Marc Wielage

That is really stupid for Sony to do that.

Always great when you're on the last take of the day, and in the middle of a great scene, the battery warning indicator starts flashing. A great sound person will be able to pull a solution out of their ass and keep going. (As in this film.)

Really sorry to hear this. Don was a real gentleman and also had a great sense of humor. I always enjoyed what he had to say about the business, as well as life in general.

Beautiful work, one of the best shows of the year. I agree, it's better in German with English subtitles so you can actually hear the actors. Terrific final mix, too.

Cardioid lavs are kind of a specialty device and not used that often for dialogue. They're more susceptible to wind noise, and there's also the problem of the talent moving their heads during normal conversation. I haven't found they necessarily keep out more noise than other mics in noisy environments. I did find that they're sometimes better for resisting feedback in live stage situations, but only "somewhat," depending on actor's position. Audio-Technica, Countryman, DPA, Sennheiser, and Shure all make cardioid (and even super-cardioid) lavalier mics, but my advice would be to test them before committing to a purchase. You may find that noise-reduction in post or ADR are more practical solutions for noisy locations.

BTW, as an update, I delivered the "Get Well" card that dozens of attendees signed at the RAMPS/JWSound dinner at NAB a few weeks ago. (And thanks again to Michael Carmona for arranging that.) The Senator was very pleased and touched by the sentiments. He's still going through some health challenges but is getting regular care and is getting around on his own to a degree. I've encouraged him to consider commenting on JWSound directly and will continue to do so.

I will relay the messages! He is fairly chipper and I hope will be back to his irascible self soon.

I've been reading more and more about people using MIDI keyboards to "play" foley footsteps and other sounds for basically low-budget (or short-turnaround) projects. Obviously, nothing can beat actual foley performed and recorded by humans, but a keyboard-triggered sample is an interesting idea. Here's one company doing that: https://www.uvi.net/en/soundfx/walker.html

I can now report that Senator Michaels is fine. He had some health issues over the last few weeks (nothing major) and is now being checked out by physicians. The Senator should be back home early next week and will be able to respond to emails and phone calls.

Avid loves to change things. 😣

More details on Deadline.com: Crew Member James Emswiller Dies After Fall On Set Of Tom Hanks’ Mister Rogers Film; Sony Laments “Devastating Tragedy” https://deadline.com/2018/10/you-are-my-friend-sound-technician-critical-on-set-fall-mister-rogers-1202481413/

Astounding sound -- very clean singing (for the live stuff) and every line perfectly audible. I think there were some issues with story, edit pacing, and timing, but acting and sound were nearly flawless. Beautiful color, too.

Good general book on the entire post process: picture, sound, VFX, color, final delivery... https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Post-Workflows-Techniques-Filmmakers/dp/0415747023/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1538191784&sr=1-1 I've been doing this stuff for decades, and I discovered there were still a few things to learn in this book.

I think multiple microphones might be a better way to go. Maybe a U89 close-up, and then a wider omni a few feet away in case it gets really loud.

I just did a spit-take all over my computer display. 😂