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Mics as props and/or practicals?


ptalsky

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Hi all,

A quick question here...I was watching Garden of Good and Evil recently, and in the courtroom scenes it looked like they were using a Schoeps 641 as the podium mic for witnesses.  On thinking about it, I thought this would be a great idea, because the mic is very well placed (or can be) and gives another fairly clean audio source.  So, what I'm wondering is, in general, does sound approach the art department or does the art department approach sound in a case like this?

Thanks!

Phil

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Usually when I break down a script one of the things I am doing is making notes where the sound department may have to interface with another key department, in this case, the Art Department. Anytime it is descrtibed that someone is speaking at a podium or is making an announcement through a P.A. system, or it is a courtroom scene as you describe, I discuss this with the Art Department. Often it is the Prop Master and/or the Set Decorator who needs to be consulted so we can get together on what the microphones will actually be. In courtroom scenes, I have always tried to make sure that all the docket microphones are practical and for the most part, my choice as to the type of microphone. I am very sensitive, aesthetically, to what I consider a real mistake, which is putting practical microphones and shockmounts into a scene where it really is NOT the right microphone for the setting. This often requires either very careful selection through research I have done (and usually the Set Decorator if they are good) or artful disguise of an otherwise inappropriate microphone.

On "Sweet Dreams" (the Patsy Cline story) we used all proper period microphones, all practical and functioning, for the purpose of being authentic for the period and the venue (when she sings at a High School itr wouldn't be a Nuemann U87!) and providing the ability for us to record dialoh spoken on the mic (after lip-syncing all the singing). I know Peter Kurland faced simialr challenges with "Walk The Line" and used all practical mics. Peter had the additional concern that they had to record live vocals on these mics, something we did not do on "Sweet Dreams" (although I have done it on other movies).

Regards,  Jeff Wexler

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Except in very special circumstances I don't like my mics being used as props.  (The courtroom mics might be one.)  Generally the art dept and the director want control over a visble mic (so it might not have a windscreen it needs) and want it where it looks good for the shot.  I'd just as soon they got a mic of their own that they can destroy if need be and the actual recording mics are positioned where they can work best.  I have some war stories where in-shot mics worked out great, but I also have a lot of stories where they didn't work out very well for the reasons mentioned above.

Philip Perkins

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  • 3 weeks later...

In a courtroom most everyone on the "Creative" staff doesn't like mics in the shot (sound familiar?) so smaller is better.  Since I used" KM" Neumans with Shure "Doughnuts" (shorter/smaller than what Props had) it was usually an easy sell.  But for a courtroom you need 6 (almost) identical mics (Judge, Witness, Defense/Defendant and Lead Prosecuter/Asst). 

It can be quite a challenge to mix 7/8 mics (fishpoles, too) but most often you need sweetening for the talent furthest from the lens.  Remember that close mics pick up way too much bass for a wide shot so be ready to, relentlessly, cut their bass to suit the shot. 

For multiple (wide and tight) cameras pricticals would certainly be the best mic technique since lavaliers are prone to clothing noise (wool suits make a lots of "natural" rubbing noise even if not toughing the lav).  You would want a bass rich mix to suit the close up lens-let Post thin out and/or roomize for wider shots.  For a newsman's hand held interview mic I always carried two RE50's (one black and one EV brown).  Remember,  if you should be so lucky as to get a good mic line, no one says that you have to use these practical mics.

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