Boom Operators Gear/Equipment

[TheAudioSynthesist]

I have said this before and I will again, I wish we had more boom Ops posting here and bringing their POV to the craft of sound recording for picture. That is the art of the craft IMO.

CrewC

+1 zillion

I'd say mic placement takes priority over almost everything else.

a good boom op can save a sloppy mixer but a good mixer can't save sloppy booming.

this is a really nice thread btw!!!

[John Bauman]

I bring:

Ambient Fishpole

Ambient quickrelease x2 and 6 mounting pins

HD-25s

TV monitor and harmonica holder

Rain Gear

Warm Gear

Jokes

If I need expendables, I will request them. If they are not available, I will purchase them myself. This would only include items I use for wireless mic'ing:

Transpore

Blue Putty

Ace bandanges or Coban

Overcovers and Hushlavs and LavBullets...I dunno. I could put a kit together to rival a makeup artist, but unlike them, I wouldn't be compensated.

[Marc Wielage]

Spare socks

Spare t-shirt

Doh! I did a shoot 3 or 4 weeks ago on a music video where the talent (a foreign gentleman) thought it would be funny while I was miking him up if he sprayed my face and my shirt with about a gallon of middle-Eastern perfume. Ruined the shirt and my jacket, and I stank like a brothel for the next 12 hours. I really, really wish I had brought a change of clothing for that one. Never again will I be without my spare-clothes kit.

I considered grabbing my gear and bolting, but the quest for cash won over, and I grinned and beared it. Not one of my better days. Sound was great.

Steven Deichen recommended Dentyne Arctic Chill Ice chewing gum on a shoot, and I agree: that's an instant bad-breath killer. Very good when you have to get a foot away from an actress while fumbling with a lav down her bra.

[Mike Ford]

My kit is usually:

Belt with pouch to keep spare batts, multi tool, flashlight, transpore, moleskin, cotton gloves, extra foot foam, candy and gum stash.

Boom

HD-25 headphones

Remote Audio 7506s for some days

Boom box, grips love it.

Rain gear

Full change of clothes and sneakers

Ibuprofen pepto bismo and tums.

Head lamp

Bag of jokes and a sense of humor

[ChrisH]

My headphones (7506's) with spare softie covers, my boom caddy.

I bring my bom poles, my mics, my zeppelins, these often just sit on the trailer and I use my mixers stuff.

MM-1 and an 1/8in to Quarter inch cable, if my mixer didnt use wireless boom I would ask him why and explain the benefits and the very limited drawbacks(gently).

In my belt pouch I keep moleskin, vampire clips rm-11s joes, top-stick, transpore, overcovers, undercovers, lav bullet, battery holder, knife, tweaker.

I also wear a leatherman.

In my bag I pack

sunglasses, flashlight

Foul weather gear, blacks, spare socks

Gloves both working gloves and warm gloves.

[saadasound]

Boom box, grips love it.

Where'd you get that boom box apple box! I've been looking for one forever! If you didn't buy it from somewhere, do you know someone who will make one for me!

[dfisk]

Thanks for reviving this thread. I was wondering which thread had mentioned the sunglasses because I need a new pair and I want good ones.

[Fernando]

I have one of those floaters.. Dont really use it, it doesn't do that much of a difference really... (null)

Very effective for me when using an MS pair in docus. In my case Schoeps CCM in a stereo Rycote suspension.

Also useful for my boom op with a mono ball with CCM41 or CCM5

[Mike Wally]

Depends on the mixers gear, but without fail I bring my:

-Sennheiser HD-25II's

-K-Tech Internal Coil 11" Boom Pole

-Pouch with wiring tools; transparatape (medical tape), undercovers, scissors, moleskin, hushhells, hushlavs

- My smiling personality

Most of the mixers I work with have everything, so it depends on the job.

[Simon Hayter]

My headphones (7506's) with spare softie covers, my boom caddy.

I bring my bom poles, my mics, my zeppelins, these often just sit on the trailer and I use my mixers stuff.

MM-1 and an 1/8in to Quarter inch cable, if my mixer didnt use wireless boom I would ask him why and explain the benefits and the very limited drawbacks(gently).

In my belt pouch I keep moleskin, vampire clips rm-11s joes, top-stick, transpore, overcovers, undercovers, lav bullet, battery holder, knife, tweaker.

I also wear a leatherman.

In my bag I pack

sunglasses, flashlight

Foul weather gear, blacks, spare socks

Gloves both working gloves and warm gloves.

If anyone tried that on me....

[GrahamTimmer]

If anyone tried that on me....

+1

You would not be invited back.

[Sergio Sanmiguel]

...if my mixer didnt use wireless boom I would ask him why and explain the benefits and the very limited drawbacks(gently)...

I wouldnt mind if yo show up with your own zaxcom TRX942/RX900/IFB100 kit...

[Toy Robot]

Bump. What belt pouches do you guys/gals use? I have a great custom Maxpedition pouch that I love for when I use the MM-1, however I need a pouch for when I'm not using that specific setup, or when I'm functioning as a sound utility for a mixer and still need to carry a myriad of tools. Pictures would be awesome. 

[RPSharman]

Take a walk through Home Depot or OSH or Lowes. Best choices are seen in person.

[studiomprd]

" if my mixer didnt use wireless boom I would ask him why and explain the benefits and the very limited drawbacks(gently). "

you might not be invited back...

 

" Bump. What belt pouches do you guys/gals use? "

there are practically countless options for one to make a personal choice from amongst...

and soooooo many places to shop for them...

[soundpod]

+1

You would not be invited back.

I once had a job that i only took under the condition that the mixer bought a wireless boom. Which he did, and given the shooting style and pace, I'd say it was mandatory and allowed me to do my job.

I'd worked on the show previously and knew what to expect. 

[John Blankenship]

...

if my mixer didnt use wireless boom I would ask him why and explain the benefits and the very limited drawbacks(gently).

...

 

A patronizing know-it-all would not find himself very welcome in my crew.

[Ju Griz]

Military Surplus (MS) Velcro Belt

-Maglite LED Flashlight

-MultiTool - Zillatool (Highly recommended)

-MS pouch

 - Headphones- Sony MDR-7506

 - Sharpie

 - Transpore

 - Clif Bar

 - Gum/mints

 - Laser pointer

 - Battery checker

 - ~x4 AA batteries (depending on gear)

 

Pockets/On My Person

 - Baseball hat

 - Bandanna

 - Pen

 - toothpicks

 - business cards

 - cell (for callsheets/other docs)

 - Shamwow - Don't laugh. This thing comes in SO handy, SO often.

 - Hairties

 

MS Radio Bag (generally stays in the truck)

 - 20' XLR

 - 20' 1/8" headphone extension

 - 3-way headphone splitter

 - Velcro cable ties

 - Caribiners w/ velcro straps

 - Extra pens, sharpies, different colored high-lighters

 - Blue paper tape, Transpore, cloth medical tape, Gaffers tape, electrical tape

 - Batteries

 - Bongo ties

 - Cough drops

 - Fingerless gloves

 - Extra Clif Bars

 - Headlamp

 - Extra Deoderant

 - Earplugs

 - Earbuds

 

Listed above are the only things I bring as a default. Everything else is pretty much only brought at mixer's request. I do also have an ME-66 and a K-Tek KE-89CC, but those rarely come on set these days. 

Generally I get a wireless rig, so Comtek/IFB gets clipped on the belt. Same for the boom transmitter, or it goes on as a butt-plug.

 

As far as clothes, I ALWAYS wear black. Sturdy jeans with lots of pockets. I bring warm jackets and scarf (the PNW can get pretty chilly). 

 

Insoles are the most amazing thing to have ever been created. You're a silly boom-op if you don't have them.

 

 

Bump. What belt pouches do you guys/gals use? I have a great custom Maxpedition pouch that I love for when I use the MM-1, however I need a pouch for when I'm not using that specific setup, or when I'm functioning as a sound utility for a mixer and still need to carry a myriad of tools. Pictures would be awesome. 

Generally I just check the local military surplus store for set gear.

And requesting pics right back at you. lol.

 

Right now I'm using a generic military pouch (pic attached). I used to use this Belgian shoulder bag, but I switched it out for something with a lower profile. It was really great for storing gear in though.

 

A patronizing know-it-all would not find himself very welcome in my crew.

+1 to this. Listen to your mixer. 

[soundpod]

 

 

+1 to this. Listen to your mixer. 

I just wanted to expand on this conversation.

 

Sometimes the mixer is not the most experienced person on the sound crew. And under these circumstances I think it is the booms job to let them know if they are going into a job without the appropriate gear.

I've seen this happen where mixers are hired from alternate markets, ie from doco/reality world and their kit is shaped for that work. While drama work requires a slightly different mix of gear.

 

Therefore if I see someone come onto a job missing a piece of gear I think is essential, (such as a wireless boom rig) it does us both a favour to mention that.

 

As an example, 

I was working on a very large production with a war theme. Huge battlefield sets, and huge pyro setups.

One day they bought in a splinter crew to shoot some battlefield shots. Hand held POV running through explosions. The mixer they bought in had 20 odd years experience on reality TV jobs. But no wireless boom. And I watched from up on the hill as his boom op got to the end of the string and had to watch the camera run away from him with explosions going off all around.

It was unfortunate to watch, and I don't think there was any chance to save that situations, but if there ever is an opportunity to save a similar situation occurring, anyone should feel free to speak up.

The sound dept is a team and teams work best when everyone can use their experience and are free to give input. IMHO

Cheers,

NIck

[John Blankenship]

Just to clarify:

 

If my boom op came to me and said, "I think this shot needs a wireless boom.  How do you feel about that?"  I'd likely respond with something along the lines of, "Good call."

 

That person is displaying [A] good judgement, and proper protocol.

 

If, on the other hand, a boom op questioned why I wasn't using a wireless boom and proceeded to be so pompous, clueless, and patronizing as to proceed to explain to me the benefits of a wireless boom, I'd not want that person on my team.

 

There is a huge difference between a 2nd doing their job, which includes finding solutions for situations that arise, and questioning the choices that a mixer makes and presuming to school their department head.  ...Huge difference.

 

An A2 who doesn't understand that difference doesn't understand their job.

 

Mixers want a 2nd (and 3rd, of course) who is "on their game" and looks for solutions.  Mixers don't want a 2nd who second guesses the mixer's choices.

[soundpod]

Yes there are many facets to this conversation, and at the end of the day, as a boom op, the mixer is my boss and its my job to work in a way that satisfys their requirements. If he/she want to run a cabled boom, fine no problems there, I understand the reasons behind that, and it's not my decision to make. And it's good to have wireless standing by if required.

[VASI]

Recommendation for gloves?

[Ze Frias]

Recommendation for gloves?

 

If you mean gloves for cable wrangling, I like these:

http://www.filmtools.com/sethothanglo.html

or for fingerless these:

http://www.filmtools.com/sefilegl.html

 

For booming, I try to boom without gloves, but if it's too cold, I like wearing glove liners such as these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018BGEWS/

and for extra warmth, I would wear any regular cotton gloves over them (if you get them fingerless, and you wear the glove liners underneath, your fingers can still remain usable).

[studiomprd]

gloves would be a very individual, subjective choice...

[VASI]

If you mean gloves for cable wrangling, I like these:

http://www.filmtools.com/sethothanglo.html

or for fingerless these:

http://www.filmtools.com/sefilegl.html

 

For booming, I try to boom without gloves, but if it's too cold, I like wearing glove liners such as these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018BGEWS/

and for extra warmth, I would wear any regular cotton gloves over them (if you get them fingerless, and you wear the glove liners underneath, your fingers can still remain usable).

 

Thank you Jose!

 

Currently I'm using a regular cotton gloves for booming in the cold, but my sound mixer still hear a handling noise (cold fingers in a cold boompole). He told me to buy gloves something like this, but I don't think the leather will help a lot.