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Wet work


Guest Mick

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I seem to be somewhat of a magnet for classic sound crew anecdotal occurences lately. Monday morning, a little chilly, north Hollywood location, no big deal. Elderly well respected actress charming the crew and doing as well as can be expected given her age and fragility.

We do all her coverage and then turn around. Ten minutes later a p.a. strolls gingerly up to the sound cart where I am busy doing the L.A. Times weekend crossword. She is holding the aforementioned actress's transmitter by the very tip of the antenna in a rubber gloved hand. This is clue number one that this is probably not good. With an apologetic smile she says...

"Ms ----- dropped this."

"Where?" says I.

"In her trailer."

"OK, where in her trailer?"

"Er, in the bathroom"

"More specific please"

"Er, OK, in the toilet"

Pregnant pause

"Was this before or after she went....oh never mind just drop it in this plastic bag"

The good news is that I got a new updated far more expensive transmitter as a replacement for the outdated one that hit the bowl.

I've left out some details that might offend the sensitivities of some of our less experienced bretheren, suffice it to say that those details pertain to the description of the aforementioned piece of electronic equipment and the organic matter that clung to it on its sad return from the delicate lady's trailer.

I now mix in rubber gloves. Slow but sanitary.

Regards

Mick

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Years ago I had an actress flush the TX on purpose (pissed @ the prod. co), a famous male lead rip it off himself and stomp on it (hoping to blow the director's eardrums over the Comtek), and another guy last year who handed the TX back to me saying the lights had gone out.  "Did you drop it?" I asked?  "I might have" said he.  Right in front of him I popped the battery, and some water came out.  "It seems to be wet." say I.  "Oh". said he.  A few hours later he admitted to the producer that he'd dropped it in the moho toilet, and didn't want to tell me.  The TX took a vacation to Lectro, who fixed and returned it.  Prod co paid, and for a replacement for the rest of the show while mine was fixed.

Philip Perkins

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I consider myself to be an honest person.  But, when I wire someone I push it a bit. 

My standard statement is to tell them to come get me and have me remove the transmitter if they need to use the facilities.  "I don't want you to get electrocuted."  (That's not really dishonest -- I _don't_ want them to get electrocuted.  Even though they're led to believe that the two things are connected.)

They usually oblige.

John Blankenship, C.A.S.

Indianapolis (Super Bowl Champions!)

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Thanks, John; that's exactly the line I've been looking for! So far, I've been very lucky -- 26 years without one going in the drink, but I'm now knocking on everything made of wood around me. But I'll tell you someday about the orangutan who ate my comtek transmitter.

    Greg

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