Bob K

absound, You got the same message in San Francisco that I got in Minneapolis. That pretty much identifies it as a scam. And, wanting someone to "execute instructions seamlessly?" That's a big red flag to me. In the real world, no one is instructing the sound mixer in any scenario. Who would that be? The producer? God help us all.

Paul F, I agree about the flags. Not knowing the difference between an A1 and a boom operator is another flag. I've been doing this for a long time, and no one has ever called me about a job and then asked me to (essentially) make an application before sharing the specifics. I think I'll let it lie.

No I can't. I thought someone here might have some knowledge of him or the company. It seems like a scam to me.

Documentary Sound Guy, Your response is confusing. I'm Bob King, and I have no relationship with anyone named Jordan Webley.

The only company called Kantana is in Thailand. The phone area code is Nevada. First time any new client has texted me about a shoot. From the text message chain: "Hi goodmorning? I believe this is Bob King, do you still A1 or boom operate on production sets? We're currently in need of the position for a series of Ad-shoot for Nestle Plc. Available?" "Yes, location sound mixer, $950/10, available." "I'm Jordan Webley from Kantana films. Payrate is $750/10hrs." "How many days? What camera?" "It would be great if you send me references/work information to (a gmail address) so I can forward you shoot details."

PMC, Thanks for that. Very useful information. I'll have to do that if AD insists on Stripe in the future. Meanwhile, I received an email from the PC this morning saying they are sending a check. Documentary Sound Guy, I suppose I should have added that I also left phone messages, without response.

Not at all. I don't know why you would say that. AD was a long-time client. I'd never had a problem with them so I trusted them. But, this PC knew next to nothing about the shoot and said the client would provide details. At 7pm the client (flying in from NY) provided a call sheet and nothing else. I prepared gear, put the location in my GPS, and set a 4am wake-up in order to be on the road by 6am. Now, AD would like me to sign a long contract regarding work I've already done. It mentions "fees and charges." I emailed questions without response. So I submitted an invoice, just as I've done in the past. Still no response. By the way, I talked with my banker (Wells Fargo) and was told that unless I completely trust this company (Stripe) I'd be "crazy" to provide them with my banking information.

Thanks for that. This was a shoot from Assignment Desk in Chicago, whom I had worked for over the years. They've always paid my invoice with a check in the mail. This shoot was confirmed with almost no info except the client wanted "1x lav, mixer, boom." The next morning I was on the highway at 6:00am, with my entire audio package, en route to the location two hours away. It was a brutally hot and dusty 13.5 hour day; hard on crew and equipment, and of course I needed multiple wireless mics, camera hops, backup recorder, etc. So now AD says to sign up with Stripe. I found it's a very long contract, and fees and charges are mentioned. I stopped reading at that point, and attached an invoice to an email as I have always done in the past, explaining I didn't want to sign a contract for work already done. No response.

Mike, did they deposit directly to you bank account? My client was AD as well.

I posted this in General Discussion as well. Does anyone have experience with payment via Stripe? An old client hired me for a one-day shoot (completed last week), said they would pay me directly, and now want me to sign up with Stripe. Half way through the sign up they want my DOB, SSN, bank info, and then there's a contract or contract-like document talking of fees and charges. I've emailed Isaac at Crew Mama, asking about such charges. So far, no response.

Does anyone have experience with payment via Stripe? An old client hired me for a one-day shoot (completed last week), said they would pay me directly, and now want me to sign up with Stripe. Half way through the sign up they want my DOB, SSN, bank info, and then there's a contract or contract-like document talking of fees and charges. I've emailed Isaac at Crew Mama, asking about such charges. So far, no response.

RunAndGun, thanks for the frank opinion "all for show, and everyone knows it." Wandering Ear says "TC sync is actually faster than waveform sync." But, waveform sync takes just one second. As to the claim that "lots of things...can go wrong to make waveform sync fail," I don't hear that from any NLE editors. And PluralEyes has been supplanted by NLE native software. To those who advise TC slates are useful to mitigate confused situations, I've experienced some confused situations but none that would have been helped by a TC slate. Still, I appreciate the comments because I'm aware there are situations and conditions I have not experienced. johngooch brings up the issue of "confusion with frame rates." Yes, if different cameras run different frame rates that would present problems in post. But, I think the clap of the slate, smart or dumb, would be the way to fix them. I've carried a standard dry-erase dumb slate for years. It usually stays in the vehicle with the sound blankets, etc. but it's there if requested. I appreciate Movies by Matt's post. I think he sums it all up nicely. To those who claim that current audio recorders record better audio than current video cameras, I think if we could make a blind "taste test," where the same sound—except perhaps the sound of a symphony orchestra—picked up by the same mic, was sent to three different recorders and three different cameras, and those six recordings were then sent to a headphone amp (or speakers), no one would be able to distinguish which recordings were made by which devices.

Mathew, My comment was in response to the statement "if you heard that Beta etc audio in a theatre at theatrical levels you would not be happy." I think my point is clear.

Luckily, no one ever recorded any audio from the mini earphone jack of a Betacam SP camera. If you think that represents the camera's recorded audio quality you are sadly mistaken. Do Nagra and DAT recorders have far better playback amps? Of course. But those recorders are bricks. I've carried them. Sony was wise to make their cameras without that unnecessary bulk and weight. Indie movies? Please. Typically, the movie makers are rookies with little knowledge or appreciation of sound and audio. It's an afterthought. And they don't use broadcast-quality video cameras. And theaters? Now you're confusing recording with playback again. You can't judge recorded audio quality by the sound of some PA system in a "theater," which often means a college auditorium with poor acoustics.

Phillip, "Please do not hold up the quality of the audio those devices (Betacam SP cameras) recorded as being good audio?" It was good enough for Evening News, Dateline, Nightline, 60 Minutes, and every other news and news magazine show. I also watched those programs, and found no issues with sound quality. And I had an expensive console television and external Klipsch speakers. RunAndGun, I agree with you. I've worked with everything from the most expensive to the least expensive digital video cameras, and 24/48 audio quality is fine. As to "noisy" camera inputs, the best way to clean a jack is with a recently cleaned plug, and that's what I do. Of course, DPs and camera operators can cause issues. Once, I even had a (very tired) editor call to ask where the audio files were. He had ingested the video files and "wiped" the camera cards, and then couldn't find the audio files! The field producer had the backup files, but she was nowhere to be found. So I sent him the files online. Some of my colleagues here may not know, but—as an experienced editor I know—even without "scratch" audio or a slate, a good editor can sync video and audio tracks manually. Philip, when you say "to verify that our TC jam is holding on their camera," you're referring to jam-syncing the camera from the sound recorder, and of course there are many known issues around that. To my knowledge, every such system has flaws. That's where the "drift" comes from. Waveform sync eliminates those issues entirely.

Matt, thanks for weighing in.

Phillip, I worked in news during the Betacam SP videotape era. The sound was recorded on the camera tapes, and we used Dolby NR to minimize the noise. (We also recorded consumer-grade audio cassettes that went directly to a transcription house.) All that camera sound was broadcast on network news programs, coast to coast. As to "how is that audio getting to that camera? On a wireless?" Yes, on wireless, just as the audio gets from the mics to the mixer. Kent, Thanks for that additional info. The "reality" sounds much like shows I've done, except with fewer mics, and perhaps an additional soundman. I'm glad it's you doing all that you describe, and not me. We could probably start a whole new thread on the topic of "what the producer wants."

edward, Yes, I edited video for many years, and film before that. And, yes I've discussed waveform sync with editors who work with NLEs everyday. None have told me anything except that waveform sync is very fast and works very well. So, knowing that much, and also knowing there's always more I don't know, I came to a forum of professional sound mixers to ask for opinions and start a conversation. As to backup files, I'm sure I've said this already, I always record backup files. It would be foolish not to. In my experience they've saved the day a few times. But I inquired about time code slates, not backup files. As to charges, I think people should charge as they see fit. I don't criticize anyone for that. But again, I asked are TC slates "useful." Some of the answers have stretched the definition of that word beyond what I intended. That's fine. I'm getting the perspectives I sought.

ivanovich, I've seen similar things. A slate clap at the front of the interview impresses the subject, and a time code slate even more so. They are useful in that way.

Kent, You've mixed as many as ten mics for reality shows? With a portable kit? That sounds nightmarish. Not sure what you mean by "scripted reality." I've done lots of reality, and there are field producers who direct the action to some degree, but no scripted dialogue. For more than four subjects we typically have two cameras, and two soundmen. The sound guys split the subjects, and the two cameras cover the action from two perspectives. If we jam sync the cameras, it's all in sync. That makes things go smoothly, and the editor gets everything he needs.

PMC, yes, but that's why I started my inquiry by saying "For news, documentary, corporate, reality, etc..." My portable kit has 4 channels, while yours has 8. Also, I'm mixing and booming, while you have a crew. You're doing something I've never done. It's more like what I imagine is routine in L.A. and NY studios. I'm surprised there is that kind of production in Iowa. Olle, thanks for that perspective. Yes, I'm aware that technology is always changing, and some are early adopters while others like to stand pat. I myself made the transition from film to video, long ago.

Johnny, what cameras have you had a bad experience with? I've found that even inexpensive DSLR style cameras record excellent sound. The "operator" issues certainly can be an issue. (Don't get me started.) But I always record backup audio separately, and that can be synced in the NLE. No timecode slate needed.

I think the last three comments miss the essential point that video cameras record 24/48 audio in a single system. That's broadcast-quality audio. There's no need for double-system sound, and therefor no need to sync two systems (camera and sound recorder). It also means there's nothing to "drift." Edward, I've also done a ton of network live shots, first uplinking via sat trucks, and more recently with LiveView. Of course, the camera's SDI out has both picture and sound, in sync. So there are no separate sound tracks. I've never done 4-5 cameras, as you mention, but I would think that even then, once the camera files are ingested into an NLE, the waveform sync feature is faster and more accurate than TC numbers on a smart slate. I take your point about cameramen who don't monitor audio. That can happen (and just about anything else). But, even in the event of an RF hit, when an editor needs to take the audio from another track, it' faster to use the NLE's tools than timecode slate numbers. Redundant? OK, it is that. Profit? Yes, but that's not what motivates me.

When I said "video cameras record 24/48 audio," I thought it would be clear that 24/48 is broadcast standard audio quality. So (1) cameras don't need "timecode inputs," they need audio inputs. And all the cameras you list, Sony FS7 M1, mirrorless, etc. (except I suppose GoPros) have audio inputs. The cameras record the audio the soundman sends. And (2), when the camera files are ingested, the video and audio is already in sync. (Of course, it's helpful if the cameras are all running the same timecode.) If backup files are needed for any reason, NLE waveform sync is pretty much instantaneous, and (I'm told) the most accurate. No "fiddling" required. As to (3), yes I get that.

I would think the answer would involve padded-bra type bikini tops. (Each actress would appear to have larger breasts.) The padding would need to be modified to fit a transmitter, bearing in mind that the tops must look real and still be comfortable. You would need to work with the wardrobe people well in advance of the shoot.