As an editor, there's nothing quite like the thrill of crafting a compelling TV spot that captures the essence of a film in just a few seconds. Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to work on the home entertainment campaign for Disney’s "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," a project that allowed me to push my creative boundaries and innovate in exciting ways. One of the standout aspects of this campaign was a particular technique we utilized called a "dialogue cobble," which played a crucial role in conveying the film's message effectively.
What is a Dialogue Cobble?
For those unfamiliar with the term, a dialogue cobble is a technique used in movie trailers and TV spots where editors piece together fragments of dialogue from different parts of a film. This often involves taking words from one sentence and combining them with parts of another, sometimes even stitching together syllables or phonetic sounds from different scenes to create a line that wasn't originally spoken in that form. The purpose of this is not to mislead but to distill the film’s essence into a brief, powerful moment that resonates with viewers.
Dialogue cobbles are a mainstay in the world of trailer and TV spot editing, primarily because they allow us to manipulate dialogue to fit the concise format needed for these promotional pieces. With only a short window to capture the audience’s attention, every second counts. A well-executed dialogue cobble can succinctly convey a film’s plot, tone, or emotional arc in a way that a straight excerpt from the movie might not.
The Art and Challenge of Dialogue Cobbles
However, constructing a dialogue cobble is far from straightforward. It requires a keen ear and an intuitive understanding of the film’s rhythm and flow. The challenge lies in ensuring the cobble feels natural and seamless, avoiding any jarring shifts in tone, expression, or audio quality that could distract the viewer. The goal is always to enhance the storytelling, not detract from it.
When creating a cobble, editors must consider the actor’s tone, the emotional weight of the scene, and the technical quality of the audio. Often, sentences spoken by the same actor across different scenes will vary in tone or intensity, making it a delicate task to merge them convincingly. The key is to make these cobbles sound as if they were naturally spoken, avoiding any robotic or choppy effects.
Crafting the Perfect Cobble for "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes"
In the case of "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," Disney tasked us with creating TV and social media spots to promote the film's availability on digital platforms, encouraging audiences to bring the cinematic experience into their homes. To achieve this, we developed a dialogue cobble that became a central element of the campaign: “Bring Apes Home.”
This phrase was not originally spoken in the film, but through careful editing, we constructed it by piecing together three separate words from different sentences spoken by multiple characters. The result was a succinct, impactful message that perfectly aligned with the campaign’s goal. The phrase “Bring Apes Home” was not only direct in its call to action but also repeated stylistically throughout the spot, creating a memorable hook that resonates with viewers. This repetition is a powerful marketing technique, as it reinforces the message and ensures it sticks with the audience.
Gratitude and Collaboration
I am incredibly proud of the work we did on this campaign and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the promotion of such a compelling film. A big thank you goes to Disney and 20th Century Studios for trusting us with this project.
I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Creative Director, Kyle McKinney, whose creative feedback, direction, and collaborative spirit were instrumental in bringing these spots to life. Additionally, I am deeply grateful to my colleagues at REBEL, agency partners Benedict Coulter, Max Carlson, and Maurice Salmin, for welcoming me into their creative circle and providing these remarkable opportunities. Extra shoutout to Maurice Salmin for taking over the editorial revisions while I was out of office and bringing these spots to finish!
The success of this campaign is a testament to the power of collaboration and creativity in entertainment marketing, and I am excited to continue exploring innovative ways to tell stories through editing.
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