Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The distinguishing feature of many low-budget films and TV shows is often the poor sound quality. Now, filmmakers shooting DV on a limited budget can learn from Tomlinson Holman, a film sound production pioneer, how to make their films sound like fully professional productions. Holman offers suggestions that you can apply to your own project from preproduction through postproduction and provides tips and solutions on production, editing, and mixing. Holman, sound engineer on such films as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, is famous for his pioneering work in film sound production and for developing THX. Now, he brings his expertise to the relatively new field of sound for digital video productions. Once considered an amateur format, digital video is becoming the format of choice for some feature films and for many lower budget productions; this book will enable you to use this medium to create the most professional and effective sound possible.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Preface (p. xiii)
• Chapter 1 Basic Concepts (p. 1)
• Scope of Digital Video (p. 3)
• Minimum Standards for Audio (p. 4)
• The Four Dimensions of a Sound Track (p. 6)
• Digital Sound (p. 12)
• Features of DV Format Tapes (p. 16)
• The Director's Cut (p. 16)
• Chapter 2 Introduction to DV Technology (p. 17)
• Basic Digital (p. 17)
• Operational Matters (p. 19)
• Single Recording Speed Versus DV's SP and LP Recording Modes (p. 19)
• Off-Line/Online (p. 20)
• Time Code (p. 20)
• User Bits (p. 26)
• PAL Formats (p. 26)
• Further Distinguishing Features Among the Formats (p. 26)
• Locked Versus Unlocked Audio Sample Rate (p. 26)
• Footprint (p. 28)
• Interchangeability (p. 28)
• Some Basic Video for Audio People (p. 29)
• Frame Rates (p. 29)
• Video Cameras (p. 34)
• Under- and Over-Cranked Camera (p. 37)
• Interconnecting Video (p. 37)
• Conclusion (p. 41)
• The Director's Cut (p. 41)
• Chapter 3 Production Sound I: General Considerations (p. 43)
• The First Big Step: A Dedicated Sound Person (p. 43)
• Location Scouting (p. 44)
• Coverage (p. 45)
• Scene Coverage (p. 48)
• What Can Be Done with an On-Camera Microphone? (p. 53)
• How to Use the Two Channels (p. 55)
• Other Items Recorded During Production Sound (p. 59)
• Microphone Accessories (p. 60)
• Booms/Fishpoles (p. 60)
• Shock Mounts (p. 62)
• Windscreens (p. 64)
• Pop Suppression (p. 66)
• Case Studies (p. 67)
• Mounting Lavs (p. 67)
• Radio Mic Usage (p. 67)
• Disposable Mics (p. 67)
• Production Sound Example (p. 72)
• The Boom Operator's Job (p. 75)
• Common Problems (p. 76)
• Logging (p. 78)
• Sound Kit Accessories (p. 78)
• The Director's Cut (p. 79)
• Chapter 4 Production Sound II: Microphones (p. 81)
• Power (p. 82)
• Dynamic Microphones (p. 84)
• Polar Patterns (p. 85)
• Differences Between Microphones Having Various Types of Polar Patterns (p. 90)
• The Radio Part of Radio Mics (p. 95)
• The Director's Cut (p. 100)
• Chapter 5 Production Sound III: Dealing with the Output of Microphones (p. 101)
• Cries and Whispers (p. 101)
• Recording Level Parallels to Early Cinematography (p. 103)
• Cries (p. 109)
• Whispers (p. 114)
• Cries and Whispers (p. 116)
• Multiple Level Controls in the Chain (p. 119)
• Another Kind of Overload Distortion and How to Avoid It (p. 122)
• Combining Features for Best Wind Performance (p. 123)
• The Director's Cut (p. 128)
• Chapter 6 Connecting Up, Reference Levels (p. 129)
• Basic Information (p. 129)
• Analog Interconnection (p. 142)
• Line Levels (p. 143)
• Mixing Balanced and Unbalanced Connections (p. 148)
• File Transfers (p. 150)
• Audio File Formats (p. 152)
• Common Problems in Digital Audio File Transfers for Sound Accompanying Picture (p. 156)
• The Director's Cut (p. 159)
• Chapter 7 Sound Design (p. 161)
• Introduction to Sound Design (p. 161)
• Film Sound Styles (p. 167)
• Realism (p. 168)
• Stretched Reality (p. 172)
• What Is Seen Versus What Is Heard: On-Screen Versus Off-Screen (p. 174)
• Hyper-Reality (p. 175)
• Surrealism (p. 175)
• Montage (p. 177)
• Shifting Levels of Reality (p. 179)
• Sound Design as an Art (p. 181)
• Spotting (p. 183)
• The Director's Cut (p. 184)
• Chapter 8 Editing (p. 185)
• Non-linear Editing (p. 185)
• Random-Access Editing (p. 186)
• Nondestructive Editing (p. 187)
• Visual Waveform Editing (p. 188)
• Edits and Fade Files (p. 189)
• File Management (p. 190)
• Plug-ins/Processes (p. 191)
• Tracks and Channels (p. 196)
• Busses (p. 196)
• Pan Pots (p. 197)
• Solo/Mute (p. 197)
• Grouping Tracks (p. 198)
• Differences Between Picture and Sound Editing Systems (p. 198)
• Picture-Sound Sync Resolution (p. 199)
• How to Edit (p. 199)
• Fine Editing of Production Sound (p. 203)
• Stealing Presence (p. 205)
• Where Presence Is Used (p. 206)
• Documentary Considerations (p. 207)
• Fixing Bumps (p. 207)
• Sound Effects (p. 208)
• Ambience/Backgrounds (p. 214)
• Foley Effects (p. 215)
• Cutting Music (p. 215)
• Scene Changes (p. 216)
• The Director's Cut (p. 226)
• Chapter 9 Mixing (p. 229)
• Basic Considerations (p. 229)
• The Mixing Hourglass (p. 231)
• Audio Processes (p. 231)
• Processes Related Mainly to Level (p. 232)
• Level Controls (p. 232)
• Gain Staging (p. 234)
• Hand Compression (p. 235)
• Compression (p. 236)
• Limiting (p. 237)
• De-esser (p. 238)
• Noise Gate (p. 238)
• Downward Expander (p. 239)
• Processes Related Mainly to Frequency (p. 239)
• Equalization (p. 239)
• Filters (p. 242)
• Processes Involving Combinations of Level and Frequency (p. 244)
• Time-Based Devices (p. 245)
• Reverberation (p. 245)
• Other Time-Based Effects (p. 247)
• Other Plug-Ins (p. 247)
• Panning (p. 248)
• Routing and Limitations Caused by It (p. 249)
• Busses, Channels (p. 249)
• Delay Compensation (p. 249)
• Voice Limitation (p. 250)
• How to Mix (p. 251)
• The Director's Cut (p. 255)
• Chapter 10 Masters and Monitoring (p. 257)
• Basic Considerations (p. 257)
• Choice of Sound Format on Edit and Delivery Masters (p. 259)
• Uses of Surround Sound (p. 266)
• Mastering for Level (p. 267)
• Background on -20 Versus -12 dBFS Reference Level (p. 269)
• Level Calibration (p. 269)
• When You Can't Calibrate with Test Signals (p. 272)
• Best One-Size-Fits-All Approach (p. 274)
• Mastering for DVD, Digital Broadcast, and Digital Satellite Television (p. 276)
• Monitoring (p. 281)
• Film Versus Video Mixes (p. 287)
• The Director's Cut (p. 289)
• Final Word (p. 289)
• Appendix (p. 291)
• Index (p. 293)
• CD Tracks (p. 308)