IATSE Local 695

Production Sound, Video Engineers & Studio Projectionists

Departments

2013 Awards

Local 695 salutes the CAS, BAFTA and Oscar winners and their Production Sound Teams

[Names in BOLD are Local 695 members]

50th CAS Awards

The Cinema Audio Society Awards ceremony was held on Sat., Feb. 22, 2014, at the Crystal Ballroom of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, California.

Motion Pictures – Live Action

Gravity

Chris Munro CAS, Skip Lievsay CAS, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead, Gareth Cousins, Chris Navarro CAS, Thomas J. O’Connell, Adam Fil Mendez

Production Sound Team:
Steve Finn, Jim McBride, Tim Fraser, Will Towers, Pud Cusack, Richard Bullock, Joel Reidy

Motion Pictures – Animated

Frozen

Gabriel Guy, David E. Fluhr CAS, Casey Stone, Mary Jo Lang

Television Movies and Mini-Series

Behind the Candelabra

Dennis Towns, Larry Blake, Thomas Vicari, Scott Curtis

Production Sound Team:
Javier M. Hernandez, Gerard Vernice, Mark Agostino

Television Series – One Hour

Game of Thrones “The Rains of Castamere”

Ronan Hill CAS, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank CAS, Mathew Waters CAS, Brett Voss

Production Sound Team:
Simon Kerr, James Atkinson, Daniel McCabe, Bradley Kendrick, Luke McGinley

Television Series – Half-Hour

Modern Family “Goodnight Gracie”

Stephen A. Tibbo CAS, Dean Okrand, Brian Harman CAS

Production Sound Team:
Srdjan “Serge” Popovic, Dan Lipe, Ken Strain

Television Non-Fiction, Variety, Music Series or Specials

History of the Eagles: Part One

Tom Fleischman CAS, Elliot Scheiner

Production Sound Team:
Alan Barker, Tyler Wood

EE British Academy Film Awards

The BAFTA Awards ceremony was held Sun., Feb. 16, 2014, in London, England.

Sound

Gravity

Chris Munro CAS, Glenn Freemantle,
Skip Lievsay CAS, Christopher Benstead, Niv Adiri

Production Sound Team:
Steve Finn, Will Towers, Jim McBride

Oscars

The 86th Academy Awards ceremony was held Sun., Mar. 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California.

Sound Mixing

Gravity

Chris Munro CAS, Skip Lievsay CAS, Niv Adiri,
Christopher Benstead

Production Sound Team:
Steve Finn, Will Towers, Jim McBride

News & Announcements

News & Announcements

Set Safety

When I first started doing narrative projects in California, I worked for an assortment of sketchy producers with more ambition than good sense. Like me, they were near the beginning of their careers and didn’t yet have production experience in depth. Many of these shows had car crash stunts with pipe ramps and explosions. Gunfire was common and most scripts had moving car shots with process trailers.

Despite these potentially hazardous elements, I never felt that I was ever in any real danger. At that time, any film with location power requirements exceeding what could be provided by ordinary household outlets was required to employ a Fire Safety Officer. Local fire departments maintained a roster of retired or semiretired officers to supervise film sets. They had the responsibility to ensure that the film didn’t burn down the building or electrocute anyone. Some of these officers interpreted their responsibility very narrowly and only concerned themselves with fire and electrical safety. But many took on a larger role and would oversee any activity they considered a potential hazard. They might, for instance, inspect scaffolding for weight-bearing capability. Although their authority to dictate practices outside of fire safety was untested, Producers generally acted on their recommendations. Liability for an accident would be more acute if they were to proceed in spite of a warning from a safety official.

Producers often chafed under the requirement. On a low-budget show, it wasn’t unusual for the Fire Safety Official to be the highest paid employee on the project. But there was a benefit for the Producer as well. If an accident did occur, the presence of an independent safety officer made it apparent that the production was probably not operating recklessly.

The Los Angeles Fire Department continues to assign Fire Safety Officers to film sets but the requirements have been eased in recent years. In an effort to make the permit process more production-friendly, officers are no longer assigned to every production that uses a generator. A Safety Officer is now assigned only if particular hazards are present, based on an evaluation of the permit application.

Recent events give reason to question whether thinning out independent oversight was wise. The presence of a trained officer with independent authority is a stabilizing element on a set. It discourages reckless behavior. This is a practice that should be encouraged on professional sets everywhere.

You may find more information about the on-set Fire Safety Program at: http://www.filmla.com (Navigate through “For Filmmakers” to the “Forms” section for PDF downloads).

-David Waelder

Candlelight Vigil

A candlelight vigil on February 20 held in honor of Sarah Elizabeth Jones, the camera assistant killed in the train trestle accident during the filming of Midnight Rider, drew nearly 1,000 marchers. Her parents, Richard and Elizabeth Jones, were among those attending and pledged to make the event the beginning of a campaign for improved set safety.

 

 

 

J.L. Fisher Open House

The 9th Annual J.L. Fisher Open House, Mixer and BBQ Lunch (free) will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2014. The event starts at 9 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. J.L. Fisher hosts the annual event in association with SOC, ICG and ASC and numerous corporate sponsors. It’s an excellent opportunity to meet other production technicians, tour the Fisher facility and enjoy an outstanding lunch. Local 695 will be demonstrating the 23-ft. Fisher boom and you’re welcome to take the opportunity to hop up and spend some time on it yourself. We’ll be there all day. Stop by anytime. For more information, go to http://www.jlfisher.com/JLF-2014-Open-House

Sign of the Times

Replacing the ratty old sign on the building. Come by to see the new one proudly displayed.
 

Bringing Jobs Back to California

More than 2,000 film workers assembled at the Pickwick Gardens in Burbank on Saturday, February 22, to address the challenge of runaway production. This was the first event in a campaign sponsored by the Entertainment Union Coalition (EUC), a consortium of representatives from IATSE, DGA, SAG-AFTRA, PGA and Teamsters. The immediate objective was to rally support for an expansion of California’s tax credit program through AB 1839, a bill introduced by Assemblymen Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) and Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima).

The need is both immediate and apparent. Of 41 big-budget pictures made in 2012 and 2013, only one was shot entirely in California. According to the Milken Institute, California lost 16,137 film and TV jobs between 2004 and 2012. And the Los Angeles Times reports that 1,694 members of IATSE have already permanently moved from California to pursue work opportunities in Georgia, Louisiana and other states with active incentive programs. Attendance at the rally underscored these figures: it was standing room only in the meeting room and attendees spilled out into the anterooms.

If there’s a bright spot, it’s the recognition this need is receiving from local politicians. The Gatto-Bocanegra bill received 40 immediate co-signers and had 20 more within a few days. Since then, it received unanimous approval in its first committee vote. Numerous local politicians attended the rally including both of the sponsoring Assemblymen, IATSE International VP Thom Davis (keynote speaker), Art Pulaski, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the California Labor Federation, and others.

To assist this effort, visit 695.com for regular updates and go to http://www.backtoca.com for information on volunteering.

From the Interim Business Agent

Trustees appointed by the International now administer Local 695. The International President asked me to act as your Business Agent during this transition period. As a 35-year member of Local 695, 10 of those years as a Special Representative for the Local, I take great pride in being able to serve the membership. I pledge to navigate these choppy waters with both respect for the accomplishments of my predecessors and commitment to practices that will benefit members in the future.

Every change comes with opportunities. The Trustee Administrators are eager to fulfill a mandate to leave the Local in better condition than they found it. Together, we have been reviewing office infrastructure, equipment lease contracts and the phone system, seeking ways to improve service and manage costs. It’s a good practice to perform this sort of top-to-bottom review periodically, and upgraded phones, computers and work assignments will enhance efficiency in assisting members. Webmaster Laurence Abrams has already implemented a change permitting members to pay dues and financial obligations online with a credit card.

Although there have been some changes in work assignments, most of the office staff is unchanged. Donna Gamble continues as our Executive Secretary, Leslie Otsuki still handles Accounting and Membership Services and Michael Kanyer handles the reception desk and also inputs data to the production tracking system. We welcome new employee Nicole (Nikki) Riordan in the Accountant & Membership Services Department. She comes to us with a background in accounting and computer networking. We also welcome Joe Aredas Jr. as a Special/Field Representative. Members coming to the office should expect to find assistance from a capable staff.

Local 695 is a participating member of the Entertainment Union Coalition (EUC). The EUC is a consortium of organizations committed to bringing production and post-production work back to California. The turnout for their kickoff event in February more than filled the largest meeting room at the Pickwick Center and, with more than 2,000 members attending, was the largest gathering of IATSE members ever. The goal of this first event (there will be others in the future) was to support the passage of AB 1839. We expect that bill to come up for its second committee review soon and we’ll again be distributing letters for members to sign and forward to their representatives. Please watch your email for that distribution and for other information about activities at the Local.

The Local belongs to the membership and derives its strength from you. With your support and participation, we will emerge stronger.

Scott Bernard
Interim Business Agent

Contributors

Contributors to this edition

Robert ‘Max’ Maxfield

​For more than 30 years, Robert ‘Max’ Maxfield has worked in radio, television and motion pictures. For most of those years, he was a Boom Operator, Utility Person and Production Sound Mixer. His notable credits include Mission: Impossible III, Rush Hour 3, Twister, O and the current TV hit The Walking Dead. Max was a part of Sound Mixer Geoff Patterson’s team that was Oscar nominated for Twister, and Michael P. Clark’s team that was CAS nominated for The Walking Dead. In his spare time, he teaches a class entitled The Art and Craft of Recording Motion Picture Sound.

Chris Munro, CAS

Chris Munro is a Local 695 member and Production Sound Mixer on more than 70 films. He has collaborated with some of the most successful filmmakers in recent history, including Ridley Scott, Guy Ritchie, M. Night Shyamalan, Atom Egoyan, Paul Greengrass, Ron Howard and Alfonso Cuarón, to name a few. In addition to 2014 Oscar and BAFTA Awards for Gravity, he was nominated at both ceremonies for Captain Phillips. He previously won an Academy Award for Black Hawk Down and a BAFTA for Casino Royale.

Andy Rovins, CAS

Andy Rovins has been working in production sound for a long, long time. He kind of remembers the good old days.

 

Fred Schultz, CAS

Fred began production mixing in the mid-’80s. Most of his shows aspired for magic, and in some, lightning truly did strike. A small handful actually became cultural touchstones. Then he was diverted for a decade and a half, developing file-based digital technologies and workflows. While that technology was new, it also had magic. But by 2010, his patience with corporate life had run dry. He wanted back into production where magic is valued and lightning still happens. He bought a new chair, and some digital kit for a very old sound cart, and is a happy guy once again.
 

James Tanenbaum, CAS

With decades of experience as a Production Mixer, Jim Tanenbaum, CAS is known to many as the man who “wrote the book” on timecode (Using Timecode in the Reel World) and as an educator. He has taught sound classes at UCLA since 1988, and traveled to Japan (1995), China (2010 and 2011) and Vietnam (2012) to train other mixers and film school students in the discipline of sound for movies and TV. He continues to work in production, most recently completing the first season of the reality series Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge. He worked on the last three years of James Cameron’s Avatar, and hopes to do Avatar 2, 3, and 4.

David Waelder

David has recorded sound for films for several decades and has been an editor of the 695 Quarterly since its inception five years ago.
Photo of Robert Maxfield by Gene Page, AMC-TV. 
 
 
Photo of Fred Schultz by Cassia Dominguez. All other photos courtesy of the respective contributors.

From the President

From the President

As you are probably aware, the former officers of Local 695 have been removed due to the recently imposed Trusteeship. You should have received an email from me with an explanation as to why this action was necessary to maintain the integrity of the IATSE Constitution and By Laws, and the rights of IATSE locals and members, including Local 695.

A union’s power comes from the strength of its collective voice. All institutions need rules to function and succeed. Local 695, as part of the International, is no exception.

The Trustees, alongside Interim Business Agent (Scott Bernard), Special/Field Representative (Joe Aredas, Jr.) and Education Director Laurence Abrams, have been hard at work to correct the past missteps of the union and devising ways to better serve the membership going forward. At the 695 offices, the warped, faded and peeling exterior sign has been replaced. This emblem goes to your identity and you deserve to fly your flag proudly. Improvements are happening inside the office too: technology is being modernized and members’ needs are being addressed across a broader variety of productions. From reality shows to scripted dramas, the current representatives of Local 695 are here to advocate for you. Their clear instructions are to put the member first.

Once the Local is back on its feet and operating smoothly, the IATSE’s goal is to restore autonomy to Local 695. We hope you will help us through this transition by continuing to be our eyes and ears on the set. Please continue to report nonunion productions and call us with any contract questions or safety concerns. Scott, Peter, Steve, Laurence and Joe are available to answer your questions about the Trusteeship, and how Local 695 is changing to better serve you and the Alliance of which it is an important part.

Matthew Loeb
IATSE International President

From the Editors

From the Editors

In this issue of the 695 Quarterly, Local 695 members demonstrate a commitment to excellence, a willingness to devote time to planning, preparation and testing, to realize a brilliant outcome. This has been the theme of every issue since we began publishing in the spring of 2009.

In Captain Phillips, Chris Munro, CAS used equipment concealed on the pirate skiffs to relay audio to follow boats. This required careful preplanning to ensure that sufficient equipment would be available on location and that all the elements would coordinate effectively. He brought an equally complex, but technically different, approach to his award-winning work on Gravity.

Robert Maxfield drew upon everything he’s learned in 30 years of production experience to bring in good tracks on The Walking Dead. His determination to find a way, and his good grace under pressure, bring renewed respect for the Sound Department on that difficult show.

Finally, in Part 2 of his overview of P-Cap and MoCap technique, Jim Tanenbaum, CAS brings 50 years of production experience to a new and developing field. Even with the skills learned over a long and productive career, he extends his thanks to fellow Mixers who allowed him to shadow them and observe their approach to the task. Keeping skills sharp is an ongoing commitment to excellence.

This is what Local 695 members do every working day; find solutions to problems. Drawing on years of experience to find new ways to get the best results and entertain the audience.

Fraternally yours,
Richard Lightstone, Eric Pierce, and David Waelder

Award Nominations

Local 695 Salute the 2013 Award Nominatees
CAS – BAFTA – OSCARS

[Names in BOLD are Local 695 members]

Local 695 honors the art of production sound through the success of all the Oscar, BAFTA and CAS award nominees.

CAS Awards Nominees

The 50th Annual CAS Awards Final Five Nominees were announced on Jan. 14, 2014, and the awards ceremony was held February 22 at the Crystal Ballroom of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, California.  

Motion Pictures – Live Action

Captain Phillips

Nominees:
Chris Munro CAS,
Michael Prestwood Smith, Chris
Burdon, Mark Taylor, Al Clay,
Howard London CAS, Glen Gathard

Production Sound Team:
Steve Finn, Jim McBride, Tim Fraser, Will Towers, Pud Cusack, Richard Bullock, Joel Reidy

Gravity

Nominees:
Chris Munro CAS, Skip Lievsay CAS, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead, Gareth Cousins, Chris Navarro CAS, Thomas J. O’Connell, Adam Mendez

Production Sound Team: 
Steve Finn, Will Towers, Jim McBride

Inside Llewyn Davis

Nominees:
Peter F. Kurland CAS, Skip Lievsay CAS, Greg Orloff CAS, Bobby Johanson CAS, George A. Lara

Production Sound Team:
Randy Johnson, Timothia Sellers, Julian Townsend, Egor Panchenko

Iron Man 3

Nominees: 
Jose Antonio Garcia, Michael Prestwood Smith, Michael Keller CAS, Joel Iwataki, Gregory Steele CAS, James Ashwill

Production Sound Team: 
Jonathan Fuh, Jenny Elsinger, Peter Devlin CAS, Mike Schmidt, Kevin Summers, Carl Rudisill

Lone Survivor

Nominees: 
David Brownlow, Andrew Koyama CAS, Beau Borders CAS, Satoshi Mark Noguchi, Gregory Steele CAS, Nerses Gezalyan

Production Sound Team: 
Edwardo Santiago, Rob Hidalgo

Motion Pictures – Animated

 The Croods

Nominees:
Tighe Sheldon, Randy Thom CAS, Gary A. Rizzo CAS, Dennis Sands CAS, Corey Tyler

Despicable Me 2

Nominees: 
Charleen Richards, Tom Johnson, Gary A. Rizzo CAS, Chris Scarabosio, Alan Meyerson CAS, Tony Eckert

Frozen

Nominees: 
Gabriel Guy, David E. Fluhr CAS, Casey Stone, Mary Jo Lang

Monsters University

Nominees: 
Doc Kane, Michael Semanick CAS, Gary Summers, David Boucher, Corey Tyler

Walking With Dinosaurs

Nominees: 
Chris Navarro CAS, Andrew Koyama CAS, Martyn Zub, Rupert Coulson, Sam Rogers

Television Movies and Mini-Series

American Horror Story: Coven “The Replacements”

Nominees: 
Bruce Litecky CAS, Joe Earle CAS, Doug Andham CAS, James Levine, Judah Getz, Kyle Billingsley

Production Sound Team: 
Steve Hurserstel, Betsy Lindell, Eric Heigle, Erik H. Magnus CAS, Leonard Suwalski, Daniel Kuzila

Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome

Nominees: 
Rick Bal CAS, John W. Cook II CAS, Peter J. Nusbaum CAS

Production Sound Team: 
Greg Hewett, Matthew Willoughby-Price

Behind the Candelabra

Nominees: 
Dennis Towns, Larry Blake, Thomas Vicari, Scott Curtis

Production Sound Team: 
Javier M. Hernandez, Gerard Vernice, Mark Agostino

Bonnie and Clyde: (Night Two) Part Two

Nominees: 
Erik H. Magnus CAS, R. Russell Smith, Robert Edmondson CAS, Shawn Murphy, David Weisberg, Jeff Gross

Production Sound Team: 
Matthew Armstrong, Daniel Kuzila, Carlos Wilkerson, Leonard Suwalski

Phil Spector

Nominees: 
Gary Alper, Michael Barry CAS, Roy Waldspurger, Christopher Fogel CAS, Michael Miller CAS, Don White

Production Sound Team: 
Tim Elder, Jason Stasium

Television Series – One Hour

Boardwalk Empire: “Erlkönig”

Nominees: 
Franklin D. Stettner CAS, Tom Fleischman CAS, Mark DeSimone CAS, George A. Lara

Production Sound Team: 
Sam Perry, Peter Fonda, Toussaint Kotright, Egor Panchenko, Larry Provost, Dale Whitman

Breaking Bad “Felina”

Nominees: 
Darryl L. Frank CAS, Jeffrey Perkins, Eric Justen, Eric Gotthelf, Stacey Michaels

Production Sound Team:
Bil Clement, Allen Crawford

Game of Thrones “The Rains of Castamere”

Nominees: 
Ronan Hill CAS, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank CAS, Mathew Waters CAS, Brett Voss

Production Sound Team: 
Simon Kerr, James Atkinson, Daniel McCabe, Richard Dyer, Bradley Kendrick, Luke McGinley

Homeland “Good Night”

Nominees: 
Larry Long, Nello Torri CAS, Alan M. Decker CAS, Paul Drenning CAS, Shawn Kennelly

Production Sound Team: 
Matt Fann, Jack Hill

The Walking Dead “Home”

Nominees: 
Michael P. Clark CAS, Daniel J. Hiland CAS, Gary D. Rogers CAS, Greg Crawford, Eric Gotthelf, Stacey Michaels

Production Sound Team:
Robert Maxfield, Jason Lewis

Television Series – Half-Hour

Californication “I’ll Lay My Monsters Down”

Nominees:
Daniel Church, Todd Grace CAS, Edward Charles Carr III CAS

Production Sound Team:
Abel Schiro, Lance Wandling, Mike Mesirow

Modern Family “Goodnight Gracie”

Nominees: 
Stephen A. Tibbo CAS, Dean Okrand, Brian Harman CAS

Production Sound Team: 
Srdjan “Serge” Popovic, Dan Lipe, Ken Strain

Nurse Jackie “Teachable Moments”

Nominees:
Jan McLaughlin CAS, Peter Waggoner

Production Sound Team: 
Brendan O’Brien, Joe Savastano

The Office “Finale”

Nominees: 
Benjamin A. Patrick CAS, John W. Cook II CAS, Robert Carr CAS

Production Sound Team: 
Brian Wittle, Nicolas Carbone, Damon Harris

Parks and Recreation “Leslie and Ben”

Nominees: 
Steven Michael Morantz CAS, John W. Cook II CAS, Kenneth Kobett CAS

Production Sound Team:
Adam Blanz, Mitch Cohn

Television Non-Fiction, Variety, Music Series or Specials

2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Nominees: 
Michael Minkler CAS, Greg Townsend, Jay Vicari, John Harris

Deadliest Catch “The Final Battle”

Nominee: 
Bob Bronow CAS

History of the Eagles “Part One”

Nominees: 
Tom Fleischman CAS, Elliot Scheiner

Production Sound Team: 
Alan Barker, Tyler Wood

Killing Lincoln

Nominees: 
William Britt, Stanley Kastner

Production Sound Team:
Douglas E. Bischoff, David Strayer

Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth

Nominees: 
Mathew Price CAS, Michael Barry CAS

BAFTA Nominees

Gravity won the the EE British Academy Film Award for “Best Sound” at the ceremony held Feb. 16, 2014, in London, England. The nominees below were announced on January 8.

All Is Lost

Nominees: 
Micah Bloomberg, Gillian Arthur, Richard Hymns, Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor

Captain Phillips

Nominees: 
Chris Munro CAS, Oliver Tarney, Chris Burdon, Mark Taylor, Mike Prestwood Smith

Production Sound Team: 
Steve Finn, Jim McBride, Tim Fraser, Will Towers, Pud Cusack, Richard Bullock, Joel Reidy

Gravity

Nominees: 
Chris Munro CAS, Oliver Tarney, Glenn Freemantle, Skip Lievsay CAS, Christopher Benstead, Niv Adiri

Production Sound Team: 
Steve Finn, Will Towers, Jim McBride

Rush

Nominees: 
Danny Hambrook, Martin Steyer, Stefan Korte, Markus Stemler, Frank Kruse

Production Sound Team: 
Adam Laschinger, Stefan Muller, Dickie Earl, Paul Paragon, Nick Gillet, Rashad Omar

Inside Llewyn Davis

Nominees: 
Peter F. Kurland CAS, Skip Lievsay CAS, Greg Orloff CAS, Paul Urmson

Production Sound Team: 
Randy Johnson, Timothia Sellers, Julian Townsend, Egor Panchenko

Oscar Nominees

The Oscar nominees for “Best Sound Mixing” were announced on Jan. 16, 2014. The 86th Academy Awards ceremony has been scheduled for March 2 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, Calif. ABC Television has renewed broadcast rights to the event that is also distributed to more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Captain Phillips

Nominees: 
Chris Munro CAS, Chris Burdon, Mark Taylor, Mike Prestwood Smith

Production Sound Team: 
Steve Finn, Jim McBride, Tim Fraser, Will Towers, Pud Cusack, Richard Bullock, Joel Reidy

Gravity

Nominees: 
Chris Munro CAS, Skip Lievsay CAS, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead

Production Sound Team: 
Steve Finn, Will Towers, Jim McBride

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Nominees: 
Tony Johnson, Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Michael Semanick CAS

Production Sound Team:
Corrin Ellingford, Steven Harris, Joel Anscombe, Chris Hiles, Sam Spicer

Inside Llewyn Davis

Nominees: 
Peter F. Kurland CAS, Skip Lievsay CAS, Greg Orloff CAS

Production Sound Team: 
Randy Johnson, Timothia Sellers, Julian Townsend, Egor Panchenko

Lone Survivor

Nominees: 
David Brownlow, Andrew Koyama CAS, Beau Borders CAS

Production Sound Team: 
Rob Hidalgo, Edwardo Santiago

Our Contributors

Contributors to this edition

Coleman Metts, CAS
Coleman has been a Production Sound Mixer for 20 years and a surfer and paddleboarder for even longer. Some of his credits include Donnie Darko, Bobby (about the assassination of Robert Kennedy), Project X, and the TV series Awkward and Dollhouse. With Ride, he was able to combine two passions.

 

James Tanenbaum, CAS
With decades of experience as a Production Mixer, Jim Tanenbaum, CAS is known to many as the man who “wrote the book” on timecode (Using Timecode in the Reel World) and as an educator. He has taught sound classes at UCLA since 1988, and traveled to Japan (1995), China (2010 and 2011) and Vietnam (2012) to train other mixers and film school students in the discipline of sound for movies and TV. He continues to work in production, most recently completing the first season of the reality series Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge. He worked on the last three years of James Cameron’s Avatar, and hopes to do Avatar 2, 3, and 4.

David Waelder
David has recorded sound for films for several decades and has been an editor of the 695 Quarterly since its inception five years ago.

News & Announcements

News & Announcements

THE EXPANDED FILM AND TELEVISION JOB CREATION ACT

Although California’s incentive program has been credited with preserving as many as 51,000 well-paying jobs in the state and generating $4.5 billion in economic activity, it falls well short of the need. Under its restrictive provisions, hundreds of film and television productions failed to qualify. Applicants for a California incentive had about the same chance of acceptance as a student applying to Harvard. Even producers wanting to shoot in California often felt compelled to take their projects to states with better incentives.

To address this need, Assembly Members Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) and Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) have introduced The Expanded Film and Television Job Creation Act (AB 1839). Their bill, co-authored by fifty-nine additional Assembly Members and nine State Senators, opens eligibility to a wider range of productions. It lifts the budget cap, extends eligibility to include pilots, makes television shows eligible regardless of the medium of distribution, extends the program for five years and offers additional incentives to stimulate production in California.

Sponsor Mike Gatto says, “This effort is a rare example of government appropriately taking steps to stem the loss of jobs out of state.”

Find out how you can support AB1839
and stay in touch with its progress
at www.BackToCA.com and at www.local695.com

A Tribute to Edison

Thomas Alva Edison, born in February 1847, is the father of the research lab and also, particularly, the father of recording sound for movies. His phonograph, invented in 1877, was the first practical recording and reproducing device. The initial design worked with a cutting tool to scratch the vibrations into tinfoil wrapped around a rotating cylinder. Later improvements enhanced its utility.

He also pursued the development of motion pictures and obtained a patent for the kinetograph, a film camera.

In 1879, the sale of an improved telegraph design to Western Union provided funds that he used to build Menlo Park, an industrial research laboratory that systematically sought to develop new products that might be marketed. It was the model for all the R&D labs that followed.

Not all his activities were beneficial. He also started the Motion Picture Patents Company (aka the Edison Trust) limiting access to motion picture technology to licensed companies. This forced potential competitors, like Cecil B. DeMille, to flee to California to pursue their ambitions away from patent enforcement agents. But, on the whole, his inventions were seminal and we acknowledge his accomplishments.

Fiona: Denny’s Job Action

Local 695 members turned out to support a job action at a Denny’s restaurant in North Hollywood. Fiona, a New York-based production company, was shooting a commercial but was forced to suspend production when key crew members refused to cross the picket line. We hope this will encourage them to bargain in good faith but the situation was still in flux as we went to press.

Update: Larry Levinson Productions

In the 2009 summer edition of 695 Quarterly, nearly five years ago, we reported on a job action at the Studio City offices of Hallmark Movie Channel. At that time, Larry Levinson Productions supplied much of the product for Hallmark. They pursued exploitative labor practices and vigorously resisted all organizing efforts. Since Hallmark is a company focused on family events, the union reasoned that they might feel more vulnerable to an action that brought attention to the family-unfriendly behavior of their main supplier.

More than two hundred union members turned out for three demonstrations in May and June of that year, communicating to Hallmark that they could not count on business as usual while a major content supplier denied overtime and health benefits to employees. After three days of action, the IATSE withdrew the picketers. This represents a strategy shift; sometimes the union will refrain from taking on an adversary in a fight to the death. Sometimes it’s better to give a company a little room to consider the advantages of cooperation.

I am pleased to report that circumstances today are much improved. While Larry Levinson Productions continues to supply product to Hallmark, and continues to intransigently resist organizing efforts, their role is now significantly diminished. Kyle Clark and Lina Wong, producers previously associated with Larry Levinson, split off and formed their own company, Silver Spring Pictures. Their company now supplies most of the Hallmark projects under an IATSE contract.

We believe the job action five years ago was instrumental in this change. It’s not important whether Hallmark insisted on the change or whether Levinson associates, reasoning that Hallmark would welcome a relationship with a production company holding union contracts, sought to provide it. Either way, members working Hallmark projects can earn hours toward health and welfare and have a contract that pays overtime wages.

There is much yet to be accomplished. Silver Spring Pictures is operating under a low-budget contract, not the Basic Agreement. It’s an incremental process but the first step is bringing them into the tent.

There are, I believe, lessons to take away from this. The first concerns the importance of responding to job-action calls whenever you can. The beneficial outcome of these actions may not be immediately apparent but they all carry a message to exploitative employers. The second takes the form of a challenge: The Hallmark demonstration was effective because more than two hundred turned out in support. Imagine what might have been accomplished if two thousand had answered the call and flooded Ventura Boulevard with protesting technicians.

–David Waelder

In Memoriam

GARY THEARD
Boom Operator
July 13, 1938 – Jan. 7, 2014

THOMAS A. MOORE Jr.
Mixer
July 7, 1951 – Jan. 30, 2014

From the Business Representative

From the Business Representative

In Perspective: Awards and Accomplishments

Whenever I meet with representatives from the AMPTP, I make a point of emphasizing that our members are the best craftspeople and technicians available anywhere. They are well informed on the latest technologies and skilled in their application. They work efficiently and provide the employer with the best quality outcome. The money paid in wages yields a dividend in results and productivity.

I urge members to continue to take advantage of courses and training opportunities offered through the Local to maintain that advantage in skill.

But, in this awards season, when Local 695 technicians feature so prominently among the nominees, I ask that you just take pride in the accomplishments of our members.

Please send me your thoughts on this perspective at jimo@local695.com

James A. Osburn, CAS
Business Representative
Executive Director

From the President

From the President

While David Waelder and I were comparing the ongoing progression of our toolset for sound mixing, I began to reminisce about the 1980s and my intermittent pilgrimages to the manufacturers of those tools. There was a moment when I looked at my sound cart and realized that I knew very little about why we did this work the way we did, and even less about how the tools we used came to be, or who created them. I began to read and search (pre-Google era) and collect antique gramophones, phonographs, cylinder recordings, and period publications related to the development of sound recording. I became aware of the contributions of the individuals who developed the tools we all use, going back to Thomas Edison’s invention of the tin foil phonograph in 1877. David suggested I share my visits with our members.

In 1987, I traveled to Europe for work and decided to visit the Nagra factory in Switzerland. I was using Sonosax mixers at the time, and since Sonosax was also in Switzerland, I extended my stay so I might see both.

That summer, I pulled up to the Kudelski facility, parked, and entered. I was warmly greeted by a gentleman in a long white lab coat and taken behind the “black curtain” of the Nagra. This was just when timecode Nagras were being introduced to the market and the staff projected a sense of intensity and purpose, almost a religiosity, as this was the next big thing for them, as, indeed it would soon be for us.

We toured the design lab, the prototype room and, very interestingly, the “motor board room,” where at least a dozen Nagra motors were lined up and running continuously 24/7 since their manufacture. They would be stopped only momentarily to change the worn carbon motor brushes. The earliest motors had ostensibly been running since 1959! This partially explains why 98% of the Nagra III’s in the world were still being used internationally almost twenty years after manufacture (genuinely by hand) had ceased. Damn good stuff.

The mood at Kudelski was very formal: Swiss button-down shirts, lab coats, ties—a laboratory staffed from central casting. The facility mirrored the personality of Stefan Kudelski, the inventor of the Nagra.

Twenty minutes down the road, I found the Sonosax shop, housed in a recycled brick building much like the loft conversions I had experienced while living in NYC in the 1970s (including my own). Jacques Sax was the resident genius inventor, occupying a position at Sonosax analogous to that of Kudelski at Nagra. We met at the door and walked together up the stairs to a converted loft, Swiss-style. There was not a lab coat to be found, everyone wore blue jeans and T-shirts and loud rock music was pervasive. It was a revelation to see the diversity of creative spirit in the design and fabrication of professional sound equipment. There was no one way to approach these things; it was the results that mattered.

The experience of meeting these folks in their actual work environments forever informed my subsequent conversations and interactions with them. I’ve continued this “pilgrimage” idea even today, visiting Schoeps in Germany, Rycote in the UK, Lectrosonics in New Mexico, Zaxcom in New Jersey and Denecke and Chinhda and others. These tinkerers and inventors have become a part of my professional family; my close association with them has enhanced my professional life, the growth of my skill, and my understanding of the design process. Each of them is a creative artist in their own right. Ours is an enterprise that depends on many varied creative energies and we each have a role to play.

Warm regards to all,
Mark Ulano
President
IATSE Local 695  

From the Editors

From the Editors

When it became necessary to film additional material for Dick Tracy, the original Mixer, Tom Causey, wasn’t available and Jim Webb was brought in for the extra scenes. Hearing that Jim Webb was mixing, Warren Beatty asked Duke Marsh, the Boom Operator, to have him come on the set so they might meet. As Webb appeared, Beatty extended his hand and said, “I’m so pleased to meet you. You’re a legend in this business.”

We are most pleased to offer a profile of this living legend so his accomplishments might become more widely known, especially among our younger members.

We also offer Coleman Metts’ account of a uniquely California experience on the surfing film Ride. Making a film on the water is always difficult; making one while balanced on a paddleboard is a particular challenge.

Jim Tanenbaum’s explanation of the Motion Capture and Performance Capture process is welcome and timely. This is a direction taken by more and more projects and we will all need to be familiar with the specifics. It’s a diverse mix of topics that we hope you’ll find interesting and useful.

Fraternally yours,
David Waelder, Eric Pierce and Richard Lightstone

Emmy Winners

65th Emmy Winners

[Names in BOLD are Local 695 members]

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Television Movie or Mini-Series

Boardwalk Empire “The Milkmaid’s Lot” HBO

Frank Stettner CAS,
Tom Fleischman CAS
George A. Lara

Production Sound Team:
Larry Provost
Sam Perry
Toussaint Kotright
Egor Panchenko
Tim Elder
Michelle Mader

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie

Behind the Candelabra HBO

Dennis Towns
Larry Blake
Thomas Vicari

Production Sound Team:
Javier M. Hernandez, Gerard Vernice, Mark Agostino

Outstanding Sound Mixing for Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation

Nurse Jackie “Teachable Moments” Showtime

Jan McLaughlin CAS
Peter Waggoner

Production Sound Team:
Brendan O’Brien, Joe Savastano

Outstanding Sound Mixing for Variety Series or Special

The 55th Annual Grammy Awards CBS

Thomas Holmes
Mikael Stewart
John Harris
Eric Schilling
Ron Reaves
Eric Johnston
Pablo Munguia
Tom Pesa
Michael Parker
Bob La Masney

Production Sound Team:
Paul Sandweiss
Michael Abbott
Rick Bramlette
Jeff Peterson
Phil Ramone
Barry Warrick
Andres Arango
Hank Neuberger
Billy McCarge
Dave Rickmears
JP Velasco
Steven Anderson
Craig Rovello
Bill Kappelman
Pete San Filipo
Ric Teller
Damon Andres
Eddie McKarge
Paul Chapman
Dennis Mays
Bruce Arledge
Kirk Donovan
Dave Bellamy
Grant Greene
John Arenas
Matt Compisi
Jim Fay
Thomas Ryden
Hugh Healy
Joel Singer
Charles Campbell
Anthony Catalano
Mike Babbitt

Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming

History of the Eagles Showtime

Tom Fleischman CAS
Bret Johnson
Richard Davis
Elliot Scheiner
Mike Harlow
Production Sound Team: Alan Barker, Tyler Wood

 

Our Contributors

Contributors to this edition

Joseph Magee, CAS
Joseph Magee’s twenty-plus years of work in music record and playback encompasses both production and post-production work. He has completed work on more than eighty features and won two Golden Reel Awards and a Grammy nomination.

 

 

Gary Raymond
Gary Raymond has provided Music Playback on more than eighty-five films and TV shows and has an Emmy Certificate for Best Sound for Scrubs and Castle and Emmy nominations for Dexter. Recent projects include Love and Mercy (the Brian Wilson/Beach Boys film), The Originals and Get On Up (the James Brown bio picture).

 

 

Phillip W. Palmer, CAS
Phillip Palmer has worked in production sound for twenty-five years, mixing for the last fourteen. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles as the Production Sound Mixer on Glee for FOX Television.

 

 

Scott Smith, CAS
A forty-year veteran of the music and film business, Mr. Smith has handled the sound recording duties on over forty feature films and TV productions. He is a two-time Oscar nominee and the recipient of the CAS Award and BAFTA Award for Best Sound for The Fugitive. Mr. Smith is principal owner of Chicago Audio Works, which provides production sound and related post services for film and TV productions nationwide.

 

 

Anna Wilborn
Anna began her career in Post till bitten by the production bug in 2005. A native Los Angeleno, USC alum and second-generation Local 695 member, Anna’s production credits include Scrubs, Castle, The Change-Up and, currently, Nashville.

 

 

Phillip W. Palmer photo by Mark Edward Harris, Emmy magazine. All other photos courtesy of the respective contributors

News & Announcements

News & Announcements

IATSE Local 695 Bannering Effort

“Bannering” is a labor organizing effort that is implemented to inform the public, as well as businesses and organizations that support a recalcitrant employer, of its resistance to hold good-faith negotiations with labor.

The IATSE has mobilized local unions across multiple states to encourage the PAC-12 Network to negotiate a contract for our Sports Broadcasting Bargaining Unit. Members of Local 695 are now participating in a “Bannering” effort to encourage the PAC-12 Network to keep its broken promise to meet with the IATSE to implement a contract guaranteeing wages, working conditions and health and pension benefits.

Third Quarter Membership Meeting

Vice President Jay Patterson and Recording Secretary Elizabeth Alvarez had the pleasurable task, at the Quarterly Membership Meeting held September 28, of recognizing continuous service by four members. Projectionist Alan Black qualified for his Permanent Membership Gold Card, a privilege available to retired members at age 75. Projectionist Eliot L. Yaffe and Production Sound Technician Peggy Waggoner Names each received thirty-five-year pins for their continuous service. Peggy Names was the first woman to join Local 695 in production audio and continues to serve as Trustee. Projectionist Matthew Powell received his twenty- five-year pin from Jay Patterson. At that meeting, Jay and Elizabeth and the membership also welcomed new member Devona L. Williams, a Y7A Utility Sound Technician.

Keep our work in California

We need your help to get our message to the state legislators…
Local 695 has joined the other West Coast IA locals to form the Entertainment Union Coalition (EUC), whose mission is to “achieve a competitive California Entertainment Incentive that will return, restore and retain good-paying entertainment jobs to California.” We will engage professionals, legislators, local government leaders and the unions to level the playing field and offer competitive production tax incentives in California. We need volunteers to move this forward and make it happen. WILL YOU HELP? Contact us now at … info@local695.com

In Memoriam

OZZIE SIMON
Boom Operator
June 3, 1931 – Aug. 13, 2013

LEE STROSNIDER
Production Sound Mixer
March 28, 1931 – Nov. 29, 2013

From the Business Representative

From the Business Representative

In Perspective: Exploitation and Manufacturing

Anytime someone uses your technical expertise to make money, you are being exploited. When the process is not accompanied by proper compensation, you are being badly exploited. All too often our future is predetermined when the exploiter and his messengers pursue the path of least resistance.

J.P. Rangaswami, chief scientist of Salesforce.com and Trustee of the Web Science Trust, recently published in Scientific American under the title “Manufacturing, Hollywood-Style,” that “in the not too distant future, the business of making things will require the skills, temperament and workflow of a good film crew.” Mr. Rangaswami went on to say, “The film industry knows about iteration. It knows about scripts, recipes and specifications.” He added that “All of us will be able to bring back the original meaning of manufacture as we make things that feed us, keep us healthy, repair us and entertain us.”

Mr. Rangaswami’s assertions serve to define the contribution our members make to our industry when they bring their technical expertise to a production. When some employers demand work at state minimum hourly wages to ensure themselves a profit we do not share in, they clearly exploit us. Our skills, craft and technical expertise are an essential contribution to the success of the production product; something for you to think about.

Please send me your thoughts on this perspective at jimo@local695.com

James A. Osburn, CAS
Business Representative
Executive Director

From the President

From the President

Dear Fellow Members,

This has been a hard year for many of our members as the business continues to morph into more and more unrecognizable forms. I say to those most affected by these stormy waters: keep heart and positive in spirit. Take this time to double down on the new knowledge needed to stay at the top of your craft. Take this time to become more fully informed about the obligation of service your union holds for you and how to best access this resource for your particular situation. When you act with knowledge, you leverage the strengths of professional union representation.

Read the Local’s Constitution and By-Laws and the contracts under which we work, all available on our official website. Know what you’re paying for and what your rights are. Don’t be timid about the relationship with your union. Define the issues that matter to you and engage. Join committees and express your real-life experience in the development of policy. Your representatives can best focus resources when they have regular input; the institution draws its strength from the participation of its members.

Exercise your right to vote in this election. Make yourself heard.

This holiday season is a time for reflection and strategy and this is where we should be placing our creative energies.

I wish you and your families well and safe holidays to all.

Warmest regards and Fraternally,

Mark Ulano
President
IATSE Local 695

From the Editors

From the Editors

For this issue, we focus our attention on just one of the sixteen different categories that comprise Local 695. We have four articles from members who specialize in music for cinema and TV, and they provide us with their perspectives on doing playback, pre-records and live recording.

Phillip Palmer tells us about the challenges of Glee, where he often handles up to six musical numbers per episode.

Nashville has an equally ambitious agenda and Anna Wilborn tells us how Joe Foglia handles those tasks with grace and wit.

Gary Raymond addresses the technical requirements of file formats for playback and Joseph Magee shares the lessons he’s learned over several decades of working with music in both production and post production.

Playback and live-record have their own lingo and some equipment may be unfamiliar even to working professionals. We’ve included a glossary of specialized terms at the end of each article for the benefit of our non-technical readers and members working outside these particular disciplines.

We think you’ll find good reading, and we are pleased to shine a light on a creative field that deserves more attention.

Fraternally yours,
David Waelder, Eric Pierce and Richard Lightstone

Emmy Nominations

Congratulations to the nominees and their production sound teams for the 65th Annual Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Sound Mixing

Comedy or Drama Series (One-Hour)

Boardwalk Empire “The Milkmaid’s Lot” HBO

Frank Stettner CAS, Tom Fleischman CAS, George A. Lara

Production Sound Team:
Larry Provost, Sam Perry, Toussaint Kotright, Egor Panchenko, Tim Elder, Michelle Mader

Breaking Bad “Dead Freight” AMC

Darryl L. Frank, Jeffrey Perkins, Eric Justen

Production Sound Team:
Jeffrey Perkins, Eric Justen

Game of Thrones “And Now His Watch Is Ended” HBO

Ronan Hill CAS, Onnalee Blank CAS, Mathew Waters

Production Sound Team:
Simon Kerr, James Atkinson, Matteo De Pellegrini, Luke McGinley

Homeland “Beirut Is Back” Showtime

Larry Long, Nello Torri, Alan Decker, Larold Rebhun

Production Sound Team:
Matt Fann, Jack Hill

Mad Men “The Flood” AMC

Peter Bentley, Ken Teaney, Alec St. John

Production Sound Team:
Christopher Sposa, Bud Raymond

Miniseries or a Movie

American Horror Story: Asylum “Welcome to Briarcliff” FX Networks

Sean Rush, Joe Earle, Doug Andham

Production Sound Team:
Dennis Fuller, Kriston Wilcox, John Bauman

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome Syfy

Rick Bal CAS, Daniel Colman, John W. Cook II, Peter Nusbaum

Production Sound Team:
Greg Hewett, Matthew Willoughby-Price

Behind the Candelabra HBO

Dennis Towns, Larry Blake, Thomas Vicari

Production Sound Team:
Javier M. Hernandez, Gerard Vernice, Mark Agostino

The Bible “Beginnings” HISTORY

Dan Johnson, Scott Jones

Production Sound Team:
Jon Thomas, Doug Dreger, Judi Headman, Mitchell Low, Nourdine Zaoui

Phil Spector HBO

Gary Alper, Roy Waldspurger, Michael Barry CAS

Production Sound Team: 
Tim Elder, Jason Stasium

Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation

Modern Family “My Hero” ABC

Stephen A. Tibbo CAS, Brian R. Harman, Dean Okrand

Production Sound Team:
Srdjan “Serge” Popovic, Dan Lipe, Peter Hansen

Nurse Jackie “Teachable Moments” Showtime

Jan McLaughlin CAS, Peter Waggoner

Production Sound Team:
Brendan O’Brien, Joe Savastano

The Office Finale NBC

Ben Patrick CAS, John W. Cook, Rob Carr

Production Sound Team:
Brian Wittle, Nicolas Carbone

Parks and Recreation “Leslie and Ben” NBC

Steve Morantz CAS, John W. Cook, Ken Kobett

Production Sound Team:
Adam Blanz, Mitch Cohn

30 Rock “Mazel Tov, Dummies!” NBC

Griffin Richardson, Tony Pipitone

Production Sound Team:
Chris Fondulas, Bryant Musgrove, Larry Loewinger

Variety Series or Special

American Idol Finale FOX

Edward Greene CAS, Brian Riordan, Adrian Ordonez, Ryan Young, Randy Faustino, Gary Long, Patrick Baltzell, Michael Parker, Christian Schrader

The Colbert Report Episode 8137B Comedy Central

Todd Kilponen, Bob Walker, Robert Selito, Jay Vicari

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Episode 17153 Comedy Central

Tim Lester, Horst Hartmann, Rocky Magistro, Jay Vicari

The 55th Annual Grammy Awards CBS

Thomas Holmes, Mikael Stewart, John Harris, Eric Schilling, Ron Reaves, Eric Johnston, Pablo Munguia, Tom Pesa, Michael Parker, Bob La Masney

The Oscars Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ABC

Paul Sandweiss, Thomas Vicari, Biff Dawes, Pablo Munguia, Kristian Pedregon, Josh Morton, Emily McDonnell, Patrick Baltzell, Michael Parker, Bob La Masney

Nonfiction Programming

The Amazing Race “Be Safe and Don’t Hit a Cow” CBS

Jim Ursulak, Dean Gaveau CAS, Jerry Chabane, Troy Smith

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown “Myanmar” CNN

Benny Mouthon

Crossfire Hurricane HBO

Jason W. Jennings, Steve Pederson

Deadliest Catch “Mutiny on the Bering Sea” Discovery Channel

Bob Bronow CAS

History of the Eagles Showtime

Tom Fleischman CAS, Bret Johnson, Richard Davis, Elliot Scheiner

Survivor “Create a Little Chaos” CBS

Terry Dwyer

Education & Training

Education & Training

by Laurence B. Abrams

Wireless Mikes and FCC Licensing

A look at federal regulations, an $82,500 fine, changing realities of the RF landscape … and of course, White Spaces  

Most often, the production sound recording technique of choice is the open microphone positioned a short distance from the actor and operated by a specially trained Microphone Boom Operator. Modern production realities, however, often dictate alternative solutions. And frequently, that means the use of wireless microphones. They, too, require specialized training but unlike a boom, they also require a license.  

Created by Congress in the Communications Act of 1934, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was originally mandated with the task of regulating all commercial and amateur and ham radio transmissions so as to eliminate interference between the various transmitting entities. One of the many ways Congress has expanded upon that is to also require the FCC to “ensure that the American people have available, at reasonable costs and without discrimination, rapid, efficient, nationwide and worldwide communication services whether by radio, television, wire, satellite or cable.”

That means that the FCC must oversee all equipment that emits RF (radio frequencies). It began with television and radio broadcasters but as the range of communications systems and tools and gadgets that operate over the airwaves have expanded, so has the list of devices that come under the watchful eye of the FCC. Today, this includes RC toy cars and planes, wireless computer networks in the home, automobile remote entry systems, microwave ovens (which cook your food with high-energy radio waves), electric garage door openers … and of course, the wireless communications of picture and sound.

FCC licensing for wireless mikes

So if the FCC regulates ALL the radio microphones we use in production, are we required to get a license from the FCC in order to operate them?

A small portion of the broadcast spectrum has been made available for wireless microphone use WITHOUT the need for a license. In each geographic location, there are two UHF channels set aside for unlicensed operation in houses of worship, small theaters and other small-scale use. When operated in these narrow frequency ranges and at transmitting powers below 100 mW, a license from the FCC is not required.

Anything else, however, is NOT authorized for use without a license. That means that the FCC says you need a license if you want to operate anything between 470 MHz and 698 MHz … which includes UHF channels 14-51 and Lectro Blocks 470 and 19 through 26 … at transmitting powers of up to 250 mW. The exceptions would be 608 MHz to 614 MHz (UHF channel 37) and 488 MHz to 494 MHz (UHF channel 17) in Hawaii as well as additional UHF channels which may be reserved locally for public safety and rescue operations (i.e., channels 14, 15, 16, and 20 in Los Angeles). Any individual who operates radio mikes in the frequencies we use every day at work, when not in the presence of someone who holds the appropriate FCC license, is subject to action taken against them by the FCC.

What can the FCC do to us?

In the event of a violation, the FCC has the option to issue something called an NAL … a Notice of Apparent Liability. The NAL can contain anything from a stern warning to monetary fines of up to $11,000 per incident with a maximum of $82,500 per day and/or a one-year sentence in federal prison. And for the record, they can confiscate your radio equipment too.

The good news is … we don’t know of this ever actually happening to anyone working on a movie set. Nonetheless, the possibility of action taken against you is real. FCC Section 47, Part 74 of the Government’s Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) contains the rules that specifically pertain to the use of wireless devices in motion picture and television broadcast production and we strongly advise that you review them. You can see FCC Section 47, Part 74 here at http://goo.gl/N25lP

So … if unlicensed operation of the radio transmitters we use daily on nearly all motion picture and television productions is prohibited … and yet punitive legal action against us is rarely if ever implemented … is there still any reason to get a license? Yes. And this introduces a critically important aspect of this story. White Spaces.

This is where things start to get bad

The radio frequency spectrum is a finite resource shared by television and radio broadcasters, police, firemen, the military, Citizen’s Band, radio astronomers, aircraft, wireless LANs, maritime communications, satellite television broadcasters, Bluetooth, mobile phones and much more. The low-powered devices that we transmit with during film and television production must find an open, unused spot that sits free of interference amongst the mass of RF activity that constantly surrounds it. These unused spots are called White Spaces.

Not so very long ago, the RF landscape began to change rapidly with the adoption of HD television standards and the Telecommunications Act of 1996, quickly followed by a radio frequency “land grab” by corporate giants like Google, Microsoft, Verizon and many others. The engine behind this change has been the huge economic potential those companies can gain by monetizing the wireless spectrum for their own purposes. This is why we need to pay attention to White Space Devices (WSDs), which are soon to be deployed across the spectrum.

A WSD is a device that can hop onto any “unregistered” UHF channel in the spectrum for the purpose of communicating with a person or another device. A White Space-enabled device theoretically checks in with the White Space Database regularly to determine if the channel it wants to use is blocked off by virtue of being registered to a licensed operator. If the channel is blocked, the WSD tries another and another until it finds an open channel upon which to operate.

When you have an FCC Part 74 license, you are authorized to register the frequencies you plan to use in a registry called the White Space Database, thereby blocking those frequencies from use by the WSDs. If you don’t do that, and if you are using a frequency in a channel that a WSD sees as not registered, then it will simply blow your signal away. Remember … your radio mike is transmitting at 50 mW but a WSD can transmit up to 1000 mW and over an entire UHF channel (approximately 40% of a Lectrosonics block). The only way to be protected from being overpowered by a WSD is to be a licensed user and to register yourself in the White Space Database (which is authorized by the FCC, but is actually operated by 10 independent but interconnected database administrators). A Part 74 Low Power Broadcast Auxiliary License has priority over any White Space Device. But an unlicensed operator, operating on something other than the two UHF channels reserved for unlicensed use in a particular area, has no priority over a WSD and can very easily get stepped on.

The growing impact

The demand for radio microphones is increasing with the proliferation of reality television which relies almost exclusively on wireless transmission, and with new styles of multi-camera dramatic production which place much greater demands on the use of wireless mikes. And yet the availability of the wireless frequencies needed for this type of production continues to diminish. The narrow RF slices of the UHF spectrum we depend upon are shrinking so dramatically that they are truly endangered. The equipment we use in production would, of course, be entirely inoperable without suitable radio space within which to operate them.

The path forward

What can be done to protect the RF frequencies we need in order to be able to continue to use our radio mikes legally and without interference? According to its mandate, the FCC is required to protect the RF space operated by entities who are licensed to use it. Primary Users (UHF TV stations) and Secondary Users (licensed wireless mike user transmitting on channels they’ve registered with the FCC) are authorized to have priority over any and all unlicensed users. For example, the FCC must protect the rights of TV broadcasters to operate in frequencies they are licensed to use. And if the TV broadcasters have issues or concerns about those frequencies or about new policies or changes under consideration that may hinder their operation, the FCC is required by law to take those concerns into consideration. Similarly, if you get a license for the operation of your equipment as a Secondary User, the FCC is mandated to give consideration to your concerns, as well.

A license grants you priority to operate your transmitters when unlicensed operators are in the same area. And a license gives you the ability to submit your data into the White Space Database, thus protecting your transmitters from getting squashed by roaming WSDs. And, with respect to future FCC regulations and actions, a license allows all of us to build a collective voice for wireless mike users during the months and years ahead as the evolution of RF space moves forward. The small remaining bands of the UHF spectrum that we use will need to be protected if we expect to continue to operate within them. This is why we recommend that Production Sound Mixers and Microphone Boom Operators and Utility Sound Technicians and Video Assist Technicians and Engineers consider acquiring an FCC license.

How to get an FCC license

The license that you would get is called a Part 74 Low Power Broadcast Auxiliary License, and it is specifically designated for individuals who operate equipment used for film and television production. The easiest way to apply for an FCC Part 74 license is through the FCC’s online application form, which is not to say that it is in any way easy … it’s just that the online form is easier than filing the written application form.

Whether using the written form or the online form, it’s a difficult process with numerous pitfalls for anyone who hasn’t done it many times before. To assist you in getting through the licensing application process, Local 695 has developed a website to provide you with related information, updated FCC news and perhaps most importantly, a detailed set of instructions on how to complete the license application. We offer guidance on two possible paths you could choose to follow:

1) Pay a professional to handle the hardest part of the application for you.

Or

2) Follow a comprehensive step-by-step guide that we created to walk you through the entire application procedure from start to finish.

Either way, the website will offer help in getting through the entire process. You can find our FCC website, including complete instructions to obtain the Part 74 license at www.local695.com/fcc. We encourage you to visit the site and then take the steps to acquire an FCC Part 74 license.

IATSE LOCAL 695
5439 Cahuenga Boulevard
North Hollywood, CA 91601
phone  (818) 985-9204
email  info@local695.com