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Cujo

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Everything posted by Cujo

  1. I agree with JD -- Landing it in the valley is the best spot to aim for. I understand he might be hairy, but if he's a regular actor, he's dealt with losing a few hairs to transpore before. You could make a "landing pad" from Transpore or Moleskin , then tape the cos-11 to that to minimize hair noise, or you could ask him to manscape a tad for the sake of good sound... Also you could try a wrap of Coban around the chest and tape the cos-11 to that. If done well, it should be nearly invisible and also give you a place to hide the wire as it goes around the back. I recently bought a set of the lav-straps from Sound Guys Solutions and while I have not used them on screen, initial trial and error tests indicate that these will do very well for situations as you describe....Time will tell, but so far I'm happy. Depends on how far you want to take it, but you could run the wire over the shoulder going through the collar of the shirt. That is to say, poking a small hole in the collar fore and aft, and feeding the wire through and around. It is time consuming and you'll need a willing wardrobe dept, and it's not exactly the most optimal placement, but it is a work around when all else fails.
  2. Being a good mixer with good gear, and possessing the ability to use it is as useful as a Kuato growing from your sternum if you do not also possess the mind and the skills of a successful salesman, negotiator, and business owner.... Kuato aside, One without the other is a fast and uncomfortable trip to financial ruin and misery...
  3. I could make more than $50 a day and get more practical experience by sitting on the street corner asking for spare change and learning to record street noises....
  4. Building on the safety issue, boring a hole and then sealing it back up again places ALL the risk for infection, disease, death or injury SQUARELY on the person doing said boring and sealing. It's a risk I'd weigh very carefully before moving ahead. I don't have a good answer for how to get a mic inside the mask without compromising to some extent the external seal, and I'm sure that a tiny hole with a healthy dose of silicone caulk or some such goop would probably work without a hitch, but I'd avoid that unless you can get someone high on the food chain to sign off on it absolving you of liability. I wonder how a mic fastened to the air escape on the mask would work ?? It would probably sound like Darth Vader with a sock in his throat, but it's probably the closest you can get to being in the mask without breaking the seal. -- On the other hand, unless these are pressurized masks with an external air supply, I'm thinking that perfect air tight seal might be a insurmountable challenge anyway..... Maybe a thin lav wire slid under the seal and taped exceptionally well would work..... .
  5. Seems odd... Did the movie suck so bad that the mixer wishes to remain anonymous or did they do it all with Cableman/Utilities?
  6. I would say yes about the producer and truth be told, there was probably a discussion there as well...
  7. As a side note to the genny issue... A show I was on last week brought the genny to the second location of the day and parked it a mere 400 feet from the set. The set/scene is a walk and talk down a neighborhood street where the two star actors are confronted at the end by a somewhat deranged old man. I tried to intercept the truck driver, who said the Gaffer ordered the genny placed there due to cable length availability. A plead to the Gaffer fell on deaf ears. At this point, it's time to get the mixer involved... my efforts have failed, and I know sound is going to suffer. I reported this to the mixer and explained who I spoke with and the answers given. His attempts to the driver, the Gaffer, the 1st AD, and the UPM also all failed... A few days later the Director came by and said that post was having a real problem with the noise in that shot and wondered what could be done. You all know the answers to that... but the point is to illustrate that being a 3rd means you are the first soldier in line to kill these things and that's part of the job. Moving it up the food chain to the mixer's desk only happens when you have no other options.
  8. Answer: Please park the genny the next state over. If that's not possible, then as close as the next county is ok. All kidding aside, the fact that they came and asked anyone in the sound department is awesome..There is no wrong answer as long as the answer is as far away from set as possible, and then a little further. Around the corner is icing on that cake. The mixer would probably appreciate NOT having to be bothered by that question unless the location is just crazy weird. I would thank them profusely for being good guys and coming to you with that (maybe even buy 'em a pint for the gesture). .
  9. FWIW, I've been a Padawan for about 2 years and I just now bought my first boom pole. I don't own a mic, a mixer, a recorder, or anything else that begins to approach what the mixer does. To be sure, I WANT those things and WANT to move up to boom-op and eventually mixer, but there is still much to learn and experience. As a working utility, the only thing you need to own that plugs in to anything is a soldering iron (and maybe a cord to charge the boss's phone) My basic set kit includes: Foul weather gear - depending on the season, this can be very small, or very bulky. Change of clothes - You just never know ... Small tool bag which includes: various small screwdrivers and pliers voltmeter soldering iron and sundries wire strippers/crimpers My personal Super-Jedi A-2 belt pack that contains: Transpore Overcovers, Undercovers, and stickies Moleskin (pre-cut to handy sizes) Bunion pads penlight scissors tweaker spare battery speed loader (9v and AA) razor knife roll of 2" black paper tape water bottle holder Listerine breath spray hand sanitizer pen sharpie Sennheiser headphones sunglasses hat or do-rag (or both) Depending on the mixer I'm working with, I may or may not bring my tool bag - but that's more due to knowing what they have and/or want me to bring. Generally your professional mixers have tools in their kit which they are being paid rental on, so my tools are not really needed. .
  10. Soooo. Lemme see if I got this. You want a professional sound mixer that can do sound, boom, and mic....and.... be a grip and a camera operator. For free (all training expenses covered of course) Right then.
  11. Fwiw, the ticking is the sound of the switching of the antennas, one to another.
  12. We are currently running into the same issues and have tried a multitude of attempted fixes, all to no avail. We have discovered that, on a long walk and talk for example, that if the camera gets at all between the cart and the talent, we take hits. it is highly frustrating and I wonder if anyone has found a reasonable solution .....
  13. Wind=Noise. Air conditioners make wind. You could use some (or a lot) of diffusion material to slow the air speed from the vents, but that is going to be a trial and error kind of thing, and even then, backing up the air flow may cause other unintended noises from leaky joints in the system. RP is correct, cycling the A/C units on any residential or most commercial units is a sure way to smoke the compressors. Lot-o-cash and a fast way to spend it. The commercial rental units are generally better at handling this.
  14. My bike and one of my work trailers... 40+ mpg and easy to park.
  15. Like others have said, there is no 'perfect' lav or placement that works universally. Even the same mic placed on the same spot with two actors in the same outfit may not sound the same, just because of the biological differences in the individuals....That said, there are some things that do run pretty consistent. Neopax are way cool, super fast, and according to the talent I have used them on, very comfy. -The chest belt is especially helpful with skin that has allergies to adhesives. I would have at least 2 of every size if I were buying for a basic kit. Cos-11 is what every mixer I have worked with is using. There are others in the kit, but the cos-11 is the first one in line for normal applications. Lav-Bullet or equivalent is a must for fast wiring RM-11 is a solid and standard mount and will be a staple in your kit. That said, there are other methods that are fast, good, and sonically clean as well. Experience, trial, and error will be your best teacher here. Start with the search function for some really great info on this topic. Speed comes as a function of experience. The corollary (to borrow from my target archery days) is that experience will also teach you that a fast miss is far worse than a slow hit. As far as the fastest kit to wire its an impossible question because we have no idea the wardrobe, the actor, or the shooting conditions.... but as a point of reference, a normal adult male wearing a regular button up business dress shirt, slacks and shoes, working in a decent sound environment should be able to walk away from your cart in under one minute ready to deliver lines on camera. Start discussing fabrics (silk), wool sweaters, wind, chest carpets, ties, or a million other things, and the timeline can go right in the toilet.
  16. I also wonder if all the execs and other top of the food chain types are signing this document... And if they are I'd be curious to actually see those documents.. Just wondering aloud.....
  17. How much extra does the deal memo pay for signing away all your rights ?
  18. I know how it works with the guys I have worked with, and it's no issue... but I'm not expert enough to answer your question accurately. I'm interested to learn more though, so tuning in. .
  19. Smile, Say "That's unfortunate for you.....", Walk back to the console Press "record" Turn in the dailies, Collect your check Nothing you say after a conversation like that will matter, and it's not on you to waste your time beating your head against a wall....
  20. Just finished up my latest gig and posting up again to let you guys know I'm available for sound third or boom-op. In full disclosure, I'm somewhat green at boom-op, but have done well at 2nd boom and have received solid atta-boys from my mixers. I have attached my resume and invite you to review it at your leisure. Most importantly though, I hope you will hang on to it and use it when you have a need. Cheers ! Cujo Cujo SOUND Crew Resume.doc
  21. Mark, I grew up working at Watkins Glen .. Next time you have a race gig-- Call me MK, An all expenses paid trip to the top of the world -- plus a paycheck sounds like a pretty good time... I second checking out insurance coverage though. A bad day without insurance over there could be the life experience you really weren't looking for.
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