Jump to content

taylormadeaudio

Members
  • Posts

    1,404
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by taylormadeaudio

  1. Sounds like you've reached a peak Al -- or at least a very comfortable plateau -- good for you : ) For those of us who strive for "upward mobility" in our careers, IMDB is often one of the first sources a potential client will access in the vetting process, and therefore an important facet in the collection of information we utilize as "resumé" material. I can totally empathize with the OP here -- he spent a considerable amount of time on a project to which he developed an attachment -- a sense of acomplishment -- only to learn he was not really given the credit he felt he deserved. It happens, and yes, we deposit our checks, and life goes on, but as fellow Soundies, we have opportunities to support each other, to further our collective cause (which is important, as other recent threads indicate) so, showing a bit of empathy here might go a long way -- not just for the OP, but for all of us? ~tt
  2. I've missed 3 days in 20 years - one, I woke up extremely ill, and scrambled to get a replacement - fortunately, a good friend of mine who got me into the business was able to fill in for the day. I had to give a very brief rundown of my setup and all was well. The other two days were when my daughter was born - same situation, same guy filled in for me, with production insisting I take the 2 days off. Other than that, I've always treated it like unless I physically can not make it, I show up, and get the job done. I've had some pretty miserable "sick days" on set, but I got through it. AFMY has some great advice here - be preemptive and do whatever you can to stay healthy. Granted, likely no one will die if we don't show up, but the consequences of our absence as PSM's definitely weighs heavier than for most other positions on set. One of the biggest facets of our line of work is reliability. Compromising that is career suicide, IMHO. ~tt
  3. Great thread idea, Crew! We honor our best, why not acknowledge our worst? Personally, it'll take me some serious paring down to come up with only 2. ~tt
  4. Again, I would offer that it depends on their budget - how they get their funding. Compared to the multitude of other financial sink holes and bureaucratic nonsense for which the government is responsible, from a Sound Engineer's perspective, I would place this very low on the why-the-hell-is-the-government-involved-in-that-O-meter. There are some projects that are worthy of taxpayers money - I'd be interested to know just how much $ we're even discussing here - probably better off starting another thread though, in order to keep this thread from turning into another sociopolitical mudbath. I'm sure the OP would appreciate it. ~tt
  5. Perhaps the point was to make it easier to go back and read the thread about Dion's death. Anyone considering the job probably should read through that thread, among other things... training comes to mind. ~tt
  6. the doughnut tear-wipe was the best part. great vid : ) ~tt
  7. I would offer that it depends on their anual budget. A certain amount of funding going toward this sort of thing actually sounds intelligent. Being a sound engineer who likely spends a good portion of the day having his ears subjected to close-range signal overload (regardless of headphone volume levels) I would think even you would see the value in this. ~tt
  8. In over 20 years of production sound work, I've worked on maybe five or six projects where I felt the Director really understood and cared about the production sound. I'm sure that's not indicative of the number of above the line folks that actually did care / do care... but it is indicative of this: ...and by the time a project goes to screen, this sentiment has typically multiplied -- we're often overlooked. Our line of work is voodoo to 95% of our industry. They don't understand it, and they don't like that they don't understand it -- so, through no fault of our own, we are often viewed as a "necessary evil." I was even once told by a Director that he wished he could do only silent movies. Cool, thanks -- so, should I take my toys and go home? Nah, just more of a challenge. Regardless of the pay, the projects from which I departed with the deepest sense of accomplishment are those where I felt like what I did mattered to more than just me. Sometimes that occurred right out of the gate, with little effort of my own to "spread the gospel". Some directors really understand the importance of what we do. At other times, I was compelled to educate -- in the most diplomatic way I could -- those who I thought I might be able to reach -- to the point where I think I might have actually gotten through to some folks and gained some respect for our craft. Then, there is the vast majority of my "accomplishments" for which quite frankly, I wish I could have used a pseudonym in the credits. To feel attached to a project and not get the recognition one feels he/she deserves is a bitter pill to be sure, but the wide range of advice herein is indicative of our entire industry -- how we feel as individuals about our careers and history of projects will likely be all over the map throughout the span of our careers. Challenge yourself to be the best Soundie on the planet -- recognition or not, and know that you at least have a peer group here that does understand, and will encourage you and recognize your contributions. One last thing -- when all else fails, watch a few episodes of "Dirty Jobs" and be glad that you're a Soundie and not a pig farmer. Hang in there. Enjoy life. ~tt
  9. That's really cool Jason! Thanks for sharing. It's always a bit dicey putting tx's on such active subjects. 1 mishap in 10 games is not bad : ) ~tt
  10. Going back through this thread, I'm reminded of an underlying truth in all of this -- we (Soundies - both in production and in post) do the best we can given the parameters under which are expected to work. There are many decisions made (usually financially motivated) by people who haven't the slightest inkling of understanding for what we do and how we do it. These decisions often result in less-than-ideal conditions for us (to varying degrees, depending on the production) -- we buck up, and do the best we can -- that's what we've always done. Our gracious host said: "The biggest problem with this whole topic as presented here is the flat out declaration that this is the way it is, all shows, all TV, get used to it, it's a new world, all post needs is lavs that are working well and we'll be good. I'm not buying it." I don't think anyone is saying that so much as speaking to the fact that we seem to be caught in the middle of a paradigm shift -- where budgets are shrinking, technology is sprinting exponentially skyward, and we are forced to operate in ways we wouldn't have even considered ten years ago. There's bound to be some settling. There is an incredible amount of wisdom in this thread -- the combined experience of it's contributors seriously energizes me -- here's my biggest concern: We're preaching to the choir. How many line producers, UPM's, directors, DP's, EP's, etc. will ever read this thread? We know what the ideal parameters for getting great location sound tracks are -- and frankly, we also know that those parameters are occurring for us less and less -- that we are in fact being expected to do more for less. 15 pages a day? Good LORD. This thread (IMHO) started out as an attempt to remind us that in a world where lav mics are being used with greater frequency, and in many cases, now the rule as opposed to the exception, we would be doing ourselves a favor to pay greater attention to what's going on with our lavs. All good advice, I think. It kinda fanned out into a wildfire from there -- touched a nerve, I think. Many of us are frustrated with how we are expected to function at work. But we don't have the luxury of just not showing up. If you happen to be fortunate enough to exist in the circles above and beyond the insanity of low-budget production*, then count yourself blessed, and do whatever you can to stay in those circles. *I use this term conditionally, BTW -- not all low-budget productions are clusterf**ks -- I'm speaking to those productions that happen almost in spite of themselves -- where the folks driving the boat are probably motivated by desires other than providing the best product possible. It would be great to never have to work on these types of productions, but some of us do -- so we're squeaky wheels, right? ...and there's a fine line between getting the grease and getting replaced. Bottom line, we do the best we can, we pay our bills, we look ahead towards smoother skies. ~tt
  11. Wow, I'm geekin' out here. Who was the lucky soul that got to make the first slice?
  12. I don't think anyone is suggesting the actors get mic'd up unnecessarily - I think the point is that the lavs are becoming increasingly necessary - to the extent that they are pretty much necessary all the time - if the boom is great, then awesome, use the boom - if not, I want to provide choices - this doesn't allieviate me from doing my job as the PSM - to the contrary, it makes it far more difficult - whatever sources there are on set still have to be MIXED - yes, clothing noise and phasing are issues - we have to be active - no one is suggesting we just lav up a bunch of actors, slam the faders to nominal and sit back with a coke and a smile. I hope I didn't give anyone that impression. ~tt
  13. Good LORD! Someone should say something more loudly! ; ) ~tt
  14. You can have as many booms as you want on set and it won't amount to any more useable production dialog if the Director/DP/Producers insist on a shooting style and pace (lighting & scene coverage) that are not condusive to properly placed boom mics. So, if the prod. Sound crew is forced into using lavs even 50% of the time, they might as well use them all the time - I'll take the consistently tight lav sound throughout an episode over obviously replaced or ping ponging between airy and tight sounding dialog - any day of the week. You get used to it, and it's really not an issue if a show is compelling. "Perspective Sound" is a great ideal, but sadly it's becoming more and more of a pipe dream. Anything that draws ones attention away from the story should be avoided - but people are already used to the consistently tight sound of "all lavs" these days - many even prefer it when it comes to important dialog that is so frequently hard to understand in shows that favor loud M&E mixes over discernible dialog. I will always fight for my Boom Ops to get better than a snowballs chance in hell at decent mic placement, and even when it's not possible, I would like to think the post folks are at least feathering in the boom tracks as mentioned above, to provide at least a little of the natural tone of "what actually happened" on set that day - in optimum cases, it definitely adds to the realism... in less-than-optimum cases, it reveals the poor location choices, the poor camera choices (looking at you, Red), the poor lighting choices (old noisy heads and ballasts right on set - usually with 100' of head feeder cable all coiled up right next to it) and just the overall circus that (especially low-budget) production has become. The model has changed - the degree to which we approve or like it is irrelevant - the degree to which we are able to adapt and provide for our clients and the viewer is quite relevant. Though his numbers might be inaccurate, Marks point to keep the lavs tip top is quite viable - IMHO. ~tt BTW, Robert -- I share your concern for the actors' comfort and privacy -- and do absolutely EVERYTHING in my power to assure them -- but frankly, it's part of their craft, and I'm tired of the whiny attitude that a tiny little lav mic somehow so greatly inhibits their ability to act, that they can't cope with it and have to let everyone know how the fucking sound guy is messing up their career. Get over it, sweetheart (not you, Robert) - it's called work for a reason - how about that huge fucking noisy camera right in your face? Does that "distract" you?... or all those really hot lights shining on you? Do they make you uncomfortable? As to your privacy - do you really think we give a rats ass who you slept with over the weekend? As long as we're all alert, and the AD staff is doing their job and letting us know when an actor is going off set with a radio mic, it really shouldn't be an issue. sorry... <rant off>
  15. ...even when all 8 inputs are needed (like, 7 lavs and a boom?) With the Cooper, there are dedicated inputs/outputs for PL and slating, etc... I'm sure there's a workaround for the CL9 setup, but having the slate mic going into one of the inputs (usually # 8 ) - if that input/track is armed, then one is essentially interrupting and recording to that track when speaking to boom ops while recording, yes? I guess I could get more creative with my routing, but with the Cooper, I didn't have to. Anyhow, thanks for your input (pun intended) I guess I need to dive deeper into the 788T/CL9 before I post such ignorant drivel. : ) ~tt
  16. I'm really happy to run across this thread - I've been busy and not as present here as in months past, but this thread brings up a lot of internal debate for me. I recently finished mixing a season on an episodic production that was insanely challenging - probably the most difficult job I've ever done. I started the season with my tried and true Cooper 208 / Metacorder / 702T setup, with some difficulty when it came to mobile (car INT.) recordings and multitracking -- it was looking like the usual two-plant-mic into 702T solution to which I had become accustomed was no longer sufficient for the shooting style and workflow of this 1-hour show. I deliberated to exhaustion, and then about half way through the season, over a 1 week hiatus, I rebuilt my cart, omitting the 208 and Metacorder rig, building in a 788T/CL8/CL9 combo instead (still utilizing the bag-cart hybrid setup I prefer, but with WAY better multitracking functionality in the bag.). The 702T became a handy 2-trk backup with negligible addition to weight or workflow. So yeah, my cart lost a lot of weight (good) and the overall functionality improved tenfold at least... So, where's the bad? Well, when you get used to driving a BMW every day, there are certain aspects of the drive that just have a certain "feel" (as Robert so eloquently stated.) I'm not saying the CL8 or CL9 are on par with a Yaris, but nor are they BMWs (the 788T is def. more on par w/ BMW, by the way - I absolutely love the 788T, always have.) Here's the thing - I MISS the Cooper -- there, I said it. I know it adds some unnecessary signal path, but WHAT ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS SIGNAL PATH! Yeah, I miss it. It's like taking Mulholland instead of the 405. I've made due with the CL9 -- there are some boom op / talkback / PL issues I still need to address, but for the most part, the CL9 has adequately replaced the 208 - much in the way (let's say a Jetta) could adequately replace an M5. I miss the 208 layout. I miss the preamps, the channel strips with all those dedicated switches (choices) that Andy Cooper built into every one of his panels. I miss being able to have conversations with my boom ops while we're rolling... I miss my Cooper. It's not collecting dust, mind you -- it's currently being used to record some stellar djembe and dunun tracks, as well as a trap kit / accordion / bass project I'm a part of. I've been asked several times if it's still for sale (yes, there was a brief period of lapsed judgement when I was considering selling it to help offset the cost of the SD trio) but upon waking from that haze, I re-realized just what a work of art that Cooper really is - a piece of history - and I have one (still pinch myself from time to time)... there's NO WAY I could part ways with my Cooper. This thread has sort of reaffirmed some of my initial thinking as far as designing a quick connect / disconnect system for cart to bag to cart workflow, and as I understand there are now products on the market that address the very interconnectivity issues that were initially going to cost me a good way into 4 figures to resolve. Sure, the custom multi-cables will still cost some extra jing, but I'll get to drive my BMW on Mulholland again : ) So, I guess just a thank you for this post and all of you who have contributed to it. I'm continually humbled and honored to be a member of such a fine community of professionals, and once again thanks Jeff for having such a great forum. Hope my ramblings contribute in some way : ) Happy 2015 ~tt
  17. I didn't pay to much attention to OC dialog when I first started mixing (primarily because we only had two tracks at the time), but like many others here, I've seen the craft evolve into something where it's not only possible, but desirable (more often than not) to have OC dialog in the main mix. It's presents another challenge, but frankly, part of why I chose this profession is the challenges we face every day. When production executives go out of their way to compliment me on my work, it's gratifying. It makes me want to try that much harder to do the best job possible -- to provide the best production tracks possible. If the Editors never have to touch my Iso's, I'm happy. Granted, if the OC talent is standing right next to a Red, in August, in Arizona, and it's an intimate emotional scene where I know the reverse will get shot used in the final cut, I won't try so hard to mix in (essentially unusable) OC dialog, but by all means, get it whenever you're able -- it will only make your clients happier. ~tt
  18. So cool! (now, how to reciprocate?) You are truly blessed, Wyatt.
  19. 12 for 12 Grammatical imperfection is something up with which we should never put. ~tt
  20. Ahh, copy that Senator. Thanks ~tt
×
×
  • Create New...