American Cinematographer - October 1968 - 32

A NEW ELECTRONIC POST¬
SYNCHRONIZATION SYSTEM
A fast, precise and economical method of altering
sound tracks that may make "looping" obsolete
The post-synchronization of dia¬
logue to match picture - a process
more familiarly known as "looping"
or "dubbing" - has long provided a
method of replacing lip-sync tracks
which could not be recorded with
acceptable quality during original film¬
ing, and also a means of replacing
the original dialogue with dialogue
spoken in a foreign language. The
latter usage, when well done, is con¬
sidered to be superior to sub-titles,
especially for television, where the
titles are usually too small to be read
easily. As a budget measure in many
countries, it is standard practice to
shoot an entire feature silent and postsynchronize all of the dialogue. Where
there are actors of many nationalities
involved - each speaking his own
language during the original filming
- post-synchronization is practically
the only way that consistency of lan¬
guage and dialect can be achieved.
Up until now, the method has in¬
volved cutting the picture into short
lengths which are spliced end to end
to form a loop. These loops are run
over and over again, with the picture
projected onto a screen while an actor
does several practice runs and then
several "takes" in an attempt to get
his articulation of the dialogue to
match the lip movements of the picture
image. Later an editor has to assemble
In
the
"looping"
studio,
Terence
Stamp
matches speech to the lip movements of his
image on the screen, in order to replace di¬
alogue unsatisfactorily recorded on location for
the feature film, "BLUE."

all of the acceptable sound takes and
splice them in to match picture, using
a workprint or release print of the
approved cut of the film. It is a
tedious, time-consuming and expensive
process.
Now, however, it would seem that
a method has been devised which will
cut the time, tedium and expense of
post-synchronization to a minimum -
while completely eliminating the use
of loops and the subsequent laying in
of okayed sound takes by an editor.
This new method of electronic post¬
synchronization, developed by MagnaTech Electronic Co., Inc., was recently
demonstrated for the press at Man¬
hattan Sound Studios, 460 West 54th
Street, New York City, which boasts
the first commercial installation in the
United States of the revolutionary new
system.
In an impressive demonstration, an
actor and actress placed English
words into the mouths of foreign ac¬
tors and actresses with a speed and
precision that would seem to make
the old "looping" method obsolete.
Paulette Curtis, who participated in
the demonstration, noted that "the op¬
portunity to playback the 'take' after
making it, in perfect synchronization
with the picture, gives you the option
of making another 'take' if you want
to, and to recognize the manner in
which the error was made, so that a
perfect 'take' can follow." She added
that the standard dubbing methods via
"loop" left the talent and the direc¬
tor merely visualizing the accuracy of
their efforts with no real assurance
that it existed until the film ultimately
reached the editing room. "Manhat¬
tan's new system," she added, "not
only permits you to play it back, but
on alternate tracks . . . and then
select from them the best take for
transfer to the third track on the
Magna-Tech 3-track pickup recorder."
The new system electronically syn¬
chronizes a reel of picture with a reel
of full-coat magnetic sound-recording
film. Footage and frame "presets"
permit the recordist to select the scene
to be "dubbed" and to fully control
the advance and return of the film as

the actor voices the line to be "dub¬
bed." The system is so accurate it will
even permit the change of a single
word without danger of erasing an
adjacent word.
High speed return of the film to
"start" saves time and permits new
starts without waiting for a "loop" to
complete its trip. Actors, who so often
succumb to the rhythm of a loop, are
spared this hypnotic interference with
their histrionic efforts. Acceptable
"takes" can be stored on the 3-track
film and replayed for final selection.
A complete remote control system
is provided the director so that once
the recording engineer has preset
footages the director can take over if
he wishes, and can directly control
every facet of the recording.
It was pointed out that the Elec¬
tronic Post-Sync System precludes the
need for cutting loops and eliminates
the editing of the track. Complete
reels of the motion picture are run in
synchronization with the full-coat mag¬
netic film on which the sound track is
recorded and transfer of the best
takes is made to the third track of the
same recorder. This track now has all
of the final takes in sequential position
and ultimately permits the screening
of the picture and the final edited
track in perfect synchronization. From
this point the track is ready to go to
a mix without handling by an editor.
The following data, explaining in
technical detail just how the new post¬
synchronization system operates, was
provided by Magna-Tech Electronic
Co., Inc.:
Application
The Electronic Looping System is
used for post-syncing, foreign lan¬
guage dubbing and substituting of
words or other material in mixed
tracks.
It replaces the conventional loop¬
ing method and eliminates all editor¬
ial work before and after looping (ex¬
cept for the spotting of scenes).
Description
The essential difference between
conventional looping and the Elec-

AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER, OCTOBER 1968
American Cinematographer - October 1968

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