Balancing audio quality with tight deadlines: Can you achieve both without compromising on either?

We often help clients with this very issue. In the ad world, deadlines are often very tight. Sometimes, as much as you try to plan ahead, plans change and the rush is on. Yet sadly, audio is often treated as an after thought. Your video deserves to be heard as much as it is seen! You need an audio producer/team that gets it and is focused. So much to say about this topic, but there is an old media saying that applies to virtually any project - "Fast, Good, Cheap. Pick two."

It’s definitely not beneficial to sacrifice audio quality for any reason. The last thing you want to do is upload and distribute content that does not meet your standards, and regret rushing, and possibly blow a deal. This is where time management skills come into play. Don’t procrastinate, don’t be lazy. If people are expecting a product, do you best work every time. Meet deadlines by staying productive and not stagnant. As they say “you can sleep when you’re dead” 💀 I have been up arranging at 2a -5a slept 6a -7a and went to my regular job. Only the hungry will eat.

Pragmatic answer: Yes but it will MUCH, MUCH better if these things are given time and attention. Audio must also be given the same importance as video. Imagine watching a visual presentation with really uneven audio levels. The default reaction will be, viewers will just leave or skip the video. You can do like simple cross fades or slopes for preview purposesbut the nuances or subtleties in your project is also of much importance.

This is a common challenge in media production: 1. Use Efficient Tools Choose the right software that speeds up your workflow without sacrificing quality. 2. Templates Have preset templates for different types of projects. Think of how "Game of Thrones" was produced they used preset settings for recurring scenes to save time. 3. Prioritize the Mix Focus on the elements that matter most. In a news broadcast, the clarity of the anchor’s voice is critical, so prioritize that. NPR does this very well. 4. Refinement Do a quick first pass to get the basics right, then refine. This approach is often used in live TV shows like "Saturday Night Live," where there’s no time for perfection on the first try, they refine throughout the rehearsal.

You cannot cut corners with audio. The deadline must fit the needs of audio editing and not the other way around. You will ruin any edit with bad audio.

1.⁠ ⁠Buffer time: Build in flexibility for unexpected delays. 2.⁠ ⁠Prioritize: Focus on critical elements if time runs short. 3.⁠ ⁠Client communication: Keep clients informed of progress and potential delays.

Planning ahead of time always helps media production professionals from any disappointment from audio quality and meeting deadlines by making sure they got the best original sound

In reality, when it comes to film production, what you hear is more important than what you see. An example would be; picture a black screen with sounds compared to a picture with no sound. Even in the silent picture days, before "talkies" came out, they still laid text onto the screen to explain the storyline. However, radio made you use your imagination and you could picture The visual actions. Without clean audio you end up with confusion (people asking "what did they say?"). With some bad footage you can still make it look cool in post production. Spending the time on getting and editing good audio should be the focus of all filmmakers. Yet, it is often an added aspect to indie, rather than a focus. I run multiple even in a run & gun.

Planning, Planning, Planning Testing, Testing, Testing - Spare batteries - Adequate equipment - Attention to monitoring signal quality, levels, and post production implications thereof. - Continuity awareness - always, always, always be monitoring audio

Pre-Planning the expected work can give a major breakthrough in handling the time and quality of the project. Deadlines are inevitable and having a blueprint of what all the changes that might occur later, will help the concern.

90% of audio problems are caused by not listening while recording. Wear headphones! You'll immediately hear any anomalies. The other 10% are equally avoidable, running out of battery or corrupting the files by either: not hitting stop at the end of the recording or treating you SD card roughly (if you're using one).

Templates are a good way to save time when it comes time to export, or if there are production tasks you run the same way most of the time. Understand how your templates work and what settings they change. If something goes wrong, or if a change needs to be made you could end up costing yourself a lot of time and aggravation if you don't know what your templates are actually doing.

Couldn't agree more, using templates will save you a lot of post production time, I have templates set up with E.Q. frequencies already customized for a host which has a weekly podcast for example. We use the same intro with music which is part of the template, his effect rack chain stays the same as all of these settings where implemented in the preparation strategic planning prior to launching.

Control on-set or on-location is the best way to maintain superior quality in all facets of production, but especially audio. I have found on-set the director should have control of the environment. The well known phrase “quiet on set” comes to mind. If the production needs to capture in an exterior, public or otherwise uncontrollable environment, considering post production options like ADR, VO, foley to save a shot that was otherwise ruined by bad audio is an effective solution. Making the decision in pre-production to use voice over b-roll or action sequences combined with foley is a great way to save on budget and shorten production time.

It's important to follow an efficient workflow. First by again staging, then cutting frequencies, applying the effect chain such as background noise removers, gates, compression de-esser, etc.

Hire good partners or freelancers that you trust. Seasoned professionals will push towards better quality all the time. Do not let problems pile up towards the end with a "fix it in the mix" approach. If possible, do a listening pass every time materials leave one significant stage of the audio post. Sound mixing is the last stage of the production, having passed through many departments your material should already be in good shape and without obvious faults. Your mixer will be able to sort some of the problems, but in the end he will not be able to work at his best if he has to fix problems every two minutes. Mixing is expensive, give the mixer the best material you can.

Check. Your. Work. Check your batteries, storage and equipment before you go to location, use your headphones and check audio before you hit record, check your storage space after each take, make sure you're actually recording when you hit the button, check at any major workflow milestones, check before you export, check the exported file. Every time I had a problem with my production, it was because I sent it out assuming it would be fine. This way lies disaster. Always check your work so you can fix it before the client sees it.

In order to maintain flexibility, which is very helpful on a tight deadline, I’ve found recording audio only takes of scenes on set very helpful for streamlining solving audio issues in post production and avoiding ADR, which can eat into your timeline. This really only applies to scripted production, but I’m sure there are ways to make it work in documentary or unscripted as well. Basically, after you have shot the scene take a moment to record only the scripted dialogue with the actors. No action. No props. No camera. Just have everyone perform their lines as if it was a radio play matching their performance from your good recent takes as best they can. This can help a lot and usually doesn’t add much time to your day.