Michael Miramontes Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 This may be old news already but I figured I'd post it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. The guys at the Audio Dept. shared it with me. I thought it was kinda funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 This may be old news already but I figured I'd post it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. The guys at the Audio Dept. shared it with me. I thought it was kinda funny. Yes--very good--it's been around for awhile--this is where the line "Tuna is my favorite." that you might have seen bandied about this forum comes from. phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 This video was done by none other than our very own Marc Wielage. Here it is on the original XtraNormal site: http://www.xtranorma...ound-mixer-hell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 It's back! I just had somebody quote this to me the other day. 87,000 hits on YouTube, 33,000 hits on XTraNormal (where it originated). Occasionally if I run into a real butthead producer-type in email, I'll say, "hey, watch this video" -- and then run away real fast. Some things never get old... BTW, I swear, I threw this video together in about 45 minutes, and Senator Michaels, Richard Ragon, and Marti Humphrey gave me some of the ideas for the dialog -- all things we've heard a million times from cheap-ass indie types. I still laugh at "ultra-ultra-ultra-ultra-low"... --Marc W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wandering Ear Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 Nice work Marc. This was sent to me a while ago, but I never knew where it came from. I really enjoy it, and often quote it when mocking jobs that I turn down amongst friends. K http://wanderingear.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Childers Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 Its amazing how right on the money this video is!! Thanks for the post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProSound Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 I still laugh at "ultra-ultra-ultra-ultra-low"... --Marc W. Yes Marc this video is becoming a cult classic just the other day a grip on my show mentioned this video to me. My favorite line is " It is a $17,000 noisy brick with a fan" well done marc I'd love for you to make another video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Ragon Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 When ever I see Tuna Sandwiches on a set, I smile now.. An Inside joke to myself perhaps. -Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Miramontes Posted December 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 Jesus H. Christ, I got a call from a UCLA student asking me if I'm wiling to work for $200 a day...Here's how it went... Student "hey Mike we are shooting a film this weekend and we really need good sound would you be willing to help us out" Me "sure, I'll do my best to help you. What is your budget looking like" Student "well, are you able to do $200 for you and a boom op" Me "wow, you can't even rent equipment for that much. Do you have a PA you can get to boom for you." Student "well, the thing about booming is that it is an art and we don't want just anyone to do it. We want to be sure that we have someone who knows how to property hold the mic" Me "btw, what camera are you shooting on?" Student "the Arri Alexa. That's pretty much where our budget went" Me "yeah well, do me a favor. I'm going to send you a link to a youtube video (soundmixer hell). I want you to sit down with your Director and watch it. Then after you are done watching it I want you to call me back so we can discuss this further" 10 minutes later...... Student "Ok, I'm sorry. You're absolutely right, we should have planned this out better." LMAO! Thanks Marc, your video is a tremendous help to us all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Nic Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 Love it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 My favorite line is " It is a $17,000 noisy brick with a fan" well done marc I'd love for you to make another video. I was very mean to say that; I was just in a crabby mood. My Red friends gave me hell over that. I actually have worked on trouble-free Red sessions without a single crash, with very nice DPs, and great pictures... so it can be done! The scary thing is when you run into neophyte Red crews and you hand them an SB-T jam box and they go, "huh? Where does this go? Why do we need this?" "the Arri Alexa. That's pretty much where our budget went" That's very sad. What's really lame is, there's enough operator/owners out there that will give them really good deals on the Alexa that are actually very, very affordable, like well under a grand a day. You don't have to skimp on sound just to have great pictures. I keep stirring up trouble on the RedUser group when I point out that the current $3,000,000 indie romantic comedy Like Crazy was shot entirely on the Canon 7D... and it got very positive reviews from Variety, Roger Ebert, and Time magazine. The camera doesn't matter nearly as much as the cinematography, the craft, and god forbid, the story, acting, and editing. (AND the dialog and the mix!) If a student is just shooting a short on the weekend, that to me is what they should be doing: use the Canon 7D and spend the money where it's really gonna count: more rehearsals, better locations, a bigger grip truck, and a real sound crew. Shooting it in Imax won't make it 1% better. --Marc W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Miramontes Posted December 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 Marc, I agree with everything you had to say. When they sent me the call sheet I noticed they had 5 location changes on the first day. The schedule allowed for 2 hours per location with a total of 14 hours per day. That alone was enough to scare me away. I told them that they can kiss those 14 hours goodbye since most likely they will be shooting 16-18 hours if their crew doesn't commit mutiny. Oh well, I guess they'll learn their lesson when they get their butts kicked this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 " The camera doesn't matter nearly as much as the cinematography, the craft, " that sounds eerily familiar.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 " The camera doesn't matter nearly as much as the cinematography, the craft, " that sounds eerily familiar.... It is quite familiar. It's something at least 99% of us heard long before we showed up here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Marc, I agree with everything you had to say. When they sent me the call sheet I noticed they had 5 location changes on the first day. The schedule allowed for 2 hours per location with a total of 14 hours per day. I would run screaming if I saw that, unless the locations were half a block from each other. And even then... --Marc W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Ragon Posted December 18, 2011 Report Share Posted December 18, 2011 Marc, I agree with everything you had to say. When they sent me the call sheet I noticed they had 5 location changes on the first day. The schedule allowed for 2 hours per location with a total of 14 hours per day. That alone was enough to scare me away. I told them that they can kiss those 14 hours goodbye since most likely they will be shooting 16-18 hours if their crew doesn't commit mutiny. Oh well, I guess they'll learn their lesson when they get their butts kicked this weekend. Marc, I agree with everything you had to say. When they sent me the call sheet I noticed they had 5 location changes on the first day. The schedule allowed for 2 hours per location with a total of 14 hours per day. That alone was enough to scare me away. I told them that they can kiss those 14 hours goodbye since most likely they will be shooting 16-18 hours if their crew doesn't commit mutiny. Oh well, I guess they'll learn their lesson when they get their butts kicked this weekend. Michael, If you don't mind working a long day.. Here's what I do.. Make sure you have provisions in your contract for massive Overtime! IF they sign the contract and don't notice it, then they are so green that they didn't realize how clueless they are it will benefit you. Or.. If they complain about the OT stipulations in the contract, then THEY were planning on screwing YOU. In which case, you don't want to do that job anyway.. I tell producers all the time that I'm a trooper and will do the hours just like anyone.. But OT is not meant to make you huge amounts of cash, it is meant to disway the production from going over hours (thus making a crap movie). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 " complain about the OT stipulations in the contract, then THEY were planning on screwing YOU. " Exactly: when they say: "we aren't paying OT because we aren't going to work any OT, then "they" should have no problem with your OT rate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Miramontes Posted December 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Great tips and advice everyone. What do you say you let me buy ya'll a round of beers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlwilliams Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 I play this every semester for my Location Sound class-- to get them warmed up about the 20 questions to ask their hiring producer discussion. thanks! /dw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 " my Location Sound class-- " you have a class of students who want to be production sound mixers?? WOW... All my students want to be Directors, but have to take my required production sound class.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Tirrell Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 If a student is just shooting a short on the weekend, that to me is what they should be doing: use the Canon 7D and spend the money where it's really gonna count: more rehearsals, better locations, a bigger grip truck, and a real sound crew. Shooting it in Imax won't make it 1% better. --Marc W. Agreed, I think the key that most people tend to forget is the word student. Too many of them get sold on the idea that they are the next great director or cinematographer and as such they should be using only best when reality simply does not work that way. What they should be learning is logistics, business practices, how to sell their movie and, production after that. It amazes me how many I have bumped into that think there is nothing wrong with 6 locations in 1 day spread across 3 counties and oh this is low budget so there is no OT. Life does not work that way and they would get a much better production by spending less on toys and giving the schedule room to breathe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 " spending less on toys " tripping over dollars to pick up pennies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlwilliams Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 " my Location Sound class-- " you have a class of students who want to be production sound mixers?? WOW... All my students want to be Directors, but have to take my required production sound class.... no of course not-- they all want to be sound designers:)... but one or two a semester think this is pretty cool work and they appreciated a non-academic-in-the-field guy's perspective. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacefivesound Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Oh, welcome DLWilliams! I have spoken in DLWilliams' class before. He has so many great aspiring directors and producers, and they all bully that one kid who actually wants to do sound. Telling him to hurry up, or ignoring him completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Seith Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 All my students want to be Directors, but have to take my required production sound class.... We've got the same deal at UCF. There's only one class, Sound Design I, taught by a grad TA that gave everyone an A regardless of test and assignment scores. It's frustrating, especially since the class amounted to him showing youtube clips of SountrackPro tutorials. Needless to say, this is not a problem for anyone else in the second-largest university population in the US besides me and the post guy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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