Features

by Steve Morrow

From my very first meeting, it was obvious that Bradley Cooper knew he wanted A Star Is Born to feel real and immersive. He certainly achieved that in this film, with handheld camera work and live vocals, he leads us into a world that feels simultaneously epic and intimately authentic.

As a director, Cooper cultivated a great atmosphere on set that was familial and inspiring to work in. Communication and collaboration were paramount for him, which fostered an environment where every member of the cast and crew could perform at their best.

There was never any doubt that Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga would be singing live. Neither of them wanted the film to feel like a traditional musical and there would be no lip-syncing to playback. For me, this was a dream come true, recording a music-based film and capturing the performances live, with the production sound being the vocal track instead of a studio recording.

For the next few months, I ran through different concept setups to figure out exactly how to get the best vocals and tracks possible for the various scenarios we would be shooting in. To ensure that we had the best system in place, we set up a mini-concert during prep to run through and test the concepts. We ultimately landed on having the band perform to playback with just the vocals being recorded live. Jason Ruder, Music Editor, and one of the re-recording mixers, did a quick mix of the prep mini-concert and with Warner Bros., Cooper, and Gaga happy it was clear that we had landed on the right method.

The movie opens on Jackson Maine’s performance at Stagecoach, the entire scene was filmed live at Stagecoach in only eight minutes. We shot between two concert acts, Jamie Johnson and Willie Nelson. Moving only between their sets meant we got our gear up in the few minutes allotted before Johnson’s set and then filmed and broke down in the minutes before Nelson’s set. One of the biggest concerns to everyone was the potential of music being leaked while filming at these venues with live crowds. To counter that, we came up with an earwig playback setup with no amplification. The performers could hear the music and the singing was recorded live, but the crowd couldn’t hear the vocals or music beyond the first couple of rows. We modified this system for Glastonbury where we had to be super mobile, we were a skeleton crew with only four minutes to set up and shoot. We had the festival’s monitor mixer put the instrument playback into Cooper’s wedge at a low level, and he sang live (unamplified) in front of one hundred thousand festival goers. The crowds were always so fantastic and excited even though they couldn’t hear much of anything. There were some fun headlines at the time about technical difficulties causing the lack of amplification, but it was all a part of the plan to keep the music as secret as possible.

We shot performances all over, from Coachella and Stagecoach, to Glastonbury, the Shrine Auditorium, the Greek Theatre, the Orpheum, to the Palm Springs Convention Center, a few small nightclubs and a drag bar. We had to be prepared to record absolutely everything live, which meant up to sixty-one tracks of audio at any given time. I used two Midas M32R mixers with a digital stage snake, each mixer has thirty-two inputs and by combining them via Dante into the Sound Devices 970, I could record all the tracks needed. We muted the musicians’ instruments through the amps but still recorded the feeds for post to use. To help capture the atmosphere, we used a DPA 5100 surround sound mic in the crowd and two shotgun mics, one at stage left and right, aimed at the crowd for their reactions. We created a room mapping whenever possible by recording an impulse response for post to be able to take the original studio instrument recordings and balance them to sound like they were recorded live with the vocals in each venue.

For the track “Always Remember Us This Way” (one of my favorites in this film), Gaga requested a digital grand piano so we could record the piano isolated from the vocals. We were able to take a stereo feed from the digital piano to track her playing, record the vocals cleanly, and keep the music from being heard by the crowd.

For regular production days, we were a three-man crew: myself, Craig Dollinger (Boom Operator), and Michael Kaleta (Sound Utility.) On music days, we had Nick Baxter on our team as our Pro Tools music editor and monitor mixer Antoine Arvizu. Each music day was like throwing a concert, and the whole team was needed to set up and break down the mics, cabling, stage snakes, in ears and earwigs. These days, we generally had a three-hour pre-call, to set up the wedges, mic all the instruments, and get everything patched to a Midas digital stage box. We used the stage box to split the signal of all the feeds, one to me at the cart and the other to a monitor mixer at the side of stage. The monitor mixer would control the reverb that was heard by Gaga and Cooper via Phonak Earwigs. We would also route the singing and music to the band through earwigs for the concerts with live crowds since the music and singing were not amplified. At the cart, I worked off of the two Midas M32R’s recording to two Sound Devices 970’s. I prepared for sixty-four tracks, our highest track count was sixty-one. We were also joined on set by Jason Ruder, there to observe our recording process during music performances to make handling all the tracks in post as easy as possible.

Music interacting with the script was so important to Cooper’s vision of the film. He wanted the songs to be a character in the film and each word of the music there to propel and reflect the story. To help achieve this, multiple songs would often be performed in one setup so that he could have the options available when he went into editing. On our end, we built each Pro Tools session to include nearly all of the film’s music so we could easily and quickly switch from song to song at a moment’s notice, with some songs being added the day of shooting.

There’s always a sense of fun on set when you do a music-driven film. In between setups, the band would jam out and occasionally, Matthew Libatique would grab a camera and start rolling on the action. I was often glued to my seat staring at the monitors as we could just start rolling at any minute. This film is one of the most rewarding I’ve worked on to date, filled with plenty of technical challenges and lots of fun. Bradley Cooper’s directorial leadership always let you know you were an integral part of something special. It was an honor to work with both he and Lady Gaga, two incredibly talented and passionate artists.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout marks my second outing in the series and third film with Tom Cruise. I had previously worked on Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, but collaborated with a new team for this latest installment. My longstanding colleagues, Steve Finn and Anthony Ortiz, who worked on Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, both decided to make the break to mixing. I’m pleased to say both were successful, and hopefully, they learned as much from me as I learned from them in the years we spent together.

by Chris Munro

Previous experience has taught me to expect the unexpected; after all, anything can happen. So, upon starting pre-production, it came as no surprise when one of my first meetings with Tom Cruise was at the London Heliport in Battersea. It took place as Cruise piloted the helicopter that took us to an airfield close to the studios. He explained there was a plan for a helicopter-chase sequence in the film where he needed to be able to pilot the helicopter with no visible headset or helmet. At this stage there was no script, and for some weeks, we worked with Writer/Director/Producer Christopher McQuarrie, verbally explaining the storyline. The Mission films are all about practical stunts and FX so everything has to work in real-life situations.

Fortunately, I have worked on a number of films featuring helicopters and used them as an essential means of reaching challenging locations. The most notable project, Black Hawk Down, garnered me an Academy Award for Best Sound.

I had previously considered using bone conduction technology, most recently on Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation for the sequence where Tom Cruise is on the outside of a giant Airbus A400M in flight. The technology has been around for years, but I learned that the military had adopted it, which greatly improved the audio quality. The challenge with older technology is that many of the sounds in speech are made in the mouth and not all transmitted through bone conduction. Without these sounds, speech can sometimes be less intelligible. The research process was quite extensive, as not all information was readily accessible. I eventually came upon a company that was developing bone conduction headsets for commercial use, but the caveat was headsets needed to be custom made. Thus, we needed to arrange for an audiologist to take impressions of Cruise’s ears and create concealed bone conduction headsets specifically for him.

Photo: Chiabella James.

The next stage was to test if and how they would work. I set up four large powered speakers in a studio office and played back helicopter sounds at a level in which you could not hear someone speak. We then invited Tom Cruise to sit in the room with the earpieces fitted and connected to a walkie-talkie. Incidentally, the earpieces also offered a high degree of hearing protection, which would be important for anyone spending hours in a helicopter without a headset. I went outside the room with another walkie-talkie, and we were able to communicate perfectly. With the first stage complete, I now had to work out how the system would function in a helicopter.

At this stage, the model of helicopter had not been determined, though we knew that it would be one made by Airbus Industries. Speaking with Airbus engineers, I established that different helicopters may use different avionics systems, and it was not possible to modify or interfere with these in any way given it may affect airworthiness of the aircraft.

As a result, I called upon long-term collaborator Jim McBride, who has been the technical wizard on many films that I have been involved with in the past such as Black Hawk Down, Gravity, and Captain Phillips. McBride has worked in varying technical capacities on films, as well as in music, and even in a nuclear power station. McBride and I decided we needed to build totally independent self-powered interfaces that were isolated from the helicopter avionics, yet could still use the same PTT (push to talk) button on the helicopter cyclic or control stick.

Once we had prototype interfaces made, we were ready to start testing with helicopters. With the assistance of aeronautical engineers, we went back to Denham Airfield and installed our equipment in a helicopter. Pleased with the results, we sought approval from Tom Cruise and asked him to give it a try. The first thing Tom did before take-off was to call the control tower for a radio check. ATC reported good quality but were suspicious. The controller remarked he didn’t believe we were in a helicopter because it was too clear, as he couldn’t hear any engine or rotor noise. This result was due to the fact we’d used the bone conduction units fitted in Cruise’s ears with minimal pickup of background noise.

The next step was sorting how we would connect to a recorder. The limited space within the helicopter prompted us to find something that could be easily hidden when cameras were fitted.
 
We originally thought about using a radio link to connect to a hidden multitrack recorder that would also be recording 5.1 FX but wanted to avoid radio transmission within the helicopter if possible. I decided to record to Lectrosonics PDRs which would have timecode sync with cameras and could be easily hidden. We made an output on the helicopter communication interfaces for them to connect to.

Even with production not yet underway, I had put in a substantial contribution to the film. This level of prep was essential for sound efficiency and to ensure all ran smoothly. In some respects, there are similarities to sound design in the theatre, and perhaps a production sound designer would be a more appropriate title considering we no longer mix to a mono or stereo Nagra. The mixing component of our job has become less important; however, our responsibilities have increased proportionately with the advancements in technology.

The helicopter sequences were not at the start of the schedule so we still had a little time to perfect the systems. Shooting began in Paris in April of 2017 at the Grand Palais, with car and motorbike chases throughout central Paris. I was joined by UK assistants Lloyd Dudley and Jim Hok, as well as Paris-based assistant Gautier Isern, who had recently finished working with Mark Weingarten on Dunkirk.

I needed a small multitrack capability at this stage and experimented with the Zoom F8 and the DPA 5100 surround mic which we could easily hide in the BMW M5 cars. Given we had several cars with different camera rigs, their relative low cost made it possible to hide one in every car. We used radio mics on the actors, primarily so that we could record a rushes track for editorial purposes. This also allowed McQ to monitor performances in a follow vehicle. Supervising Sound Editor James Mather, his dialog editors, along with Re-recording Mixer Mike Prestwood Smith, would later decide which of the mics worked best. We also mounted transmitters on various parts of the car exterior with DPA 4160 mics to get sound FX. We followed the chases in a specially adapted high-speed-chase vehicle with antennae mounted for sound and video and remote camera heads. The van was rigged to carry McQ, DP (who also operated a remote head camera), video assist, another camera remote, and 1st ACs. We would chase the cars or motorbikes whist shooting either from cameras mounted on the action vehicles, tracking vehicles, or very often, an electric bike. We always had a team pre-rigging the next car or bike to be used after a shot was complete. Our team rigged mics on every camera tracking vehicle whether it be the Russian Arm, an electric camera bike or ATV. The rear-mounted mics on the cars and bikes were rigged close to the exhausts, while others were mounted close to the engines. I was particularly looking for FX that sounded real, knowing that sound FX editors could use these later as a base to create a much bigger soundscape. I was not always looking for super-clean FX but usually something raw that sounded more documentary style rather than super-clean FX. That said, I did usually try to record clean interior ambiences in 5.1 with the DPA 5100 surround mic.

The Grand Palais sequences were set in a big music event with lasers, light shows, and projected graphics that all had to be in sync, so we worked closely with an AV company to provide audio playback linked to a timeline based on timecode from playback to ensure continuity from shot to shot of graphics, sound, and lighting. Several weeks were spent working in Paris shooting a major action sequence alongside the River Seine. The sequence is where Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) once again meets Soloman Lane (Sean Harris). Sean had previously established that the voice of his character was quiet yet menacing. It was not easy to record during the mayhem of the wild action sequence, but we managed to capture it while retaining his performance.

The following location was in Queenstown on New Zealand South Island where we started with sequences set in a medi-camp prior to shooting helicopter sequences. Steve Harris joined our crew here, as he had worked on several films in New Zealand, thus very familiar with the landscape. Many of our locations required travel by helicopter, so I needed an ultra-small shooting rig that could give me the facilities of my normal rig yet fit easily into a helicopter. I built a rig on one of the larger all-terrain Zuca carts fitted out with a Zoom F8, a custom-built aux output box with the ability to send feeds to video and comms, an IFB transmitter, a Lectrosonics VR field with six radio mic receiver channels powered by a lead acid block battery in the base.

On our first helicopter shooting day, the 1st AD told me with a grin, we would be starting with dialog on the first shot and had dialog to record from Henry Cavill hanging outside a helicopter. Fortunately, I had already taken the precaution of having bone conduction earpieces made for Henry. These were invaluable when connected to a Lectrosonics PDR to record his dialog in flight. I also needed to record sound FX inside the helicopter, and I used the smallest multitrack with timecode that I could find, the Zoom F8. We fixed a DPA 5100 5.1 microphone to the interior roof and hid the F8 under a seat. This was done so if it were caught in camera, the 5100 could look as if it were part of the helicopter. We were able to start/stop and adjust levels on the F8 without needing to access it by using the F8 controller app on an iPhone. Similar to the Paris chase sequences, I wanted the FX to sound real and not like enhanced library recordings. Thus, a little wind on Henry’s mic often added to the reality. Additionally, because the bone conduction units were largely unaffected by background noise, the 5.1 recordings could be useful even if only certain elements of the six tracks would be used.

Tom Cruise always piloted his own helicopter with cameras mounted on it. Director Christopher McQuarrie would fly in another and film from at least one other camera helicopter. Because the helicopters would take off and shoot for at least thirty minutes at a time, Editor Eddie Hamilton asked if I could record McQ’s helicopter comms in addition to what I was recording of Tom and Henry for the takes. This would allow him to align with exactly what McQ was intending for each shot. I used another PDR for this because of the timecode sync capability and small size. At the end of the day, we became data wranglers downloading the various SD cards and making sound reports.

After New Zealand, we returned to the UK to shoot in studio and various London locations, eventually joined by Hosea Ntaborwa. I had mentored Hosea when he was at the National Film and TV School on behalf of BAFTA and Warner Bros. creative talent. This was one of his first jobs after graduating and since then, has become part of my regular team working with us on The Voyage of Dr. Dolittle and Spider-Man: Far from Home. We had some rather challenging locations in London and it was whilst shooting on one of these, Cruise injured his ankle.

The company went on hiatus for a few weeks, which gave me an opportunity to prepare for the HALO jump sequence. That is High Altitude Low Opening and involved Tom Cruise jumping from an aircraft at an altitude high enough to require oxygen. We had a huge wind tunnel built on the backlot in the studio so that the skydive team could plan and practice manoeuvres while
experimenting with camera angles. The wind tunnel was also useful for my first asssistant Lloyd Dudley and I to develop the system for recording Cruise during the jump. We were able to set up communications between the skydive team, McQ, camera operator, and ground safety.

The wind tunnel was incredibly noisy so we were appreciative of the fact that the bone conducting earpieces offered a high degree of hearing protection. The skydive team were amazed that we managed to achieve audible communication in the wind tunnel, which made it much easier to plan shots and make adjustments. The team warned that skydivers have been trying for years to get good recordings during the dives but that they were always battling against wind noise and that it would be impossible to record. I reminded them that this was Mission: Impossible!

When we began shooting again, many of the locations were very inhospitable to sound, but nothing I had not come across before. The team also continued on studio sets at WB studios at Leavesden.

During this time, I continued to prepare for the HALO jump sequence, which was to be shot in Abu Dhabi. We did a number of tests with Cruise and the skydive team jumping from a Cesna Caravan at various UK sites. What we couldn’t test was what would happen at the highest altitudes when oxygen was required, and the jump was from a giant C17 aircraft. I was concerned with safety and that the equipment we were using in both Tom and the skydiver’s helmets was intrinsically safe. The dive helmets contained lighting which could potentially ignite the oxygen, so we arranged for tests to be done in an RAF lab with all of the equipment used for the HALO jump. We also had dialog to record inside the C17 as the jump progressed from a dialog scene directly into the jump. We shot some exteriors of the C17 and interiors on the ground at RAF Brize Norton near Oxford in the UK. This at least gave us a chance to consider what we would be up against.

Eventually, the time came to travel to Abu Dhabi. My crew there was Lloyd Dudley and Hosea Ntaborwa. Lloyd concentrated mainly on looking after Tom Cruise’s bone conduction headsets and fitting Lectrosonics PDR recorders to actors. Hosea was in charge of comms for the skydive team and recording 5.1 FX in the aircraft. I was particularly interested in sounds of breathing and how that can add tension. Once we played some of these sounds for Tom, he immediately wanted it to be a major part of the soundtrack during the jump sequence. I was not looking for pristine recordings that sounded like they were shot in a studio, instead, I was interested in the raw sounds of the helmet mics and bone conducting units which could give a more realistic documentary-type sound. I was not opposed to some wind noise and realised this could add to the reality. Having original sound adds to the feeling of reality even the audience are only subconsciously aware of it. Post production was greatly contracted due to the hiatus in shooting. Supervising Sound Editor James Mather had time restraints, thus appreciated all of the raw sound FX we could give him as elements to enable his team to create the final audio to be mixed by Mike Prestwood Smith. Both have been collaborators of mine on several previous films.

In conclusion, this film involved huge leaps of faith from all parties involved. I greatly appreciate the support from Tom Cruise, Chris McQuarrie, the production team, and my team throughout. My previous experiences, intuition, along with an incredibly well-respected new team proved immensely valuable. Much of the sound was unmonitored being recorded on PDR and hidden recorders. Chris McQuarrie and the producers trusted us to deliver on Mission: Impossible – Fallout using never-before-used technology. Most importantly, Tom Cruise trusted we would develop technology that would allow him to perform stunts efficiently, safely, and wherever possible, avoid ADR in order to enhance the reality.

HALO COMMS
The original intention was to use a radio mic TX on TC with a recording facility and have each of the additional divers and camera operator have a receiver connected to helmet-fixed earpieces. When we were safety testing, one of the requests was that we did not transmit anything inside the aircraft but that it was OK to transmit as soon as the divers had exited. I argued that radio mics would be fairly low power and on legal frequencies but then realised that it may have been a mistake to try to achieve recordings and comms with the same device. Additionally, we needed ground contact when the divers reached a lower altitude so that they could be given any safety information about wind or any other issues and radio mic TX may not have enough range.

I decided to use Motorola walkie-talkies for comms mainly because they were reliable and we were familiar with them. We used finger-operated PTT (push to talk) with custom-made interfaces to connect to the Motorolas. The PTT was run inside the sleeve of each diver and operated with a finger and thumb.

For TC (shown as EH on diagram), we used a bone conduction headset in each ear. One ear was talk/listen connected to the Motorola via the PTT and the other ear was connected directly to a Lectrosonics PDR. Another PDR connected to a da-capo mic (Que audio in US?) mounted in the helmet. I chose the da-capo mic mainly because I just happened to have some and also because these are what I had successfully used in helmets on Gravity. I had to send mics for safety testing to be intrinsically safe when used in the helmet, which also had oxygen being pumped in. I immediately thought that the da-capo mics may be well sealed as they are waterproof. It was not a particularly scientific decision.

Tom Cruise’s Bone Conductive Earpieces & Microphone

I had custom-moulded bone conduction units in each of TC’s ears. It was necessary to have one in each ear to give hearing protection but also allows use of the aircraft PTT as one ear is for talking and one for listening. There is a switch on the interface that allows for either, and this was connected via the pilot’s headset connectors in the helicopter on a US NATO plug or on some aircraft a Lemo connector. Trim pots on the interface require a miniature screwdriver to adjust talk and listen levels. It is powered by an internal battery and has transformer isolation on the connection to the helicopter to ensure isolation from the helicopter avionics.

The PDR records directly from the “talk” ear for a clean track of TC and is therefore pre PTT. That is to say that even if TC is not transmitting through the aircraft radio, his voice is still recorded.

An output from the co-pilot comms socket goes to track eight of a Zoom F8 which is primarily to record 5.1 ambience within the helicopter. Track eight records all comms: the director, any communication with other aircraft, ATC, and so on.

The DPA 5100 was fixed to the inside roof of the helicopter cabin toward the rear. If ever it were inadvertently caught on camera, it looks like part of the structure. The recorder was hidden and operated by the F8 control app on an iPhone.

The PDR was stopped and started using dweedle tones within the Letrosonics PDR remote app, also from an iPhone.

Report from the Young Workers Committee

by Eva Rismanforoush

Occupational stress has long been acknowledged as a serious health hazard in the industrialized workforce. It is as an underlying factor of hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, substance abuse, and it does not distinguish between ethnicity, gender or class. Workplace stress is also directly linked to chronic psychological disorders such as anxiety, panic attacks and major depression. We are often exposed to extreme weather conditions, environmental and health hazards that can range anywhere from rattlesnakes, structually compromised buildings, airborne pathogens and hazardous chemicals, etc.

As members of the entertainment industry, we face some of the most adverse jobsite conditions and hours in the developed world. We spend seventy-plus hours a week on set during a regular TV season or a feature film. We are often exposed to extreme weather conditions, long hours, environmental and health hazards that can range anywhere from rattlesnakes, structurally compromised buildings, airborne pathogens and hazardous chemicals, etc. But we work because it is a central part of our lives and we creatively thrive through it. However, as exhilarating and interesting the job may be, the sheer magnitude of daily logistical efforts and close personal interactions can cause stress.

Our bodies are equipped with a natural coping mechanism, which is activated when a potentially dangerous situation is detected. It is called the “fight or flight” response. It always proceeds in the same manner: the danger stimulus, the removal of the danger and a state of relaxation.

While this mechanism has been crucial to our survival as a species, it is designed to only activate in isolated instances. “Fight or flight” served our ancestors well as they fought off natural predators. Yet as the developed world becomes increasingly safe for humans, the American Psychological Association reports that stress levels in the twenty-first century are higher than ever.

Today, many of our stressors come in a much subtler form and stem from a broad variety of factors. Whether it is increased productivity demands, muscle strains from booming increasingly long digital takes, dealing with trying personalities or never being appreciated for the quality of work we produce. All of these causes can trigger a “fight or flight” response. But we got so used to working in demanding environments that we may be unaware of the body’s reaction. And whether we are aware of it or not, the constant “on-alert” state is cumulative and takes a toll on our physical and emotional well-being. Bruce McEwen, a neuroscientist at the Rockefeller University, recently revealed that exposure to three weeks of stress can change mammalian brain-architecture. Forcing his rats to swim, among other adverse activities, shrank the dendrites in their amygdalae, the parts of the brain that control emotional responses, decision-making and memory. Some of these effects are reversible, but such changes increase the risk of anxiety disorders and depression. McEwen also linked chronic stress to a reduction in the overall neuron number.

WHAT IS STRESS?

Stress is a household term used to describe a hormonal surge in our bodies resulting from physical and mental strain in adverse circumstances. Hans Selye, Director of University of Montreal’s Institute of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, first coined the term stress in his letter to the British journal Nature in 1936. Selye’s “general adaptation syndrome” (GAS) study, which was later renamed “stress response,” revealed morphological changes in mammals due to prolonged and excessive secretion of naturally occurring stress hormones.

COPING WITH STRESS

Our bodies are vastly resilient while malleable to the environment. Neuroplasticity, the ability of neurons to reorganize to compensate for injury and disease, allow us to recover to some extent. Kelly McGonigal, Psychologist at Stanford University, suggests that altering how we process stress determines its detriment or benefit. Living without it is improbable, but learning how to use it to your advantage can lead to an overall healthier & happier existence.

This means ending a stress cycle in rest and recovery, whether by not checking emails & social media on the weekends, taking more holidays or going for a walk in the middle of the day. In the right mindset, stress can even be performance enhancing.

Even Hans Selye distinguished stress reposes into “eustress” and “distress” later on in his career.

But how do you get there? We thought it best to harness the knowledge from some of our most esteemed colleagues, who have been in this line of work for decades. They have all found engaging ways to process stress and lead healthy and productive lives. Here are their thoughts, please enjoy!

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“The job itself comes with built-in stress because of the fluid nature of it. Home life is hard to keep balanced. Early on, I had to make the choice to accept these conditions completely or not. Once I chose, I committed. Having committed relieves much of the stress and making sure that your loved ones know that you are not the boss of your time can help relieve potential stress. On the job, I always prepared for scenario A, B, C or the unknown. I operated from a position of being ready for anything at any time and not letting it ruffle my feathers if things changed, because, they always do. Pull a rabbit out of a hat, change a pigeon into a bouquet of flowers. The stress of the job goes away when you accept:

1. You have no control and nothing is predictable

2. You have done your homework even though the call sheet and script can be torn up and thrown out at any time

3. Piss-poor planning makes for piss-poor performance = stress

4. You have all the tools and tricks handy to handle every situation

5. You are able to pull out these tricks at a moment’s notice

6. Never be lazy, always be busy and alert. The minute you slack is when the s**tstorm  hits

7. You have the confidence to jump in and do what needs to be done, especially under fire

8. You have accepted the fact that you will be working until they tell you that you can go home

9. Be happy that you have chosen this work every day. No one is holding a gun to your head to stay, so might as well spread a positive attitude so your work environment can be fun and rewarding

10. Realize that there are many people who would be more than happy to take your place

“With all of these things in mind, kick your shoes off and unwind with a glass of vino at the end of a long hard day and try to catch some zzz’s”

– Peggy Names, Boom Operator

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 “I’ve always felt that the film business is what you make it. It is intense; there is big money at stake every day. Pressure builds, tempers flare and it becomes cumulative among departments as it spreads down from the top. The trick is, as I see it, is to recognize the tsunami coming your way and prepare accordingly. Certainly, preparation is key. But I’ve always told my assistants that as the production company gets crazier, you get calmer, to the point where you are almost comatose. My dad taught me to ‘work hard and go home.’ I’ve lived that for forty years in the business. It’s worked for me.”

– Randy Johnson, Boom Operator   

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“I’ve had many different relationships with stress in my forty years in 695. I’ve dealt with it most every way possible, from alcohol or reefer, to exercise and meditation. I feel the key to dealing with it is to know yourself and to know what stress is. For me, it’s been an evolving relationship through the decades. When I started out, it was like young love and I was high on stress, thinking it was like romantic love, all-consuming and that it would always be like this. It was exciting but exhausting and not sustainable. As the years piled up, I learned to give my all between call and wrap and then shut that door as I got into my van to drive home. This became my time. I dreamed up projects, personal or family, listened to music, anything was cool as long as it wasn’t work-related. For me, it is paramount to have your own life that you maintain and respect as much as your career life. I love family (which can have its own stresses), hiking, playing drums or ukes, painting, photography, fine food with friends, travel and sleep. After all these years, it is easy to keep stress in check when I have a balance of work and play. That and the joy I get from the world-class education I receive observing and marching in the ‘Grand Parade’ of life. It is hard to stress what was or might be if you are actively living in the here and now.”

– Crew Chamberlain, Sound Mixer

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“To get a handle on stress at work, I begin with arriving to set early. Being consistently punctual to your location is paramount and sets the tone for the day.

“Do your homework: Knowing where you’re at in the script and its shooting schedule is a good way to keep the stress monsters at bay. If you know there will be a scene at a waterfall or a big dance number, you will be able to prepare for it and be prepared when it happens. Smaller details like day/night number gives you an indication of costume and wiring changes.

“Taking care: Exercise is another key to fighting stress and yoga has done that for me. It keeps me centered and my attitude in check.

“Nutrition: I will be the first to say, I love pizza for a second meal, complementary food trucks and my morning espresso, but food does have an effect on your mood and your stress level. Moderation is the key and knowing when to curtail the caffeine definitely helps.

“Humor, Thought = Empowerment and Positive Thinking: I’m very fortunate to get to listen to actors act, the telling of jokes and experiencing sublime and scary words and descriptions. For me, humor and just sitting there thinking, leads to a positive outlook about my situation. That leads to empowering my mind and confidence level. How do I get there? I need to be honest with myself and what’s bugging me and deep always clears my head. I can then focus on sound for the scene or try to help others. Wanting to do the best job I can and rooting for the success of others is a direct result of empowering your mind.”

– George A. Flores, Sound Mixer

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“The secret to my sanity is taking my day one moment to the next and not over-thinking it.”

– Lawrence Commans, Boom Operator

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“In late July, I was balancing three major shows for my three biggest clients. I put in 240 hours in 19 days. This included travel, working double shifts, on top of the usual rigors of my job. To add to that, I experienced personal distress, any of which would be a large task to take on with a normal job situation. I remember walking onto the truck, and sitting at my record station, when my gut said, ‘If you don’t take time off soon, you will die. You can’t keep going at this speed.’ I booked a vacation for four days immediately. I went away to a wellness spa in the desert. I turned off my phone for a week, and didn’t tell anyone where I went (except for my mom). Four days was not enough, but it was enough to bring me down from the adrenaline high that I had been riding on for so long, in order to come back and sleep solidly. After that, I decided to take another 2½ weeks off.

“During this time, I realized I needed to create somewhat of a routine. The lack of structure this business lifestyle affords me is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle. Here are some of the things I started to do:

• I started with my diet—I cut down on drinking, carbs, sugars, dairy. I bring all my own food to set with me, even when I travel. The snacks I bring are organic, easy on digestion, yet filling and satisfying.
• I recognize I may not always get eight hours of sleep, but the few hours of sleep I do get, should be quality sleep.
• I routinely see a chiropractor and massage therapist while I’m in town.
• I don’t drink while traveling because it is dehydrating.
• I travel with a foam roller to stretch and work out.
• I always upgrade my seat when flying for more leg room. This is my time to rest when I’m traveling.
• I try to drink a gallon of water every day.
• I try to exercise, which usually means stretching in the morning and evening.
• I always leave the truck for fifteen minutes and walk— seeing sunlight is essential.
• I learned how to quiet my mind.

“Lately, there’s been a focus on small enjoyments of life. When we are constantly go-go-go, you need to take a minute to enjoy life. Find a small joy that takes you out of your day.

“I have had jobs that have caused health issues due to stress, and I’m lucky that I have been able to recover from them. Last year, I went through a breast cancer scare, which made me take a look at my life and examine what I find most important.”

– Jillian Arnold, Digital Asset Manager

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“Stress management and proper set etiquette is really what separates the A-listers from the rest of us. We work in an industry where the creative process often demands to make things happen against seemingly impossible odds. I have been screamed at in my face for issues that were not related to me, I have scrambled around troubleshooting in front of one hundred-plus people all waiting on video to fix the problem and asked to do the impossible over and over. I rarely get yelled at anymore (thankfully), but I tell all the guys on my team that when you do, it’s not personal. There is legitimate pressure rolling down from above. I worked on The Revenant and Chivo, the DP, was incredibly demanding at moments. I just worked with Chivo two days ago on a commercial and it was a totally different experience.

“There are a few tricks that can help avoid unnecessary trouble. I make a practice of introducing myself to the agency on a commercial so if there are any issues with image, they know they can come to me personally to fix it rather than complaining to the producer. It’s simple but it works. Also, communication with the 1st AD is paramount. Newcomers must realize they are responsible for communicating their needs. If you need ten minutes to solve a complex request, you must explain that to an AD. They are your lifeline to make sure the people who matter know what’s happening and to give you the appropriate time.

“No one enjoys the looks you get when the company is waiting for video. I learned that the hard way years ago working with a fantastic director, Rupert Sanders. I was on my first job with him, was brought on by the producer to impress him. She had seen me perform well in many difficult situations so I had credibility with her. Things had been going well until we set up for a difficult choreographed shot with horses, mud and explosions that required a big reset. Just as we were about to call action, the image from the wireless went out and monitors went dark. I intensely wondered what could be wrong as the scene went on. We cut and the director turned and just said, ‘Bye bye, Willow.’ It was in the days of film, so there was no way to play it back and he asked me why I didn’t stop the shot. I was mostly confused & embarrassed that I didn’t make the call and realized right then, it was my job to do so.

“A big part of handling stress is how you recover after a mistake. Often we get blamed for issues that may be camera- or power-related or may indeed be on us as video assist technicians. Sometimes criticism is valid. I despise that moment but handle it by telling myself I am good at my job and trust that by the end of the show, they will see how that moment was not indicative of my normal routine. Professionalism is key and it’s important to remind yourself that everyone is dealing with stress in their respective departments. But what we can do is focus on the job, keep your eye on the ball and maintain confidence. Even if you just threw an interception, you must believe that next throw is going to be a touchdown.”

– Willow Jenkins, Video Engineer

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“1. Exercise—It will lower the toll on your body & has psychological benefits.

2. Hydration—So important & often overlooked. A lack of hydration will cause fatigue and more symptoms that could lead to health problems. By the time you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.

3. Keep learning & pace yourself.

4. Recognize your own signs of burning out: One thoughtless action could ruin weeks of relationship building.

5. Try not to be competitive, but rather, collaborative. The film industry is always expanding.

 6. Make personal plans—Even if they have to change a lot; life moves quickly and you don’t want to realize it’s too late for certain things.

7. Be someone others at work look forward to seeing.

8. DON’T overbook yourself. You need “Me” time.

9. Get enough sleep. 10. Choose how you see your job/department on the set; don’t let others make that judgment call.”

– Patrushkha Mierzwa, Boom Operator
  Patrick Martens, Boom Operator
  & Mark Ulano, Sound Mixer

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“Part of my routine in keeping myself sane and healthy is trying my best to not bring work home with me. Every day is filled with challenges and often annoyances and I think it’s important to check those at the stage door. Home life becomes just that—home life and nothing intrudes on it or its routines. I find the people I’ll be working with and for to be an extremely important factor on choosing jobs. It makes all the difference when the people you work for are good to you. You pay it right back at them. When you are genuinely happy and have a good attitude, it is way less likely that those who work around you who may have a bad attitude to be able to affect you.

“I feel like if we worked fewer hours per day (max twelve on twelve off—but ideally, ten hours call to wrap), we would all be much happier. If I could have dinner at home or out any night of the week I wanted yet still work a full day, I would be even happier. And mind you, it’s not necessarily about the dinner … It’s about the time. If we feel like we have to drive home and rush to bed in order to get adequate sleep before the next shooting day, we end up feeling cheated out of our free time.”

– Devendra Cleary, Sound Mixer

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“Having a family has really made me value every minute I have. We definitely max out our weekends, and while it doesn’t make for a ton of rest, at least I have great memories and a feeling of accomplishment come Monday. Earlier this year, I took four months off and managed my daughter’s fast-pitch softball team and participated in their school events for the first time ever. My husband and I agree, taking care of the kids is much harder than our day jobs (he’s a grip) … So after a stint with the kids, we are actually ready to go back to work. We also always take time off for those precious moments you can’t get back, like trick or treating. It’s important to work with people who also value family or personal time, because it really helps minimize burnout. Taking a day off once in a while isn’t going to stop the show, and it can benefit a fellow 695 member who really needs hours. Win-win!

“One thing I now take more seriously is my health. I no longer put work before annual physicals or illness. Our yearly physical is one of the best benefits of our health insurance, so use them! And if I’m sick, I stay home. Last thing I want to do is make my fellow crewmembers ill. No one is going to think you’re a hero when you’re coughing all over set.

“I love hour walk always. I get outside, walk or ride my bike and rack up some vitamin D. I’ll take care of small errands like washing the car or hitting the Rite Aid. Five lunch hours correlate to a big chunk of my weekend, so if I don’t have to spend it buying shampoo, I’m thrilled. Drinking enough water is always a challenge for all of us, but staying hydrated does wonders for your energy level. Joe Foglia and I remind each other to hit the bottle all day long.

“I absolutely take into account the people I’ll be working with, the type of project, the commute and the season length. Hour-long episodic can be a grind, so unless you’re working with people you enjoy, it won’t work. We spend more time with our work families than our real families. If we can’t have a good laugh once in a while, it’ll be a very long season.”

– Anna Wilborn, Sound Utility

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“I’m fortunate to have relatively little stress in work and life. However, I’m certainly not stress-free. When the stress arrives, the best thing for me, if possible, is to remove myself physically from the situation that is causing it. That can be relatively easy in everyday life but can sometimes be hard to do on set. Usually, I can find a nice quiet corner somewhere to unwind. The timing is the tricky part. Outside of the workplace, playing the drums or guitar has always been a wonderful activity to help me get away from it all and clear my head. However, my absolute favorite all-around tension-relieving, mentalcleansing activity is going for a strenuous run at the beach. It never fails to return me to a tranquil state of mind.”

– Mark Agostino, Music Playback & Live Recording Mixer

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“It is no secret what a difficult business we have chosen. It can be challenging enough just to find suitable and sustainable employment; then, when you get the gig, be careful what you wish for! Long and irregular hours, travel, weather conditions, challenging locations, nasty commute, job security and every kind of work-related stress can take its toll on your health, relationships, mental and spiritual health. Despite the heroic efforts of our dearly departed Haskel Wexler, just getting home from work can be quite hazardous. As a long-term survivor in production sound—thirty-six years since I bought my first Nagra (that’s a little scary when I see it in writing!)—I am very happy to be asked to contribute some ideas about stress management.

“Love what you do, but not to the exclusion of all else; given the crazy number of hours we work, it is hard but important to seek balance in your life. The job can be incredibly frustrating, learn to not go home bitter. That makes showing up the next day a lot easier. On the other hand, sometimes the best thing you can see is that job in your rear-view mirror. Know when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em. There are more jobs than one and sometimes the one you have is not really the one for you.

“Our work is in many ways, so very hard. Even if you’re not hauling cable or setting c-stands or building sets or swinging a boom with a wind-screened shotgun at full extension, the work is physically demanding. Even if you’re not directing the movie or doing a budget or a schedule or mixing a scene with nine mics and playback, our work is mentally demanding.

“Here’s what I do to keep myself prepared to meet the challenges of our workplace that are maybe a bit different than others: I ride my bicycle. I mean, I really ride my bike(s). On weekends I do long rides, often with a group, including gran fondos or century-type rides. Most days at work, when lunch is called, I get to my sound trailer, do a quick Superman change into my cycling togs, jump on my “at-work” bike, and pedal away from the set as fast as I can for 30-50 minutes, 8 to 15 miles. It’s not much, but when I’ve been stuck at my cart all morning on a dark stage, or I’ve had some frustrating moments, or whatever, it allows me to get my heart pumping, muscles working, my eyes can focus on infinity, my senses sharpen and I can play in the traffic where the phrase “thrown under the bus” is not a metaphor! It is amazing how this breaks up the day and revitalizes me for the second half. It’s amazing how many little lunch routes I know around LA. Almost wherever I find myself shooting, I’m rarely too far from somewhere I’ve already been and have ridden—the city is smaller and more connected than you think. Downtown? MacArthur Park to Griffith Park by way of Chinatown and Elysian Park is a great ride! Universal/Disney/Warners? Griffith Park is right there. Hollywood? Get to the hills. Santa Clarita? So many ways if it’s not too hot. The Culver Studios? The Ballona Creek Bike Path is just around the corner, also some good climbing at the Overlook Park on Jefferson. With smartphones and laptops, it is so much easier to figure out than when all I had was the Thomas Guide!

“I also know there are cyclists among us who appreciate beneficial effects of exercise-induced endorphins and the stressreducing power of doing something you love. I encourage you to make it a part of your work life!

How about a Local 695 cycling club, road and dirt?

Who’s in? “I would like to emphasize that when the pressures of work and life get to the point where no amount of bike riding can help, we are fortunate to have an excellent health plan that includes a strong mental health component. I urge you to take advantage.”

–Steve Nelson CAS, Sound Mixer, husband, father & cyclist
—Follow me on Strava

The Young Workers Committee thanks everyone who participated in this article and hopes this piece serves as a reminder to take good care of your team and yourself as we enter the homestretch of 2017 and many years to come.

Soundcraft ViSi Remote

by Richard Lightstone CAS AMPS

THE SOUNDCRAFT ViSi REMOTE IS AN iPAD APP, which provides wireless control of Soundcraft Si Expression, Si Compact, Si Performer and Vi Series consoles. ViSi Remote allows you to mix and contour your sound from anywhere in a venue without being constrained by cables. A single iPad can control one console’s levels and graphic EQ. Multiple iPads can control a single console’s settings. This means that you can control the performers’ monitor mix directly from the performance position on stage. A single iPad could control a number of consoles in a network, which may include any of the consoles noted in the above range, so Si and Vi consoles may be mixed on a network.

With version 3.4 comes the addition of channel and bus processing control and metering within the app for Vi console types Vi 1, 2, 4 & 6. Control input gain, pan, routing, delay, filters, EQ and dynamics and see channel and bus level meters and dynamics gain reduction metering within the processing control section, and use the Meters tab to see all console meters at a glance and jump quickly to any block of eight channels or busses.

All Vi console types now include metering and full channel & bus processing control.

Here are some of the features of the app. You can optimize the front of house mix from anywhere in the room. Set mic gains and 48V. Adjust monitor levels (IEM) while standing next to the performer. Adjust channel strip settings remotely from the console. Extend the fader count of an existing control surface. Use in standalone mode for familiarization with console functions. Control a network of consoles (e.g., FOH and Monitor). Have a global metering overview or “meter bridge” as an extension of the console.
You can also control the following from ViSi Remote, Channel naming, Input faders and mutes, Bus, master LR and VCA master faders and mutes, Mic Gain and 48V, HPF, Channel EQ with

grab able parametric EQ curve, Gate and Compression settings, Pan, Output Delay, LR and Mono routing, Phase Invert, Graphic EQs on all bus outs, Graphic EQs on all bus outs, Channel contributions to each FX bus, Mix contributions to each matrix bus, DMX Masters (Si Performer Only).

I have used ViSi Remote for my Expression 1 console on a period musical where we had stage wedges for each performer’s monitors. I was able to stand with that performer and remotely adjust their wedge monitor levels and EQ. The app is very impressive as you have the functionality to control so many parameters of the Soundcraft console.