Audio for Video with Pro Tools

Learn all about producing audio for video with Pro Tools in this detailed series by pro audio / video veteran Victor Giordano. Learn the techniques and processes for recording and editing audio for video in Pro Tools, as well creative effects and mixing standards.

Getting Started
Introduction (03:49) - In this video Victor outlines the 'Audio for Video' production process and the changing landscape of the industry. Career potential is discussed, a brief look at the Protools session template, an overview of the video production process and 'Audio for Video' session are shown.
Session Setup (08:47) - Get a more detailed introduction to 'Audio for Video' with a Protools session setup window and Input / Output overview. Time Code formats, audio file formats used in video, creating and saving custom auxiliary busses and a description of the auxiliary busses are given.
Session Template Overview (08:51) - In this video Victor looks at the routing from the mix window of a session template in Protools and demonstrates how the template distributes audio stems in the session. Explanation of track groups, aux masters, master faders and split / stem tracks are given.
Making a Template (09:46) - Starting with a blank session Victor shows you how to create an audio track group, an aux master, master fader and layback tracks. He then shows how to setup the inputs and outputs and explains the routing of one of the major components in the session. Creating new tracks, aux masters for those tracks, creating master faders that feed the stem tracks and generating a reference tone to show the routing is demonstrated.
Tracks and Tones
Tracks & Groups (09:48) - Using the basic setup from the previous video, Victor builds out the additional audio groups and track masters in the Protools session template. Creating VO, natural sound tracks, effects and music tracks, groups and layback tracks, solo safe mode, copying aux sends from one group to another as well as copying the mastering compressor to all of the master faders is shown.
Reference Tone & Slate (09:05) - Victor demonstrates how to create a reference tone and a ten second countdown called a 'Slate' and distribute it to the Master faders. Importing session data, generating a 1K tone at -20 db, setting up VU meters for reference, using the reference tone to create a ten second slate / count down is shown.
Working with OMF
Importing an OMF (09:26) - Using 'Import Session Data' Victor shows you how to import tracks from an Open Media Framework (OMF file) received from the video editor. Import Session Data Window features, checking disk allocation, audio file 'Handles' and export options are covered.
Importing Video (06:00) - Using the Import Video Window Victor brings in a Quick Time movie and its audio into the session and syncs the video to the OMF audio tracks. Importing and spotting the video to match the OMF, nudging the OMF to match the audio from the QT movie, Import Video Window features and Time Code recognition are all covered.
Organizing the OMF (06:30) - Victor now shows how to distribute the audio from the Open Media Framework file (OMF) to their destination tracks in the session. He then looks at tracks from the OMF that have multiple audio types and splits them to the correct tracks in the session. Copying the audio from an OMF track to a session track, looking for multiple mono natural sound tracks, finding FX files on music tracks, and looking at a messy OMF is covered.
Recording and Editing
Narration / VO (10:16) - In this video Victor looks at recording and editing narration / voice overs. He also examines the processing and placement of the VO in the mix. Reading from a script to picture, de-breathing the VO with Strip Silence, setting VO levels and VO EQ, compression and de-essers are all shown.
On Camera Dialog (10:29) - In this video Victor examines a session with a lot of On Camera Dialog (OCD) and how to work with audio recorded in different locations. EQ'ing many OCD files using automation is explored as well as compression and output levels, saving plug-in presets, fixing clipped audio files and messy audio.
Broadband Noise Reduction (06:03) - Victor now shows you how to work with noisy audio using BNR / DINR to minimize noise and clean up the On Camera Dialog. The functions of the DigiDesign BNR plug-in and how they work is shown as well as processing noisy audio from an OMF and comparing the raw audio to the processed audio.
Effects and Music
Effects & Sound Design (13:19) - Take a look at Natural Sound design and how to enhance it with effects as well as working with Sound Design for an animated film. Leveling 'Nat Sound', importing sound effects and replacing Nat Sound, sound effect placement, combining sound effects, sound effect libraries, sending the Nat and FX auxes to the same Stem Track are all shown.
Music Cues (09:35) - In this video Victor looks at how music mixes or 'cues' are used in an audio for video session. Victor also demonstrates how to edit the music to match the video. Mixing music using the Music Aux Master, making a music 'No Dip Stem', music licensing companies, music editing and fading to black are all discussed and shown.
Wrap it Up
The Mix (09:12) - Victor now looks at the final mix of an audio for video session addressing output levels, automation, and quality control. Memory locations, track show and hide, narration dip track, output levels on various level meters and making mono music tracks stereo are all covered.
The Layback (09:34) - In this video Victor shows how to record the mix stems in an audio for video session to layback tracks and then export them as files. He also shows how master faders feed layback tracks, explores mastering compressors and presets, labeling tracks and naming conventions, matching session tone to video bars and slate, consolidating audio regions and exporting them.
Television Promos (11:54) - In this final video Victor looks at a 30 second TV promo and how it's constructed and versioned. Different treatments of the same basic spot, importing video and audio into the session, syncing imported audio to picture, adding a 'Vocal Exciter' to the VO, making 'tagged' versions of the same spot and bouncing to disk are all discussed and shown.