soundtrane

Eric, You can build yourself a computer, you'll only need a screwdriver. I'll send you step-by-step DIY instructions. -vin

and mine too - April 22nd. -vin

I have a humble opinion about this: ONE - I agree with Phil and Doug to a great extent. I have personally experienced the 'clerical' feeling when I first started using a NL recorder - I was maintaining a physical sound report along with entering metadata into the recorder - secne, shot, comment (noisy/airplane/ambience etc) and cross reference the Event Number to the physical report. Phew... Maybe iXML is actually to cross reference between people who do different things on the shoot but all handle data that is crucial to a smooth post job. I mean to say, someone like the Script Supervisor can dictate exact scene/shot numbers, false starts, etc. This info should be relayed wirelessly to the NL recorder and thereby to the post. I remember a Hollywood gig I was doing last year out here in India - the daily grind at wrap would be the Script Supervisor wanting to go through the entire sound report to corroborate with her data. Many times I would be right and she would be wrong. Many times, she would yell out a new scene number (that's beause they decided to shoot scenes different from what was in the call sheet, and I would basically follow the call sheet to figure what scenes were to be shot the next day). Or I would be handed sides which had scenes quiet different from the call sheet and would have to 're-adjust'. Too much effort in human coordination was required to fill in a few numbers. For that matter - ANYONE who has to maintain some kind of report that refers to numbers on the set that NEED to be coordinated and matched with each other should be done in such a way that each person only enters what is unique to him - for example - the mixer has track descriptions, take - ok/noisy etc., standard entries - bit rate, etc to fill, the script sup has sc/sh/tk to fill in etc. -vin

http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?navid=54&langid=1&itemid=23398 Just get into the digidesign website and do a search for "ixml" and you'll get to the page straight away. -vin

The position has been filled. best -vin

no. fox searchlight.

Dear Jeff, Hope you are having fun in Paris! I just saw a Claude Berri film and i was thinking of you when I saw the streets of Paris! Thanks for the invite to the new google beta group, i got a mail saying i was approved. best -vin

hi bartek, good! we'll meet definitely! you have a home in bombay at least - mine! best -vin

Hi I am writing on behalf of Pawel Wdowczak, sound mixer. He's looking for a boom op to do a Wes Anderson film to be shot in India. Here are some parameters: 1. 10 weeks of shoot - December first week through Mid February, four day holiday around Xmas. 2. non - union shoot 3. around 2k USD a week - five day week, 12 hour days call time to wrap including lunch and other breaks 4. 6 weeks of shoot on a moving train - we get into the train in the morning, shoot and get out at wrap and back to hotel. 5. per diem assured - from my deep experience of India and the American Dollar versus I, it will more than cover a lot more than two beers, dinner, laundry and some shopping to take back home to wife/girlfriend/mother/sister/children. 6. Shoot is going to happen off Rajasthan- Jodhpur and Udaipur and the last four weeks in Mussoorie - in the hills where it will be nice weather - snowing. Rajasthan is desert land and during December- January is very pleasant - not very hot at all during the day and not too cold in the night. 7. i'm going to be on the shoot as well. Pl reply off group - vinod@soundtrane.com or +919867290002 (cellphone with SMS), skype - soundtrane, IM - dontpro@hotmail.com best -vin

Currently working on soundproofing of the train we are going to shoot on for Wes Anderson's film. Six weeks on a moving train and four weeks on solid ground. Shoot starts December, I will be working with Pawel Wdowczak, sound mixer as his local third and as II unit mixer. -vin Bombay, India

heh, and do i have a story from out here about this? of course i do. but it's 2 am out here, i will write back soon. Monsieur Vin est dormi. A domani.... Ciao... heh! -vin

Hi Tom, In Indian cinema most of the time, a guide track is recorded on location so that ADR can be done on the entire film. Although this is changing nowadays and more and more films go with production sound, there's still the guid track kind of film. I work with a boom op who is very good and when he does not have a 'sync sound' job for a while he signs on to a 'guide track' film. The scenario is thus: recorder - either a Nagra 4.2 or nowadays more than ever a DAT recorder like a Tascam DA-P1. One boom mic, mostly an old MKH816 or a 416; maybe a Sennheiser 300 series wireless system or two, just in case. One man operating the recording machine and my good friend actually booming. Earlier, most of the time, it used to be a 'one mand job'- the 'Nagra guy' would put a generic copy of a boom pole (mostly heavy because it's made of some metal) on a flag stand well off the frame area and hit record whenever required. Maybe your friend will actually benefit if you send him the contents of this post. Maybe not really - and that's because it is clear that he has a background in post but he has no idea at all how sound was recorded on location over the ages. Maybe a few photographs may help him understand that a microphone on a stand does not do justice to an actor on a stage. I do fail to understand how a person who has twenty years of experience recording sound will not realize that the microphone has to be near the person who has to be recorded. It's either a conundrum or an imbroglio. Of course, I wonder how that shoot in which he placed mics on Cstands worked out - I'm sure there were grips and gaffers and actors and everyone else - at least someone out there would have wondered whether this guy is for real or not. Maybe your friend is quite old or something - like someone of age and one would not want to get into an argument with or just be humored. It's very difficult for me to envisage... so strange.... I just did a commercial a few days ago with a recent entry - a nubile young female actor. She came in and did her thing in front of the camera. The AD had told me there would be a few wild lines for me to record and I could wrap after that. Two hours later, the unit was asked to stand by for an audio setup. I put a lav on her to send onto the 2nd track and had my boom op with a Schoeps on her as well (as usual). Within a couple of minutes she said she was unwell and was on antibiotics and her throat was not normal. I seconded that- in any case, the commercial would do better with another vox in her place, because she had no voice at all even if she would be well - she was a dancer and a looker (well... not in my pov). Her whole family had turned up somehow, including her mother who is supposed to be an acclaimed modern dancer. The problem with these people is that they cut themselves off from the rest of the world and suddenly, now, they felt that they needed to get back. Before I wrapped, I had to record the mother (wild of course) taking the lines for her daughter. She could not even pronounce a few words that were native to her own language well enough to be taken as normal. I wrapped and met the director (a rookie) and told him 'make sure you don't use the last take'. he was apologetic, saying it was a whim of hers (the mother's) and I should not worry about it. I laughed, later... Your friend will wither away like a flower in an atomic cloud, vaporize. I dont think he wants that to happen. Our duty (my duty as in this post) is to ensure he is AWARE of this. If he is willing to learn a bit maybe he will stand a chance. If you think he won't listen to you because of his age and associated headstrongness or anything of the kind, I will be glad to answer his queries or coach him about the basics of production sound by email, for no charge. ...and i thought this kind of thing used to happen only out here, in MOS-friendly Bombay, but this is worse.... ))))))))))

A real loss. He also shot Tarkovsky's Sacrifice. -vin

Old School, I live in Bombay, India. I work anywhere. -vin

i'd love to have a copy of that book, if possible... best -vin

Well, it's a thought, maybe it can be possible. I'm willing to do whatever it may take - but I don't know most of these mixers, I only read their names off the rolling titles of some great films I've been seeing. For example, Raging Bull... That must have been a mother of a project! -vin

Hi I remember with great fondness reading Visions of Light, the book about cinematographers and their work and experiences. I am sure there are a number of sound mixers who could share their experiences and stories. Before the great mixers of the yesteryears fade away into oblivion, I thought it would be very relevant and truly great for a book like Visions of Light to be written... best -vin

Vin reporting from Bombay, India... all fine here, more production sound in indian films expected, weather report for Bombay - rain, rain and more rain for a month at least... -vin

Dave, I'm with you, my friend. Best, -vin

Thanks Noah-ji... now, to get his contact... The project I was referring to is starting end of the year, so he may be on it. best -vin

Does anyone know the sound mixer on this project? It's called "The Darjeeling Limited". This is going to be shot in India, and I have some pre-shoot work coming up on it, and would definitely like to have a chat with the mixer. best -vin

Many thanks redge.. best -vin

Notes for my first lecture which went off quite well this afternoon. Thanks for all the inputs and advice, all of it was of great importance to me. best regards -vin Fundamentals_of_Sound_-_Session_I.doc

Thanks a lot guys, any notes or teaching material you can send me on vinod@soundtrane.com will be truly appreciated. thanks again! best regards -vin

Hi I have been asked to hold some teaching sessions at a new film school out here. The students are young - average age 22 and a mix of wannabe directors/producers/actors/cameramen/editors/soundos. The first set of lectures are on Basics of Sound. I have been preparing sessions to talk about fundamental concepts and definitions. Frequency, Amplitude, Wavelength, Timbre, Pitch, Loudness, etc. I was wondering how long can I keep the attention of say - a kid who wants to be an actor while explaining these concepts. Also without too much math/physics/equations, maybe avoiding equations totally from the picture. I wanted to do this in such a way that the kid will not only remember these concepts but also understand and appreciate their relevance to his work as an actor. I am assuming that txtbook definitions have already been dealt with to some extent in his science class in high school. The point here is to find novel and interesting ways to make them understand and assimilate these concepts. Any ideas, opinions and advice will be greatly appreciated, it will help me formulate my sessions for this class. best regards -vin