The Daily Journal
journal:: a daily record of news and events, our community diary
1,000 topics in this forum
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- 15 replies
- 2.9k views
I find the stats for my Discussion Group very interesting. In terms of shear numbers, compared to many other groups, this is not really a success. I am personally pleased, though, because the QUALITY of posts and the members who are posting, is outstanding. I certainly cannot claim that the overall intelligence, the thoughtfulness and civility we have on this group, comes from anything specific I may have done --- but I am very gratified that we all do present ourselves, our veiws and even our disagreements, in such a civilized manner. For some reason, most everyone here seems to put in quite a lot of thought before posting. I know it is a lot more work to really think be…
Last reply by taylormadeaudio, -
X chromosome mixers
by Guest Mick- 4 replies
- 1.4k views
I've noticed that with all the various androgynous names that we use on the web, it's hard to differentiate between X and Y mixers, chromosomes that is, not IATSE membership. I was just curious as to how many of our posters are female. I know of but have never met, two or three here in L.A. but there don't seem to be that many in the business and there seem to be even less that post on this forum. Just a thought. Regards Mick
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- 20 replies
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There are some new gloves out that might actually keep your hands warm! I've never had good luck with gloves, but these look fool proof: http://www.gorgonz.com/ <img src="http://img.timeinc.net/popsci/images/2007/01/wgoods_20070129_glove.JPG">
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Wet work
by Guest Mick- 8 replies
- 1.7k views
I seem to be somewhat of a magnet for classic sound crew anecdotal occurences lately. Monday morning, a little chilly, north Hollywood location, no big deal. Elderly well respected actress charming the crew and doing as well as can be expected given her age and fragility. We do all her coverage and then turn around. Ten minutes later a p.a. strolls gingerly up to the sound cart where I am busy doing the L.A. Times weekend crossword. She is holding the aforementioned actress's transmitter by the very tip of the antenna in a rubber gloved hand. This is clue number one that this is probably not good. With an apologetic smile she says... "Ms ----- dropped this." "Where?"…
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- 2 replies
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Post (On a highly rated network series): We're having major audio problems! You guys are messing up the audio in the field! You're not iso'ing the talent! Me: There's only two tracks on the camera, if I have two people or less, they get their own channel. If there's more, the main talent is iso'd on one and the rest mixed to two. I tried to multitrack the show but you guys didn't want to pay for it. Post: But there's four tracks on the camera? Me: No, 3 and 4 are camera mic with an AGC circuit. Post: Huh? Me: I only have two channels available to me. Post: Well, the two people were mixed together. Me: I remember that scene, and I remember splitting…
Last reply by Rob Lewis, -
Getting my back up
by Guest Mick- 10 replies
- 2k views
It finally happened. In the middle of a scene my Cooper 208 tanked, (power supply) and I'm left hanging. Quick scramble. re-route the wirelesses (2) directly to the Deva V, reset the Deva configuration for hardware faders and post fader recording and mix the scene with the knobs. PHeeewwww! Lunch was then spent digging my heretofore but since not -on -your -nelly -up -for -sale Soundcraft GP1 out of the truck and re patching the rest of my wires and the Deva II so that we could continue for the next few days while the Cooper is repaired. Moral of the tale? There's no such thing as too much equipment!!! Backups for everything is an essential part of a mixer's kit. Expensiv…
Last reply by soundtrane, -
- 13 replies
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Many of you probably heard that Nicole Kidman was in an accident a couple of days ago. If you haven't heard, she was in a tow car which skidded around a corner into a pole. There is video of the incident online here: http://cbs5.com/entertainment/local_story_025174123.html I've never seen a tow rig going that fast!!! Whenever a stunt is performed, I have never found myself feeling at risk in the slightest. Everyone I've worked with has been the utmost professional, and I have no doubt that the folks involved here were as well. Still, something went wrong, and people went to the hospital, but everyone was alright. So I'm wondering what steps people have gone to to be…
Last reply by Alex Altman, -
The Totem Pole
by Guest Mick- 9 replies
- 2.1k views
1.19.07 Studio...early morning. A.D. "OK, Roll!" Boom man. "Let's wait for the heater to cycle down" A.D. "Rolling, rolling." Boom man. "We just need 10 seconds, it won't be long." Director. "Let's roll! Now!!" Boom man. "It's still noisy." A.D. "Gotta go, gotta go." Me. (via headsets) "Speed." Boom man. "Speed" 1st.A.C. "Marker." Director "....and...action...no, no cut, cut. There's a flyaway on her head, just there...see it?" A.D. "Cut, cut. Hair! Makeup!" Hair and makeup rush in and proceed to futz. Wardrobe joins the fray and rollers off invisible int from areas not even on camera. DP tweaks a light here and there. PA runs to…
Last reply by old school, -
- 1 reply
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Happy New Year! I just wanted to take a moment to say thanks to John Coffey, and all the great folks at Coffey Sound for the holiday gift they sent! I am not one of their top customers by a long shot, so I think it was especially nice that they thought to include us little people. I plan to be visiting more often in the coming year(s) as I return to freelance, and gestures like that don't go unnoticed. Best wishes, and a spectacular new year to you all! Tom Curley
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- 16 replies
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Happy New Year to all the great sound people who have contributed to this Discussion Group this year. Let's make 2007 even better. Remember, I started this Group but it is all of you that make it work so well... I am so pleased we have all found this to be a useful endeavor. Again in 2007, always feel free to make suggestions, observations and criticism (praise is nice too), for all of these things benefit the life of this Group. Best Regards to all,  Jeff Wexler
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- 4 replies
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I've been dealing with a "Creative Executive" for the past 15 months, who seems to only be capable of causing problems for the crew. He is a top level guy, friends of the CEO... untouchable. The problem is that he never pokes his head out of his office until the morning he wants to shoot something. There is never so much as an email, and on the day, the details of the shoot trickle out as the crew is setting up, frequently causing the entire setup to change mid-stream. It's always elaborate, and as complicated as humanly possible. He drops these things into our daily schedule, and pushes all work already scheduled for later. The crew have repeatedly spoken to our boss, wh…
Last reply by mikewest, -
An interweb idiot...
by Guest Jeffrey Colon- 2 replies
- 1.6k views
Hi All, I just posted something on the thread "certain reservations"... It came out looking like the quote of the quote of the... I don't know... Is there a good place to learn board posting procedures and what all those things like <g> and "Schrieb" mean... I did find out why some people end posts with a "ploink"... I would rather make a decent shot on a billiards table than "ploink" on the net. I am afraid that figuring out the 01v96 will keep me somewhat ignorant of proper posting 'n stuff... but I'm trying ! any help or direction appreciated. ThX Jeff C
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Certain reservations 1 2
by Guest Mick- 30 replies
- 5.3k views
I just had a nice visit with Glen Sanders along with John Coffey and Robert from Coffey sound on the set here at Universal Studios. I was impressed with the digital wireless transmitter/recorders and with the IFB system which transmits jammable timecode to the flash cards for later download along with the audio. I'm not explaining this very well but the issue I have is not with the excellent equipment and ideas that Zaxcom have presented, but with the moral concerns about having a transmitter on an actor which is recording constantly whether or not we are rolling. I didn't have time to ask Glen certain questions with regard to these concerns, but I hope that there is faci…
Last reply by Jeff Wexler, -
"Battle In Seattle"
by Guest tourtelot- 0 replies
- 1.5k views
Shame on any of the Canadian IATSE members who allowed Stuart Townsend to shoot his $10M movie about the WTO protests without a union contract. And hurray for the members of IATSE Local #488, Studio Mechanics of the Pacific Nortwest who risk their jobs to force the production to sign a contract before they would be allowed to shoot in Seattle. Why did anyone think that a movie about the WTO protests in Seattle would be allowed to shoot in Seattle without a union contract? Now that IS arrogent! Great job to the members of IATSE Local #488 and their negotiating team. A contract was signed last night. D.
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- 2 replies
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Hey all, I just got around to reading the Sunday NYTimes, and their was a wonderful story on the old school way Soderbergh went about making the Good German. I've met Paul the mixer, but I don't know him well, and I know Randy, the boom op very well and will make a call to him for some more info about how they went about their craft on that picture. Maybe he will post his take on that project here on JW's site. Hope you all can read the story, it's very interesting to my way of thinking. Cheers, Old School
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Happy Thanksgiving...
by Guest Jeffrey Colon- 4 replies
- 1.8k views
Summer before last, I found myself becoming jaded and disenchanted with the industry and the way things seemed to be going... on Saturday August 27 I was working on "Wheel Of Fortune"... Sunday August 28 I left my home not knowing if there would ever be a home to return to... Sad, but looking down the barrel of a shotgun like the Storm that was Katrina... if nothing else has taught me to be damm greatful for every breathing moment in this crazy life... Happy Thanksgiving All ! Jeff C.
Last reply by old school, -
- 3 replies
- 2k views
The call time today on "Rush Hour 3" was 7:30 am at Culver Studios. I got to the studio early, as usual (since it is only 15 minutes from home, lucky me), had some breakfast (For Stars Catering --- first class) and then midway through setting up for the day's work, Jaime, the 1st AD, called us all onto the set. Brett Ratner, our Director, was sick and would not be coming in today, so we were told we could all go HOME! I half expected that Jaime might say that Brett wasn't coming in but we would still shoot, shoot something, because I was at that moment thinking about whether we could shoot without the director. I know it rarely happens, but the reality is that the directo…
Last reply by tim apter, -
- 6 replies
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Marydixie n I are shooting a comercial in Altadena today. our director did show up and unlike Jeff we are still are here and working. It's cool though, good people all around n we are having a lot of laugh's. I finally finished cutting Don Coufals boom class that I shot way back in Aug... I hope to have it posted on the 695 site very soon. Mucho good stuff Don spells out in his own style and I think new and old sound people can enjoy and learn from it. It's a bit over an hour long, but I still enjoy it even after cutting it, not always the case after working on a project. By the way, this is the most words Don has ever spoken at one time, a personal best so enjoy. CrewC
Last reply by soundwiz, -
- 3 replies
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WOW! Is there anything Jim Webb can't do? Great sound mixer, teacher, SENATOR...
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Ebb and flow; after seven days of music, extras, a cathedral of strobes and water fountains, we have returned to the dark cavern known as sound stage 14 at Sony studios. Two cameras and four walls seem like a gift from above. We the sound crew now find ourselves with an assortment of duties, clockits for each camera, wireless recievers for each camera, time code slates for each camera, video village's constant need for headphones (quests, family members, execs, agents) really can't participate without the comtec. During the early days of Hollywood, bleachers were constructed to watch this new novelty, the village is a direct link to those days of the bleacher. Since film…
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- 10 replies
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I'm currently working on a big budget comedy, "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry", it has become increasingly difficult to get the sound. Let me illustrate; the scene is with four actors sitting at a table, piece of cake, wrong. First the table is surrounded with 500 extras who are dancing to playback with a thumper, one side of the ballroom has a bellagio style water fountain, did i mention the projectors on all four walls or the roaming mechanical colored lights that are constantly twisting and turning various colors all over the set. Of course just put four radio mics on them and let the good times roll, ha ha, one actress is in a skin tight vinyl cat suit, one is 9…
Last reply by tim apter, -
- 4 replies
- 2k views
I watrched the Gotham seminar online, the whole thing, and I was struck by how many of the same themes were present as we had at the C.A.S. and Local 695 workflow seminars. The importance of COMMUNICATION is ever present topic in all of these seminars. Since we have moved into a world where there are so many choices, so many workflows, before there can even be ANY communication, all these parties involved must understand all these things. This is a daunting task for any of us as it is definitely a moving target, an evolving thing. I have even hear stories of workflows established at the beginning of a job, after all this "communication", being abandoned or modified, somet…
Last reply by larry long, -
I miss the warm glow of tubes...
by Guest Jeffrey Colon- 7 replies
- 2.2k views
I got myself a Yamaha 01V96... a deal too good to pass up. It arrived about two weeks ago from the depths of Ebay. ...Been lusting for one since I did EPK on Big Momma's House2 and watched/listened Mark U. mix the show on it. I find the layers, patching, routing options etc. amazing... I've been lurking The Word Clock & Boom Recorder threads here...Take V. has been kind enough to thoughtfully answer my questions regarding Boom Recorder and voluenteer his ideas regarding my clocking issues. Thanks Take! So far, in testing, I am sending TC from a Deneke TS-3 and splitting it with one send to a track in Boom Recorder and the other to the SMPTE in on a MOTU828mk2. …
Last reply by takev, -
Sitting here. . . .
by Guest tourtelot- 6 replies
- 2.3k views
feeling a little anxious about a phone call tomorrow with the line producer of a series that I have been approached to mix. I know they have money; fourth season, and I know what the job is worth. I'm sticking to my guns about the rate and the guarentee. But I am hungry as well, and feeling a little nervous. D.
Last reply by larry long, -
- 2 replies
- 2.4k views
This is a new section, or Board, added to our Discussion Group. The idea is that this section will have posts on any subject, even just rambling thoughts and observations, from any of our members who have the time and inclination to write, with the hope that others may find these musings interesting. This section can serve as a group BLOG of sorts and really can be used in any manner that seems appropriate --- we will let it evolve and see if it has a life of its own. Each post will still have to be made as a "new topic" although the posts need not really be any specific topic. It goes without saying, considering the time we may or may not have working in this business, I…
Last reply by Jeff Wexler,
