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2 person sound crew


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The 2 person sound crew is making a comeback thanks to the International.

"Comeback Trail" (no joke) staring Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman and Tommy Lee Jones is coming to New Mexico

to start shooting next week. Producers have figured out they can come to NM and by-pass the ASA contract

and sign "One Off's". Not only do they get reduced crew at reduced rates they also get the local rebates.

There are eleven producers listed on iMDB, no downsizing there. 

This is the second time I know of a major production doing this. The other film was Hell or High Water.

Now that the International has made this a standard for "One Off's " why would any other producer allow for more than a 2 person crew?

Does anyone know of other departments that producers can restrict the number of crew? 

Is there anyone at 695 aware of this change in crew staffing? 

Concerned and pissed off that major film can get away this, who signs these contracts at the International?

Frantically (spell check)  and Sororally 

David Brownlow

 

 

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Proof that even when a state is willing to essentially help finance your film, even though your studio has the money, that greed knows no bounds. This is WHY unions exist. Because you can’t trust employers to do the right thing. They’re already getting people for 12h days, let’s make them double up on duties and leave them high and dry when they need an extra set of hands (like a second boom for example). Hopefully NM will get a strong union that won’t give into one-offs, right to work nonsense, and any other employer oppression. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Typical short changing where the sound mixer should explain the function of a 3rd person

 

Done it many times stating that rehearsals and shooting can continue while the 3rd

sorts out a headphone/timecode/radio mike issue

 

Also with shows needing lots of lavs plus a boom the task of applying lavs can be very busy

 

Oh dear!

 

mike

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6 hours ago, cjh said:

With that cast every single mixer who gets offered that job should turn it down until a 2AS is confirmed.

 

Ahhh  ha  ha  ha  ha  ha....  Ha Ha Ha ha ha....  LOL

 

NO SPINES!!!!  They could drop it to $15 an hour  Micro budget tier -20 and some ass*&^e will take that job.

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They will pay in time, money and frustration ...

Miking 7 people, with one boom op will make them wait, and frustrate them, not having a second boom op will make their show suffer, and having your only guy busy while needing to prep a set or move or set up gear and it will cost them... All of it will cost them.. Without having done it, they are clueless to save themselves. The third person saves them, not the mixer, as soon as they understand that, they will begin to help themselves rather than shoot themselves in the foot..

  We have been slammed with 3 people, often... 2, we would of been dead with a logjam at the sound area..

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It may end up being one of those terrible situations where the first-hire PSM with only one A2 gets run over during the first few days of production and fired for being "obstructionist" or some other producer term, and their replacement is able to then negotiate the hiring of a 3rd for the rest of the shoot.  It's happened (to me).   In the smoke and fire of that PSM getting canned the show's DP may wake up to the fact that a "slow" shoot ultimately reflects on her or him, and that anything that will help move things along benefits them.

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The slower on set pace a 2 person crew work at is only half the argument, to me a 3 person crew is as much about what that 3rd person can also offer as a fast deploy 2nd boom and onset problem solver which has a direct effect on the end result of the quality and usability of the production audio. My aim is to get the best audio possible and that is always my main discussion point when negotiating a 3rd or 4th person, on set work flow speed is also a valid argument but I use it as a secondary point, fair to say that is often the clincher in terms of production saying yes.

 

It's all project and budget specific of course and sometimes a 2 person crew is acceptable but the project mentioned in this thread is definitely not one of those.

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On 7/1/2019 at 2:31 AM, afewmoreyears said:

Ahhh  ha  ha  ha  ha  ha....  Ha Ha Ha ha ha....  LOL

 

NO SPINES!!!!  They could drop it to $15 an hour  Micro budget tier -20 and some ass*&^e will take that job.

Until they screw up!

 

mike

On 7/2/2019 at 2:30 AM, Jim Feeley said:

When they say, "Waiting on sound."

We say, "Waiting on Producers' parsimony."

Good words Jim

 

mike

19 hours ago, Philip Perkins said:

Interestingly enough, the quality of audio recorded for the production almost never seems to enter in to the discussion....

Or stress on the sound crew either!

 

mike

17 hours ago, cjh said:

to coin a new old phrase:

 

Two's company, three's a crew.

 

Good comment Chris!

 

mike

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Sorry a war story!

 

Working on the first season of a US series shot here in NZ there were frequent long walk and talks on beaches.

At a time with no Lectro radio mikes or external aerials I needed a person to page the receivers on long cables

and ended up with an American producer doing it lol!

I guess I made the point and in due course I was allowed a third (female) person.

 

She worked a my 3rd asst on my next (Canadian) series and when they saw money was tight threatened to

get rid of all the trainees hence I said "if she goes I go"

That resulted in her and me staying!

 

Since then, that person has been a director and is now a producer so supporting young people into the industry

is a payoff to everyone

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5 hours ago, Mike Westgate said:

Sorry a war story!

 

Working on the first season of a US series shot here in NZ there were frequent long walk and talks on beaches.

At a time with no Lectro radio mikes or external aerials I needed a person to page the receivers on long cables

and ended up with an American producer doing it lol!

I guess I made the point and in due course I was allowed a third (female) person.

 

She worked a my 3rd asst on my next (Canadian) series and when they saw money was tight threatened to

get rid of all the trainees hence I said "if she goes I go"

That resulted in her and me staying!

 

Since then, that person has been a director and is now a producer so supporting young people into the industry

is a payoff to everyone

That was brave Mike.

 

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Hi A in Nigeria,

 

Thanks so much

 

I have long trained men and women who have done well in our industry.

If a production does not support that or even a boom operator on smaller shoots,

when we need a boom operator the reality is that they now pumping coffee or gas

in order to survive.

I recently needed a boom op for 1 day on a drama with little luck.

I contacted an amazing guy who had worked with me on a very difficult feature shoot.

His answer - "I'm driving trains for a regular wage, have a wife and a mortgage now"

Yep I understand!

 

mike

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4 hours ago, Mike Westgate said:

Hi A in Nigeria,

 

Thanks so much

 

I have long trained men and women who have done well in our industry.

If a production does not support that or even a boom operator on smaller shoots,

when we need a boom operator the reality is that they now pumping coffee or gas

in order to survive.

I recently needed a boom op for 1 day on a drama with little luck.

I contacted an amazing guy who had worked with me on a very difficult feature shoot.

His answer - "I'm driving trains for a regular wage, have a wife and a mortgage now"

Yep I understand!

 

mike

Mike you are very correct!!! I wish the industry could support Boom ops with better payment. I'm taking up a Boom op job with Spanish film crew coming down to Nigeria to Film and what they are offering is not encouraging.

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