Departments

From the Editors

Welcome to the summer edition of Production Sound & Video. Summer and blistering heat reminds me of a time when movie theaters would advertise that they were air-conditioned to attract audiences.

Today, we have a myriad of content providers creating feature films to half-hour cable shows. HBO and Showtime networks have new competition from Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, Lifetime, FX, USA and many more. Now, all you need is anyplace with air-conditioning and you can watch shows twenty-four/ seven.

Sam Hamer, with the help of Jennifer Winslow, describes the unique series from Amazon Studios, I Love Dick.

Daron James explores the work of Mark Weingarten on Dunkirk, directed by Christopher Nolan.

“The Era of Automation” and “Sound Apps” add to the already interesting content in this edition.

Stay cool and happy reading.

Fraternally yours,
Richard Lightstone and Mark Ulano

Sound Award Winners

LOCAL 695 HONORS THE ART OF PRODUCTION SOUND THROUGH THE SUCCESS OF ALL AWARD NOMINEES

[Names in BOLD are Local 695 members.]

Academy Award Winners

The Oscar winners for “Best Sound Mixing” were announced at the 89th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, February 26, at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California. The ceremony was broadcast on ABC Television and in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Hacksaw Ridge
Peter Grace, Robert Mackenzie, Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright
Production Sound Team:
Shanti Burn, Sue Kerr, Tania Payne

BAFTA Winners

The EE British Academy Film Award winners for “Best Sound” were announced at the awards ceremony on Sunday, February 12, 2017, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, and broadcast on BBC One and BBC One HD in the UK.

Arrival
Claude La Haye, Bernard Gariépy Strobl, Sylvain Bellemare
Production Sound Team: Francis Péloquin, Ilyaa Ghafouri

Cinema Society Awards

The 53rd Annual CAS Award winners were announced at the awards ceremony on Saturday, February 18, 2017, in the Bunker Hill Ballroom of the OMNI Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza. The Cinema Audio Society was proud to present its highest accolade to a man who personifies the high standards of the Cinema Audio Society, John Pritchett CAS.

MOTION PICTURES – LIVE ACTION
La La Land
Production Mixer – Steven Morrow CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Andy Nelson CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Ai-Ling Lee
Scoring Mixer – Nicholai Baxter
ADR Mixer – David Betancourt
Production Sound Team: Craig A. Dollinger, Michael H. Kaleta

MOTION PICTURES – ANIMATED
Finding Dory
Original Dialogue Mixer – Doc Kane CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Nathan Nance
Re-recording Mixer – Michael Semanick CAS
Scoring Mixer – Thomas Vicari CAS
Foley Mixer – Scott Curtis

MOTION PICTURES – DOCUMENTARY
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble
Production Mixer – Dimitri Tisseyre
Production Mixer – Dennis Hamlin
Re-recording Mixer – Peter Horner

TELEVISION SERIES – ONE HOUR
Game of Thrones “Battle of the Bastards”
Production Mixer – Ronan Hill CAS
Production Mixer – Richard Dyer CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Onnalee Blank CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Mathew Waters CAS
Foley Mixer – Brett Voss CAS

TELEVISION SERIES – HALF-HOUR
Modern Family “The Storm”
Production Mixer – Stephen A. Tibbo CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Dean Okrand CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Brian R. Harman CAS
Production Sound Team: Srdjan ‘Serge’ Popovic, William Munroe, Peter Hansen

TELEVISION NON-FICTION, VARIETY, MUSIC SERIES OR SPECIALS
Grease Live!
Production Mixer – J. Mark King
Music Mixer – Biff Dawes
Playback and SFX Mixer – Eric Johnston
Pro Tools Playback Music Mixer – Pablo Munguia

TELEVISION MOVIES AND MINI-SERIES
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Production Mixer – John Bauman
Re-recording Mixer – Joe Earle CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Doug Andham CAS
ADR Mixer – Judah Getz
Foley Mixer – John Guentner
Production Sound Team: Ace Williams, Andy Adams, Don Coufal, Kris Wilcox, Brian Robinson, Chris Quilty, Scott Farr

AMPS Winners

On Sunday, February 12, 2017, the 4th Annual Association of Motion Picture Sound Award for Excellence in Sound for a Feature Film was awarded to Arrival.

Arrival
Claude La Haye, Bernard Gariépy Strobl, Sylvain Bellemare
Production Sound Team: Francis Péloquin, Ilyaa Ghafouri

FCC Update

Status of the Current FCC Incentive Auction

The Other Shoe

The FCC released DA-17-376A1 April 20, 2017, and though a bit unclear as to timelines, it does not bode very well for professional wireless users. The document is available at the FCC’s website: http://transition.fcc.gov/… /Dai…/2017/db0420/DA-17-376A1.pdf

Immediately after the auction, we all breathed a sigh of relief when we realized that the band below 608 MHz (Lectro Blocks 23 and below) would still be available for our use, pending the reallocation of any UHF TV stations that would be relocating.

The ‘other shoe’ has dropped.

The number of UHF TV stations relocating from above UHF Ch. 37 to below 37 in most of the major markets, is going to dramatically reduce the bandwidth available for licensed and unlicensed wireless microphone use.

Remember, UHF TV Ch. 37 is reserved for Radio Astronomy only!

IATSE Local 695 is in LA (FCC—please read that as Hollywood…), which is probably one of the ‘worst case’ scenarios. Though the actual timetable is as yet uncertain, when the transition is complete by July 2020, this is what the spectrum in LA will look like:

The following VHF and UHF channels will be occupied by TV stations:

VHF: 4, 5, 12
UHF: 22, 24, 25, 27, 30, 31, 32 and 35.
In terms of Lectro Blocks, which are 25.5 MHz wide,
Block 470 will have about 8 MHz open for us,
Block 19 will have between 6 MHz and 18 MHz open,
Block 20 will have 12 MHz open,
Block 21 will have between zero and 13.5 MHz open,
Block 22 will have between zero and 7.5 MHz open,
Block 23 will have between 6 MHz and 12 MHz open.
There will be a “Guard Band” just above Ch. 37, 614 MHz to 616 MHz (UHF Channel 38, Lectro Block 24) and this will be open for licensed and unlicensed use.

Greater Los Angeles Area UHF TV Spectrum, circa July 2020

A larger band, the infamous ‘duplex gap’ (the 11 MHz guard band between up and down broadband) is also available for wireless mic use. 653 MHz through 657 MHz is available for licensed use only, and 657 MHz through 663 MHz is available for licensed and unlicensed wireless mic use (straddling UHF Channels 44 to 46, all in Lectro Block 25), but limited to 20 mW output at the transmitter. Some existing stations seem to be repurposed (Ch. 22), but if existing stations (18, 28, and 34) stay where they are, look for the worst possible case.

I consulted with RF guru Bill Ruck in San Francisco as to my accuracy in the below chart. The chart is based on available information, and all the details aren’t in at this time, so please view as an accurate approximation, but still an approximation.

Bill Ruck’s reply to the FCC’s publication: “What is confusing me is that there is no place that I can find that gives details on which stations sold their channel and are going dark. Not sure if stations not listed are the ones going dark.

Stations were offered money to move from UHF to High Band VHF (7-13) and Low Band VHF (2-6). This allows them to keep transmitting which keeps them in cable TV systems as a broadcaster but really makes home off-air reception messier. Many “Digital TV Antennas” are UHF only and won’t receive 2-6 and 7-13 well.

Also, the Part 90 Land Mobile channels are mandated to go away but some jurisdictions, especially the LA Sheriff, have told the FCC, “I’ve got a gun and a badge and you can’t have my radio channels.”

They need to go back to Congress to change the law. The reason why TV channels 14-20 are not shown in the postauction transition plan is because those are still in FCC Part 90 Land Mobile and not available for TV broadcasting. Channels allotted to Part 90 are also not available for Part 74 Low Power Auxiliary Services (LPAS). When the repacking is over, the law requires that those channels go away from Part 90 Land Mobile but there are rumors that Congress may be convinced to change the law and allow areas with “T-Band” Part 90 Land Mobile channels to remain especially for Public Safety licensees.

Exactly how this plays out is completely unknown.

Note that FCC Rule 90.303 shows TV channels 14, 16, and 20 as allotted to Part 90 in Los Angeles County. But Got Broken Equipment? Send It Our Way! Lectrosonics – Zaxcom – Sound Designs Sennheiser – Shure – Cooper Mixers Contact Us At: 1.888.259.4684 or Visit our website at: dwsoundservice.com If your equipment is not listed here Experts in the Repair of Production Sound Systems the LA Sheriff has one more TV channel, 15, licensed in Part 90 with licensee “Los Angeles County.”

TV channels 17, 18, and 19 have no Part 90 licensees and have a bunch of LPAS licensees in LA so those can be used for wireless microphones.

The transition time is highly speculative. Congress mandated that but in many places the stations can’t change fast enough. The geographical phases are meant to organize the transition so every station moves, at the same time. Interlocking coverage makes it impossible to do this randomly. Everybody I talked to at the NAB show realizes that the transition schedule is not based on reality. Because of interlocking station moves, all it will take is one station to have a hiccup and the whole process falls apart. There is no way to predict this but I heard that the NAB will be petitioning the FCC to make a more realistic transition schedule. Problem is, though, that the FCC is not the one that mandated thirty-nine months, it was Congress. Again, it will take Congress to change that law to allow a more reasonable transition. Compound that with ATSC 3.0, a totally incompatible modulation scheme with present ATSC, and how to manage that transition, it gets complicated.

Also, best as I know, no manufacturer has been able to make 900 MHz wireless microphone transmitters that meet the new, tighter, RF mask. Lectrosonics has petitioned the FCC to reconsider this regulation and supporting filings have been made by the other wireless microphone transmitter manufacturers.

Overall, it is best to watch a train wreck from a distance.

In the meantime, “Bring lots of mic cable™.”

Bill Ruck San Francisco

There you have it. Look for updates in the next issue of Production Sound & Video.

Jay Patterson CAS
Vice President IATSE Local 695
Co-chair Technical Trends Committee

News & Announcements

Training: Recording Sound for VR
by Laurence B. Abrams

VR picture and VR sound are no longer just for gaming. More and more, we’re seeing that 3600 logo showing up for music, commercials, promos, news, specials features and now, we’re even starting to see long-form content producers find ways to use it. The future of VR is just about here. To help carry this technology forward, Local 695 created a “Sound for VR” class, conducted by Ben Adams, Local 695 member and expert in “ambisonic” recording.

Ambisonic recording takes surround sound to the next level by creating a full and accurate sphere of sound that completely envelopes the listener. It’s like three-dimensional M/S stereo with added channels for height and depth. In class, Ben demonstrated on-set workflow using a Soundfield ST-450 tetrahedral mic with a Sound Devices 788 to create the initial discrete four-channel recordings in “A Format.” After a discussion of timecode and monitoring issues, these A Format files were then converted to “First Order Ambisonics (FOA) B Format,” which combines the tracks but preserves them in a format that is completely controllable. The next step was to demonstrate how to spatialize the B Format data and combine it with mono and stereo point sources and the “headlocked” tracks and then manipulating each element to its precise location in the sound field.

Instructor Ben Adams

On hand for the class were a variety of ambisonic microphones (and binaural, too), a VR camera, recorders and post-processing software for extensive hands-on experimentation, giving everyone the chance to create sample recordings and listen to the results in fully interactive VR format.

The response to this training was enthusiastic, with two classes filling up immediately and with two more added to the schedule and filling up just as quickly. We do apologize to everyone still on the waiting list but this says a lot about the interest in this intriguing area of technology. We plan to announce more classes soon.

Exer Urgent Care Clinics

Beginning December 1, 2016, participants using the Motion Picture Industry Health Plan (“MPIHP”)/ Anthem Blue Cross network can visit an Exer Urgent Care (“Exer”) clinic and only pay a $15 copay. Participants using these urgent care clinics will not be required to pay a coinsurance. Exer’s clinics, which are located throughout the county of Los Angeles, are staffed by emergency room physicians, open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas, and see patients six months and older.

Telemedicine

Beginning December 1, 2016, participants enrolled in the Motion Picture Industry Health Plan (“MPIHP”)/Anthem Blue Cross network have the ability to use a new telemedicine benefit. Participants will be required to pay a $20 copay for this covered benefit and will not be required to pay a coinsurance.

Telemedicine allows a patient to visit with a physician by phone or to engage in online video communication through computer, smartphone or tablet. It is intended to provide low-cost medical care for after hours or when a participant is away from home. It should not be used if acute emergency help is needed.

Telemedicine is most commonly used by individuals to treat ear, nose and throat conditions, colds, sore throats, allergies, sinusitis, urinary tract infections and rashes. Participants who experience more severe symptoms will be referred immediately to the appropriate level of care. In true emergencies, the telemedicine physician will call 911 and stay on the line with the participant until the paramedics arrive.

Online to participants enrolled in MPIHP/Anthem Blue Cross. The service area includes all states in the United States, with the exception of Alaska, Arkansas and Texas. This service may not be used by a participant when they are outside of the United States.

Participants enrolled in Medicare should note that online telemedicine is not a covered benefit.

Access LiveHealth Online at www.livehealthonline.com

MPTF: Looking for ways to give back to your community?

The MPTF (Motion Picture & Television Fund) supports our entertainment community in living and aging well, with dignity and purpose, and in helping each other in times of need.

MPTF is supported by the philanthropy and volunteer services of fellow entertainment industry members. Our industry is unique and we have a history of taking care of our own like no other industry in the world. People are at the heart of what we do each and every day and it’s because of the extraordinary generosity of countless donors, families and volunteers that we can deliver services to thousands of people each month.

MPTF currently has more than thirteen different volunteer programs. You can choose anything from assisting in art classes, being a fitness buddy, to utilizing your skills in the home-safe program, which focuses on repairs and improvements for independent senior living facilities. Please visit www.mptf.com for donations or sign up to volunteer.

Welcome New Members

Kevin Rosen-Quan Y-1
Joseph Maffei Y-1
Justin Edgerly Y-9
Steve Crane A2
Michael Robertson Y-8
Michael Morrell Y-1
Patrick Reilly A2
William “Billy” Spottiswood Y-16A
Keith Carlson Y-4
Christian Chapman A2
Chad Mantlo Y-7A
Charles (Chuck) Boyle, Jr. Y-7A
Shannon Cain Y-7A
Ethan Molmut Y-8
Alex Yukick A2
Alberto Delgado A2
Kelly Lewis Y-16A
Edgar Isaiah Reyes A2
Jim Agnor Y-7

Young Workers Committee

The YWC (Young Workers Committee) would like to thank everyone who came out to the river cleanup on Earth Day! Together, Friends of the Los Angeles River, members of Local 695 and nearly eight thousand more Angelinos removed an estimated ninety-six tons of trash from our river in less than two days.

Sound & Video Social
by Chris Howland

On Sunday, April 23, 2017, the LA Sound Mixers held their third annual seminar entitled, “Bridging the Gap Between Production & Post: A Seminar.” The goal of the seminar was to give industry professionals an opportunity to experience the workflow at a state-of-the-art postproduction sound facility. Ongoing vocational training is key to maintaining excellence in our business and a critical element of the IA’s mission.

Thank you Gene Martin and the crew at Audio Department for the generous provisions. I want to thank them for helping to support this event for the second year in a row.

I would also like to thank Joel Shryack and Thomas Cassetta for putting on the seminar, the great demonstration and for facilitating a very informative conversation & Rob Dehn and the crew at Wildfire Sonic Magic.

IN MEMORIAM

DANIEL MOSSBARGER, Y-4
December 27, 1946 – March 11, 2017

From the Business Representative

Become engaged in the community, it’s easy to say, and really not that hard to do. From my perspective at Local 695, I see many ways we can become more involved in our community.

I’ve been approached at membership meetings by many who tell me it’s the first meeting they’ve been to in a very long time and they can’t believe how much our Local is doing. It’s true, and we always are trying to do more. Local 695 and the IATSE are dedicated to protecting the interests and workplace rights of our membership. We stand together for the rights of all, and we stand stronger when more of us step forward.

One way for you to be involved is to join us at our next membership meeting. Now is a good time to come and check it out. Those of you who have come to meet- ings regularly, I challenge you to bring one additional member with you next time, perhaps someone who has not have been to a meeting in a while. Let’s double our meeting attendance. Membership meetings are generally scheduled on the third Saturdays of January, April, July and October. Start planning now and watch for email announcements!

Reporting all of your work assignments to the Local is another way to get involved. This helps the Local to protect you and the contracts you work under, it’s important and it’s required by our Constitution & Bylaws. You can do this easily online at https://www.local695.com/mbr/jobreport.php.

Our community engagement extends far beyond the day-to-day activities of the Local. 695’s Young Workers Committee (YWC) is engaging our members to volunteer at events like the Playa Del Rey Beach Cleanup and the LA River Cleanup just a few weeks ago. The YWC has big plans for the future and they can use your help, so get engaged by contacting them at ywc@local695 .com.

Our engagement reaches even further when we support the efforts of the IATSE in Washington, D.C., where the security of our families faces substantial threats from legislative attack. We can’t afford to sit back and watch. We must be proactive to protect the rights of working women and men. We must do all we can to stop efforts to dismantle laws, created to protect American families. More than ever, it is truly important for us to get involved in the campaigns of candidates running for office who support Labor. I can’t think of another time this was more critical.

Please join me and many other Local 695 members who have signed up to support the IATSE PAC Fund. A small monthly contribution of $5 or $10 doesn’t cost you much but multiplies into larger numbers, and assures that our voices can and will be heard. Please go to the IATSE website: http://www.iatse.net/get-involved/pac faq for more info on the IATSE PAC and how to join. When you do, please send me an email at scottb @local695.com so I can add you to the list of Local 695 members who decided to “Stand Up and Fight Back.”

In solidarity,
Scott Bernard
scottb@local695.com
Business Representative

Contributors

COURTNEY GOODIN
Courtney Goodin is a Sound, Video and Software Engineer and has worked continuously in the film and television industry since the mid-’60s. Courtney has developed several commercial hardware and software products used in the industry, including Goodsound Monitor-talkback system, Compu=Prompt Teleprompting system, sound utilities—BWF-Widget Pro & TC-Transcriber, and the soon-to-be-released TechnoWeenies Video Playback toolkit. He is a life member of SMPTE and has been a member of Local 695 for more than thirty-eight years and is serving his fourth term on the Board of Directors.

DARON JAMES
Daron James is a veteran journalist having written about the film and television industry for more than a decade.

EVA RISMANFOROUSH
Eva began working in sound while attending college in Northern California. Shortly after graduation, she joined Local 695 and is working as a Utility Sound Technician in Los Angeles. She has been the Co-chair of the Young Workers Committee since 2014.

MICHAEL KRIKORIAN CAS
Michael (aka “Kriky”) began his career in studio music recording in West Hartford, Connecticut, in the early ’90s. He moved to Los Angeles in 2002 to work as a Production Sound Mixer in film and television. Many low-to-high budget films and several television shows later, he resides in Burbank with his wife and their two children.

RICHARD LIGHTSTONE CAS AMPS
Richard began his career in Montreal, and continues to mix in Los Angeles. He is currently on the Executive Board of Local 695, a Co-editor of Production Sound & Video and former President of the Cinema Audio Society.

STEVE NELSON CAS
The first movie Steve mixed that anybody ever heard of was Repo Man in 1983. What’s kept him interested and excited since then is the support of his wife and daughter, great crews and riding his bicycle as far and fast as possible, especially during lunch—where getting “thrown under a bus” is not a metaphor! Steve is proudly serving a third term on the Local 695 Board of Directors.

From the President

GOOD FRIENDS
Short and Sweet

We have the good news that a major job action by the Writers Guild was averted and an agreement has taken place. This settles a great deal of immediate anxiety for our members and the industry at large. It also gives us a reminder of how important it is to be prepared for the conversations that take place in negotiations, to have our ducks in a row.

With this in mind, I’d like to ask you all to please contribute to our preparation for our own upcoming contract negotiations in three ways:

First, please, please log in your work assignments with the Local when you get hired. This statistical information is an essential component, not only of ongoing administration of the union’s day-to-day process, but also as a tool when discussing specifics in negotiations for better wages and conditions.

Second, please forward your thoughts and ideas regarding proposals for negotiations. We are currently vetting these issues as we prioritize and your input is essential.

And third, take a close look at all the training opportunities being provided to you by the Local and actively engage in this training. It keeps you on the cutting edge of your craft and again, provides valuable documentation of how in tune our membership is with the ongoing tidal wave of technology and workflow evolution saturating our industry. We are a key technology union and the skills we bring to the workplace are fundamental to the success of the entertainment world.

Best,

Mark Ulano CAS AMPS
President IATSE Local 695

From the Editors

Welcome to the spring edition of Production Sound & Video. The work of our Video Engineers is an important part of this Local, whether it is video playback, compositing or setting the LUT for a DP. Daron James tells us about Key Video Assist Willow Jenkins.

Courtney Goodin looks into the miniaturization of PC’s in “It’s a Small, Small World” and how they can be utilized by Video Engineers.

The hit NBC show This Is Us is explained from the perspective of Production Sound Mixer Michael Krikorian CAS and the late Re-recording Mixer Richard Portman is given a tribute by Steve Nelson CAS.

A new feature, the “Young Workers Political Action Report,” from Eva Rismanforoush & Timothy O’Malley of the Young Workers Committee, begins and we continue the “FCC Update” and “Sound Apps.”

We hope you enjoy the spring issue and drop us an email if you would like to contribute an article; mag@Local695.com.

Happy reading.

Fraternally yours,
Richard Lightstone and Mark Ulano

Production Sound Award Nominees

LOCAL 695 HONORS THE ART OF PRODUCTION SOUND THROUGH THE SUCCESS OF ALL AWARD NOMINEES

[Names in BOLD are Local 695 members.]

CAS Award Nominees

MOTION PICTURES: LIVE ACTION

Doctor Strange
John Midgley CAS, Tom Johnson, Juan Peralta, Peter Cobbin, Doc Kane CAS, Scott Curtis
Production Sound Team:
Howard Bevan, Charlotte Gray

Hacksaw Ridge
Peter Grace, Kevin O’Connell CAS, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie, Daniel Kresco, Diego Ruiz, Alex Francis
Production Sound Team:
Shanti Burn, Sue Kerr, Tania Payne

La La Land
Steven Morrow CAS, Andy Nelson CAS, Ai-Ling Lee, Nicholai Baxter, David Betancourt, James Ashwill
Production Sound Team:
Craig A. Dollinger, Michael H. Kaleta

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Stuart Wilson, Christopher Scarabosio, David Parker, Joel Iwataki, Nick Cray, Frank Rinella
Production Sound Team:
Orin Beaton, Thomas Fennell, David Giles

Sully
Jose Antonio Garcia, John Reitz, Tom Ozanich, Bobby Fernandez, Thomas J. O’Connell, James Ashwill
Production Sound Team:
Jonathan Fuh, Gail Carroll-Coe, Ken Swartz

MOTION PICTURES: ANIMATED

Finding Dory
Doc Kane CAS, Nathan Nance, Michael Semanick CAS, Thomas Vicari CAS, Scott Curtis

Kubo and the Two Strings
Carlos Sotolongo, Tim Chau, Tim LeBlanc, Nick Wollage, Darrin Mann

Moana
Paul McGrath, David E. Fluhr CAS, Gabriel Guy CAS, David Boucher, Scott Curtis

The Secret Life of Pets
Carlos Sotolongo, Gary A. Rizzo CAS, David Accord, Frank Wolf, Jason Butler

Zootopia
Paul McGrath, David E. Fluhr CAS, Gabriel Guy CAS, Joel Iwataki, Scott Curtis

MOTION PICTURES: DOCUMENTARY

13th
Jeffrey Perkins
Production Sound Team:
M. Scott Blynder

Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words
Mark Fragstein, Marvin Keil, Armelle Mahé
Production Sound Team:
Marc Fragstein, Armelle Mahé

Gleason
Mark A. Rozett CAS, James Scullion

O.J.: Made in America
Keith Hodne, Eric Di Stefano

The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble
Dimitri Tisseyre, Dennis Hamlin, Peter Horner

TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES

11.22.63
“The Rabbit Hole”
John J. Thomson, Pete Elia CAS, Kevin Roache CAS, Judah Getz, Brett Voss CAS
Production Sound Team:
Sean Paul Armstrong, Shawn M. Kirkby

Black Mirror
“San Junipero”
Adrian Bell, Martin Jensen, Philip Clements, Rory de Carteret
Production Sound Team:
Adam Ridge, Jennifer Annor

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
John Mooney CAS, Howard Bargroff, Nick Wollage, Peter Gleaves CAS, Jamie Talbutt
Production Sound Team:
Bradley Kendrick, Lee Sharp

The Night Manager
Episode 1
Aitor Berenguer, Howard Bargroff
Production Sound Team:
Dámaso Hernández, Ryan McMurray

The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
John Bauman, Joe Earle CAS, Doug Andham CAS, Judah Getz, John Guentner
Production Sound Team:
Ace Williams, Andy Adams, Don Coufal, Kris Wilcox, Brian Robinson, Chris Quilty, Scott Farr

TELEVISION SERIES – ONE HOUR

Better Call Saul
“Klick”
Phillip W. Palmer CAS, Larry B. Benjamin CAS, Kevin Valentine, Matt Hovland, David Michael Torres
Production Sound Team:
Mitchell Gebhard, Steve Willer

Game of Thrones
“Battle of the Bastards”
Ronan Hill CAS, Onnalee Blank CAS, Mathew Waters CAS, Richard Dyer CAS, Brett Voss CAS
Production Sound Team:
Simon Kerr, Jonny Waite, Andrew McNeill

Mr. Robot
“eps2.8_h1dden-pr0cess.axx”
William Sarokin, CAS, John W. Cook II CAS, Bill Freesh CAS, Beauxregard Neylon, Mike Marino
Production Sound Team:
Paul Koronkevic, George Leong, Dan Wesson, Schavaria Reeves, Michael Sanchez, Egor Panchenko

Stranger Things
“The Bath Tub”
Chris Durfy CAS, Joe Barnett, Adam Jenkins, Judah Getz, John Guentner
Production Sound Team:
Chris Isaac, Joey Meyerhoff

Westworld
“The Original”
John Pritchett CAS, Keith Rogers CAS, Scott Weber, Mark Kondracki, Geordy Sincavage
Production Sound Team:
David M. Roberts, Kevin Faber

TELEVISION SERIES – HALF-HOUR

Black-ish
“God”
Tom N. Stasinis CAS, Peter J. Nusbaum CAS, Whitney Purple
Production Sound Team:
Adam Blantz, Damon Harris

Modern Family
“The Storm”
Stephen A. Tibbo CAS, Dean Okrand CAS, Brian R. Harman CAS
Production Sound Team:
Srdjan ‘Serge’ Popovic

Silicon Valley
“Daily Active Users”
Benjamin A. Patrick CAS, Elmo Ponsdomenech, Todd Beckett
Production Sound Team:
Chris Diamond, Corey Woods, Devendra Cleary CAS, Tim Salmon, Alexander Miles Burstein, Mike O’Heney

Transparent
“Exciting and New”
Sam Hamer CAS, Andy D’addario, Gary Gegan
Production Sound Team:
Eddie Casares, Ted Hamer

Veep
“Congressional Ball”
William MacPherson CAS, John W. Cook II CAS, Bill Freesh CAS
Production Sound Team:
Steve Saada, Alexandra Gallo, Steve Klinghoffer

TELEVISION NON-FICTION, VARIETY, MUSIC SERIES OR SPECIALS

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
“Hanoi”
Benny Mouthon CAS

Deadliest Catch
“The Widowmaker” (Part 1)
Bob Bronow CAS

Grease Live!
J. Mark King, Biff Dawes, Eric Johnston, Pablo Munguia, Bob LaMasney, Kevin Wapner, John Protzko, John Garlick, Barrance D. Warrick

Production Sound Team:
Bruce Arledge Jr., Doug Wingert, Fernanda Starling, Jeff Peterson, Jason Sears, Sean Pritchett, Allen Vega, Steve Anderson, Craig Rovello, Jeffrey Fecteau, Debbie Fecteau, Ric Teller, Bill Kappelman, Randy Gary, Kim Petty, Dennis Mays, Victor Mercado, Eddie McKarge, Pete San Filipo, Kirk Donovan, Danny Cruz, Greg Ferrara, Dan Berlin

Mars
“Novo Mundo”
Christopher Barnett CAS, Roy Waldspurger, Jason Butler

We Will Rise: Michelle Obama’s Mission to Educate Girls Around the World
Rich Cutler

BEST SOUND MIXING

Arrival
Claude La Haye, Bernard Gariépy Strobl, Sylvain Bellemare
Production Sound Team:
Francis Péloquin, Ilyaa Ghafouri

Hacksaw Ridge
Peter Grace, Robert Mackenzie, Kevin O’Connell CAS, Andy Wright
Production Sound Team:
Shanti Burn, Sue Kerr, Tania Payne

La La Land
Mildred Iatrou Morgan, Ai-Ling Lee, Steve A. Morrow CAS, Andy Nelson CAS
Production Sound Team:
Craig A. Dollinger, Michael H. Kaleta

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Stuart Wilson, Christopher Scarabosio, David Parker, Joel Iwataki, Nick Cray, Frank Rinella
Production Sound Team:
Orin Beaton, Thomas Fennell, David Giles

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Mac Ruth
Production Sound Team:
David Hadder, Nourdine Zaoui

BAFTA AWARD NOMINEES

BEST SOUND

Arrival
Claude La Haye, Bernard Gariépy Strobl, Sylvain Bellemare
Production Sound Team:
Francis Péloquin, Ilyaa Ghafouri

Deepwater Horizon
Mike Prestwood Smith, Dror Mohar, Wylie Stateman, David Wyman
Production Sound Team:
Betsy Lindell, Ryan Putz

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Niv Adiri, Glenn Freemantle, Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, Ian Tapp
Production Sound Team:
Robin Johnson, Ben Jeffes

Hacksaw Ridge
Peter Grace, Robert Mackenzie, Kevin O’Connell CAS, Andy Wright
Production Sound Team:
Shanti Burn, Sue Kerr, Tania Payne

La La Land
Mildred Iatrou Morgan, Ai-Ling Lee, Steve A. Morrow CAS, Andy Nelson CAS
Production Sound Team:
Craig A. Dollinger, Michael H. Kaleta

AMPS NOMINEES

EXCELLENCE IN SOUND FOR A FEATURE FILM

Arrival
Claude La Haye, Bernard Gariépy Strobl, Sylvain Bellemare
Production Sound Team:
Francis Péloquin, Ilyaa Ghafouri

Deepwater Horizon
Mike Prestwood Smith, Dror Mohar, Wylie Stateman, David Wyman
Production Sound Team:
Betsy Lindell, Ryan Putz

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Niv Adiri, Glenn Freemantle, Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, Ian Tapp
Production Sound Team:
Robin Johnson, Ben Jeffes

Hacksaw Ridge
Peter Grace, Robert Mackenzie, Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright
Production Sound Team:
Shanti Burn, Sue Kerr, Tania Payne

La La Land
Mildred Iatrou Morgan, Ai-Ling Lee, Steve A. Morrow CAS, Andy Nelson CAS
Production Sound Team:
Craig A. Dollinger, Michael H. Kaleta

FCC Update

Status of the Current FCC Incentive Auction

The FCC Incentive Auction, currently in the final segment of Stage 4, may come to an end after the last round of “Forward Auction” bidding, which concluded on Wednesday, January 25. The “target” result of the Stage 4 “Reverse Auction” (where UHF TV stations have determined their desire to vacate the bands in the “Clearing Target” of 84 MHz, along with their costs of relocating or relinquishing their licenses), is $12,011,676,822, and the expected result of the “Forward Auction” (those bidding for the bandwidth) is $17,650,000,000. If the $5,000,000,000 “Profit” exceeds the FCC’s costs of the Auction and the remaining balance qualifies as an acceptable “profit” for the government, the auction will be over.

The “Clearing Target,” which was reduced to 84 MHz, will encompass the entire available UHF spectrum above UHF TV Channel 37 (reserved for Radio Astronomy) and below 698 MHz.

In terms of Lectrosonics ‘blocks,’ all of Block 23 and lower will have been spared, allowing Primary Licensees (TV stations), Secondary Licensees (Part 74 License holders and UHF repeaters) and unlicensed wireless microphone users access to the spectrum, in that order of priority. Note that in each market where a UHF TV station or stations have opted to relocate, they will be relocated below Channel 37, making the 6 MHz band for each relocated station unusable for wireless microphone use.

Jay Patterson CAS
Vice President, Local 695
Co-chair, Technical Trends Committee

News & Announcements

Local 695 Open House

In October 2016, Business Representative Scott Bernard and the entire staff at the office hosted representatives from the IA’s West Coast office, Hollywood IA Locals, Contract Services and Labor Relations representatives from all major studios. The purpose of this invitational was to unveil the newly renovated building and showcase Local 695’s continuous progress.

“The reception was a considerable success and a vital element in strengthening our working relationships in the industry.” –Scott Bernard

Young Workers Committee

The Young Workers Committee invites you to join us on our Spring Hike on Sunday, March 12, 2017. All current & prospective members and their families are invited. It’s a fairly easy hike with a beautiful flora and some stunning views. We’ll meet at the Topanga State Park entrance, 20828 Entrada Road, Topanga, CA, at 9 a.m. For more information, contact ywc@local695.com.

Welcome New Members

Josue Pena Y-1
Jacques Pienaar Y-8
Brandon Walz Y-8
Chad Sonenberg Y-1
Garett Martocello Y-1
Johnny Camilo Y-1
Peter Beer Y-1
Daniel Kloch Y-8
Armen Allen Y-4
Kalo Tovar Y-7/SB
Janna Lopez Y-7A
Al-Zahir Born Y-7
Louis Molnar Y-4
Cody Peterson Y-1
Damien Tinsley Y-7
Sefer Turk Y-7
Olivia Arthur Y-1
Greg Mueth Y-4
Thomas Winch Y-1

Job Reporting

Job reporting helps us organize, and organizing creates more union jobs with the potential for:

• More opportunities to earn healthcare hours.
• More contributions made to fund our health plan.
• Higher monthly retirement pension.
• Bigger IAP (Individual Account Plan) retirement cash payout.
• Better work conditions.
• A safer workplace.

By adding your job information to our database, we get a more accurate picture of the workplace. We cross-reference member-submitted information with the contracts we have on file and with data provided by the IA. This helps us resolve problems you may have at work. It strengthens our position when dealing with Producers, and it provides crucially important information when the time comes to organize. The Local 695 Constitution & Bylaws require that all members report all jobs: IA shows and non-IA shows, longterm assignments and day-calls, theatrical and TV productions, sports, commercials, music videos … everything. https://www.local695.com/mbr/jobreport.php

Holiday Brunch & Brews

The annual Holiday Brunch & Brews event, hosted by Chris Howland, Steve Morantz and Devendra Cleary, took place on Dec. 4, 2016. One hundred and fifty-two sound & video professionals, many of them members of Local 695 from the Los Angeles area, participated in the four-hour-long mixer, which concluded in a manufacturers-sponsored raffle. New friendships were formed and existing ones rekindled at Golden Road Brewery in Glendale, CA.

“In light of the growing pace of virtual interaction, it is important to make time for face-to-face conversations with the people that truly understand your pursuits and passions. Thank you to everyone who showed up to help make a group of people into a community. And a big thanks to our raffle sponsors.” –Chris Howland

In Memoriam

DONALD “DON” PAUL PERRY
Projectionist
October 16, 1925 – August 20, 2016

JOHNNY M. MEDEIROS
Y-4
January 14, 1976 – January 9, 2017

LES LAZAROWITZ
Y-1
October 2, 1941 – January 6, 2017

JOHN WOODS JR.
Y-8
February 27, 1960 – January 19, 2017

RICHARD PORTMAN
Y-1
April 22, 1934 – January 28, 2017å

From the Editors

Welcome to the winter edition of Production Sound & Video. Award season is upon us and in full bloom. Our email in-box is busy with multiple reminders of screenings and Guild voting deadlines. Many of us are fortunate to be able to attend these presentations and hear from the filmmakers and cast. Obvious to all of us is the general lack of participation on these panels of the Production Sound Mixer. Hopefully, with a gentle and respectful request of the studios and their publicists, we can turn the tide.

That is what this magazine’s mission is; to inform the entertainment community of everything this Local is about. You are welcome to request additional copies from the Local to distribute this publication to the ‘above the line’ executives and spread the word about our incredible contribution to the crafts.

Willie Burton describes the work on Fences, and La La Land is discussed by Steve Morrow.

Richard interviews James LaFarge, the prolific developer of LectroRM, FreqFinder and Timecard Buddy in “Sound Apps.”

Happy reading.

Fraternally yours,
Richard Lightstone and Mark Ulano

Contributors

WILLIE BURTON CAS
Willie Burton CAS began his career as a Navy Sonar Engineer and after three-and-a-half years, moved into sound mixing, joined Local 695, where he has mixed for more than three decades, wining two Oscars and multiple nominations.

RICHARD LIGHTSTONE CAS AMPS
Richard began his career in Montreal, and continues to mix in Los Angeles. He is currently on the Executive Board of Local 695, Co-editor of Production Sound & Video and a former President of the Cinema Audio Society.

STEVE MORROW CAS
Steve Morrow CAS started his career in Seattle, Washington, at 18 and moved to Los Angeles a year later to pursue his dream of sound mixing. He joined Local 695 in 1998 and has now been mixing for more than twenty-two years.

Photos courtesy of the respective contributors

From the Business Representative

I hope everybody had a nice holiday season with family and friends. Looking back on 2016, I’m happy to report that production was up both in California and Hollywood. Hours reported to the Motion Picture Pension and Health Plan on behalf of Local 695 members were up five percent from the previous year. The importance of these numbers is that it reflects directly on the contributions made by the Producers into our Pension and Health plans. 2016 was also the first full year of California’s new tax incentive program, which has kept many projects in the state that might have shot elsewhere. In January, I will be in Sacramento with the CIC (California IATSE Council) to thank the legislators for their past support, and show that the current data substantiates the success of the FROM THE BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVE tax incentives. I will also recommend that we need their continued support and to extend the current program in the coming years.

Local 695 will continue to work closely with Contract Services in 2017, offering our advanced training classes and we plan to keep adding new classes as new technology is introduced. While we do offer training, it’s up to our members to stay on top of the latest gear, and if you see or hear about a new piece of equipment, let our Education Coordinator know, so we can set up a training program. Over the coming year, our Social Media Committee will be putting together more events for our members. On March 12, our Young Workers Committee has planned a Spring Hike at Topanga State Park for all members and their families. So watch for details and come join us for the day.

One very important note for our members; if you experience unsafe working conditions on production, we need to hear from you. When safety concerns arise on production, it is imperative that you call the IA’s Safety Hotline (844-422-9273) or the Local right away, so we can assist the crew. This is what being a member of a union means, supporting and looking out for your fellow sisters and brothers. Standing together is more important now than years past. Our new President and many in the Congress have expressed clear intentions to attack union families and the middle class. We will stay strong and united to ensure that your wages, your working conditions and your hardearned benefits will be there for you when you need them.

Union Strong!!!!

Scott Bernard
Business Representative

From the President

We have many members who till the rocky soil of sports broadcast as their professional world. Their dedication and professionalism is world-renown and often unsung but they perform day in and day out under the most challenging conditions and always deliver.

After many long and arduous months of negotiations, January 2, 2016, through December 20, 2016, we have successfully won an unusually long five-year term contract with Fox Sports and three other regional IATSE Locals creating a four-jurisdiction Master Agreement. Whereas before, we were in separate and stand-alone negotiating periods, we now have dramatically increased our leverage by syncing the contract cycles of these four regions, all together. It is quite an achievement.

The ratification vote passed in all four regions with the LA ratio in favor at almost 2 to 1 with “Yes” votes more than sixty-two percent.

There are several areas that distinguish this agreement from the expired agreements it replaces.

The travel provisions have been revamped to be more equitable, inclusive of benefits
Fee adders in the crafts descriptions are now included in the base wages
A new Employer’s contribution to the IATSE Training Trust is detailed
Three percent general wage increases each year throughout the life of the Agreement, now uniformly occurring on April 1 of each year; (LA is prorated the first year as the prior increase is already in place for three months)

A lot of work went into getting these four jurisdictions under one agreement. Importantly, it is a very unusual five-year deal providing stability for our members in the very fluid world of live sports broadcasting.

Along with solid leadership from the IA’s Sandra England and Steve Belsky, I’d like to single out the very important contributions made by Local 695 members during this challenging endeavor. A shout-out to Cameron Cheevers, Antony Hurd, Tom Anderson and Edgar Lopez for their informed and steadfast participation during the many negotiating sessions. They contributed beyond their own interests and significantly helped keep the talks on track.

I’d also like to give thanks to Scott Bernard, whose beat this used to be, for his solid guidance during this work. It is a very specialized area for our Local. I believe our members have gotten a very good contract.

Congrats to all.

Mark Ulano CAS AMPS
President
IATSE Local 695

Sound Apps

by Matt Price

With the proliferation of iPhones, iPads and Android devices, there are many new and powerful apps that help us each day. In this edition, we feature a free app designed by Matt Price in Great Britain, called Soundrolling.

Matt explains, “Soundrolling app is basically a natural progression of my blogs and other ventures over the past five years. Gear was coming down in price and more people were buying equipment and getting started, so I felt as a community, we need to better communicate the values and unwritten rules.

I decided to make the app free because to me, the real value is the community; with more people, there are more ideas that have a multiplier effect of helping the people and attracting a wider audience. There are some great ideas coming out of Soundrolling I will eventually incorporate other departments such as editorial and post production sound to essentially be a central source that is as fluid as the community it serves.

“I’ve spent around £2,000-f3,000 on the app with failed attempts and even trying to unsuccessfully outsource it a few times, so I decided just to do it all myself and found an interface that works really well along with £60 a month going to support from others to help implement some features and keep the app with as little bugs as possible. I will be spending about £800 a year in outsourcing some tasks and £97 goes to Apple every year for being a developer.”

Despite his own expenses, Matt is determined to keep the app free.

“I have had over two thousand downloads and plenty of suggestions for more features. I’m really looking forward to how it develops, and I’m currently getting between 1,000-2,000 page views a day.

The more people get involved, the better it will become and I am more than happy to fit pieces of this giant puzzle together.”

HERE ARE ITS FEATURES:

1 – CAMERA CHEAT SHEET

This is where you can view the timecode inputs and audio inputs for major digital production cameras (Arri, Blackmagic, RED, Sony, Canon …)

2 – YOU TUBE VIDEOS

From tutorials on how to recover formatted cards to comparing £1.20 lavalier to a £270 lavalier. I’ve been on You- Tube for more than five years doing tutorials and sharing what I do.

3 – SOUND CHATS

I have more than forty interviews with Dialog Editors, Sound Mixers, Re-recording Mixers, Foley Artists and Boom Operators on some of the world’s biggest blockbusters and Oscar-winning films. These are also available as podcasts and videos.

4 – FINDING LOCAL AUDIO VENDORS AROUND THE WORLD

Finding audio vendors local to where you are at the moment is going to vastly cut down your research time and get you on with the job at hand.

5 – BOOM POLE CHEAT SHEET

This compares more than 125 boom poles in min height/max height/weight/material/locking mechanism and units are in imperial and metric measurements. There is a view to sort them all by weight as well.

6 – FREQ FINDER

Find legal frequencies for countries around the world as sourced by mixers who live or work there, with links to government websites for extra reading. Meaning you can travel around the world and recommend the best ones to build up a better picture. You can also submit scans using your phone camera.

7 – BLOG (BETA)

Over the past five years, I’ve added more than three hundred- plus blog posts to soundrolling.com and I’m in the process of making it easy to find them through this app.

8 – SOUND MANUALS/TIMECODE MANUALS

PDF versions of some popular products along with a firmware checklist with links to manuals and firmware notes. Timecode manuals link directly to manuals and firmware pages also.

9 – FOLEY CHEAT SHEET

I’ve added more than two hundred items and ideas for Foley you can do to make awesome sound effects. I’m building more and more Foley-related material out of my previous articles.

10 – SOUND EVENTS ONLINE AND AROUND THE WORLD

This is a list of sound Meet-ups and industry events for sound people so you can connect with other mixers around the world and in your local area. It’s really simple to submit new listings.

11 – POST PRODUCTION HELP AND FAQS

Here are useful docs for importing and exporting AAF/OMF’s and more, to help explain post to others. The idea is to better integrate editorial and other members of the team with the Sound Department and vice versa to solve those pesky communication errors that can occur with different deliverables.

12 – SOUND TRIVIA/ JOKES

This is a collection of articles I’ve collected from around the web, of trivia for the sound world. Just a bit of fun and light reading, along with some on-set banter.

13 – POCKET SOUND DICTIONARY

Two hundred-plus sound terms explained right on your phone.

14 – WIRING DIAGRAM ARCHIVE

This is a collection for all those who DIY and make their own cables or you want to make sure you are wiring them correctly. This is also useful for different connections to different cameras like the RED.

15 – FACEBOOK GROUP

There is a Facebook group setup for those with the app to easily make suggestions and connect with each other and build a community. I’m also trying to incentivize feedback with polls and prizes.

16 – BUY/SELL FREE

List your used gear and get in front of more than two thousand sound professionals for free. In 2017, listings will be no commission and just £1 to submit. All organized into categories.

Matt is very happy to have all feedback emailed to him at matt@soundrolling. com. Check it out. It’s a free app, so you can’t lose.

68th Emmys: Production Sound Winners

Local 695 honors the art of production sound through the success of all the Emmy Award winners.

[Names in BOLD are Local 695 members.]

Local 695 honors the art of production sound through the success of all the Emmy Award winners.

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)

Game of Thrones “Battle of the Bastards” HBO
Richard Dyer, Ronan Hill CAS, Onnalee Blank CAS, Mathew Waters CAS
Production Sound Team:
Simon Kerr, Jonny Waite, Andrew McNeill, Bradley Kendrick, Daniel McCabe, Sean McGarrity

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story “From the Ashes of Tragedy” FX Networks
John Bauman CAS, Doug Andham CAS, Joe Earle CAS
Production Sound Team:
Andy Adams, Kris Wilcox

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION

Mozart in the Jungle “Nothing Resonates Like Rhinoceros Foreskin” Amazon
Thomas Varga, Andy D’Addario, Bill Higley, Chris Navarro
Production Sound Team:
Bryant Musgrove, Antonio Arroyo, Egor Panchenko, Derek Pacuk

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY SERIES OR SPECIAL

Live From Lincoln Center “Danny Elfman’s Music From the Films of Tim Burton” PBS
Paul Bevan, Ken Hahn, Skip Kent, Lawrence Rock
Production Sound Team:
Lucas “RIco” Corrubia, Kristyn R. Smith, Brian Buno, Bill Pierce, Matt Israel

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING (SINGLE- OR MULTI-CAMERA)

Vice “Fighting ISIS” HBO
Erik Schuiten
Production Sound Team:
John Northcraft, Dean White, J.R. Rodriguez, Arseniy Savenkov

FCC Update

A new round of bidding in the FCC’s Reverse Auction of the UHF spectrum began on November 1. This begins Stage 3

In Stage 1 and Stage 2, the buyers (mostly the broadband industry) failed to bid enough to cover the amounts required to buy up the licenses, the costs of relocating stations, as well as profits for the federal government to complete the auction.

The Stage 3 Reverse Auction has the current license holders establishing the price for their licenses. A smaller group, as with each subsequent stage, the amount of spectrum to be auctioned off gets smaller. When this auction is complete, the Stage 3 Forward Auction will commence.

As of the end of Stage 2, it appears that everything below the sacrosanct UHF Channel 37 is no longer for sale. Lectrosonics translation: Blocks up to 23 are still available for use. Blocks 24 through 26 are still up for sale. Spectrum up to 608 MHz will remain available for wireless microphone use, however, every UHF TV station above 614 MHz that sells its license and continues to operate will be relocated below 608 MHz, either sharing existing UHF TV channels or acquiring their own.

Bandwidth for wireless microphone use is becoming increasingly crowded, and licensed users have priority over nonlicensed users. If you haven’t acquired a Part 74 License, please apply.

https://www.local695.com/fcc/how-to-get-a-license/

Jay Patterson CAS
Vice President, Local 695
Co-chair, Technical Trends Committee

News & Announcements

Two Days of Fiber Optic Training
The usage of more and more cameras at ever higher definitions is gradually maxing out the bandwidth capabilities of traditional copper cabling, leading to fiber optic as the only solution capable of meeting highvolume on-set data transmission needs. And in addition to vastly more bandwidth, fiber is stronger, more secure and cheaper than copper. Fiber is definitely in our future and perhaps that’s why there wasn’t an empty seat in the room during our two days of fiber optic training in November.

Attendees learned how to properly handle, clean, test and identify the standard fiber optic cables and connectors used in the entertainment industry. The classes were geared specifically toward teaching the skills and knowhow needed on a show-by-show basis to make sure our members are confident and knowledgeable when it comes to fiber optics. Under the guidance of our instructor, Jesse Madison, and his training assistants, the class included lots of hands-on time plus one-on-one with the instructors. As well as a repeat of this introductory session, we will be running an Advanced Fiber Optic class soon.

Demand for both of these classes was high and we still weren’t able to accommodate everyone but for those who missed out this time, watch for announcements of more classes soon.

Third Quarter On-Location Filming Up 3 Percent Last Quarter in Greater Los Angeles
FilmL.A. Research issued a new report this week, revealing that on-location filming in Greater Los Angeles increased 3.0 percent last quarter to a record-setting 9,795 shoot days. From July through September, an increase in television production (up 2.7 percent to 4,423 SDs) offset modest declines in on-location feature (down 5 percent to 1,089 SDs) and commercials (down 2.6 percent to 1,245 SDs).

“From 2015 to 2016, we had four straight quarters of triple—or near triple-digit—growth in TV comedy,” said Adrian McDonald, Research Analyst for FilmL.A. “Year to date, 2016 is actually leading 2015 in total comedy shoot days, with 1,623 SDs this year so far compared to 1,554 SDs at the same time last year.”

“California’s film incentive is now helping to sustain local TV production after seven straight quarters of growth,” noted FilmL.A. President Paul Audley. “We knew we’d see a leveling off as the program reached full utilization. With the program doing all it can to support filming in California, our focus is on the neighborhoods where filming happens and on managing the activity taking place.”

Welcome New Members
Peter Beer, Y-1
Johny Camilo, Y-1
Angelo Carvuoto, II, Y-1
John “JP” De La Cruz, Y-7A
Joshua Hawcraft, Y-8
Garett Martocello, Y-1
Josue Pena, Y-1
Jacques Pienaar, Y-8
Alex Sethian, Y-7A
Cgad Sonenberg, Y-1
Charles Stroh, Y-1
Janet Travis, KTLA
Alberto Vasquez, Y-9
Brandon Walz, Y-8

SAVE THE DATE!
The next General Membership Meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 21, 2017, at the Local 80 Stage, 2520 W. Olive Avenue in Burbank.

IN MEMORIAM
DONALD BERRY
Projectionist
October 16, 1925 – August 20, 2016

Contributors

DONAVAN DEAR CAS
Donavan studied engineering and physics in college, and then started working in sound at an acoustics research/testing company. Credits include Titanic and Pearl Harbor as a boom operator. As Sound Mixer, over four hundred episodes of television, including CSI, CSI: NY, CSI: Miami, and currently, the third season of Scorpion.

VINCENT PARKER
Vincent began his career in 1998 in the technology industry creating 3D effects for broadcast video hardware. He joined Local 695 as a Video Engineer in 2001. He is also a software developer, creating most of the tools he uses for computer & video playback.

MATT PRICE
Matt is a Sound Mixer and Sound Editor with over 350 projects focusing around film, commercials and corporate projects. Matt is very passionate about documenting his career and providing more content for the sound community.

GARY RAYMOND
After college in the ’70s, Gary toured as a bass player and singer with the Serendipity Singers, The Platters, Eric Burdon and War. He was Technical Coordinator at Disneyland and has worked as a Studio Musician, Live Sound Engineer with over 400 major bands and since 1993, Music Playback Operator in Local 695 with an Emmy for the Scrubs musical. Gary is also a Sound Artist with exhibits at the Long Beach Museum of Art and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

JEFF WEXLER CAS
Jeff Wexler CAS, in his 46th year as a Production Sound Mixer, honored with a BAFTA Film Award for Best Sound for Almost Famous, nominated twice by the Academy and the Cinema Audio Society for his work on The Last Samurai and Independence Day, noted for his work on Jerry Maguire, Get Shorty, The Natural and Being There. He was also nominated for an Emmy and a CAS Award for the HBO movie 61*. The first to use DAT in production, he went on to introduce the first-ever file-based production recorder, the original Zaxcom Deva I. Jeff is also a recipient of the CAS Career Achievement Award.