In the climax the music swells, the storm roars and the two leads shout at each other across a rooftop. In the first pass of the mix nobody can understand a word. The re-recording mixer pulls the storm down under each line, lets the music drop out for one sentence and brings it back for the last shot. Now every word lands and the scene still feels huge. The re-recording mixer is the person who blends all the sound of a film into one finished soundtrack.
What a re-recording mixer does
The final mix is one of the last steps of post-production. By then dialogue has been edited, the sound designer and sound team have built the effects and atmospheres, and the composer has delivered the music. The re-recording mixer brings all of it together on a mixing stage, a room built to sound like a cinema or living room, and decides the level, placement and tone of every element.
They work with the director, who attends the mix and gives notes, and with the post-production supervisor, who books the stage. On larger films two or three mixers share the desk, one for dialogue and music and one for effects. Once the mix is approved, they create the versions on the delivery list, such as surround sound for cinemas, a stereo version for TV, and separate tracks without dialogue so the film can be dubbed into other languages.
Responsibilities
- Prepare the mix sessions with the sound team before the stage time starts
- Balance dialogue, effects and music so the story is always clear
- Place sounds in the surround space, such as left, right or behind the audience
- Work through the director's and producers' notes during playback
- Keep the mix within the loudness and technical limits that broadcasters set
- Create stems, separate tracks for dialogue, music and effects
- Deliver every mix version required for delivery
How the role touches the budget
Mainly through stage days. The mix is usually booked as a number of days on a stage, often in a package with the rest of the sound post work. The mixer's main effect on costs is whether the mix fits in those days. A picture change during the mix, late music or extra delivery versions can add days, and the post-production supervisor then has to find the money in the post budget.
How people become re-recording mixers
Most start as runners and assistants at a sound post-production company, then work as dialogue editor or mix technician. Over years they mix smaller projects, such as documentaries and TV episodes, before handling feature films. A good ear and a calm manner with directors under time pressure count for as much as technical skill.
In TV and commercials
In the UK and much of Europe the role is usually called dubbing mixer. In TV the mix for one episode often takes a day or less, and broadcasters set strict rules for loudness. In commercials the mix may take a few hours, with the agency and client listening in the room.