Editing Faster with ScriptSync in Avid
By Adam Noyes
One of the most exciting features found in Avid’s Media Composer Ultimate is ScriptSync. ScriptSync allows editors to upload a virtual version of their script to their NLE, and click on lines to attach them to the clips they are associated with.
This means a much more organized and efficient workflow for editors working off of a script, with a massive amount of footage. The function is still a hidden gem, that many editors are not aware of, that can truly elevate the workflow process.
Check out some highlights from this article from soundsnap.com to learn more.
It’s a tool that has in some form has been available for years and years but has had a lot of people talking about it recently as it has gained popularity. I myself only became acquainted with it 2 years ago and I’m still meeting editors who don’t know anything about it.
You may have seen a lined script created by the Script Supervisor, yes? Well ScriptSync is basically a digital version of that with the power to click on the lines to instantly load up the clips associated with it.
This opens doors for you to quickly finding specific lines of dialogue, to comparing different line deliveries across several takes, to frankensteining new words and lines together (creating new lines of dialogue with several bits of pieces of other lines).
It may seem a little daunting when first opening it up, but with a little understanding and a few minutes of work beforehand, it can drastically reduce the amount of time you spend scouring through your footage.
Once you learn how to use it, you will wonder how you ever lived without it!
PREPARING YOUR SCRIPT (OR TRANSCRIPT)
The first step in setting up ScriptSync is right there in the word: script. It’s going to index all of your dialogue and match it to your script so we need to make sure it’s formatted correctly first.
Whether you are given a digital version of the script or you get your footage transcribed, we need to start with a .txt file of the dialogue.
From there we need to remove any extraneous formatting created from the word processor. Let’s say for the sake of argument we’re using Microsoft Word. Open it and click Save As and select .txt as the file format.
Check out the full article to learn more.