bperlman

Also, the Los Angeles Conservancy's annual Last Remaining Seats film series usually has one silent film screened at the Orpheum Theater, downtown on Broadway, accompanied live on the mighty Wurlitzer organ. The LA Theater Organ Society hosts live accompaniment to old films as well. All-in-all a very different experience from what most of us are used to in film viewing, especially for us sound critical viewers. Bruce

Laid off the big purchases this year, but these two items made me smile: Finally, a set chair I like. Light weight and good geometry. http://www.naimies.com/featured-products/tall-aluminum-makeup-chair.html This puppy rocks. The Foxl v2.2 Bluetooth speaker is my new favorite toy. As well as being a useful tool on the set, I also got the mounting rig for my cruiser bike - no more dangerous earbud wearing while riding. http://www.soundmatters.com/foxl/index.html Bruce

I worked with the Epic recently. Sent audio to the DIT who used the I/O module. I am not certain if it was the Pro or the other version (would that be amateur?). I gave him XLRs and provided the XLR to TA3 adaptors. Of course I ran double system, but the sound in the camera was decent. Oh those fans! We shot on a small hot stage and the DIT was worried that the camera would get too hot. The best compromise we could reach was 30%. I would have preferred "Off", but "the show must go on." However, after hours of nearly continuous running - literally - there was no shutdown. I wonder what fan speed we really could have gotten away with? We did have one other issue: down-convert latency. I haven't seen rubber lips like that since early HD. It looked like at least five or six frames, and was bad enough that I had to dig out my old Behringer Shark to keep the clients happy. Me, I'm in it for the glamour. Bruce

Hmm. Now we can roll from the Craft Services table... or maybe from home{:>)

Here is an illustrative guide to finding the audio input on the Alexa. It must be from the camera department. Prepare to have your wrists slapped trying to access this unit. Maybe we'll get lucky and nobody will tell the producers about the new sound capability:) Just dreaming. Bruce

I use the Rolls MB15b Promatch for -10 +4 conversion from my laptop and/or iPod. It lives in my stack along with a Behringer Minimon 800 for playback distribution and control. http://www.rolls.com/product.php?pid=MB15b&PHPSESSID=1a6ccae54051ad04a2920715559b6cfc http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/MON800.aspx Bruce

Trying to help a NY producer friend shooting in San Diego Wed, Thurs, Fri. His mixer may get stuck in NY because of the next storm so he's looking for back-up. It is a corporate type video - usually just interviews. Money not great, but the people are nice and it beats sitting at home. Leave me your info off group at bruceperlman@gmaildotcom Bruce

Bravo, Phil. Now if only we could get them to pay attention to the helicopter overhead. Bruce

This thread reminds me of something I heard over forty years ago, about the five stage of a film project. 1 - Joyful enthusiasm 2 - Total disallusionment 3 - Hunt for the guilty 4 - Persecution of the innocent 5 - Honor for the uninvolved Somethings never change. Bruce

You mean I'm not getting a mug? Hey, good job Jeff and Laurence. Hell, if this site didn't exist I'd have to do my chores. - Sorry honey, it's about work. I'll be down in a minute! Bruce

I seems to me, rather then parse what Mick was driving at, this is a good opportunity to discuss some of the newer and, perhaps, less conventional recording equipment available today. If we are talking about using "pro-sumer" gear to replace our primary professional equipment, then I agree with others that this is a mistake. But if we choose to use this semi-pro gear to augment our kits for special use, I think there is a wealth of experience among us to share. I, for one, have carried and occasionally used odd-ball recording gear for all of my career. I've got a handful of cheap and disposable mics for various SFX. I even have a couple of ancient wireless' that are not afraid to die for the cause. Years ago I always carried a Sony Walkman-Pro (hardly Pro). It was great for leaving on a podium to record speeches while we filmed other stuff. And today I carry a Zoom recorder and an Edirol. They are useful for transcription and pretty decent recorders. Just a few weeks ago I strapped my Edirol under a horse and got some amazing effects. Sure I could have done better riding the horse with my Sound Devices and a Sennheiser or used a Zaxxcom recording transmitter (if I had one and was willing to risk it), but I knew I had a small window of opportunity and thought the SFX would be cool. They were. I'm pleased I did it and my clients were pleased. What is perfect sound anyhow? It certainly isn't the sound not recorded. We are sound recordists, after all. You lay down tracks with whatever you've got, wish you had more and better gear, and try not to make the same mistake twice. Like to hear what others are doing and discovering. And by the way, rules are made to be broken - the bratty little boy in my soul. Bruce

Cool, Thanks Robert. More sticky is better. Tired of discovering the mic somewhere down near the navel (on sweaty actors)right before we roll. It really is all about our bag of tricks.

Hey Robert, tell us more about Kinesio tape - skin prep, removing, strength, etc. I'm shocked that I don't know about it. I thought I had every sticky thing known to man in my kit. That's why I love this forum. Thanks. Bruce

I'm renaming and bumping a thread that began as SB-T vs SB-3. Still hoping to get more opinions on the SB-T vs the Ambient Lockit. I'm leaning towards the locally made and supported product - Deneke SB-T, but still see many more Lockits on the job. Also, curious about what people are getting for rental - book rate at the rental houses is $50. a day. It seems a shame to let the camera houses get money for something that is handed to us to deal with on the set. Of course production never seems to question the rentals for the camera department. - i.e. that expensive lense that sits unused for the entire shoot. Ah, but that is a topic for another time. Most importantly, there is also the element of having confidence in the condition of the unit. If the magic numbers aren't right, we get the early morning call. Bruce

I'd like to pick up this thread to find any more real world opinions about SB-T vs Ambient Lockit. I agree with Marc, I prefer to buy locally made and supported gear, but I never see the SB-T in use by DITs. Is is just that the Lockit has become the more well known, and therefore a more popular unit or is it really superior in any way? I have read the manuals of both and they seem comparable for the kind of work most of us do. Bruce Bruce

Sean, I have been to Rwanda several times, most recently last December. First of all, it is probably the safest sub-Saharan country - and, amazingly, the cleanest. I walked the streets of Kigali late at night, went to clubs and restaurants and never felt threatened. And believe me, I'm not naive. I have traveled widely on the continent and have the sense to know where not to be! The reconciliation after the genocide 15 years ago is quite impressive. It is a must to visit the new Genocide Museum - a very moving experience. The people are friendly and there is a great spirit of cooperation, especially in the rural communities. It is a beautiful, albeit crowded and poor, country that was once refered to as the Switzerland of Africa. Today, Rwandans like to call themselves the Rwanda of Africa. As to the nuts and bolts: They are not an ATA country and do not recognize Carnets so it is a good idea to use a broker to help get equipment into the country. I have brought equipment in without one but it was a pain in the ass and cost me several hours in the airport waiting for someone from our host organization to vouch for us. If possible have a letter from whatever business or organization you are involved in filming. Do not try to bribe any official - it may work other places but not in Rwanda!! There are a number of decent hotels in Kigali. I last stayed at the Serena, which is wonderful but very expensive. The tourism bureau will be helpful for that. Outside of Kigali there are few hotels that meet western standards, so be prepared for funky conditions. The same goes for restaurants. Some nice ones in the capitol but after that you won't find western food. That isn't to say that the food isn't good, just unfamiliar for most westerners. Also, credit cards are not widely accepted. Bring travelers checks and cash them as needed. This is true for much of East Africa. Get up to date with all the tropical shots. If you don't have time to get a full course of hepatitis vacinations, get a gamma globulin - it's good for something like 90 days. And be diligent about your malaria meds. I nearly died of malaria once. It is a wretched disease. The rest of my advice is common sense for all developing countries. Drink bottled water, do not eat uncooked vegetables - fruits with rinds are okay. You know the drill. Have a great trip, it is a wonderful place. Take lots of pix and enjoy yourself. Bruce

No matter how skilled we are at sniffing out the jobs that we should avoid, sometimes they sneak up on you and bite you in the ass. I've been in this sound recording game for over 40 years and pride myself on knowing shit from shineola, but... This summer I got a call for a job in Jackson, Wyoming. Cool, my daughter lives there. Over the shoulder, lots of running around, but interviewing one cowboy at a time. I'm fit, my bag rig is set up, why not. The director/cameraman is a big time DP who's work I admire. Even better. So I'm off to the mountains. Cut to: 0 dark:30 somewhere on a ranch road. My gear is already set up (did I mention I was experienced). I head to the camera truck to check with the shooters. Everybody is too busy to acknowledge me. I'm a sound guy, I'm familiar with that. Lets count the cameras. Hmm. 6 Canon 5ds, 1 Red. Hmm. Hey, I'm prepared. I've got hops for 4 cameras. I try to hand them out. "You ain't putting that on my camera." Okay, in all fairness, one guy did agree. Well, how about you turn on the internal mics (I'm thinking thank god for PluralEyes). No way, I'm told, the director wants them off - no embarrassing things heard in dailies. So, here's a couple of slates, fellas. Reluctantly, accepted. Whew! Cut to: Me heading to the "set", bag over shoulder, boom in hand. The sun is not yet over the horizon. The producer walks up. "You'll need to wire all 8 cowboys". How many at a time are we interviewing? "One maybe two, but you'll need stay ahead." Don't worry, I'm fast. Trust me, I'm a professional. Cut to: One freshly wired cowboy leaning on a fence. Seven cameras shooting from every angle imaginable. We roll, cut, roll, cut, roll, cut, roll. Don't you think we ought to get a slate every once in a while, fellas? Cowboy after cowboy, from ranch to field to river to woods we slog, with not a slate in sight. Hey, it's not my movie. And by the way, the sun doesn't set until 10pm in Wyoming in August. Cut to: Day two. Smoke is coming from a cell phone. The agency producer has fire in her eyes. "What do you mean there were no slates"? I'm in the line of fire, but to her credit she looks at me and says "I know". The camera department and, surprisingly, the director receive her wrath. Yes, there is a god. But wait, oh no. Guess which department, all 10 of them, thinks I threw them under the bus? Correct. Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue. Bruce

I am also a big fan of the CUB-01. I have a couple and use them fairly regularly. For example, yesterday we had a wide master with four guys on a couch watching TV. They were eating, horsing around and generally very lav unfriendly. Two CUBs hidden on the messy coffee table covered the action very nicely until we moved into booming range. One thing to keep is in mind is that CUBs really only work well on hard surfaces. Even though they are enclosed they still need a broader surface to do their PZM/boundary layer magic. Like one of the posters in a discussion about micing in cars the other day, I have a several squares and circles of plexi (1/4" thick), including a few that I've screw tapped to be mountable with standard hardware (magic-arm, etc.). Double stick the CUB to the plexi and mount where you need it. The Schoeps BLM-03 is a great solution but very expensive. A couple of CUBs in the kit is an affordable way to expand your repetoire of tricks. Well, thats my two-cents. Bruce

I think one of the reasons more people don't add a confidence return is the resistance by the camera folks to putting more stuff on their cameras. A single unit solution like the Zaxcom w/IFB return is a great way to do it but too expensive for many mixers. Also, for those who record back-up (more often primary) to professional recorders the confidence return becomes less critical. If the meters are moving, it's good enough. I'm not saying it is right or wrong, just the way thing are often done. Bruce

A big "two thumbs up" to all involved in this history, and in publishing the 695 magazine. It is smart, well crafted, and an important tool for sharing the information necessary to celebrate our history and further the development of our craft. Bruce

I know that I used wireless mics on feature films at least as early as 1970. I used a Sennheiser system (the EM1008 I believe). The receivers were huge - nearly as large as the Nagra - and the transmitters, which took three 9 volt batteries, were about the size of a small paperback book and must have weighed a pound. They actually sounded pretty decent but the microphones were a weirdly angled side address design that was extremally hard to hide. It wasn't until the Sony ECM 50 arrived on the scene a few years later that it began to be possible to easily hide mics (although they didn't sound as good as the Sennheisers). Needless to say, I only used them when there was no other way to mic a scene. I went on to use those Sennheiser units for a few more years until the arrival of Vega and Micron systems in the mid seventies. Bruce

And a happy, peaceful and prosperous New Year from here - south of Hollywood. Bruce

You might also consider looking into the DPA 4080 cardiod lav or the DPA 4098H supercardioid. I haven't tried them but am familiar with other DPA mics and have been impressed by them. It would definitely help to have a minature cardioid rather than an omni lav for car plants. I often use my Schoeps colettes capsules in cars, but even they can be too big to hide easily. I know this group has addressed car plants before and the discussions were pretty open ended. Always glad to consider new ideas for old challenges. Bruce

Congratulations, Jeff. Well earned and much deserved. Bruce

Great idea Ron. I used several variations of the bloop slate for many years. I agree with the keep it simple concept. Time code would require that the numbers be large enough to read at distance and that the camera operator have critical focus to make it viable. A combination of 3 numbers and/or a bright light would work well for me. The bright light option if for those times the camera isn't close enough to read the numbers. Changeable colors on the light could help ID different cameras. This would be helpful in mulit-camera shoots. I like the option of various outputs - XLR, TA3, and something for a wireless transmitter (this could be done with adaptor cables). Although I'm not sure how critical it is that the cameras get the beep as long as they get the light flash/numbers. I guess this would help with automated synching. Also, my bloop slates were always on coil cables and attached to my shoulder strap. I could fire it there or remove it and hold it where the camera could more easily get it (high, low, whatever). A mic would be helpful. I do remember that all of the incarnations of my various bloop slates were powered by 9 volt batts and they seemed to last forever, so powering was really a non-issue. Thanks for all your innovative work. Bruce