Give the proxy a review contract
A lightweight picture proxy can be useful while lacking an audio track needed by the production task. Before generating it, decide whether the editor needs the main mix, alternate language, separate microphones or a synchronisation reference. Convenience should not silently remove the evidence being reviewed.
List the intended proxy tracks and their source associations. Explicit stream selection can support that contract, but inspect the actual output. A picture that plays smoothly does not establish that the accompanying sound is the intended version.
Do not assume the proxy needs every delivery track. Retain the ones the real editing or review task requires and document intentional omissions. That keeps the asset useful without pretending it is a complete publication master.
Check the round trip
Choose a passage with a recognisable audio event and any required language distinction. Verify the proxy and the approved source refer to the same programme moments. If one track is unavailable in the proxy, the reviewer must know that limitation.
An imagined review compares lip sync using a commentary track whose timing differs from the main mix. The issue is the proxy's task contract, not necessarily the camera recording. Correct the selection and repeat the relevant comparison.
At final delivery, inspect the master-based output independently. A proxy's limited inventory should not accidentally become the final track selection. Preserve the source map and the proxy purpose so later collaborators know what its successful playback does and does not establish.
Questions answered
Must a proxy contain every source track?
No. It should contain the tracks required by its stated task.
Can a proxy's audio inventory be reused blindly for final delivery?
No. Verify the final deliverable against its own track contract.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.