George Flores

Question to Larry/Gordon:  can I have my existing blk 470 T4 Transmitter re-frequencied this new VHF band?  Would the cost be worthwhile?

I don't think any production sound team goes into work and says to themselves, "Let's try to get mediocre and unintelligible audio today!"  We all strive to get the best we can, under various circumstances, in the limited time we have.  Picture this scenario:  you walk into the dub stage Monday morning and you have 25 kids running around and playing in your work area- They aren't going to leave and will be there until, say, 2:15pm.  On top of that you notice an NFL Time-Clock counting down from 6 hours; actually it's 5 hours now because you couldn't get into the dub stage due to traffic problems and construction outside.  BTW, there will be jackhammering for the next 3 hours right inside your stage(it may as well be, it frickin' sounds like it's inside!) until they go to lunch.  It has been decided that your studio manager cannot pay any amount of money to make the jackhammering stop.  It's up to the Dept. of City Services downtown if you want to call them yourself.  You've just sat down at your mixing desk, nice and comfortable, and now you need to move, because they're going to put a light there.

Again, we strive to get the best dialog we can, under various circumstances, in the limited time we have.

Congratulations on this accomplishment Phil!  It is truly a feather in all your caps and I'm happy to have helped out over the seasons. 

Phil I'll check with Donna.  Wardrobe goes through a variety of vendors around town, and I'll ask one of her tailors (who's made my ankle straps in the past) if they do such custom work.

I stand corrected in my putrid-ness and quite humble Senator 

It's another tool in the arsenal.  Whatever works for you, unorthodox or not, I think is the main objective.  It's in our nature as audio engineers that we evolve in our world,  that we experiment, tweak, and embellish our recording packages.  @Mirror:  When I first put together/copied this system ( I had to, I was not going to carry a bag for 10 episodes of a police drama), I had deep reservations about it--I have no faders!  But the audio architecture these days with Nomad/Maxx, 664/633 allow tremendous mixing and routing capabilities with independent tracking;  you can do a great mix and have ISOs as a safety.  And you do adapt to your technical surroundings.  All of this and the development of lighter batteries, enhanced RF systems and more ambitious/idiotic film-making behavior have certainly pushed us Sound Folks to think "Outside The Cart".

I remember when Film/TV sound packages were on par with Commercial packages, however, that is not the world we live in today.  I see this with Grip/Electric, Camera and Props, even though our packages are all privately owned, operated and maintained.  I've been on an FX comedy for seven seasons, took the hit initially and accepted the putrid $1750.00/wk.  It's changed a bit, but what I negotiated instead, was a full-time fourth sound person who can wire, 3rd boom, and can step in when someone has to 10-1 or take a call.  That makes my mixing life much more efficient and enjoyable.  Regarding extra gear, I'll do a per-episode budget for extra sound equipment and submit it to the UPM for approval as early as I can.  Usually, computer music/audio playback, VOG, extra wireless, when line-itemed and explained for What & When are not an issue.  If they don't want to pay the rental, it does not come out.  I did another show with a 4th sound person and was told that the extra man was no problem, but all box/equipment rentals run up the flag pole to the network's production exec., and need to be approved by corporate accounting as well.  I hate not being paid correctly for gear, but there are creative work-arounds to ease the pain. 

I had to record a Mexican Ranchero Band once and because they were wearing cowboy hats, we placed DPA's under the brim of the hats and ran the wires either around the ear down the back of the neck or up the inside of the hat down the back of the neck, all down to the packs on their backs.  Something about the head area with a mic pointed down works well with dialog and many strapped instruments.

Aside from pulling over and sleeping in your vehicle for a few minutes(been there, done that), Every Crew Member is in their Right to ask Production, UPM, Producer if they'll be supplying hotel rooms after wrap.  There's nothing "wrong" or "strange" or "not being a team player" about that whatsoever.

The "Bearded One"!

Something similar happened to an early 664 I purchased, although I was engaging AES Power and the unit shut down completely.  I was told that the there was a grounding problem with the chassis on the inside of the unit.  It was fully replaced.  I would have the owner talk in detail to Von or Jesse @ SD.

Jack!

Expensive is relative. As Robert says the Black Magic one works fine and in the UK costs about £300 ($480).

I went down the other road and bought the Decimator Quad which enables me to have a four way split on the monitor down one cable but technology comes at a price like $900.

Malcolm Davies A.m.p.s. CAS.

I agree, cost is going to be the initial investment.  I went the Malcolm route with the Decimator Quad and love it.  I use my existing 75ohm cables, this $250.00 (which is probably now $200.00) HDMI input monitor and an $80.00 SDI to HDMI converter box.  The big money is the Decimator @ $1200.00, however still less than 4 HD monitors with new cables/snakes.

G

How many people does it take to change a light on set?  3 to 6 or more?    How many do they hire to insure good sound?

 

I just did two 12+ hour days with a crew that was half my age.  When it was over I was tired.  Because of the physical work?

No.  It was the mental work of having to constantly rework by boom strategy because they kept needing to change their lighting.

We're not just sitting around waiting, we are constantly mentally recalculating. 

+1

And do YOU want to MAKE super Easy $$?!  Just get up at 4:30 am to answer Post & Production emails and to be an hour early to work so you can find your Sescom mini Stereo to XLR for the computer playback scene first up, because you thought you put it in your bag and now it might still be in your garage.  With the time you save, YOU can easily find a good replacement for your boom op for Friday because the person you did have booked just got a 3 day gig----all the while watching rehearsal hoping 10 wireless will be enough, and finding time to cut up your Sides for the 3 3/8 pg scene with Rain FX.  It's as easy as pushing the Record Button!  Oh, and the writer returned his headphones and Comtek pouch last night, but doesn't know where the Comtek actually is.

Robert, we were at Baggage Claim at LAX in early May with no problems.  blocks 19-25

664, field venue, 744 b-up, Comtek & PL Lectro IFB. Simple set-up powered by a PSC LiFe battery charged by a 6amp charger. Ready, and no pressure on the back!

Stroller Cart day at Disney Ranch

Very nice!  How many horses Crew?

That's pretty cool Brian!  The LiFE Batteries are ideal for such a set up.  Rolling around is pretty smooth and I hope it's lite enough to lift up a few stairs.  Don't make it look too easy!

G

New show coming up and this time I'm sending a list of what we want to the sound mixer.

 

48khz/24bits

Polyphonic Wav

Dialouge -14db to -10db peaks

 

 

Anything else I should include?   I notice some sound mixers will label the audio files with the take names and some don't.

 

As a sound mixer what would you like to be listed?

timecode should be notated as well as what the mix track(s) will be and where it's reference tone is at( -20db or 0db).  Track 1=Mix or Tracks 1&2 = Mix  can be very helpful in many instances and can sometime clear up confusion about Iso tracks.  Movie Slate is a great app that is now starting to replace written sound reports.  Sound Devices' Wave Agent can create a report out of the file list from it's folder.  It's best to touch base with the sound mixer personally as well as sending a workflow sheet.

G

Most important for echo absorbtion is to put a lot of rugs on the floor.that is probably where the mic. is pointing.

 

                                                                         J.D.

You hit the nail right on the head J.D..  The quickest, cheapest and most effective way to avoid or control bounce (and get at least a fighting chance to control reverb and echo) is carpet, carpet, carpet.  With green screen it is almost paramount that sound proofing is done, because green/blue screen often means limited sets, props, actors, sound absorbing properties.  Carpet runners are something you can bring with you and sometimes justifies your rate and additional personnel.  They can be purchased by production or ordered by locations if the budget allows.  Mic model choices can help only so much; controlling your shooting environment is just as important.

Remember that lovely word "Depreciation".  This can help on your tax returns with equipment you hold onto over time.  However, the basic rule is as Jack said, some years it'll be more, some years it'll be less.

Booming doesn't make you a better sound mixer, but it does make you an overall better sound technician.  It's one of the most important jobs on the set.  It is THE most difficult position on set(aside from putting on the fire suit or cat wrangling), and it has to be done consistently well everyday.  Straightforward in its' definition: Mic Placement.  Yet, it carries immense responsibilities, takes ballet style hand & eye coordination and no one gives a flying 'U know what' how and why you do it.  PLo, it seems like you'll learn from this experience and understand that the job is much more.  A Boom Operator is politician, info. getter, SOB, ninja, scapegoat, fly on the wall, co-actor, trapeze artist, provocateur, negative fill, mixer translator, bullet-proof vest, breath-of-fresh-air, meal penalty causer, psychologist, "Hey Sound", reactionary, shadow maker, and at the end of the day, a very good microphone placer.  I know you've probably dealt with many of these situations as a OMB, but as The Boom Op you are expected to take orders from the sound mixer and carry those orders out.  Simple as that.  Especially when starting out( 6 years of "Booming" is very different from 6 years of "Mixing/Booming"), you'll need to be tested and in your case replaced.  Is it fair?  No, but no one said being a Boom Operator would be fair.

George

This Rubbermaid is all plastic and lite, yet very sturdy when mounted on a platform.  In the background you can see it is mounted on a "middle Magliner Jr shelf with 8" wheels.  5 deep drawers make it very useful; everything from zeppelins to batteries to paperwork.

This idea came from/stolen from Richard Lightstone.

George

Jeff let us know(with pictures) how the cart progresses and if there is any issue with center of gravity/top heavy-ness?  Beautifully done!

A Baby Oil or Olive Oil rub-down softens up the RM-11s, extending the life, as well as getting the gunk off.