Silly Talent, I can still hear you!

[Production Houston]

I wanted to start a thread for the funny things talent say about sound mixers when they don't realize we are still listening.

On set of a reality show today a disgruntled talent said the following as we were interviewing another talent outside. "If these mics were the real thing they use on TV and not these cheap little things, the we wouldn't have to turn down the damn TV."

-using Lectrosonics SMQV tx and sanken cos-11,

[LarryF]

I wanted to start a thread for the funny things talent say about sound mixers when they don't realize we are still listening.

On set of a reality show today a disgruntled talent said the following as we were interviewing another talent outside. "If these mics were the real thing they use on TV and not these cheap little things, the we wouldn't have to turn down the damn TV."

-using Lectrosonics SMQV tx and sanken cos-11,

Probably figured you couldn't understand what was being said over the "cheap little things".

Larry F

[Boomboom]

In general, it more simple than that: they figure if we can't see them anymore, we can't hear them.

We live in a ''visual world'', definitely.

 

 

 

[Ze Frias]

Hmmmm. I usually mute all sound from the wireless receivers when not recording / in between takes. I'm a strong believer in privacy, and never want to be listening or having others listening into talent's conversations.

[Production Houston]

I have a headphone mix setup to monitor l/r mono sum in one ear and I can monitor any other source off camera in the other. It's more to protect my equipment and cue for anybody about to walk into a scene....not for eavesdropping purposes.

I believe in privacy, but I also do a lot of low rent reality TV, where everything is recording all the time. Off camera stuff is gold to some folks...mostly post.

[Ze Frias]

Fair enough. I do mostly narrative, or scripted work, and there's always some downtime between set-ups. I've had times where the talent would start talking about personal things, and I quickly go to mute it. So nowadays, I just mute when not recording.

[Michael Miramontes]

Hmmmm. I usually mute all sound from the wireless receivers when not recording / in between takes. I'm a strong believer in privacy, and never want to be listening or having others listening into talent's conversations.

I'm with you on that. Whatever talent has to say is NONE of my business. Unless of course its a hot babe and she's talking about me. haha

[Ken Wilkinson]

In between takes I decided to listen to the PFL on a muted channel of talent not in the scene.  I hear the female AD screaming "Who's touching my underwear?!"

[RPSharman]

In a reality or unscripted situation, I let actors know that they continue to be recorded as they come in and out of a "scene". I also advice actors in cars about open plant mics.

But in general, if they're not standing on set, then I have no interest in hearing what they are saying.

[engaudio]

On a reality real estate show, director wondering where talent is as it's auction time, I put on cans just as they walk around the corner..

Overhear talent say "who's the sound guy, he's hot" to another contributor just as I look up and lock eyes with said talker, that's umm, priceless.

 

Grant.

[Jack Norflus]

A few years ago a cast member of one of the MTV real world incarnation came to NY for a few days and I was hired to day play while he was in NY.

And for some reason the cast was under the impression that if you couldn't see the camera the camera couldn't hear what you were saying.

Things got quite interesting when he went into the bed room with his girlfriend and closed the door. His girlfriend said "be quiet they can hear us" his response "no they cant".

[Chris Woodcock]

His girlfriend said "be quiet they can hear us" his response "no they cant".

And then you pressed record

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[Boomboom]

On reality shows where covering big sets, I would be asked to turn on mics for the director so he knows what's happening, say, on the other side of the building, or in another location nearby... common practice. Could be a quick PFL too to check out if talent is ready for a cue or to tweak gain... There are lots of occasions where things like that could happen; it's accidental but nevertheless sometimes you have something funny happening. No big deal. On scripted sets it's indeed way more easier: open while in REC or rehearsal mode, shut down at ''cut''. Plus, it gives both my ears and whoever is on Comteks some break between takes.

[Malcolm Davies Amps CAS]

On Heavens Gate the director (Michael Chimino) made me keep the radio mic faded up on the lead actor so that he could hear what the actor was saying about him. Real paranoia.

Malcolm Davies. A.m.p.s.

[Constantin]

On Heavens Gate the director (Michael Chimino) made me keep the radio mic faded up on the lead actor so that he could hear what the actor was saying about him. Real paranoia.

Malcolm Davies. A.m.p.s.

A mixer friend of mine from Germany was asked by the director to wire all actors all the time on a production some years ago. He was also asked to keep all wires open on the Comteks all the time, even if the actor was not in the shot, or during breaks. The mixer refused and after some back and forth got fired in the spot. To this day he has no regrets

[Jan McL]

In narrative land, I consider keeping wireless down between cut and action a sacred trust between me and the actors.

 

As Mr. Sharman wisely suggests, car work is different and worthy of a reminder that mics remain open for comm purposes. Still, when something personal comes up, I bring the faders down for a time.

 

I would have had a bit of a moral dilemma in the situation you describe, Malcolm, and probably would have informed the actor of this should I have succumbed to the director's request.

[Chris Woodcock]

I know a funny story involving a radio mic and Gordon Brown when he was prime minister. The person who suggested the idea to Browns people is here on JWS -

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[hobbiesodd]

Working on reality shows with a large cast I have heard terrible, unspeakable things…. sex acts / death threats / drug use / scheming / prayers… you name it.

 

I even had a married couple discuss the pros+cons of asking one of the crew members to be involved in a threesome….

 

Believe me, I don't want to listen in - I'm sure the OP doesn't either -  but when working on these awful shows and the cast is all over the place in different locations, I am often asked by directors: "Do you have ears on so-and-so? Where are they?"

 

Being paid to listen to what these people say on camera is often bad enough - It's not by choice that I listen in when they're not. 

 

Cheers,

Evan 

[Michael Miramontes]

You would never know of the hot babe taking unless you were listening.

 

I never listen to talent in between takes. It's not professional!

[pkautzsch]

In scripted world, there's exactly two occasions to listen to lavs outside rehearsal/shooting.

First, when wiring an actor. Second, when making sure that the actor is still properly wired after being out of sight for a longer time.

Both involve turning down the fader and listening pre-fader so nothing goes to comteks, and will usually only happen when I see the actor.

Lav tracks get MUTED when an actor is part of a scene but not in this shot.

 

I can see how in unscripted work, you'll always have all lav tracks armed, and need to listen to out-of-sight folks regularly to make sure their lavs are ok should they jump into the shot.

[Constantin]

In scripted world, there's exactly two occasions to listen to lavs outside rehearsal/shooting.

First, when wiring an actor. Second, when making sure that the actor is still properly wired after being out of sight for a longer time.

Both involve turning down the fader and listening pre-fader so nothing goes to comteks, and will usually only happen when I see the actor.

Third: when the director/producer tells you to. Unless you handle it like the guy I was talking about before. But he's one of Germany's top mixers, working with a top director. He's getting the next big jobs easily, but I'm not sure others (including myself) would have handled it the same way. What if it's your first really large-scale production? Something like that can affect your entire career

[Christian Spaeth]

To be honest, the stuff actors talk about while not rolling is usually not worth listening to, so my advice: keep them faders down.

[OmahaAudio]

I know a funny story involving a radio mic and Gordon Brown when he was prime minister.

I always thought that the problem in that case was broadcasting Brown saying that. It's one of the reasons that politicians won't allow behind-the-scenes coverage any more.

[Tom Morrow]

I show the actor the mute switch on the transmitter when I wire them, and tell them they can use it if they need to have a personal conversation.  That way they don't have to sabotage my mic placement if they want privacy.

 

I do listen between takes when the actors are on set, for purposes of tweaking levels and verifying the mic placement hasn't deteriorated, usually when I can visually see them and they can visually see me with cans on.  When they walk off set I try to mute both for privacy and to avoid static in my cans if they go out of range.

[pkautzsch]

Third: when the director/producer tells you to. Unless you handle it like the guy I was talking about before. But he's one of Germany's top mixers, working with a top director. He's getting the next big jobs easily, but I'm not sure others (including myself) would have handled it the same way. What if it's your first really large-scale production? Something like that can affect your entire career

The only honest way to accomplish that would be warning the actor about their lavs being open all the time on director's request, and telling the director about warning the actors (like Jan McL suggested).

I'm quite sure there will be a discussion between director and actors, and if they agree to keeping lavs open, we can of course do that.

 

All other ways seem to be hazardous:

If sound person refuses to keep them open, director will freak out. Sound person gets fired.

If the lead actor finds out they've been secretly eavesdropped on, they will freak out, and director will clearly state that it was the sound person who didn't mute them. Sound person gets fired.