How important is it to STAY as a mixer??

[Michael P Clark]

I've been reading "old schools" post on being a boom op before a mixer, and this thought came to mind. I have been doing "sound" for 15 years. Professionally for 7 years. Started out editing on real-to-real, moved into production sound after school. First job was as a boom op for a 4 day shoot, in windy locations, and holding an mkh70 all day. Almost made me NOT want to be a boom op. Next 7 years, I was doing it all, ENG, Booming, Mixing with and without boom ops. And the last 5 years I've been mixing exclusively. A local sound mixer, and good friend, asked if I'd be interested in booming for him for a small commercial. I said yes without any hesitation. When I got to the set, several crew members were shocked to see my swinging the pole and not on my butt behind the mixer. Is this generally frowned upon?

My feelings are that I am simply glad to be in the sound department, no matter what the position is. Will this eventually hurt my chances at being the next "mixer" someone calls? Will they think "he was a boom op on the last job, maybe he's a bad mixer". Which takes me back to "old schools" post...I would rather have an experienced mixer swinging the pole than a PA!!

Mike

[Philip Perkins]

This seems to depend a lot on the market you work in and the clients you work for, as well as how well you are doing financially in general.  There is no getting around the perception problem--I had to "behaviour mod" everyone into believing  I was any kind of sound person many years ago, and a mixer not long after that.  This did involve turning some things down, especially more visible jobs as a 2nd in order to establish that I was a key.  Over the years as various boom ops of mine have wanted to move up to mixer we had agreements that I would replace them as a boom op if they got a mixing gig, and eventually they decided that they didn't want to be seen as boom ops anymore.    There are other cases I've run across where the relationship between mixer and boom is much more equal in money, authority and gear ownership etc.  What is the norm where you live? 

Philip Perkins

[Michael P Clark]

There are other cases I've run across where the relationship between mixer and boom is much more equal in money, authority and gear ownership etc.  What is the norm where you live? 

In this particular situation, I was really dead for almost 2 months, and the rate was better than most of my mixing gigs! So I was VERY eagar to work on it. Also, I have been trying to hook up with other mixers in town to do boom work or even cable, to break in on some movies during my down times. Mostly, I never get any responses back from them. I have a feeling they don't want someone who is mixing to be on their sound team. They say "sure", but I have yet to recieve that call.  Perhaps they feel threatened?  The mixer that I boomed for is a good friend and we are at similar points in our career, so I don't think it was a big deal for him to ask me for help. Most commercial/movie work is done by the veterans in my market, which is expected. At this point in my career, I am willing to be any part of the sound team.

MichaelClark.afs

[Philip Perkins]

It's a tough call.  I do know that whatever you do, you tend to do more of that unless you put considerable effort into changing what you do.  In movie crew work, even directors and producers I've worked for for 25 years essentially look at me as one of many tools they use to make their films.  One likes tools to have clearly defined uses and capabilities.  Years ago, when I started doing audio post as well as production sound, I could see that this would confuse them--they wanted me to be clear on what it was I could do for them.  So I stopped pitching my production clients for post work, and now have two pretty much separate client groups.  This is tougher if not impossible in your situation, so, question: do you really want to be a mixer, or is being a boom op ok w/ you?  Would you rather work on bigger longer better paying jobs as a boom or smaller, cheaper, shorter jobs as a mixer?  Does being a boom op suit your personality?    And, especially if you are not in a major film/video market area, does any of this actually matter very much since a lot if not most of the work available is one-man-band anyhow?

Philip Perkins

[Mike Borlace]

There are situations where a Sound Recordist on small or independent stuff will be a Boom Operator on large or union productions.  Mainly,  Sound Recordists are Sound Recordists. But it is the same with any department.  I would be surprised if a DOP was an operator on a shoot, a Director was a Assistant Director on a shoot, or a Producer was a Production Manager on a shoot.  There is also the "confusion" factor as mentioned earlier.  If you say you do 2 or 3 different things, people will not think you are serious or not know where to place you.  If people don't know you and you say you are a Sound Recordist and a Boom operator, the ywill consider you as the lessor position.

[Michael P Clark]

Well it sounds like I need to take Boom Operator off my business card, and establish myself as a mixer only. Maybe that's my problem breaking into this market with more clients. I also have been getting into editing for the last two years, and I have found that my production clients are very happy to have me offer my services for both. But then again my clients for these have been Indie-types, and not Commercial jobs. So that is probably the main difference between Phillip and me. But I guess if Commercial work does come around, it seems like I should keep them seperate from the location work clients I have.  Eventually, I would love to edit only, but I keep finding myself buying more and more location gear, so that transition will probably be a long one. And most of my Post work is little or no money to live on.

Phillip, do you edit dialog only, or are you doing Full Post work(dialog, Sound Design, Music, etc)?

Thanks for the advice!

Michael Clark

[Philip Perkins]

Well it sounds like I need to take Boom Operator off my business card, and establish myself as a mixer only. Maybe that's my problem breaking into this market with more clients. I also have been getting into editing for the last two years, and I have found that my production clients are very happy to have me offer my services for both. But then again my clients for these have been Indie-types, and not Commercial jobs. So that is probably the main difference between Phillip and me. But I guess if Commercial work does come around, it seems like I should keep them seperate from the location work clients I have.  Eventually, I would love to edit only, but I keep finding myself buying more and more location gear, so that transition will probably be a long one. And most of my Post work is little or no money to live on.

Phillip, do you edit dialog only, or are you doing Full Post work(dialog, Sound Design, Music, etc)?

Thanks for the advice!

Michael Clark

I do pretty much the whole audio post enchilada, as I work mostly in long-form TV docs with a few indie movies once in a while.  It's unusual even here in SF for someone to do a lot of work in both production and post audio, but I seem to get away with it at least for now.  I can say that knowing the post side makes me a better location sound person, and having pretty long experience in production allows me to understand what I'm hearing in post.  On the other hand, I have both a location sound package AND a studio to maintain and support......  Anymore I have very few clients who work with me in both capacities, which is fine, although my original intention was to do more work on fewer jobs by doing both production and post, as is often the case (I understand) in Europe. 

Philip Perkins

[SoundHound]

As a Mixer I was never encouraged when a BoomPerson/Mixer solicited me for work because I thought their priorities were split-and I was in the Sound Department!  So think how your image is compromised with the people who hire you who know much less about the Sound Department.  One problem is that many Producers think that they pay for your body on set they get all your talents on call.  So why not pay you a boom rate for mixing?

[old school]

Hey Michael, without  knowing  your market, this is a good question you ask, but a hard one to venture an opinion. In L.A. I will show up on the commercial set and see a grip crew of 5 with 3 key grips swinging hammer that day and no one blinks an eye. When boom swingers move up to mixing, they take every job they can get in both catagories until they get established enough to ask the same question you asked. Same with camera assistants, and all the crafts that make up a film crew. My guess is that you will know when it is time to draw a line in the sand. My advice is to do what you love most, because you will be doing it 4 a long time.

Regards,

Old School

[ptalsky]

For me, I decide what I want to do on a project by project basis.  But for me the departments are a bit different.  I either mix or act.  Early on in my mixing "career", I made the mistake a couple of times at an audition of telling the director I also mix and have a kit.  In both cases, I was offered the sound job, and not even considered for the acting role.  So now, I decide and hold firm.  I'm either submitting for a project as an actor or as a mixer, but not both.

It really starts to get wierd when my UPM on the short I directed last year was the casting director on a short I was auditioning for.  And, my monologue was the one I based my short on. 

Anyway, I think the bottom line is, do what you enjoy.

Phil

[old school]

I love the credit, " Production Sound". Thats the credit I always sought when I worked on films, as a cable man, boom op., mixer.  Thats how I spell team. Follow RVD's advice, You won"t be sorry.

Regards Old School....

[Michael P Clark]

Yes I agree, I do like "Production Sound" and I am going to get seperate cards for my Post "situation" and keep them seperate. Although, I could've been A LOT of help on my current Post project. I made recommendations to the producers on how to handle their unique situations, without stepping on their mixers toes. But, they never took my suggestions, and now I am paying for it in Post! URGH! This is a project for which I should have done the "Production" and "Post" sound. But the time and little money would've been draining. It's a tough battle to weigh!