sounds, practice on the vowel and dipthong sounds; those of a, e, i, o, v, and their various combinations.
(3) Learn the difference between sh and z sounds and similar sounds. After a while,
recognition of sounds will become automatic and there will be little difficulty in recognizing them at
lower editing speeds.
c. Editing connected speech. After learning to recognize and edit speech sounds of all kinds in
every conceivable combination, the task of editing connected speech can be undertaken.
(1) One of the more fascinating aspects of tape editing deals with spoken human reactions
and sensibilities. A person learns to sense the "mood" in a series of words. One senses all the emotions
in the way words are spoken. It is true the human voice can be the most superb musical instrument ever
known. However, it is very easy to ruin a fine expression by careless editing; the mood of the edited
version must match that of the original unedited expression. In condensing a speech by editing, don't
jump from a sentence that is spoken in one mood to another sentence--or part of one--that is in an
entirely different mood. Even if the edited version makes perfect sense in all other respects, if the
moods differ the whole thing appears ridiculous. Very few people remain in exactly the same mood for
any length of time.
(2) Moods change, perhaps ever so slightly but still perceptibly, and although these changes
are not striking in the original speech, they become immediately noticeable in a crudely edited version
where the mood of spoken sounds has not been taken into account while editing. Since the primary
reason for tape editing is to improve on the original while maintaining its sense in all respects, the editor
must learn to match the mood of the edited to the original speech, to preserve the real meaning and color
of the speech.
d. Tempo or pace. Speakers have their own pace in speaking. It may change according to
mood but within each mood, generally, there will be a corresponding pace or tempo. Pace includes the
spacing between words or speech sounds as well as that between the words themselves. Allowance
must be made for breathing sounds, for "ers" and "ahems" and all the countless vocal tricks that people
play with their speech apparatus. There is a single way to maintain a speaker's pace which is also an
efficient way to edit speech; imitate the speaker's tempo and then say the desired edited version out loud,
before cutting the tape. If the speech can be said easily and in the proper tempo and rhythm, it can then
be cut to sound the same way. Always cut from sound to sound. Do not cut in the middle of a so-called
"quiet" tape unless it simply cannot be avoided. This rule is based; upon the fact that when cutting from
sound to sound, the speakers natural pace can be more easily maintained. A tape editor must retain
meaning and at the same time create a natural sounding tape. If it sounds natural, it is right.
e. Continuity of background sounds. When there is a repetitive sound in the background of the
speech being edited, treat it the same as a musical accompaniment and keep it in the same rhythm in the
edited version as in the
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