Looking for San Francisco Mentor

[Jeremy Katz]

Hello,

 

I have posted a similar topic on this forum before but got no response. Hoping for a different result this time. I am a young broadcast mixer/a2 who is looking to learn the art of location mixing and recording. I have been getting a steady flow of reality and corporate gigs, but if I had the opportunity to do a job with more than a few lavs I would not be prepared. 

 

I am hoping to find an experienced mixer in the Bay Area to show me the ropes. I'd love to stop by a set and 2nd or 3rd for a day, but even an email dialogue with a successful local mixer would be awesome. Any and all help is appreciated! Thanks. 

[seth]

Hey Jeremy
I'm in sf, though primarily do solo corp, and tv job so don't have opportunity to have assistant much.
I'd offer its combination of resource management. Time for coordination, applying lavs, batteries, and bag design/placement. Time your self for each and write it down. Then you'll know how long it takes and what you need. Also knowing battery life for trany's to. Note pad is good to have on hand. Maybe you can be more specific with your question.

If the fast pace stress part is bothering you could wait tables for a few months. That job taught me a lot about stress and attitude and its why I get the big jobs around town. ; p

[studiomprd]

" for trany's "

guess that is a SFO problem ?

[Jeremy Katz]

Seth,

 

Thanks for your response. It isn't so much about managing the pace and/or stress, as I work in live TV and am quite used to that. It is more about the things I can't learn from reading the things on this forum. Boom techniques, perspective, and answers to questions I don't even know I have yet. 

 

Or what do I do when I show up to set and the producer says "surprise we're shooting a swimming scene today!"

 

That being said, this forum has been extremely helpful to me. I guess for the things I can't learn from here it'll have to be the old baptism by fire. Thanks again! 

 

P.S. Senator, What no trany's in LA?

[Jay Rose]

No knock intended to the OP, whose post seems completely reasonable.

 

But it started me thinking:

 

----------

CRAIGSLIST: Crew Wanted

 

     TEACH A POTENTIALLY AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKER!!

 

Mentor needed to show me everything about directing, lighting, camera op, and mixing. National credits required, and you must have your own equipment.

 

I am an incredibly talented and personable person, whose past troubles were always my boss's or colleagues' fault. But I've seen a lot of films, and especially like the ones with funny chases or destruction of property. 

 

I have a great idea for a movie, and have already asked somebody else to jot down a script. With all the secret buttons and secret menu picks you show me, this movie is sure to go to Sun Dancer or even be on the Film Channel!

 

This is a short-term commitment. I don't expect to spend more than half a day with you. But I will provide a slice of pizza.

 

Please send reel, three letters of recommendation, and YouTube Movie Database info...

[Tim M]

Really Jay no intention lol That is pretty hilarious though. So I'm assuming you sent him an email. Maybe you got him to send you that pizza usps priority?

[studiomprd]

[Max Hirtenstein]

Haha Jay it seems like you wrote this because there is a mention of pizza...

[John Blankenship]

Nice one, Jay.

 

You had me at: "...whose past troubles were always my boss's or colleagues' fault."

[seth]

jay rose I'm giving your books away because you didn't mention how to record a swimming scene today. hint hint Jeremy if your already doing "Live TV", you probably know more than me cause I've never done live TV (well except that couple of days following newt G and that was awful cause I had to listen to him talk) but not as much as Jay or mike so I guess your rate should be 439.72 per day.

[Alan H. Chang]

Jeremy,

 

I'm based here in SF, and while I'm nowhere close to veteran mixers that's been mixing for years (20, 30, 40), finding a trustworthy mentor who is willing to have fun, bring you along to their gigs, and possibly pass you some once-a-lifetime Int'l projects are a dime a dozen.  Not everybody feels the same way, and by far the most respective traits that us dudes and dudettes need to have is good honesty, ability to delegate, communication, sense of humor, confidence, commitment, positive attitude and outlook, creativity, intuition, perseverance and humility, and ability to inspire those who are less experienced.

 

Since your background is live television, you must have at least some experience in keeping yourself calm when the pressure rolls.  The mic'ing part of cast, talents, and personals is a life-long learning experience.  Nobody gets it right the first time.  Boom techniques, getting the right perspective, knowing when, where and why to put a certain mic out for coverage, all gets answered when you do some real work.  Once you start adding the live mixing part, the situation becomes more focused and pertained.  There are times that you'll feel you can do it, but ask yourself, should you?

 

As Seth has mentioned, working tables greatly helped him in dealing with pressures.  Oftentimes, what you learn and pick up from something else completely unrelated to the current type of work you are doing, suddenly becomes the one and only solution to the problem you and production is facing.  Go out there and get your hands dirty, try something new.

 

10 years ago would have been a completely different picture for me, but I finally found myself where I loved working everyday for the rest of my life in this industry, let it be broadcast, broadway, house of worship, installations, film, television, post production, forensics, you name it.  Mix in with a whole bucket-full of non-profits, private, and governmental contracts, and you've finally gotten to a point where you have no regrets whichever choice or path you pick because it's all worth it in the end.  Just paying it forward one step at a time.

 

Btw, 6-8 years ago during that span of time, I approached several big-time mixers that were in both the broadcast and film industry asking about the entire mentor position, 2nd, and 3rd, whole 9-yards things.  The saddest, yet most rewarding part I got out of it was when one of the veteran mixers told me, "Kid, you have no talents nor skills, go back and live with your folks, and pick another industry so that other potential upcoming students and candidates are able to fulfill their dreams as a career!"  Thank you to that person.

 

PM me, I have a gig for you.

 

A.

[studiomprd]

" about the entire mentor position, 2nd, and 3rd, "

if you mean what I suspect, then you are incorrect...

[Alan H. Chang]

" about the entire mentor position, 2nd, and 3rd, "

if you mean what I suspect, then you are incorrect...

 

Starting out as a Utility for several years definitely gives you a very good perspective of how the set runs, and your department.

[studiomprd]

" Starting out as a Utility for several years "

I would tend to agree that the utility position (aka 3rd) can be an excellent apprenticeship, and often on lo-no budget projects, the boom operator has little or no experience (which, BTW, is not a good thing for a production! these folks would be better off hiring an experienced boomer, and letting their friends and family watch the winky-blinky lights))...

However in the professional, aka Union world, these are working positions, (especially boomer, aka 2nd) and not really trainees, such as a PA, or intern, assigned to audio might be: a supernumerary who is helpful, while being trained. .

Edited October 14, 2013 by studiomprd

[VASI]

However in the professional, aka Union, world,

 

- If you don't work in union world; you are not professional?

 

Agree with you in overall.

[studiomprd]

" - If you don't work in union world; you are not professional? "

not necessarily...

but I was going for a context for my statement ...

edited...

[Alan H. Chang]

" Starting out as a Utility for several years "

I would tend to agree that the utility position (aka 3rd) can be an excellent apprenticeship, and often on lo-no budget projects, the boom operator has little or no experience (which, BTW, is not a good thing for a production! these folks would be better off hiring an experienced boomer, and letting their friends and family watch the winky-blinky lights))...

However in the professional, aka Union, world, these are working positions, (especially boomer, aka 2nd) and not really trainees, such as a PA, or intern, assigned to audio might be; a supernumerary who is helpful, while being trained. .

 

I entirely agree with what you're referring to between the non-Union and Union world.  16 and 829 is doing me enough justice now, but none when I was starting out.  It pales in comparison, but I've met many folks who have been Union for many years and went non-Union for their own reasons.  Disregard to those who say Union are lazy people, untrue, because there are many people working tirelessly doing what they do best at the top of their game.  We also have people who don't want to get involved in the Union and still work as hard.