Lip Syncing and Gremlins

My first VO job this year...to lip sync dialogue from a short movie clip, but with some different client-oriented words.

This is not as easy as it sounds, like those one credit colleges classes for which you wound up doing tons of work. Recording at home means I need to be an audio engineer, a career I've never aspired to, even when I worked at radio stations. But I've had to dive in to the vast pool of hardware, software and technical terms. Plus I get easily frustrated when I can't get things to work on my computer, because resolving the problem requires too much trial and error.

The client wanted me to upload an AIFF file. I have heard of this, but usually send MP3s, which anyone not living under a rock is familiar with these days. My VO software, however, does not list AIFF as an option.

Fortunately a VO friend told me I needed conversion software. A quick Internet search revealed that I could use Quicktime PRO, which I already have. That was the easy part.

Now I know I have to convert a WAV file to an AIFF file, which the client wanted but I couldn't send directly because my software won't export in WAV. It will, however, export in Ogg Vorbis. Seriously. Whatever that is.

But then a gremlin crawled into my PC and did this: 1) if I tried to play the movie clip and my recording software at the same time so I could hear the actress's inflection and pace and then say the lines right after or with her, either the clip or my voice played back at super high speed like Alvin and the Chipmunks (remember them?). 2) Then,for some reason , every voice, including Mr. AOL's "You've got mail," started to play super low and super slow, like a record (remember those?) on the lowest speed.

Finally I figured out a system and sent the file to the client...who approved. Whew.

Next project: figuring out how to use FTP so if needed I can upload large files. And try to stay ahead of the technical curve. Ha.