilbers

QC is defenitly not easy.

you get burnt for missing stuff and yuo get burnt for rejecting for stuff.


most of you probalbly work with new releases so QC has to be very alert.


also, there is a LOT of crap out there. and if a movie is going to get aquiered by a big studio then a qc is the last guy in line.

if a qc guy did not notice something and lets it go and approves it and that title gets picked up by germay 2 years later and they reject for it then the big distributor is not contractually obligated to back to the producers and ask for a fix. then the big studio is stuck with a lemon and just paid a lot of money for a bad product which will need to pay extra for fixes if its posible.

but man, whatching the same movie at least 15 times just sucks.
air master, adquisitin titles, dvd compression masters, foreign version, different aspect ratios, 5.1 pass, ltrt pass, me pass. and most recently 3D pass, 3d left eye, 3d right eye. J2k pass, uncompress .avi pass, proress pass.


all alone in a dark room for 8-10 hrs.

ouch. Im glad you are here though. All i know of qc guys is 1,2,3

[Frank S.]

I started out my post production career doing QC work, so I have a little less sympathy for the techs that make a big deal out of dumb things. You have to follow the "rules", but you also have to use your brain. The popping of the soccer balls is a perfect example. I had a show come back one time for a click when it was a character closing a 3-ring binder. Come on...open your eyes!

[cjguitar]

One way to avoid getting bounced for no LFE is to make sure it's got a two pop in the beginning, then at least they'll know it transferred correctly.

[Jfriah]

Not LFE related, but a favourite QC comment
"intermittent crackling"


Yep. One side of a phone conversation and that side of the conversation, the room had a fireplace in it...

Jeff

[gsilbers]

Originally Posted by cjguitar

One way to avoid getting bounced for no LFE is to make sure it's got a two pop in the beginning, then at least they'll know it transferred correctly.

most specs say to not add 2 pop on video masters.

bars and tones work but most of the time those are added after or before even though it defeats the purpose but thats how tape ops/layback guys do it.

[gsilbers]

Originally Posted by Jfriah

Not LFE related, but a favourite QC comment
"intermittent crackling"


Yep. One side of a phone conversation and that side of the conversation, the room had a fireplace in it...

Jeff

oh yes. fireplace sfx always gets those QC guys.

[JSt0rm]

Originally Posted by gsilbers

oh yes. fireplace sfx always gets those QC guys.

Why though? Are they not allowed to just look at the picture and realize there is a fireplace?

[gsilbers]

you would think.

more experienced ones will know.

[Sonsey@mac.com]

Originally Posted by JSt0rm

Why though? Are they not allowed to just look at the picture and realize there is a fireplace?

Because they often DON'T look... The QC software/hardware logs a problem, and they note the tc and write it down on the report. On one animated show I did EVERY radio futz (and there was at least one every two episodes), came back with "distortion on dialog" noted.