| SDDS: Sony Dynamic Digital Sound. Digital film format that utilizes in its complete form five screen channels (instead of the usual three) plus stereo surround tracks and an LFE track. The optical digital information is printed outside the sprocket holes on the print. First used in its final format in 1994 for City Slickers II.
SEVENTY MILLIMETER (70mm): The motion picture exhibition format that contains 6-track magnetic sound. In use primarily from 1955 to 1971, 70mm films usually made use of camera equipment manufactured by Todd-AO and Panavision. The camera negative was 65mm wide, with the additional 5mm outside the sprocket holes used for the magnetic stripes on release prints. Almost all films released in 70mm from 1971-1992 were originally photographed in 35mm and then blown up primarily for the 6-track magnetic sound. With 6-track digital sound now available in 35mm, there is no need to do a blow-up for sound quality, and in fact almost all newly manufactured 70mm prints in the U.S. have no magnetic track, but instead use the DTS system in the form of two players (one as a backup) in conjunction with a wide timecode track outside of the perforations.
SHOOT: Film sound slang for recording. Derives from the previous use of optical sound in all film sound recording.
SIMULDAT: A DAT recording made during telecine in which the production audio is transferred to a DAT whose timecode matches that of the videotape.
SINGLE SYSTEM: The act of shooting film or video in which the audio is recorded on the same medium as the image. (Video is by definition single-system, although it can also be double system if a separate recorder is used.)
SLATES: A visual marker used during filming to provide production and scene information. Also a visual and audible marker for syncing picture and audio later in post production. There are several different methods of slating. A smart slate contains a timecode generator and provides a readable time code display .This time code is the same that is being recorded simultaneously on the audio tape. By stopping on any frame and reading the displayed time code, one can find that exact point on the audio tape, then lock the audio to the film for sync sound. A "dumb" slate must be fed timecode constantly, either hard-wired or via a wireless transmitter. It is a misnomer to refer to all timecode slates as "smart slates." A bloop slate is basically a box with a light bulb or a 2 digit number display. When a button is pressed the light(s) illuminate and a tone is recorded onto the audio tape. By lining up the light with the sound beep, sync is achieved. Clap sticks or ‘Clappers’ are the most traditional, with the clap of the wood as the sync reference. Of these methods, smart slates are the fastest and most accurate. Head slates, those that appear at the beginning of a sound take, are far preferred over tail slates in which the marker is provided at the end of the take, (usually with the slate upside down to denote a tail mark).
SOUND DESIGNER: In its most common usage, the person who creates special sound effects for films. In its original and perhaps most proper usage, the person responsible for the overall sound of the film in much the same way the director of photography is responsible for picture. This person will usually supervise both sound editing and re-recording.
SOUND STAGE: Large warehouse-like room where sets are built and films are shot. Not to be confused with a re-recording stage.
SOUNDTRACK: The sound for a film. Should be used to refer to the CD or other release of the music that is sold to the public but should not be used to refer to the music in the film.
SPECIAL EFFECTS(SPFX): Awkward term often given to sound effects. "Special sound effects" is a useful description, though, for out-of-the-ordinary effects that have to be created.
SPEED:Word yelled by the production sound mixer when the production recorder is up to speed (indicated by "flags" on a Nagra), indicating to the camera crew and the assistant director that he or she is recording. While both Nagras and digital machines get up to speed quite quickly, the term derives from Hollywood technology in which a common motor system drove cameras and film sound recorders (originally optical, and later either 17.5mm or 35mm mag) and sometimes even turntables for music playback.
SPLIT SURROUNDS: Also known as "stereo surrounds." The nickname of the Dolby 70mm format that gives two surround channels (left-surround and right-surround) on a mono-surround-compatible print. Also stands for the use of separate surround speakers in any sound format, such as IMAX or Showscan, both of which have two completely discrete surround tracks.
STEMS: The three or more final components of a stereo film mix, usually comprising three lcrs mixes, one each of dialog, music and sound effects that, combined, make up the final mix of a film. Minimal (hopefully no) additional level changes, equalization, etc., should be needed to create a printmaster, although of course a 6-track print master will have different requirements than a 2-track stereo optical print master.The separation of elements afforded by stems allows domestic (English-language in the U.S.) mono and M&E stereo and mono mixes to be easily derived from the original stereo mix. The word "stem" should not be used for any other element prior to the final mix masters; it is a common mistake to refer to the various premixes as stems.
STRING OFF: Copying off a track from a multitrack master, usually to single-stripe 35mm mag film, in order to facilitate editing. Can be either a noun or a verb.
SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR: The person in charge of the sound editorial process, including dialog, Foley and sound effects editing.
SWEETEN: To add a sound to other, previously existing (i.e., cut or mixed) sounds. (Sweeten the car crash!) Often used in reference to mixing, although this usage is indeed common, especially in reference to television shows.
SYNC MARK:1.: The point at which the clapsticks come together at the beginning of a shot, and the accompanying sound on the sound track. 2.: An “X” mark on a single frame at the beginning of a reel of picture that lined up with a second sync mark on a roll of sound (May also be used anywhere where needed). Sync marks are also used at the beginning of A&B rolls.
SYNC POP: A single film frame of 1 kHz sine wave tone used as a guide to synchronize sound and picture. The pop on the resulting track negative creates a visual guide to the negative cutter, who uses it to make a printing start mark. The pop occurs two seconds before the first frame of picture, and thus corresponds to the "2" frame on the sweep-hand SMPTE Universal Leader, which counts down in seconds. On standard film leaders, the number at the pop is "3," because they count down in film footages.
SYNC SOUND: Sync sound is sound recorded while shooting picture. Usually it involves footage of people speaking, and is thus sometimes called lip sync. It must be recorded with either crystal or cable sync to line up and not drift out of sync.
To edit fill between words so that the whole length of a scene (including sections where the take or angle in question is not being used) is contiguous.
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