This is my preferred method because the software keeps everything more organized.  You can view dialogue specific to your character, set it up as an ADR script (video on one side and dialogue on the other), and a bunch of other useful things.


Once you have it installed, open it.  It should look somewhat like like this:

Sorry for making everything so convoluted on Facebook.  Here is what you do to get to the scripts.
Note that for this to work you must already create an account on the site.

1)  Register

Most of what we accomplish this summer depends on all the help outside of the recording.  To be honest, the most time consuming is the pre-production and post-production (some of which can be addressed now).

First, there is the scripts.  The Madoka Magica script is mostly painful just because of the mouth flaps.  The writing itself is not terrible.  But going back from writing it to checking the flaps for every line is time consuming.  I would focus on just one character at a time (because I was going to record all of Riann-chan's lines for Sayaka in the upcoming week!) but I don't want to have issues with continuity.  That being said, I would be grateful if someone could at least check my mouth flaps for me to make sure they sink.  That in itself is not all that bad because there is not as much going back or fourth.

Another would be compiling sound effects.  Not necessarily getting the actual file for me (unless you wanted to, in which case I would gladly give a list of resources for that) just making a list of the ones that I will need to find.  Or perhaps have a group of people for this alone.

I feel bad that I haven't gotten as much done by now as I wanted.  But at least we can work together on things even before we get to the recording stage.

I look forward to hearing from you. :D
~Jen?!

Originally, I had been planning on putting this in my post about Celtx, but I figured that it deserves special mention.

Celtx is awesome, it really is.  If you've never heard of it (I hadn't), I would highly recommend checking it out at Celtx.com.

Put simply though, it gives me a place to post the scripts, notes, storyboards, act and share them with others.  I can even add more writers to the group in case that is something anyone would be interested in.  Not only does it keep everything organized, their free software has been amazing.

I am bringing this up because even though I am not done with the script for Madoka Magica, the one for Black Rock Shooter has been finessed for quite some time.  As such, I will probably putting that up for everyone within the next few days (to my knowledge, the one on Facebook is outdated).

But, to be able to share it with others, I am going to need everyone's e-mail address.  If you don't get the BRS script in the next week or so, it is probably because I don't have it.  So, it can't hurt to message me just in case (the contact info is on the site under the contact tab...not that hard to find).

While BRS is just a movie, it is important to work get all of the Celtx stuff resolved now for a few  reasons.

1.)  I need to know who is on board for background voices and minor roles.  Its just to make sure.  I can certainly guess, but I don't want anyone to feel left out on my account.  And obviously, having your own copy of the script gives you context without having to watch the whole thing, which is true of any series we would do.

2.)  Madoka Magica.  Its a big deal.  It is more dialogue to work through.  More people with bigger roles to fill.  For the most part I know who is playing the leads.  Unfortunately, it is not like BRS where minor roles have only one or two lines.  There are a lot of reoccuring people with plenty of lines.  For example, I don't know who is playing Madoka's family (her mom, dad, or even Tatsuya), Hitomi, hospitalized kid who can't play the violin, and I am probably missing several others.  We can probably take chances with the zombified people and witches and whatnot (how fun right?), but at the same time I don't want to do a lazy job about it.

I think that covers almost everything.  Let me know how it works out for you.
~Jen?!

I'll make this brief because it is significant, yet nothing that can easily be fixed.  I was going to record this summer at the duplex that I will be moving into within the year.  Things got held up because of a broken water line.  Thus the air conditioning had to be turned off because of the leak.  (Though the faucets are up and running today, so that in itself is moving forward.)

It is not impossible to record there.  I doubt I would mind it much personally - being born and raised in the desert.  But you might not enjoy it.  That being said, it would be nice to find a better location.  With everyone being busy this summer, that may be a lot for me to ask.

I would like to add that it is more portable than ever though.  All the fan dub things will be done on this mac laptop (and maybe connected to the other laptop for display purposes).  The only additional equipment would be the mic itself.  Its all pretty portable now.

So, if you have suggestions in mind you know where to find me.  This is a group project after all.  I'm sure that together we can get a lot done this summer :)

Thanks.
~Jen?!

Whether you care about it or not, it this is relevant.  I feel like I should apologize that we haven't gotten anything done.  But that isn't entirely true.  The behind the scenes stuff takes up more time than you would think as I have come to learn.

Awhile ago, Riann-chan and I tried to get some of BRS done.  It was more of a learning experience than anything.  So what was learned here?  For one, Sony Vegas is NOT adequate for fandubs.  It works, but takes at least one day in advance to prepare for it.  I wish I could say that this is an exaggeration.  But, it is entirely accurate.

If you don't know anything about it, it is a linear type of editing (what I am accustomed to for making AMVs).  So, video is on one timeline track.  Japanese audio is on another.  Two tracks at least for the beeps for each character!  Those three beeps are assigned before the first mouth flap begins.  This means a days worth of cutting, pasting,  zooming in frame by frame.  And I am a poor college student with little to no time for that.
Also, on the day of recording, there is a ton of previewing in Japanese, muting tracks, moving tracks (did I mention that Riann-chan has a thing for bloopers?).  It is a painful endeavor.

As you can plainly see, it works but it isn't practical.

Luckily, there is ADR software.  It takes care of the cues on its own, records multiple takes automatically, and can even put the dialogue on the screen, saving hours and even DAYS.  And yes, it makes my wallet cry out in terror.

I do have a laptop now that I got for my writing class.  It is a PC.  Nuendo 5 has a built in ADR program.  It is $1,800 dollars.  Alright, well most people use ProTools anyway.  That is $700.  People rave all the time about the ADR plugins for it: EdiCue, EdiPromt, and three or four other EdiThings that escape me at the moment.  What?  You mean you have to buy them separately.  Well, I figured as much.  I just didn't expect them to be $600 each!

I guess that is just as well given another lesson I learned with Leann.  If you want to avoid skippy playback, your computer needs to do multiple things at once.  I was recording to an external hard drive at that time which might have caused it, but that isn't for certain.  Things are  looking up however....

The best and cheapest software is for the Mac.  Since my mother is contemplating getting one herself, which would be available for my use as well, the odds are in my favor (no, for once I was not making a reference to The Hunger Games there, but think what you want).  For example, Streamers (made by Figure 53 for point of reference can be rented for $19 a day).  Yes, it adds up, but at this rate I doubt that I will have the option to record multiple people in a week anyway.  Besides, lets just say my mother is indebted to me for letting her use my car everyday, so it is hardly an issue.

Why do I bring up all of this?  Once the issue is settled, recording for BRS and Madoka Magica will begin.  I figured it was only fair to let you know where we stand.