1. Quick Start

The workflow for creating ADR reports in ptulsconv is similar to other ADR spotting programs: spot ADR lines in Pro Tools with clips using a special code to take notes, export the tracks as text and then run the program.

1.1. Step 1: Use Pro Tools to Spot ADR Lines

ptulsconv can be used to spot ADR lines similarly to other programs.

  1. Create a new Pro Tools session, name this session after your project.

  2. Create new tracks, one for each character. Name each track after a character.

  3. On each track, create a clip group (or edit in some audio) at the time you would like an ADR line to appear in the report. Name the clip after the dialogue you are replacing at that time.

1.2. Step 2: Add More Information to Your Spots

Clips, tracks and markers in your session can contain additional information to make your ADR reports more complete and useful. You add this information with tagging.

  • Every ADR clip must have a unique cue number. After the name of each clip, add the letters $QN= and then a unique number (any combination of letters or numbers that don’t contain a space). You can type these yourself or add them with batch-renaming when you’re done spotting.

  • ADR spots should usually have a reason indicated, so you can remember exactly why you’re replacing a particular line. Do this by adding the the text {R= to your clip names after the prompt and then some short text describing the reason, and then a closing }. You can type anything, including spaces.

  • If, for example, a line is a TV cover line, you can add the text [TV] to the end.

So for example, some ADR spot’s clip name might look like:

Get to the ladder! {R=Noise} $QN=J1001
"Forget your feelings! {R=TV Cover} $QN=J1002 [TV]

These tags can appear in any order.

  • You can add the name of an actor to a character’s track, so this information will appear on your reports. In the track name, or in the track comments, type {Actor=xxx} replacing the xxx with the actor’s name.

  • Characters need to have a number (perhaps from the cast list) to express how they should be collated. Add $CN=xxx with a unique number to each track (or the track’s comments.)

  • Set the scene for each line with markers. Create a marker at the beginning of a scene and make it’s name {Sc=xxx}, replacing the xxx with the scene number and name.

1.3. Step 3: Run ptulsconv

In Pro Tools, select the tracks that contain your spot clips.

Then, in your Terminal, run the following command:

ptulsconv

ptulsconv will connect to Pro Tools and read all of the clips on the selected track. It will then create a folder named “Title_CURRENT_DATE”, and within that folder it will create several PDFs and folders:

  • “TITLE ADR Report” 📄 a PDF tabular report of every ADR line you’ve spotted.

  • “TITLE Continuity” 📄 a PDF listing every scene you have indicated and its timecode.

  • “TITLE Line Count” 📄 a PDF tabular report giving line counts by reel, and the time budget per character and reel (if provided in the tagging).

  • “CSV/” a folder containing CSV documents of all spotted ADR, groupd by character and reel.

  • “Director Logs/” 📁 a folder containing PDF tabular reports, like the overall report except groupd by character.

  • “Supervisor Logs/” 📁 a folder containing PDF reports, one page per line, designed for note taking during a session, particularly on an iPad.

  • “Talent Scripts/” 📁 a folder containing PDF scripts or sides, with the timecode and prompts for each line, grouped by character but with most other information suppressed.