JonG Posted June 2, 2020 Report Posted June 2, 2020 I didn’t take pictures but I just watched a couple of movies where mics were totally positioned wrong and it really made me laugh. One was the Dalton Trumbo biopic and the other was the Chess records film. Both show side address mics repeatedly being pointed at the source as if they were top address mics. Not to mention that some of the mics pictured had not been invented yet in some cases. I thought it would be funny to start a thread for people to post a screen shot whenever they see something like that! Quote
Trey LaCroix Posted June 2, 2020 Report Posted June 2, 2020 Can’t remember the movie but I once saw a Shure Sm7 in a movie that took place in the 50s. Quote
Rick Reineke Posted June 2, 2020 Report Posted June 2, 2020 I have seen quite a few prop mics in time period movies that did not exist at that time. Quote
JonG Posted June 27, 2020 Author Report Posted June 27, 2020 Here's a good one from the show DCI Banks Quote
Jim Feeley Posted June 27, 2020 Report Posted June 27, 2020 5 hours ago, JonG said: Here's a good one from the show DCI Banks That's a win for the boom: I'll give the actor some advice...to make damn sure they don't use his tracks. 😉 Quote
Shastapete Posted June 27, 2020 Report Posted June 27, 2020 Not, TV/film but it has always amused me that in the product photo for the Sachtler Harness (formerly Petrol) the model is holding the boom upside down. You'd think a company making equipment for audio professionals would consult professionals... Quote
berniebeaudry Posted July 14, 2020 Report Posted July 14, 2020 Along the same lines. Local TV news depiction. Newsrooms full of people, Fisher boom, mics clipped on wrong etc., etc. Quote
Vincent R. Posted July 14, 2020 Report Posted July 14, 2020 On 7/8/2020 at 5:24 AM, JonG said: Silent Witness BBC TV Series That is just a news crew doing everything properly ORTF.... Quote
JonG Posted July 15, 2020 Author Report Posted July 15, 2020 No this guy had it upside down half the time, and was twirling it around. You could tell someone just handed it to him as a prop and didn’t explain what to do with it. Plus he’s not plugged into anything, no cable coming off the boom. This would be from 1996, unlikely that he’d be wireless. Quote
Vincent R. Posted July 16, 2020 Report Posted July 16, 2020 22 hours ago, JonG said: No this guy had it upside down half the time, and was twirling it around. You could tell someone just handed it to him as a prop and didn’t explain what to do with it. Plus he’s not plugged into anything, no cable coming off the boom. This would be from 1996, unlikely that he’d be wireless. If you replied me; I was joking... Quote
borjam Posted July 17, 2020 Report Posted July 17, 2020 I would say he is in Spain, gathering swift sounds for a sound background. (Several Spanish productions feature really conspicuous swift sounds, which is actually a nice detail because they are really loud in Spring and Summer) Quote
daniel Posted July 17, 2020 Report Posted July 17, 2020 On 6/2/2020 at 2:09 AM, JonG said: I didn’t take pictures but I just watched a couple of movies where mics were totally positioned wrong and it really made me laugh. One was the Dalton Trumbo biopic and the other was the Chess records film. Both show side address mics repeatedly being pointed at the source as if they were top address mics. Not to mention that some of the mics pictured had not been invented yet in some cases. I thought it would be funny to start a thread for people to post a screen shot whenever they see something like that! The Dalton Trumbo story was really interesting and the way it brought about the demise of the 'Blacklist' was really quite funny. My favourite 'improperly used mic' film is 'Blow Out'. Most of the examples given so far have mics pointed in the wrong direction but mostly in suspensions and wind protection. In Blow Out, Travolta points the mic in the right direction but his fingers do all the suspension in windless exteriors. Certainly get 'A' full bodied wind effect for his producer - if not 1 we'd be proud of. But there's the Lav mic scene - and who us hasn't felt like improperly using a lav in such a way at some point ,') https://images.app.goo.gl/XZz9W6coeiA7oVo67 Quote
The Immoral Mr Teas Posted July 18, 2020 Report Posted July 18, 2020 15 hours ago, daniel said: My favourite 'improperly used mic' film is 'Blow Out'. Most of the examples given so far have mics pointed in the wrong direction but mostly in suspensions and wind protection. In Blow Out, Travolta points the mic in the right direction but his fingers do all the suspension in windless exteriors. Certainly get 'A' full bodied wind effect for his producer - if not 1 we'd be proud of. But there's the Lav mic scene - and who us hasn't felt like improperly using a lav in such a way at some point ,' Dan, mine too! Although I always thought of this one as an in-joke: it was a relentless take the piss of film sound (and in my mind should be what sound students should be studying rather than Apocalypse Now and The Conversation heh heh - hope De Palma is listening). Jez Note - there is some part of me that still after decades thinks that there are even MORE sound jokes in there that relate to Blow Up that I haven't been clever enough to spot. Yes, I truly rate this movie up there with greats of the time (and it is a time I consider great). Quote
JonG Posted October 31, 2021 Author Report Posted October 31, 2021 episode of Castle using front address studio condensers as top address mics Quote
VASI Posted November 4, 2021 Report Posted November 4, 2021 On 10/31/2021 at 12:57 PM, JonG said: episode of Castle using front address studio condensers as top address mics Oh dear Quote
Mobilemike Posted January 11, 2022 Report Posted January 11, 2022 This is my favorite I’ve seen recently, from Apple TV’s Mr. Corman. The classic mic technique of an SM7 aimed at the ceiling while you play a recorder in its general direction… Quote
JonG Posted November 26, 2022 Author Report Posted November 26, 2022 Audio-Technica large diaphragm condenser mic, side address, being pointed as a front address for a radio announcer, on an episode of Smallville. Gotta love how sound isn’t consulted on tech things from art Quote
Bouke Posted November 26, 2022 Report Posted November 26, 2022 On 6/27/2020 at 7:04 PM, Shastapete said: You'd think a company making equipment for audio professionals would consult professionals... No, he's holding it right!. He's recording a seagull. As you know some birds know when you are looking at them. (Seagulls are famous for trying to steal food.) So, he's not looking at the bird not to scare it off, and obviously the bird is circling above / behind them. Bottom line, as always in film- tv production: Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Quote
Jim Feeley Posted November 26, 2022 Report Posted November 26, 2022 When sound doesn't supply the mic mounts... (hat tip to someone on Facebook) https://ascmag.com/podcasts/ac-manual-mullen-hummel-holben Quote
Izen Ears Posted November 27, 2022 Report Posted November 27, 2022 On 11/26/2022 at 9:45 AM, Jim Feeley said: When camera supplies the mic mounts... (hat tip to someone on Facebook) https://ascmag.com/podcasts/ac-manual-mullen-hummel-holben That reminds me of that hilarious job where I forgot a boom pole and had to boom with C stand arms. It was a big commercial in New York and I had to boom a dude singing around a fire and playing guitar. That thing was heavy! I was just starting out. When the crew looked at me sideways I simply told them that this was the executive model! Quote
Wandering Ear Posted April 26, 2023 Report Posted April 26, 2023 I’ve been rewatching Better Call Saul and it always cracks me up when the film students drive away with the boom sticking out the back window. Quote
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