310toYumaADR

[Doug Brandon]

I didn't see any contact info for RVDMIXR. I watched 310 to Ymua yesterday and was impressed with the sound, credited to RVDMIXR and co. Nice job. I have worked on a couple of projects involving cowboy hats and have learned how they can be problematic for close micing with the boom. Rance Howard, a seasoned pro, often hung his head low for his character's performance, however as soon as it was time to deliver his line, his head angled up perfectly for the mic to pick up the signal past the front brim.

RVD, if you happen to be reading, would you mind sharing some of your experience with capturing the sound? What percentage would you say went to ADR? How much was actually necessary vs. how much they went ahead and recorded in post anyway?

Thanks,

Doug

[old school]

Hey Doug, I have not seen the film, and RVD may well of mixed the movie, but I thought Jim Stuebe did that movie. Perhaps they both did for one reason or another. I will try to find the answer to that question, then maybe the answer to your question can be found.

CrewC

[old school]

BTW, both men are outstanding soundmen IMHO.

CrewC

[old school]

Hey RVD, thanks for clearing that up. I must say you do get around these days. Good to hear Joe Brennan is doing well. He is a top notch dude and Sound-man in anyones book. Someday you must describe to all of us here @ jwsound your tradition of initiation for our video assist brothers. Outstanding prank. Great luck on your job.

CrewC

[Philip Perkins]

Hey RVD, thanks for clearing that up. I must say you do get around these days. Good to hear Joe Brennan is doing well. He is a top notch dude and Sound-man in anyones book. Someday you must describe to all of us here @ jwsound your tradition of initiation for our video assist brothers. Outstanding prank. Great luck on your job.

CrewC

OK, spill it--what's the tradition?

Philip Perkins

[old school]

That is a RVD question, but it is as funny as film gets for me.

CrewC

[old school]

P.S. I am 1 simple dude.

[Doug Brandon]

Thanks Crew/RVD. I wondered if there were multiple mixers. If I recall, there were two people listed together as 'mixer' and later down the scroll was 'sound mixer' with RVD's name, and then the boom op and utility. It may heave been different but that's what I recall.

RVD! That was one remarkable return of info. I especially liked the idea of digging a hole and backing the  generator into the ground. On the western I worked on, we considered placing mic's into the hats because their leather coats were so loud. The director rejected the idea because he wanted the actors to have freedom to remove their hats if they were so compelled, and also he thought sit may be unusually uncomfortable to have the transmitter either inside their hats or the wire running from the hat down their hairline and back.

I've often wondered if there was a general percentage of dialogue that was ADR'd in movies. I also have noticed the trend to want to wire talent no matter what. Sometimes people on the set have come up to me and asked, 'Why aren't you wiring the talent? Aren't you always supposed to wire talent? My most common response, when a mixer doesn't like to wire them unless absolutely necessary, is that too many actors pull on the mic cable to remove it without asking us to do it, and inevitably the head tears away from the cable.

Thanks Crew and RVD for your never ending attention to this site!

Doug

[Marc Wielage]

I'm very sympathetic to this problem. The issue is whether to make a stand and do what you think is right, or do what "the boss" insists that you do.

I can tell you that, in post, all we can do is make tactful suggestions and try to steer the director and producers back on the right track. But if they absolutely insist on something, we try to find a compromise that makes them happy, but doesn't sacrifice our integrity too much. Sometimes, just demonstrating their way and "our" way immediately shows them they were wrong. But other times, we have no choice except to make them happy. That's the job.

I'm reminded of something post mixer Ed Greene once told me, when we were both working long hours on a Barbra Streisand project in the late 1980s: during a lull in the session, she turned over to him, smiled, and said, "do you know what I like most about you, Ed?" He shook his head and said, "no, what is that, Barbra?" And she answered, "you never tell me 'no.'"

I've thought about that story many times since that incident, and I think it's a good reason why Ed has such a great reputation (and a wall full of well-deserved Emmies).

--Marc W.