Wild Lines

Technical Foundations

Wild Lines (also called "wild tracks") are dialogue recordings captured during or after principal photography without a camera running. Unlike ADR (Automatic Dialogue Replacement), where the actor returns to the studio weeks later for lip-sync dubbing, wild line recording occurs on the same set, often under identical acoustic conditions.

When are wild lines recorded?

1. During shoot breaks (e.g., between takes or between scenes)

• The actor is still "warm" and present
• The voice sounds identical to the principal recording
• Set is quiet enough for audio capture
• Time investment: 5-15 minutes per 2-3 dialogue lines

1. After shoot wrap (if problems are identified)

• Sound mixer notices: "This line had wind noise, can we take it again?"
• Actor is briefly brought back
• Official "wild line session" on set

1. After complete scene wrap (backup for critical lines)

• Final safety recordings of important dialogue
• Insurance against later ADR necessity

Technical Requirements for Wild Lines

Unlike a normal shooting recording, wild lines operate under slightly relaxed standards:

Level Standards for Wild Line Recordings

• Average Level: -12 to -10 dBFS
• Peak Level: -6 to -4 dBFS
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 45+ dB (acceptable, as backup only)
• Frequency Response: Natural, minimally processed

Wild lines can have slightly higher noise floor than original takes, since they don't need to be "legally perfect" – they are backup/supplementary material.

Practical Workflow: Recording Wild Lines

Step 1: Problem Identification During Principal Recording

The sound mixer monitors on headphones during the take:

• "Airplane noise in line 3" → Make note
• "Wind sound on the word 'continues'" → Make note
• "Dialogue was great, but windscreen was positioned wrong" → Make note

After the take, the sound mixer informs the director: "This line has problems, can we record a wild line?"

Step 2: Set Preparation for Wild Line

1. Camera is rolled away (not needed)
2. Boom operator remains with microphone ready
3. Sound mixer with headphones and recorder/mixing console
4. Actor is brought to wild line position (can be anywhere on set, doesn't need to match camera position exactly)
5. Director or 1st AD calls out the line: "Line 1: 'I'll stop by later' – in 3, 2, 1, go"

Step 3: Perform Recording

Typical wild line setup:

• Actor speaks the line 1-3 times consecutively
• Boom operator holds microphone at standard position (25-30 cm above mouth)
• Sound mixer monitors levels and sound quality
• No stopwatch, no timer – just natural speech

Example sequence:

Director: "Wild lines for line 3, setup ready?"
Sound Mixer: "I'm ready, boom op?"
Boom Op: "Ready"
Director: "Lights?", Grip: "Okay"
Director: "Action for wild line..."
Actor: "I'll stop by later."
Sound Mixer: "Good, good. Again?"
Actor: "I'll stop by later." [2nd repetition]
Sound Mixer: "Perfect. That's it."

Time investment: 2-3 minutes per line.

Step 4: Documentation

The sound mixer or 1st AD documents:

• Scene number and line: e.g., "Scene 45, Line 3 (Dialogue: 'I'll stop by later')"
• Timecode / Recording number: e.g., "WildLine_SC45_L03_Take1"
• Notes: e.g., "Original had airplane noise, wild line clean"

Common Issues and Solutions with Wild Lines

Wild Lines vs. ADR: When to Use What?

Best Practice: Wild Line Strategy

Proactive Wild Line Capture

Experienced sound mixers do the following:

• After each scene: Record brief wild lines of the 2-3 most important dialogue lines (5 minutes extra)
• Documentation: Catalog all wild lines with scene numbers
• Categorization:
• Critical: Main dialogue (character development, plot)
• Normal: Secondary text
• Optional: Ad-libs or filler lines

Wild Line Recording Checklist

• [ ] Problem lines identified (sound mixer has notes)
• [ ] Director and 1st AD approve wild line session
• [ ] Actor is still available (not dismissed)
• [ ] Boom operator with microphone and shock mount ready
• [ ] Sound mixer with headphones and recorder
• [ ] Line recorded 1-3 times
• [ ] Levels and sound quality verified
• [ ] Take numbers documented (WildLine_SC#_L#_Take1)
• [ ] All audio saved as separate files

Editing and Integration of Wild Lines

In Post-Production (Sound Editing)

The sound mixer receives the wild line files and integrates them:

1. Waveform Matching:

• Place original recording and wild line side-by-side on timeline
• Verify that volume and timing are similar

1. A/B Listening:

• Listen to original ("Has airplane noise")
• Listen to wild line ("Clean, but voice sounds slightly different")
• Decision: Use wild line or edit?

1. Sound Matching (if necessary):

• Apply EQ and compression to bring wild line closer to original
• Match room tone character

1. Splicing:

• Cut out problematic section (e.g., airplane noise from 0:15-0:18)
• Insert wild line section
• Apply 10-20 ms crossfade to avoid clicks

Problematic Wild Line Integration

If a wild line doesn't perfectly fit despite efforts:

• Plan B: Hybrid Approach → 80% wild line, 20% original (use clean parts)
• Plan C: Light ADR → Actor comes for brief ADR session to resolve problem
• Plan D: Audio Repair → Use iZotope RX or similar tools to remove background noise

Documentation and Cataloging

Wild Line Log (Standard Template)

Date: 05/01/2024
Film: "The Dream"
Scene: 45
Line: 3
Original Dialogue: "I'll stop by later"
Actor: Anna Schmidt
Problem (Original): Airplane noise 0:15-0:18
Wild Line Take: WildLine_SC45_L3_Take1.wav
Sound Mixer: Max Müller
Boom Op: Julia Hoffmann
Level: -8 dB Peak
Notes: "Clean wild line, identical voice character"
Usage Status: ✓ USED (integrated into scene)

Summary

Wild lines are an intelligent, cost-effective strategy for improving raw sound quality. Unlike ADR, which occurs much later, wild lines are recorded directly on set while conditions are still optimal.

Advantages:

• Actor is still present and energetic
• Identical room acoustics and voice quality
• Quick and inexpensive (5-10 minutes per line)
• High integration success rate in post-production

Best Practice:
An experienced sound mixer should record brief wild lines of the most important dialogue after each shoot scene. This is a 5-minute investment per scene that can save 2-3 hours of post-production work and 200-500€ in ADR costs later.

Wild lines are not an "emergency plan," but standard practice in professional productions.