Film school:Narrative Dialog Editing:Story of Penny and Eggbert:Homework:Film Score

An example for the course on Narrative Film Editing

"Inserting narrative music"

Narrative music is music which narrates (explains) the scene. The music acts like a narrator to explain what is happening in a scene.

Narrative music has only one problem. Extreme care must be taken when you insert narrative music in a conversation so it does not step on the actor's dialog.

If you are not careful how you insert the narrative music, there can be lip sync problems.

Rule #1: You may add narrative music when people will not notice the lack of lip sync.
Rule #2: Don't add narrative music when people will notice that the audio and picture are not in sync.
It is that simple!
The story of Penny and Eggbert
Intro: Penny & Egg Introduction
Page #1: The story and script
Page #2: The camera setups
Pop Quiz: Penny & Egg Pop Quiz #1
Page #3: The dailies
Page #4: The rough edit
Page #5: "L-Cuts"
Page #6: Creating "L-Cuts #1"
Page #7: Creating "L-Cuts" #2
Pop Quiz: Penny & Egg Pop Quiz #2
Page #8: Planning the film score
Page #9: How to insert narrative music
Homework #1: Create the film score
Homework #2: Editing the scene


Note: Penny and Eggbert are 3D Poser models created by 3D Universe. For this lesson, these characters were posed and rendered with the free DAZ Studio.
The theory
Look at the differences

L-Cuts vs. Narrative music

Before we start, take a quick glance at the two pictures. Do you see the difference?

One demonstrates how "L-Cuts" are created and the other shows how narrative music is added.

As you can see, these are two totally different concepts.

See the difference?


Rolling the picture edits

This is when you create simple "L-Cuts"

To create a simple edit, you edit for sound, lock sound, roll the picture edits to get the best visual transition (under the circumstance) without loosing lip sync.
See the difference?


Insert narrative dialog

This is when you add narrative music

Edit for sound, put the clips apart, insert room tone, add narrative music, roll the picture edits to get the best visual transition (under the circumstance) without loosing lip sync.
Inserting narrative music
Step 1 of adding narrative music

Step 1 - Add a gap in the dialog

In between sentences (or wherever you wish), pull apart the pieces of the rough edit.

Create the gap for the music

Add the gap

Narrative music is sound strong, it needs a gap in the dialog.

Step 2 of adding narrative music

Step 2 - Fill in the gap with picture

I rolled (expanded) the clip on the end by unrolling more of the footage. This filled the gap.

Create the gap for the music

Fill the gap with picture

Fill the gap in the audio with picture

Step 3 of adding narrative music

Step 3 - The room tone

Without room tone the silence will sound bad.

The natural sounds of the room

Adding room tone

Without room tone, the audio will sound very bad.

Step 4 of adding narrative music

Step 4 - Add the music

Add the narrative music to fill the gap.

Add the music

Add the music

The music should fill the gap completely so that the pause in the dialog seems totally natural.

Look at the possible camera setups


The next page

That ends the theory. Now you must create the music and perform the edit. Click here to go to the next page.

If you have any questions

Your instructor for filmmaking classes is Robert Elliott.
If you have any question, click here to email me.