Richard Ragon

You might want to consider LA then. -Richard

A lot of work went into this single shot on this TV commercial. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2008/jul/03/channel4.television Pretty brilliant too.. -Richard

Outstanding Replies everyone.. Thank you, Thank you. I'm sure that this topic has been covered, and I appreciate everyone taking the time to cover it again. Yes, this is a Film Project. Dailies are being make into DVCAM tapes to the editor. 30ND is what I'll set everything at. p.s. I was thinking of setting sync via some G2 Wireless units. Or armed with this new knowledge, just sync it, and double check the sync ever two hours. Again, Thanks everyone. -Richard

He was saying that I used Control Track code, which was incorrect.. I should be using LTC. I have no idea how to set that.. And, he also says go to 30fps, and set the slate to that also. Seams odd to me if the cameras running at 24fps??? Oh well.. -Richard

Ok, I looks like I failed on my Slate Sync. Usually I take the 702T, run it "free run", and then plug in my slate and sync it up at what ever frame rate the camera is running at.. And, just to make sure, I re-sync about every 4 hours, but I also watch the slate in my monitor, and count the beats to make sure it's very close to my recorder and theres little drifting. Producer gets a call from the Telecine, saying that the slate is out of sync a lot of the time on most of the shots.. Well, I want to know how I can make this better, as too not screw this up again in the future, so I asked a few questions about telecine. In the mean time, the producer has a pickup day tomorrow. So, I asked the telecine, what can I do to "make your job easier". 1) He says, don't use "control track, use LTC" No idea on this one.. 2) Run the sync at 30fps. This is a new one too me.. Perhaps they are doing a 3:2 pulldown, and then trying to sync the sound after they have converted it over, perhaps thats why it doesn't match then? I thought that I match the camera with the frame rate?? 3) Over all the telecine says that because of the mis-sync, they have to process a large part of the job manually. The telecine is creating DVCAM tapes for the editor. Since the tapes are at 29.97, I'm assuming this means that 3:2 pulldown is the culprit here. The editor is going to put the tapes into the editing system, doing the edit, then creating a EDL and giving that back to the telecine where they then cut the final. I totally understand why people used to do this work flow, but given todays more powerful HD editing systems, doesn't this add unnecessary steps now? Would it be easier to just telecine the whole thing into D1 tapes, let the editor capture what he wants? 100% digital No EDL needed? Humm.. I'm just going to have to go over to the telecine corp, and spend the day trying to understand the job they do.. Perhaps it will just make me a better mixer anyway.. Anyone run into this, or been notified of this problem before? p.s. I think that I'll run jam sync over wireless tomorrow. I'm assuming that the Denke slate will accept a constant sync connection and stay synced right? What settings do I do on my 702T and the Denke slate? Thanks -Richard

I think they filled the gig. Thanks -Richard

Anyone out there want to do a PSA for a good cause? I had to turn it down due to a double booking. Los Angeles Youth Network (www.layn.org) PSA to benefit homeless teens. They are shooting on Saturday July 12th. Contact Skye (Producer) 310-462-5877 or Cherokeeonly@aol.com. They are offering $100 mixer/$100 boom. Hopefully that will cover gas and part of your equipment, but it's a tax write off for sure. Thanks everyone. -Richard

http://realitystaff.com/home/?section=JOBS&result=Job%20details&rs_job_id=6485 "Looking for an experienced Audio Operator for traveling series. Must be tech savvy, able to set trey blocks and build rigs from scratch." Now.. whats a 'trey blocks and build rigs from scratch'? Like sound rigs? -Richard

I'll also vouch for David. Fixed my SD 442 channel one pot in less then a week. Got me back on the road again. Thanks David.

Lets just have a group meeting around Noon on Sunday somewhere! Perhaps a few beers? Any suguestions on the place? Inside a Studio would even be kewl.

People in France put eggs on their Pizza..

http://www.studiodaily.com/filmandvideo/currentissue/9610.html good read.. -Richard

Hey Whitney, I've chatted with you before.. you even posted my funny blog post on your site. What are the dates that your going to be here! I'd love to meet up and have a drink! -Richard

2 Years ago, I worked on a film called "Earl's Your Uncle". A young actor by the name of Daeg Faerch, played the part of a flashback main actor on the film. The following year I worked with him again, in "Rattle Basket". I just now noticed him in the lastest Hancock Trailer.. looked up his IMDB, and he's in 7 more films by next year!! Good for him.. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1698761/ I must have worked with 100 plus actors this year. You never know which one of these actors are simply going to get lucky do you.. -Richard

Ok, Sergio Sanmiguel.. You posted details about the weird request that I didn't even post in this forum.. So either a) you got the very same request, or you wrote the request. So, my guess is that I'm being "PUNKED" by you.. Nice one.. -Richard

Especially the part about the frequencies they want.. too weird. -Richard

Well, I'm pretty used to odd request for jobs.. But there seams to be a rash of request that just keep getting weirder.. Today I got an email that just takes the cake. Keep in mind these request were all in the same letter.. 1) Request for NO BOOM OP. Ok, this one is pretty standard now. At the expense of sacrifice there sound, people think that we can cut cut cut the audio department, and still hold me responsible for "doing it all", and it better be good.. This one I usually give my standard reply.. "Would you have your actor run the camera? It can be done, but why?". 2) Then it got weird.. "We can't use a Boom Mic or a Lav Mic!" .. excuse me? Well.. it's a good thing I have my trusty tin can on a string then!! 3) Followed by, the fact they want the scratch track to go wireless to the 35mm Arri cam. Humm.. I guess I can do that. 4) Next was the request to NOT use a 416, but a specific mic "Earthworks QTC-30".. Perhaps a sales pitch maybe? 5) Next its gets weird here too.. "I want to mic up a volume of space around a 4x4 vehicle to record an actress' voice, footsteps, everything that is going on, full 10Hz to 40kHz.". With a request.. "The mics can be no closer than 3 meters to the vehicle". Seams weird.. but perhaps this is a special film or sorts? Maybe this is a SPY request? -Richard

I have this pet peeve! I have a pet peeve when people generally don't know how to act around film sets. It bugs me.. and I feel like kickin' some ass sometimes. I'm not talking about the crew.. I'm talking about the general public and the way they "see" and "act" on the set. Normally your filming in LA on the street, and most people just walk on by and it's not a huge deal.. Hell, its LA, filming happens on the street all the time, right.. I'm on a film set on El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego. It was only a short scene in front of a business, and it took many many takes because of all the "boobs" that act like idiots and feel the need to scream out something, or honk, or.. etc when they see a film set. Let me give you some examples.. 1) General traffic jam.. This one is pretty obvious. We know that we have a lot of runner necks here in LA. The simplest things stop these people.. ever get stuck behind a bunch of rubber necks, watching someone change a tire on the side of the road? Wow, people can sure pull out a camera fast and take a photo. 2) Then came the kids.. The skateboarders.. Not a problem still, I would have done the same thing as a kid seeing a filming. They all put out their iPods and start taking pictures.. Of what I have no idea. But they make comments like, I'm going to jump in front of the camera.. But thankfully, they didn't disrupt anything. 3) Then comes a city bus. This guy is suppose to be a courteous city employee right? Well he pulls up, he needed to get into the left lane to turn, but didn't want to obstuck his view so he straddles both lanes, then blocks 2 lanes completely right next to our shoot. The cars start backing up on the boulevard, and start honking. We tell the guy to keep moving, but he acts like he's never seen a filming before and just sits there using a 20 ton blocking ram, like he decided to just take a break. So, we just sit there, and wait for him to move. Once he noticed that were sitting there with nothing going on, he slowly decides to move out of the way for some 30 cars now stacked up with a lot of really pissed off drivers behind him now. 4) For some reason, and I can't figure out why.. people seam to want to rev their engines when they go by.. Or honk, or yell something?? 5) Then comes the 20-something year old girls. This group of girls got into it with the director, leaving the set yelling.. "Why don't you just leave the #*cking homeless guy alone!.." I guess they didn't know that the "homeless guy" was an actor?? Are people outside of LA really this dumb? Anyone got any more Biggest Boob awards? -Richard

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/va/20080616/121365555800.html Passes the one billion dollar mark this year!

2008 is turning out to be a bad year for hollywood. We've lost so many this year. -Richard

This is a real bummer.. A true creative master has passed away! http://www.aintitcool.com/node/37106 I grew up with a lot of these creatures haunting my childhood. -Richard

I actually have that ikan v8000. I like that monitor. works perfect with a HVX. Keep in mind that the Panasonic HVX only lets you see composit or componet, but NOT both at the same time. So, you'll either have to tap off of video village in what ever format they decide to use. So, get yourself a BNC 75ohm canair 100 foot (or more), and a RGB x3 componet cable. -Richard

jasony, I always thought that the G2s are pretty good sounding lav mics, but they simply are not work horses. They have drop outs occasionally because of there design, that lack a lot of features that the Letros have, and they can use up a lot of batteries on the set. However, they are slightly smaller especially on the receivers, cheap on the cash, and they operate in the 500MHz range.. so no need to worry about loosing that range for a long time. I have 3 sets of these G2s, and I plan on using them for possible camera hops, IFB, or transmitting TC code to other remote devices.. -Richard

Greetings Stephan, Correct me if I'm wrong here.. You went out a bought 50 thousand dollars worth of audio gear, so that you can get a formar electrical engineer to run the sound? But, wouldn't it have been a lot better (and cheaper) to just spend the money to hire someone? Perhaps I'm missing part of the story here? BTW: Please call me when you post the gear on eBay!. Thanks -Richard

Since I also have the ability to make my own.. After looking at the cost of all the materials.. I came to the conclusion that it's just not worth it to make your own. Once you ad in the special plugs, special order cable, and the cost of your time.. it simply didn't save any money. Turns out it's the plugs.. no matter where you get them from, they are expensive! On a side note.. And I didn't think of this when I was building my rig.. keep the wireless option in the back of your mind. Wireless boom, IFB, and camera hops. Wireless everything also eliminates the need for that cable!