Jump to content

Signing out comteks


osa

Recommended Posts

My bodypacks have "DIRECTOR," "PRODUCER," "SCRIPT" labeled with the rest numbered and with my info on them. 

 

While with most of the agency folks I deal with, trying to sign Comteks out would be like herding cats, a lot of these same folks are really cool about trying to return them to either their case or my cart.

 

The worst I've seen was on a national Chevy commercial -- night shoot -- exterior -- several agency denizens left them lying in the grass, in the dark, when we moved locations.  We still managed to locate all of them as some nice crew member alerted us to where he saw them abandoned.

 

But, lest we forget -- like in a lot of situations in life -- most folks are actually pretty considerate -- the others just demand more attention.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 20/12/2017 at 3:14 AM, codyman said:

On narratives, I usually am able to keep tabs on who was given what # IFB, however losing two to an agency gig is not surprising at all.  I find when there's an agency on set, it's a game of "me too" where everyone seems to "need" an IFB even though half of them don't actually listen in and are too busy looking at their phones.  That being said, of course producers on those gigs always want to bend over backwards for anyone even remotely affiliated with the agency (which I get) so unfortunately it always ends up as a game of hide and seek with IFB's where the agency is given ten hours head start to try to "I put it down somewhere over there" and for you after a long day to try to find them all.

 

I like the term "Agency Bling"  for IFB units....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I work mostly in narrative as the utility. We keep names and numbers on them. We have 16, average day 5-6 go out to the regulars on their chairs, often gets muddled if I'm away wiring or on set booming and the mixer is being harassed for them when they call rolling so we implemented a sign out sheet again but that hasn't made them magically come home, led to a wild goose chase this week rather...When they don't come back after a week we file a loss and damage report and wait a month to get a new one...first three seasons only lost two total...as of today we've lost five in this season alone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/20/2017 at 9:42 AM, Mobilemike said:

I'm wondering if tagging each Comtek unit with one of those RFID wallet/key finder things might be helpful. 

 


That was my immediate first thought when I opened this thread, that Comteks/IFBs would be the perfect candidate for RFID tracking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
On 12/19/2017 at 10:31 AM, afewmoreyears said:

Hand them out, have a bag, case or other device to hold them handy for people to return them to....  and go on with your day... If they are lost, tell production at days end...if necessary, bill for missing units at full replacement cost.

 

  Signing out is somehow seen as a bit of a stab... seems rude, no producer I work for or have worked for wants that to happen..  It is what it is... 98% of the time we get them all back... Counting carefully at beginning of the day is super helpful ... Especially when 22 go out...

 

This works well, mine is a bid different... it has a flat handle on top the headsets ride on... Comteks go in pouches around bag... Holds up to 12 comfortably..  The 2 end pouches (larger hold headsets and comtek unit..)

 

Signing them out is NOT the norm... with anybody I know...

 

 

Husky.jpeg

I ran with this idea and found a different version of this style - a little bulky but sturdy for my purposes. Added screws to handle to keep phones from sliding off and when folded it keeps phones safe. Room for all the bits and a playback speaker

20190606_114818.jpg

20190606_114705.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/21/2017 at 4:25 AM, John Blankenship said:

My bodypacks have "DIRECTOR," "PRODUCER," "SCRIPT" labeled with the rest numbered and with my info on them. 

 

While with most of the agency folks I deal with, trying to sign Comteks out would be like herding cats, a lot of these same folks are really cool about trying to return them to either their case or my cart.

 

The worst I've seen was on a national Chevy commercial -- night shoot -- exterior -- several agency denizens left them lying in the grass, in the dark, when we moved locations.  We still managed to locate all of them as some nice crew member alerted us to where he saw them abandoned.

 

But, lest we forget -- like in a lot of situations in life -- most folks are actually pretty considerate -- the others just demand more attention.

 

 

 

Totally agree John had the same issues in the dark my team trying to hunt for them on wrap.

 

Even on commercial shoots where there are 10 units out (originally delivered in a Pelican) people

still leave them on the floor and anywhere.

 

Also I love it when they take them out of the numbered pouch and leave the pouch and the unit separately anywhere.

 

I did once point out to the users that they each cost as much as a cellphone "oh wow" was the reply.

 

mike

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Mike Westgate said:

Also I love it when they take them out of the numbered pouch and leave the pouch and the unit separately anywhere.

 

mike

 

This seems to happen more than half the time. I specifically bought the pouches to protect them from getting killed by a drop on the floor. All it does it makes the end-of-day search double - one for the unit and one for the pouch. Ugh.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I announce towards the end of the shooting day via Comtek that we would appreciate that they return them to a sound person on set.

It seems to help them come back.

 

Sign outs never seem to work as many who take Comteks see themselves as above doing something as low as writing their name on a list. A couple of those and it defeats the whole purpose and we rarely have someone just there to run a sign out sheet.

 

SH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This shows a good understanding of the psychology in play in this situation.  I've done ok by having a handy and obvious place for the RX to live near where the users hang out.  I was pleased to discover that many of those folks were happy to put their RX back in my rig if it was easy to find and close by.  There are always the outliers, who forget they have them on or leave them in a bathroom etc, but my rig cut down on the number of strays we had to search for at wrap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Philip Perkins said:

This shows a good understanding of the psychology in play in this situation.  I've done ok by having a handy and obvious place for the RX to live near where the users hang out.  I was pleased to discover that many of those folks were happy to put their RX back in my rig if it was easy to find and close by.  There are always the outliers, who forget they have them on or leave them in a bathroom etc, but my rig cut down on the number of strays we had to search for at wrap.

+1 ever since i deployed the comtek station i have had more success of people returning to the kit near vid village

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

A hanging rack of them near or behind the monitor has worked well for me.  Maybe only have to chase down 1 or 2 sometimes, but usually no big deal. 

R.E. Sign up sheet, I don't have the capacity or desire to manage that, That happens to also be the justification I use to producers who want me to bring 15+ comteks but only want to pay for 7 "unless used". Since I'm unable to track what comteks are grabbed at village, any comtek I put a battery in and put out I consider used and charge for.  Usually they just order the full amount cause they need them either way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, tourtelot said:

Back in the day . . . 😀

 

If I had 6 Comteks on a commercial shoot, I needed six.  If I had two dozen, well, you get the point.  I always brought as many as I had and they always contributed to a "fat" kit rental.  Haha.

 

D.

Unfortunately it seems these days it always a "conversation" :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep Kelsey.  I get that.

 

Short story.

 

I was a utility on a large Hollywood movie once early on.  The soundman was a famous NY mixer, a big-time (Oscar-winning) guy who was at the end of his run.  One day, (I think we had 1/8 page to shoot that day) we were musing over coffee at the cart and he said "Doug.  You know?  They just don't make movies the way they used to."

 

Now I was all exited and bushy-tailed to be on this huge project, with big stars, big cameras, on a stage, lots of crew.  Not the typical After School Specials I was use to being on (as a mixer but. . .)  It just didn't get any better than this, thought I.  I said to myself, "I will never say those words."  Haha.

 

D.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...