Jan McL

Didn't know any of this, but makes a great lot of sense. Thanks for making us aware. Jan

Short story, long, a recounting of gutting the cart: Goodness gracious, I've experienced some serious self-restraint these last weeks waiting to opine further on recent sound adventures while I couldn't post but images here. Grateful to have jwsound.net back. Thanks to Jeff and his experts for persevering and bringing this invaluable resource. As each finger-tappingly slow week passed there occurred another dent in the string theory universe of details. Today is a day of reflections upon a seemingly endless string of one thing and another, and another. _______ I've never done radical surgery on my recording system before; the career gear trajectory looks like an upside down pyramid with filo dough-thin steps. Knew it would be risky to gut the thing and start fresh but I had six weeks, Amazon Prime, lots of ongoing research and some trusty experts on speed dial. By the time we started principal photography, technical changes were made that I felt I could live with including but not limited to: Workarounds/thoughts: RX12 unit numbers change by the TRX's passing by RX12 frequency without my express permission. Got into time constrained doo-doo more than once having to replace #___ TRX with another. Changing the unit number on the replacement TRX first thing helps. Getting to the unit number on the TRX takes too much time. Unit numbers are critical in conjunction with Oasis and RX12. IMO the RX12 should be the ultimate unit number decider. The cockpit must be the master controller. No? I hear there's now an RX12 software fix for this. Can't wait to get it in. Continuous testing and collection of data points for every new device and old devices that relied upon the new. There are many. I will have filled an entire notebook with them by the time we finish. Refine gain structures all over the place. Begin to rely on fewer, mostly those in the cockpit that give me correct data. My eyes scan the data streams constantly. TRX batteries. RF signal. Track assignments and arming. Scene/Take. Time code at recorder and at video. Iso levels and activity. Sometimes iso monitoring is one of my great pleasures: would often hear Edie's laughter from the next room and turn smiling to visually check her iso. Multiple adjustments in workflow: theory and practice rarely converged. Deploying belts, suspenders, ropes and tape over and around everything to-wit: Psychological insurance in the form of Sam Kashefi and José Frias who helped me set up the little Microsoft-toting Kangaroo so I could use just the iPad for both MovieSlate and Nomad Touch / Oasis control. Moreover, they are both brilliant 'players' of the Nomad and masters of thinking like computers (not a personal strength). I love you guys. Antiperspirant in the shape of Glenn, Howy and Eric nearby who helped me multiple times to distinguish between operator error and bug. About an equal mix of both. Their gear is capable of so much it's easy to become overwhelmed by choices and in haste choose incorrectly. Product and gear support from Peter Schneider and Nick Huston and the rest of the t at Gotham Sound. They went way out of their way for us more than once. My respect and affection for you may not be understated. Dream-practiced startup routines, media requirements, blah, blah. Musicians out there will appreciate that the Oasis / Nomad / RX12 cart is essentially a new instrument. An entirely new cockpit. I couldn't really rehearse on it until all the buttons and knobs were placed for hands, eyes, ears, brain. As time ran out, I called upon Sam and José to come over to the workshop multiple times to exterminate and help me distinguish operator error from insect. There was a lot to learn. I require a custom exterminator's jump suit as reward. Check. As the time drew near to load-in, lost a day of prep. Then two. Then 3 with the smart last-minute camera sync test. Fine. Got permission from the UPM to ship Sam Kashefi in to our distant location in the event the final weekend days of testing went badly. Sam, I will never forget you for entertaining coming to GA with me. Wouldn't have survived the pressure without your good moral support. Takeaway? Know thyself. I knew all I needed was the possibility of the correct brain nearby to fill in my experience gap in order to keep calm and carry on. Which is not to say my game face didn't get a lot of exercise. Recent on set poem: "Forgive me, my game face is in the shop." Nine or ten software versions with nine or ten requisite fader clearing and factory resets for two fairly complicated setups gave me a good kickstart in knowing how to operate the gear in the dark. Not near enough time to get that good, but sufficient. Fact is, I had no extra time during the first month of production as I obsessively dealt with the buttons too slowly. But there it is. As I recall learning to type, it was preferring accuracy to speed that got me eventually to the accurate speed I needed in the days of having to type with six carbon copies. _______ So I'm slogging slowly through, have a GREAT world-class local team thanks to recommendations from Whit Norris and Tom Varga; we're getting good tracks and then there's a political / practical / psychological thing that when the dust settles, leaves me without a boom operator. Fine. We deal with that. Which is not to say there isn't some of my blood and brain matter on various Savannah streets and fields. _______ An abundance of set feathers give me an asthma attack. Have to get a treatment and leave set after lunch. Thankfully, Antonio Arroyo was playback mixer and was able to fill in since his work was by then finished for the day. Got some good angels, Antonio Arroyo among them. _______ On the film break mirror card change after Friday lunch Nomad balked and wouldn't recognize the mirror card. Began troubleshooting and in the course of that exercise, Nomad would no longer read the primary card either. We are close to shooting. Bring in the bag and record a couple of FX only scenes with that while I think, speak with Glenn, and agree I should swap out the cart Nomad with the bag Nomad and bring the unit to the mothership late Saturday morning. Howy and Glenn agree it was bad media: purchased by production and not tested / inspected before being put into rotation 'cause new cart guts / instrument angst brain fullness. What was the worst thing that could happen? Hadn't considered the worst thing would be recorder death. The bad media fried Nomad's brain. Next morning when the unit fired up at Zaxcom and recognized all the media (including the bad media), I tossed the bad (leaving one with Howy). It's in the details. Skip one at your peril. The bad media takeaway: Translation: let the suspect card(s) sit out of the machine for 10 minutes. At no point in my troubleshooting did any CF card rest for more than 3 minutes, LOL. Duly noted and chastised. _______ Nomad's flexibility through Oasis is just right for this project. Dedicated BTS mix output. Dedicated line level music output. Music/time code bank. _______ Headphone amp distorting before tracks at just-into-the-red level. Guess that could be an early-warning blessing alerting me to concentrate on the iso track levels, so no, I'm not going to look for an outboard headphone amp solution just yet. _______ Flash forward: nearly finished. One episode to go. Steel car = reduced range when TRX are behind the car's frame. Free driving. One 3-page scene with earwig singing in process trailer and then hand held from behind. Formal playback from the front, sides; iphone or similar --> 30-watt self-powered speaker for from behind? Dialog is not guaranteed to be 100% monitored for the hand held work since bag will be dropped and set to record with fingers and toes crossed and IFB antennas mounted out and above the steel. I think we'll get 4-5 car lengths without issue at least with the three R1a's for me, director and script super. AD knows it will take some time to rig. Must interface with Key Grip and Gaffer first thing Monday to assure their OK and imagine solutions. Bottom line, there was going to be a crane mounted on the camera car and no room for the cart there. Fine. Major reconfigure of bag to allow for music in/out to earwig. That's the plan anyway. Process trailer went rather as expected rigged with the bag <--- outrigged a pair of shark fins from cab ---> camera car rear. That was the morning. Then roll the cart down the hill for a cart setup then back to the still-rigged-with-the-bag process trailer that now towed an alternate vehicle. Lost it early in the day when 20 minutes "in"--because the rigging / staging area had to be moved--I ended up having to stop mid-reconfiguration four times to move my crap around with the at-breakfast news that our playback / earwig operator was likely not going to show. He did, but late and me sweating bullets. Turns out our actor free-sung the tune and kept the 'wig in his pocket. _______ Speaking with new sound utility companion video assist refugee Andrew Cavanget Friderday night, realized I don't really know how the tracks are. Have had little brain space to appreciate quality; for now others will have to be the judge. Know for sure the mixing has suffered. Often endeavored simply to illustrate to all the listeners and bean counters what I'd been able to get under The Circumstances. 'The Circumstances'. That's a subject for a long digression over whisky. _______ The iPad Pro won't hold a charge even when plugged in. Must figure this out. Too many uncollated data points to type, but will say when we're on a good wifi signal, there's no problem. Have turned various boxes' witi on/off in all possible combinations. No luck there. _______ Andy Cavagnet spent his last day on this project with us today. He watched me mix a 4098 that was hidden in the bathroom counter via a 1/4" hole for the stationary foreground closeup lady rinsing her face then speaking. Sounded bathroomy. Lady in the background walking around in a fantastically mirrored room. He did good. _______ "_____ days; no stories," our last week motto. _______ XOXOX

The Funometer is Garrett's, LOL. Good right? And this Cart Antimacassar belongs to Whit Norris.

Yes indeed, Jim. Honored to be able to read from Larry's wide knowledge through his indomitable wit. You are a first class fella, Mr. Fisher. Are you writing a book, Larry? If not...will remain delighted to learn from you here.

These last months I've made stitches in the quilt that is a many-year, regular professional contact with a player of some note. He sat with me at lunch one day after a particularly emotional beach walk and talk, hair uncharacteristically tussled since I was used to seeing it on set perfectly slicked back. Thus arose the subject of one of my favorite words: anti-macassar. That's why I knew that in the 20's men favored Macassar with which to slick their hair. The ladies didn't like what it did to the furniture and the anti-macassar was born. See John Garrett's Cart Antimacassar pictured below. I spent a year and a half learning to knit these things, which were originally patterned by Shakers as "dish or wash cloths" and adapted by me first as the Cart Antimacassar, then yarmulke, Desk Antimacassar, bra, thong, and today: Actor Macassar on the occasion of giving a small, portable blue/white one to this fella. The Actor Maccassar is to protect their makeup, set and face when they beat their heads against the wall. When I first left it with him, he put it on his middle finger as a ring and shield for the bird. Last i saw him on his way out, he had it perched on his forehead and was laughing. Good day.

I've missed jwsoundgroup.net sooooo much! Thanks for all your efforts to get posting back.

I use a Noga arm. They come in different lengths and strengths and go wherever I want 'em. Got one with a camera mount quick release and an iPad holder with receptacle to which I attached the matching quick release mount. Easy on/easy off. LINK to Noga arm

Grips are often your best friends since they will hopefully have a bit of appropriate rag with which to shield wind/light from the open windows.

This has not been my fairly recent experience with IFB100, sadly. Even with only one unit selected to control, asking the IFB100 to sleep that one unit turned all units off. Dunno what versions, etc., since IFB100 is now off line and boxed with the Nomad Oasis cart rebuild. The capacity to sleep individual units via Nomad Oasis would be a godsend.

Got my ass bit over the winter during a Holy-Shit car rig. I had to tape a thing with 2" paper in a hurry during a swift re-set. Pulled the 6" strip off and placed it, during which time the rigging gaffer asks me for some of that tape upon which I'd not left a tab. We locked eyes as his hand met the roll I held out, realizing at the same moment I'd fucked up. The depreciating grins. Like Bart Simpson in English class I think over and over: I will never fail to tab the tape roll... I will never fail to tab the tape roll... I will never fail to tab the tape roll... I will never fail to tab the tape roll... I will never fail to tab the tape roll... I will never fail to tab the tape roll...

OMG, set life will never be the same. Well thought out, Matthias. Again. Still.

You're correct that the pile-on here was...robust. Didn't realize the snarky tone of the early posts. Apologies late but heartfelt. Have been putting significant time into thinking how this thing we do may be taught. Two and a half years into that process, and IMO the only way to do it right would be to start with a feature-length script that is specifically written to give sound (camera/wardrobe/everyone) as many challenges as possible and shoot it. Such a film may be accomplished in as few as 18 days, but to break it up with post sessions, intensive dailies critiques, etc., would likely double or triple that time frame. What that means is the "school" would have to teach all the roles (including acting), own all the production and post-production gear and a sound stage: essentially a stand-alone soup-to-nuts production company. What that also means is teachers in all the department head roles for the duration of the shoot. With all that in hand, such teaching could be shot via multi-crewed BTS like a reality show. My problem with the fellow who put up that video is that he presents himself as an expert and without fair warning gives some very bad advice along with the good, both in his words and by his example.

Yes!

Hey Jack, while you're inquiring about this, please reiterate my request to be able to control Low2 per TRX unit as opposed to always "ALL". You're the man!

Happy Birthday, Maestro!

Left a comment for Mr. Hess: Perhaps he will come here and we can make our case.

Ready for any-darned-thing!

Writing a post recounting your experience is a first step toward handling it better next time. Congratulations! Your continued reflections will yield response options that you can more easily pull from your pocket when it happens again.

When there's a problem, having the smart slate along with all the other elements will help troubleshoot where the problem lives. Experience shows that when there's a TC issue post's first finger inevitably points to sound and it will fall to you to troubleshoot...er...save your butt/reputation. A number of high-budget, A-list crewed productions have eliminated the smart slate in their workflow, but that means the production has the juice to get the best (newest) gear from the rental house, technicians who know how to do a checkout, and the bucks to do a sync test including sound. Given the choice, I will always go with belt/suspenders/rope and tape.

I've never forgotten any lesson I learned that left a bite on my ass, that's for sure; the best lessons always cost something and pride is in the short run expensive. Aw c'mon. Seriously?

Okie-doakie. [Laughing.]

You've never said anything stupid in public and been swarmed by the more-experienced? C'mon...I call B.S.

Welcome to the motion picture biz! And yes, this is what can happen not only on line, but IRL. You have asked a question in public the term of art for which is leaving "Blood in the Water": you have publicly bled and the sharks are circling and taking nips at your flesh. This phenomenon is admittedly old school and changing, but still often true. Scattered in the bloody water is some good advice though, so don't allow your flushed face keep you from finding it. If you survive this onslaught with dignity there's a chance you could make it. We've all been there. Truly. And good luck!

I plan to write Assistant District Attorney John Johnson who cut this secret two-for-one deal with Miller and hope others will write him too.