Getting the most natural-sounding mix takes a lot of finessing. With each addition to your mix, check the balance, and make volume adjustments as needed. Then, go back and tweak the surround placement until you're happy with the results. You'll do the same steps for each scene in your project. Yes, it's a lot of work, but the end result is a video with a balanced, natural mix. Now you know the secret of mixing in surround sound.

Contributing Editor Hal Robertson is a digital media producer and technology consultant.

I recently read an interview with actor/writer/director George Clooney. He was discussing his preference for recording real dialog on the set of Leatherheads. Most of his movies contain very few studio-recorded dialog pieces, and he likes it that way. He and his team went to extremes to achieve this in Leatherheads. There is a scene where a discussion takes place on a moving motorcycle. To get the recording, the crew turned the motorcycle into an electric vehicle. This allowed them to get the dialog they wanted and add the simple rumble of the bike in post.