Features

by James Delhauer

What does solidarity mean to you? How about community?

On August 8, a series of wildfires had broken out on the island on Maui. More than 17,000 acres of land burned. More than 2,200 buildings, mostly single-family homes, were destroyed and more than 100 people lost their lives. Though mass evacuations took place, thousands were stranded without homes or shelters and thousands more were left without power or access to clean water. The Hawaiian government had declared a state of emergency and federal resources were deployed to assist the Hawaiian people, but the crisis was ongoing.

The members of Hawaii Local 665 are not first responders by trade. They aren’t trained to take charge in a disaster zone. But that’s exactly what they did when the need arose. When the fires broke out, Local 665 President and IATSE International Trustee Tuia’ana Scanlan ended his vacation in order to come home and help his community. Communications infrastructure was devastated by the fires. At first, it was difficult to assess whether his members on the island were safe or not. So, in what can only be described as a true showing of solidarity, members throughout Hawaii stepped up to do what they could to help.

Several members located on Oahu, Victor Loranzo; Kahi Logan; and Kaipu Seales, all used personal boats to shuttle emergency supplies to Maui. Member Dave Dahlberg owns a tree-removal business and, with the assistance of Member Dave Reyes, went in and began clearing the land of dead trees in order to prevent the fire from spreading further and to free those who had been trapped in their homes by trees that had been knocked down by high winds. In the aftermath of the blaze, the Aloha Event Lighting Company, owned by 665 rigger Mike Carreno, supplied emergency lighting and power distribution to support evacuee refuge centers. These efforts were assisted by Member Joseph Arias, who served as the boots on the ground coordinator for 665’s Maui effort. Local 665 Business Agent Irish helped coordinate donations from the wardrobe department from Magnum P.I. to clothe those who had been displaced by the fires while Tui worked with Maui City Councilmembers Keani Rawlins-Fernandez and Yuki-Lei Sugimura to coordinate with the Lahaina Ice Company to provide fresh water for people.

In short, IATSE Local 665 moved mountains to be of service when disaster struck.

In the immediate aftermath of the fires, the top priorities were food, power, and communications equipment. Federal aid provided through FEMA and donations from across the country soon helped address the first two, but with so much physical infrastructure destroyed, establishing clear lines of communication was a greater challenge. This is where Local 695 came into play.

On Saturday, August 12, I received a call from Local 695 President Jillian Arnold.

“Tui needs help,” she told me.

I had met Tui and several of his members the month before at the union’s District 2 Conference in Hawaii. As president of the hosting Local, Tui had kindly welcomed guests from California, Nevada, and Arizona for the event. He, Jillian, and I had bonded over our shared alma mater of Chapman University and the man had quickly earned my respect as both a leader in his community and as a kind, artistic person.

Over the next several hours, Jillian, Local 695 Treasurer Phil Palmer, and I began sourcing emergency comms devices that would work in a disaster zone. Ultimately, we settled on a series of ICOM Iridium satellite radios commonly used by disaster responders and had them shipped directly to Tui’s home address on Hawaii.

“Those radios came in huge,” Tui told me when I spoke to him a few weeks later. “They cut down on the amount of time it took to reestablish communications and probably saved lives. Our Local was able to coordinate just like on a set. Everyone was there to find a need and fill it, just like a stagehand should. It was pretty harrowing to start. It felt like the first day on a ninety-day shoot in a really difficult location. You get through day one with all these difficult logistics and then you get it done. And everybody cheers. And then you realize, you have another eighty-nine days to go. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

Through the efforts of Local 665, its members, all of Hawaii’s first responders, and all of those who have lent support to the cause since the fires are to be commended, this disaster has highlighted systemic vulnerabilities in the state’s preparedness; something Tui was quick to point out in our discussions. “We weren’t prepared for something like this and we need to be. Climate change means these sorts of things are going to happen more and more. How do we prepare for next time, so we don’t fumble it like we did this time? How do we learn from our mistakes and have people ready to go before a problem so you don’t have to figure it out on the fly? We need to fix it in prep, not in post, so to speak.”

This raises an excellent point and is an excellent question that everyone should be asking themselves. Throughout the world, we’ve seen the rise of natural disasters as a result of climate change. In the past ten years, we’ve seen everything from droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis as the global median temperature continues to rise. Though governments have been slow to act, the situation in Maui highlights that we, the people, cannot be. That is why every person should take the initiative to invest in some sort of disaster training. In a crisis, there are so many different skill sets that can be of value. The efforts of our brothers, sisters, and kin in Local 665 have shown us that. So, look to your own home; to your own community. What dangers and disasters are most likely to occur near you and what can you do to prepare? What can you do to become a leader when catastrophe strikes so that the worst of the worst can be mitigated or averted?

Six months later, the effects of the fires continue to be felt. Though reconstruction efforts are well underway, current estimates suggest that full reconstruction could take up to a decade and will cost more than $5.5 billion. What’s more, many residents will find themselves on the hook for mortgages for houses that no longer exist when the moratorium on foreclosures expires in May and local businesses that had just managed to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic are once again in jeopardy.

“The biggest need I see that I don’t see a way of filling is a way for people to recover from the trauma,” Tui told me. “A lot of the Polynesian men will take it on the chin, push down their feelings, and just move on. Which will make things worse. Many of these people didn’t have a chance to stand up for or protect their families because how do you protect from a fire? We need to talk about our stories as a group. Even when everything is rebuilt, the trauma will still be there and need to be dealt with.”
So, this is where we ask ourselves, “How can we help now?”

When I asked him the same question, Tui’s answer was a contemplative one. “Hawaii’s reliance on tourism can be bad business,” he told me. “But for the time being, we’re reliant on it. We need to get tourism going again and we need to support locally owned businesses that are struggling. That’s the best way to help families in need right now. But if you’re going to come visit, please take the time to volunteer and help with support efforts.”

To elaborate, the Hawaiian economy has been predominantly driven by tourism since before it became a state in 1959. This is understandable. Anyone who has been there can tell you that it is one of the most beautiful and serene places in the world. However, many of the corporate interests profiting from this tourist-driven economy are not native, or even based in Hawaii. Money made on the island is often shepherded back to the mainland, depriving the state of its natural resources without any benefit to the local economy or its people. Though recognition of this fact has grown in recent years, the fact remains that Hawaii is not the primary benefactor of its own economy and its people continue to be exploited by other interests.

Thankfully, there are resources available for those wishing to support Hawaii and Maui’s reconstruction efforts in an ethical manner. Those looking to support the local economy and locally owned businesses should visit www.shopmauilocal.org. This site provides a list of locally owned businesses in need of support following the devastation of the fires. This includes businesses with online and worldwide shipping components, meaning even those who cannot afford to travel can help reconstruction efforts by buying from those struggling to rebuild. In the event that you can travel, consider visiting Maui and staying in a locally owned hotel such as the Inn at Mama’s Fish House, the Hana Inn, the Kula Lodge, the Ho’oilo House Bed and Breakfast, or the Paia Inn. All five of these businesses have reopened following the fires and are in need of customers in order to provide for the families who own them and the families of their employees. Those looking to donate to reconstruction efforts or volunteer their time while on the island can visit www.mauinuistrong.info.

I would like to thank Tui Scanlan for taking the time to speak with me in preparation for this article and to congratulate him on his recent appointment as an IATSE International Trustee. I would also like to commend him, the members of IATSE Local 665, and all of those who offered their time, energy, and support to the relief efforts in Hawaii. Unions are built upon the core principle that we are stronger together. Though there is a long road ahead before the damage is fully repaired, our union’s show of solidarity was a show of strength.

by Püd Cusack

In my early career as a Boom Operator, many of my mixers shared that working around the camera is like a ballet, a dance involving camera, sound, dolly, actors, and sometimes an additional grip or electric. These words definitely rang true at the highest level while working on NYAD, a ballet performance set on a Caribbean stage.

NYAD (2023) is a film about a 64-year-old marathon swimmer, Diana Nyad, who succeeded in swimming from Cuba to Florida after multiple attempts. It was shot in the Dominican Republic, where one of a limited number of water tanks around the world is located. This tank offers unique water filming due to its proximity to the ocean’s edge, creating an “infinity pool” effect. It provided a perfect setting for open water filming, which was essential for telling the story of NYAD.
This was not my first time working on this Caribbean island. Only seven months prior to filming NYAD, I was in the Dominican Republic working on Lost City. I was fortunate enough to work with an amazing crew, but also learned that working in this beautiful landscape can be extremely challenging. Lost City is an action-adventure film, starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, and Daniel Radcliffe, filmed in multiple locations in the Dominican Republic. These locations included jungles, boat work, cliffs, waterfalls, mudslides, and more. After wrapping Lost City, I knew it would take a very special project to bring me back.

That is when I received the call for NYAD. I have been athletic my entire life with a special affinity toward swimming. Because of my sense of adventure and passion for a challenge, I felt a strong connection with Diana Nyad and have followed her story for many years. This was the project for me. I was particularly excited when I learned that Annette Bening would play Diana Nyad and Jodie Foster would play Bonnie Stoll, Diana’s coach and longtime friend. I had the privilege of working with Annette Bening briefly on Captain Marvel, but I had never worked with Jodie Foster—another dream of mine. I also had the chance to work with directors Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, who garnered critical acclaim for their incredibly accomplished documentaries, Free Solo (Oscar, Best Documentary Feature, 2022) and The Rescue  (BAFTA nomination, 2021). NYAD would be their first time performing as scripted directors.

I watched as many films as possible that involved intensive scenes that were shot both in and on the water. I came to the conclusion that the majority of films I viewed were about people trying to get out of the water. This film project is about someone who wants to be in the water, and be in the water for extremely long periods of time. For my part as a Sound Mixer, this was just one of the many challenges I faced. Considerable amounts of dialog needed to be captured while the actors were on the boat or swimming.

During the two weeks of preparation, challenges with both the underwater and above-ground PA system occurred for both the Assistant Director and the Directors. You can imagine how much we had on our plate at all times: prepping, cleaning, and wrapping on a daily basis. This was beyond what a four-person sound crew normally handled but, unfortunately, there was no room in the budget for an additional sound person. Luckily, Marco “Tato” Vargas, our Music Playback Operator from Lost City, was available to help us set up and resolve any issues with the PA systems. 

Our Cinematographer, Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi), used two cameras on Technocranes that moved along two hundred-meter tracks and covered the majority of the tank. One of the biggest challenges for sound was working with the two main cameras; one was used for mostly extremely wide shots and the other camera captured extremely tight shots of the actors.

Additionally, there was an underwater camera crew, and an underwater submarine camera named The Miranda. As a result, we had to rely on wires unless our actors, such as Diana and Bonnie, were in the water. This is where the boom comes in.

In this situation, Alex Burstein, our Boom Operator, is most essential. During our two weeks of prep, we fitted him in rash guards and wetsuits to prepare for his time in the water every day and almost all day. Once it became clear that the tropical afternoon rains occurred almost daily, we knew it would be very difficult to wire all the actors in addition to assisting Alex in and out of the water all day. When the directors yelled, “Cut!” the boom pole could not simply be put down as usual. Always in chest-high water, Alex had to hand his pole to a sound team member on deck, who had to be ready to grab the eighteen-foot- to twenty-foot-long pole out of his hands. Sometimes it would be our utility sound person, Dia Donnelly, who would be on the picture boat hiding in cramped spaces to tend to the actors, the wireless communication system and much more. Tato and occasionally myself, would also assist Alex.

This project had many challenges. Most equipment cannot be replaced in the Dominican Republic, and it can take up to six weeks to be shipped in. This is important because saltwater is very damaging to equipment, particularly electronic equipment. Working in and around saltwater for the majority of filming NYAD was quite stressful. For the storm sequence, which took about a week to film, we decided to pull out all my older wireless systems and microphones. Usually when working with rain towers for storms sequences, they use freshwater. However, because the tank and the ocean were so close, the water used for the storm was brackish. It is damaging to the equipment, often rendering it useless.

Dia and Tato worked like an assembly line, servicing the gear as if it was on a conveyer belt. They dried, cleaned, repaired, and put the equipment in rice to dry out. Soldering and repairing equipment in salty air is not as easy as it seems, especially when opening up electronics. They both became so good at it. I almost felt like I was in the back of an audio shop, watching technicians doing their everyday job.

Dia and Tato constantly cleaned the boom poles. The rhythm of pulling the boom pole in and out of the tank was similar to assisting a doctor in an operating room. No time for even a second of delay.

Not only were we working on boom poles, wireless body mics, and microphones, but we were also in charge of the communication system for both Directors and the First Assistant Director. Dia and Tato were dry on the docks and boat, however, they were always working directly over the water greatly increasing the risk of accidents, such as when the PA microphone took a dive into the blue ocean.

The communication speakers and cables also took a beating 24/7, but constant cleaning and maintenance, as well as pulling in all the sound equipment every night kept it safe and functioning. The film trucks used in the Dominican Republic do not have air conditioning. Fortunately, our department was able to obtain one equipped with a cooling system. This was crucial for us to monitor and control the moisture in the equipment. In the hot, humid conditions, always working under duress, this was truly a blessing.

We were able to have a Fisher boom sent from Santo Domingo. We positioned it next to the two Technocrane dolly tracks. Unfortunately, it did not have enough extension to reach the actors in the water or on the boat, who were generally 100-200 feet away from the edge of the water tank. We had no choice but to go back to using Alex and his boom in the water. As it turned out, he was able to maneuver the boom in the best positions necessary, much better than the Fisher boom.

While filming the wide and tight angles, we were able to find a solution when the boom was seen in the sky or the water, to have the VFX Department paint out the boom in post! Despite the constant battles and complaints from camera, producers, etc., this was the only way that it could have been done and, in the end, much more cost-effective than replacing all the dialog.
While attempting to use our underwater ambient microphone, unfortunately, it picked up everything. Literally everything from motors, engines, generators, underwater crews, The Miranda, and more. However, our final attempt to use the waterproof microphone was the underwater photography of young Diana screaming in distress. The results were amazing and used in the film.

At lunchtime, our hardworking crew would get cleaned up, enjoy a relaxing meal, and then a rest. I, too, usually would have a rest. Some days, I would swim laps in the tank with the stunt women. The effect of the infinity pool gave the illusion that our bodies were gliding through the ocean. Truly a beautiful sight.

One amazing perk working in the Dominican Republic is that I could swim most days in the ocean or the beautiful seaside swimming pools. This gave me time to think and plan the next day’s challenges of recording clean dialog on NYAD. Watching Annette swimming laps in pre-production, it was shocking how much she resembled the real Diana Nyad. She trained for a year and her resemblance and stamina were amazing. Jodie was also in the gym most days and trained for months. Both actors’ displays of athleticism inspired me.

The passion and the energy surrounding the production was absolutely infectious. The more I look back on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I’m truly grateful and proud.

“Onward!”
“Dream big and dare to fail.” -Diana Nyad

by Richard Bullock CAS

1923 is an episodic story to Yellowstone, also on Paramount+. I knew most of the production team already as we had worked together on 1883 in Texas, the year before. We were all prepared for what we were in for, an on-location Western episodic series with lots of long days on remote ranches. There would be numerous cowboys and cattle, and a five-camera protocol that allowed for a large amount of freedom for the actors and background. The cast, led by Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton, and Helen Mirren as Cara Dutton, would be expected to really carry out the ranch duties their characters were portraying in the scenes. There had been a week-long cowboy camp during pre-production where all the actors practiced their horsemanship skills, learned about hitching wagons, and driving cattle.

The approach to recording sound on 1923 is to make sure we have well-placed lav mics on all the actors at all times, and then get in there and boom the coverage whenever possible. More than 50% of the show is filmed day exterior on ranches so sometimes it’s just impossible to get a boom in there no matter how hard we try, therefore, the wires are crucial. We are relying nearly exclusively on DPA 6060 series mics and Lectrosonics SSM transmitters. The size and weight of the SSM allows my utility, Kelly Lewis, to mount the transmitter and mic inside a cowboy hat more often than not.

When the hat is not practical, we generally hide the mic in the neckerchief, called a wild rag. These two staples of the cowboy wardrobe really come in handy for excellent sounding mic placement with minimal clothing noise. Now the wind, that’s another thing all together. We have gotten good at building the mics with Bubblebee Windbubbles, which allows us to avoid burying the mics too far into the clothing.

The day that we film on ranches, we have a forty-five-minute pre-call to load all of the equipment we’ll need for the day onto 4WD Gators at base camp and get out to the set. We often arrive on set ready to wire actors right at sunrise. We have just enough time to take some beautiful Montana sunrise photos to text home before we’re rehearsing and setting cameras. Often the first setups are wide shots, and they can get pretty wide considering the terrain. The actors can be on their number ones on horseback one thousand feet away and delivering dialog on the ride in. Having the transmitters in the cowboy hats for reception comes in pretty handy for these scenes.
We always wire several key background cowboys who are tending to the cattle or horses. Although they may not have scripted lines, they are truly doing their work as cowboys during each take. It’s fun to capture the real dialog between them, and quite often, they talk to the cattle as they maneuver them around. It’s pretty charming and offers editorial an interesting way to get into or out of a scene. I’m always pleased when I hear it used. There are always lots of great opportunities to record horses and wagons, vintage cars, or swinging porch doors. The show has a very natural sound and shooting on location on remote ranches really allows us to get some great effects recordings alongside the dialog.

I record onto a Sound Devices Scorpio, using a CL16 control surface. We keep the Wisycom LFA antennas on one hundred-foot cables and run them out as close to set as possible while getting them up as high as we can on some eighteen-foot light stands. Even though we are in pretty remote areas without a lot of radio or television frequencies to contend with, there is a surprising amount of set-inflicted interference from the five cameras and all the Teradek wireless that goes along with it, including a twenty-beltpack Bolero comms system each with its own Bluetooth headset. Set lighting is also largely wireless, contributing to the crowded RF environment. I definitely see a greater need than ever to coordinate all of the on-set wireless.

The storyline of two characters, Spencer Dutton, played by Brandon Sklenar, and Alexandra, played by Julia Schlaepfer, start their journey in Sub-Saharan Africa and eventually seek passage back to the US. This required a separate shooting unit to cover South Africa, Kenya, and Malta. Robert Sharman took this on and did an amazing job. He hired local crew who were truly excellent; Bertrand Roets, Boom Operator, Greg Albert, Utility Sound, and Kwanda Mkosi, Wiring Technician. There were days on safari in northeastern South Africa Reserves, as well as filming in Cape Town and Chale Point Kenya. Then they were off to Malta to film scenes set in Sicily. Some water tank work was also accomplished there. Unlike Montana, the cold was not so much an issue for Robert and his team, just wind, dust, ticks, and angry elephants.

By mid-October, Montana was getting pretty cold and snowy. When we arrived in the old ghost town of Bannack for several days of filming, it was a very cold (-20ºF). We had several weeks of filming left on the schedule and we all knew we weren’t going to make it in those conditions. Pretty quickly, production was eyeing the California mountains just southeast of the Grapevine. We had already scheduled a week of filming on the Queen Mary in the port of Long Beach, so this made sense.

The week on the Queen Mary had its own challenges. The wireless environment at the Port of Long Beach is some of the worst I’ve experienced anywhere, and changing all the time as different ships maneuver around the port. We had a huge ballroom scene to film on the ship with a live band, several conversations on the dance floor ending in a fight scene. We had speakers for music playback, a thumper, and twenty-two earwigs for the band, singer, and several actors. Squeezing all the frequencies into what little spectrum was available was tricky as well. Turning down the gain on the antennas into negative territory, and keeping them close to the action made it all possible. Charles and Kelly did an amazing job booming that day as well.

Finally, we were in the mountains north of Santa Clarita, CA, to complete the work we got snowed out from in Montana, only now it just wouldn’t stop raining. You can’t win for trying. But that’s 1923, always diffcult but always rewarding. It could be done with green screens and stage builds, but keeping things as real as possible creates an authentic environment for the actors to work in and you can pretty much point the camera anywhere and find a great shot. Recording sound in those conditions may not be ideal but it has its rewards. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

by Sean O’Malley

In the fall of 2021, I got connected to the showrunner of Beef through years of working relationships at A24. I met with Lee Sung Jin and was immediately impressed during our interview. He asked if I had any non-sound-related advice since it was his first time as a showrunner, and I had more on-set experience than him. I have no idea what advice I gave him but I do remember the warm feeling I had knowing I was about to embark on a journey with someone who values the opinions of his colleagues. The pilot script for Beef was also fantastic. After being sold on the premise of the show, I was eager to get started.

I tagged along on tech scouts as part of my own prep. After visiting multiple locations and examining our one-liner, I quickly realized the schedule was extremely ambitious. I typically work on one-hour shows with generous production timelines. Beef was the opposite, we had six days per episode shot mostly on location. Having done several years of indie filmmaking during the early days of my career, I knew my crew and I would be fine but that my “run and gun” skills were a bit rusty and would be critical for this type of production. We needed to prepare for a very flexible shoot. I dedicated extra time to prepping my equipment and collaborating with my team to ensure we all shared the same mindset. We loaded our gear the Friday before production and when the door of the truck slammed shut, we felt great.

February 22, 2022, was the first day of production on Beef. On February 21, I woke up with a sore throat and tested positive for COVID for the first time since the pandemic started. I made it nearly two years and then just as I’m about to start a new gig, the inevitable finally happened. Although my symptoms were manageable, the timing could not have been worse. Our initial shot on the first day involved following two bicyclists uphill while delivering dialog spanning several blocks—this initially complex situation became even more complicated in my absence.

Making a good impression on the first day of production is always my top priority, especially on a new show. Not being able to set the initial tone was a huge let down, but knowing I had a trustworthy crew gave me confidence it would still go smoothly. I want to extend endless appreciation to Chris Thueson, our Boom Operator, and Kendra Bates, our Utility Sound Technician, for consistently going above and for ensuring we got off on the right foot. I’d also like to thank Sound Mixers Jeremy Brill and Mark Stockwell for holding down the fort until I was able to come back to work. I know from experience that jumping in on another mixer’s setup can be challenging and frustrating at times since we all do things differently. Jeremy and Mark performed exceptionally well, and their willingness to step in when I was in a tight spot meant a great deal to me.

Throughout production, some of our toughest challenges stemmed from the locations and sets. We frequently faced quiet, remote-looking outdoor scenes with major freeways just off camera, and sets with fifteen-foot to twenty-foot ceilings where no number of rugs or furniture blankets could sufficiently mitigate the pronounced reverb. Our aggressive shooting schedule often meant the traditional scene coverage that I’m used to didn’t always happen, so we had to be extra diligent about wiring our actors.

We tracked several live musical numbers that were more challenging than normal due to large-scale set transformations between performances, limiting our setup time. With three live performances squeezed into just two days of shooting, we used pre-recordings of the band but opted to record the vocals live. I brought in Jeff Zimmerman, one of my go-to playback guys, to help out with music. In addition to live vocals, all of the performances were captured in a church filled with background actors. Director Jake Schreier had a strong desire for the musical performances to appear organic to the audience, aiming to capture reactions as though they were genuinely experiencing a live show. I always have a strong preference to record clean vocals with no music bleed, and while we had IEMs for the band, I only got one take of clean vocals for each performance. Ultimately, vocals and pre-recorded instruments were pumped through the PA speakers which meant I needed to isolate as much of the vocals as possible. Although I would have loved to be given more control over my sonic environment, the Lectrosonics HHa transmitter with a Shure beta 87a capsule did a fantastic job of isolating the vocals for me.

The decision to blend live vocals with pre-recorded music brought an energy and authenticity that would have been impossible to achieve otherwise. One standout moment came from our lead actor, the amazingly talented Steven Yeun, who continued to perform for the background actors even when he was off camera and could have opted to use a pre-recorded vocal track. This was especially significant because he was having issues with losing his voice throughout production. Yeun’s dedication ensured that the magic we captured was as authentic for the background actors as it was for him during his own coverage of the scene.

Steven Yeun’s second performance was a cover of “Drive” by Incubus played on an acoustic guitar. This single shot scene used a Technocrane with a telescoping arm that started extremely wide and then moved into a close-up. Boom Operator Chris Thueson grabbed camera perspective until we could fit him in the frame, and our radio mic did the heavy lifting for vocals at the top of the take. We were covered for vocals but the guitar was still out of reach. I tried putting a wireless transmitter inside the body of the acoustic guitar with a DPA 6060 sticking out of the soundhole next to the bridge. While the sound was good, it was a bit too present, and we wanted a sound that captured the performance and still felt as though you were in a church surrounded by people. Chris decided to plant a MKH 50 on a flex arm about three feet away from Steven pointing up toward the guitar from the floor. He collaborated with the AD department to place a background actor in front of the rig (with very specific instructions not to move) and was able to hide it in plain sight by doing so. I mixed both guitar mics together and convinced our first AD to give us one solid take without the camera moving so the editorial team had a boom mic that sounded consistent. In the end, we were able to capture the sound we needed without additional coverage.

Collaboration is even more critical in a tight production shoot. In episode nine, three of our cast members wore large rubber Dick Cheney masks throughout much of the episode. Thankfully, our wardrobe department gave us the masks to test out in advance. Utility Kendra Bates and I tried a few different techniques, and we found the best mic placement was the old puppeteering technique where the actor wears a headband with DPA 6060 attached to it. This technique allowed the actors to more easily take the mask off between takes, avoiding any use of tape on their faces with an added bonus of not sweating off.

We focused on managing the aspects within our control and tried not to let the things we couldn’t change overwhelm us. I’m genuinely pleased with the show’s outcome and deeply thankful for the unwavering support of our crew, without whom none of this would have been achievable.

Now onto the gear! Keeping up with the latest technology is important in order to stay relevant in this constantly changing field, but I’m also a firm believer in working with the equipment that works best for you. Our end goal is to produce a great sounding show, and equipment is just one factor in accomplishing that. I use a Sound Devices Scorpio with the CL16 control surface for my primary recorder. The interface is very user-friendly, the recorder is robust, and I often use the Dante port to integrate multiple systems, making it easier to expand the functionality of my cart. My favorite microphone to date is the classic Sennheiser MKH 50. No microphone is perfect but the MKH 50 will always have a spot in my mic drawer if it’s not already connected to the boom pole. One of my more unusual pieces of gear is the Holophone H2 5.1 surround sound microphone. If I’m recording in a sonically interesting environment, such as a football stadium full of fans, I like to capture that environment in surround sound. We only use the Holophone if we have extra time or if production agrees to bring in a recordist, but it’s a fun way to keep our creative minds sharp during non-dialog-heavy shoots.

No amount of equipment can compare to the real ace up my sleeve—my crew! I’ve had the pleasure of working with Boom Op Chris Thueson for seven years. He’s a kind and thoughtful person who always gives 110%. His attention to detail during setups is directly related to our success, and he understands enough about everyone else’s job to know how, when, and what to ask for when we need assistance from other departments. Chris’s pleasant and attentive demeanor will also convince even the grumpiest of grumpy grips to flag off a problematic light.

Utility Kendra Bates has been the heart of our team for three years. She’s always the first person to set in the morning and if I accidentally showed up an hour early, she’d still beat me. Her happy and upbeat disposition puts the actors at ease, which is especially valuable when working with children, who require additional attention and reassurance. Kendra is also ready to hop in at a moment’s notice. When I need her on set, she already knows why and is there before I’m done calling her.

I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for my journey thus far. It’s been a mix of hard work, learning from the best, and some good old-fashioned luck. I’ve had the privilege to work with talented individuals and witness the magic of sound come to life in countless projects. It’s not just about the gear and the craft; it’s about the people who’ve supported and inspired me along the way. As the strikes end, the financial impact lingers on. My thoughts are with all my fellow IATSE members who are still struggling. Stay positive and don’t be afraid to ask your community for help. We’re all in this together.

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for 2023 CAS Award Nominees

The Cinema Audio Society announced the nominees for the 60th Annual CAS Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for 2023 in seven categories.

Motion Pictures – Live-Action

Barbie
Nina Rice–Production Mixer
Kevin O’Connell CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Ai-Ling Lee CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Peter Cobbin–Scoring Mixer
Kirsty Whalley–Scoring Mixer
Bobby Johanson CAS–ADR Mixer
Kevin Schultz–Foley Mixer
Additional Sound Team: Steve Hancock 1st Assistant Sound
Sarah Howe 2nd Assistant Sound,
Laura Clough 2nd Assistant Sound

Ferrari
Lee Orloff CAS–Production Mixer
Andy Nelson CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Tony Lamberti–Re-recording Mixer
Luke Schwarzweller CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Andrew Dudman–Scoring Mixer
Matthew Wood–ADR Mixer
Giorgi Lekishvili–Foley Mixer
Additional Sound Team:
Jeffrey Humphreys Boom Operator,
Angelo Bonanni Production Sound Mixer,
Luigi Pini Boom Operator,
Michele Brambilia 2nd Boom Operator/
Utility Sound Technician,
Alessio Ombres Sound Trainee

Killers of the Flower Moon
Mark Ulano CAS–Production Mixer
Tom Fleischman CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Eugene Gearty–Re-recording Mixer
George A. Lara CAS–Foley Mixer
Additional Sound Team:
Doug Shamberger Boom Operator,
Patrushkha Mierzwa 2nd Boom/Utility Sound Technician,
Nick Ronzio 2nd Boom/Utility Sound Technician,
Brandon Loulias 2nd Boom/Utility Sound Technician,
Gary Raymond Pro Tools Playback

Maestro
Steven A. Morrow CAS–Production Mixer
Tom Ozanich–Re-recording Mixer
Dean A. Zupancic–Re-recording Mixer
Nick Baxter–Scoring Mixer
Bobby Johanson CAS–ADR Mixer
Walter Spencer–Foley Mixer
Additional Sound Team: Jeanne L. Gilliland Boom Operator, John-Paul Natysin Utility Sound Technician,
Christy Illius Utility Sound Technician

Oppenheimer
Willie D. Burton CAS–Production Mixer
Gary A. Rizzo CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Kevin O’Connell CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Chris Fogel CAS–Scoring Mixer
Tavish Grade–Foley Mixer
Jack Cucci–Foley Mixer
Mikel Parraga-Wills–Foley Mixer
Additional Sound Team:
Douglas Shamburger Boom Operator,
Adam Mohundro 2nd Boom Operator,
Brett Becker New Mexico Sound Utility/Boom Operator

Motion Pictures – Animated

Elemental
Vince Caro CAS–Original Dialogue Mixer
Paul McGrath CAS–Original Dialogue Mixer
Stephen Urata–Re-recording Mixer
Ren Klyce–Re-recording Mixer
Thomas Vicari CAS–Scoring Mixer
Scott Curtis–Foley Mixer

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Brian Smith–Original Dialogue Mixer
Aaron Hasson–Original Dialogue Mixer –
Howard London CAS–Original Dialogue Mixer
Michael Semanick–Re-recording Mixer
Juan Peralta–Re-recording Mixer
Sam Okell–Scoring Mixer
Randy K. Singer CAS–Foley Mixer

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Doc Kane CAS–Original Dialogue Mixer
Michael Semanick–Re-recording Mixer
Mark Mangini–Re-recording Mixer
Trent Reznor–Scoring Mixer
Atticus Ross–Scoring Mixer
Chris Cirino–ADR Mixer
Chelsea Body–Foley Mixer

The Boy and the Heron
Kôji Kasamatsu–Original Dialogue & Re-recording Mixer

The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Carlos Sotolongo CAS–Original Dialogue Mixer
Pete Horner–Re-recording Mixer
Juan Peralta–Re-recording Mixer
Casey Stone CAS–Scoring Mixer
Doc Kane CAS–ADR Mixer
Richard Durante–Foley Mixer

Motion Pictures – Documentary

32 Sounds
Laura Cunningham–Production Mixer
Mark Mangini–Re-recording Mixer
Ben Greenberg–Scoring Mixer
Bobby Johanson CAS–ADR Mixer
Blake Collins CAS–Foley Mixer

American Symphony
Tom Paul–Re-recording Mixer
Tristan Baylis–Re-recording Mixer
Ryan Collison–Foley Mixer

Little Richard: I Am Everything
Tom Paul–Re-recording Mixer

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Skip Lievsay CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Paul Urmson–Re-recording Mixer
Joel Dougherty–Re-recording Mixer
John Michael Caldwell–Scoring Mixer
Micah Blaichman–Foley Mixer

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Jacob Farron Smith CAS–Production Mixer
John Ross CAS–Re-recording Mixer
David Payne–Re-recording Mixer
Christopher Rowe–Re-recording Mixer

Non-Theatrical Motion Pictures or Limited Series

All the Light We Cannot See: Ep.4
Balazs Varga–Production Mixer
Mark Paterson–Re-recording Mixer
Craig Henighan CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Nick Wollage–Scoring Mixer
Bobby Johanson CAS–ADR Mixer
Peter Persaud CAS–Foley Mixer
Production Sound Team: Nándor Szirtes Key 1st Assistant Sound, Bence Németh 1st Assistant Sound

Beef: Ep.9 The Great Fabricator
Sean O’Malley CAS–Production Mixer
Penny Harold CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Andrew Garrett Lange CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Andrey Starikovskiy–Foley Mixer
Production Sound Team: Chris Thueson Boom Operator,
Kendra Bates Utility Sound Technician

Black Mirror: S6 Ep. 3 Beyond the Sea
Richard Miller–Production Mixer
James Ridgway–Re-recording Mixer
Daniel Kresco–Scoring Mixer
James Hyde–ADR Mixer
Adam Mendez CAS–Foley Mixer
Production Sound Team: Orin Beaton 1st Assistant Sound,
Tom Pallant 2nd Assistant Sound, Tija Skvarciute Trainee

Daisy Jones & the Six: Ep. 10 Track 10: Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide
Chris Welcker–Production Mixer
Lindsey Alvarez CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Mathew Waters CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Mike Poole–Scoring Mixer
Chris Navarro CAS–ADR Mixer
James B. Howe–Foley Mixer
Production Sound Team: Ryan Farris Boom Op & Music Playback Operator, Emily Poulliard Utility Sound Technician
Additional Crew: Donovan Thibodeaux & Jared Lawrie Boom
Operators, Oliver Bonie & Deshaun Andre Utility Sound Technicians

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Richard Bullock CAS–Production Mixer
Tony Solis–Re-recording Mixer
Phil McGowan CAS–Scoring Mixer
Brian Magrum CAS–ADR Mixer
Erika Koski CAS–Foley Mixer
Additional Sound Crew: Tanya Peel Boom Operator,
Kelly R. Lewis Utility Sound

Television Series – One Hour

Succession: S04 E03 Connor’s Wedding
Ken Ishii CAS–Production Mixer
Andy Kris–Re-recording Mixer
Nicholas Renbeck–Re-recording Mixer
Thomas Vicari CAS–Scoring Mixer
Mark DeSimone CAS–ADR Mixer
Micah Blaichman–Foley Mixer
Production Sound Team: Peter Deutscher Boom Operator,
Ethan Goldberger Utility Sound

Ted Lasso: S03 E12 So Long, Farewell
David Lascelles CAS–Production Mixer
Ryan Kennedy–Re-recording Mixer
Sean Byrne CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Jordan McClain–Foley Mixer
Production Sound Team: Jodie Campbell 1st Assistant Sound,
Zak Wundowa 1st Assistant Sound,
Michael Fearon 2nd Assistant Sound

The Crown: S05 E08 Gunpowder
Chris Ashworth–Production Mixer
Stuart Hilliker CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Lee Walpole–Re-recording Mixer
Martin Jensen–Re-recording Mixer
Ben Tisdall–ADR Mixer
Anna Wright–Foley Mixer
Production Sound Team: Steve Hancock 1st Assistant Sound,
Jodie Stedman 2nd Assistant Sound, Elan Tudur Trainee

The Last of Us: S01 E01
When You’re Lost in the Darkness
Michael Playfair CAS–Production Mixer
Marc Fishman CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Kevin Roache CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Randy Wilson–Foley Mixer
Additional Sound Crew:
Louw Verwoerd Boom Operator,
Valerie Siu Utility Sound

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: S05 E06 The Testi-Roastial
Mathew Price CAS–Production Mixer
Ron Bochar CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Stewart Lerman–Scoring Mixer
George A. Lara CAS–Foley Mixer
Production Sound Team:
Carmine Picarello Boom Operator,
Spyros Poulos Sound Utility/Music Recordist,
Egor Panchenko Pro Tools Playback

Television Series – Half Hour

Barry: S04 E08 Wow
Scott Harber CAS–Production Mixer
Elmo Ponsdomenech CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Teddy Salas–Re-recording Mixer
David Wingo–Scoring Mixer
Aaron Hasson–ADR Mixer
Darrin Mann–Foley Mixer
Production Sound Team: Erik Altstadt Boom Operator,
Charles Stroh Sound Utility

Only Murders in the Building: S03 E08 Sitzprobe
Joseph White Jr. CAS–Production Mixer
Mathew Waters CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Lindsey Alvarez CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Derik Lee–Song Mixer
Alan DeMoss–Scoring Mixer
Derek Pacuk–Pro Tools Playback Mixer
Erika Koski CAS–Foley Mixer
Production Sound Team:
Jason Benjamin, Timothy R. Boyce Jr.

The Bear: S02 E07 Forks
Scott D. Smith CAS–Production Mixer
Steve “Major” Giammaria CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Patrick Christensen–ADR Mixer
Ryan Collison–Foley Mixer
Additional Sound Crew:
Joe Thomas Boom Operator,
Nick Ray Harris Boom Operator,
Nicholas Price Utility

The Mandalorian: S03 E08 The Return
Shawn Holden–Production Mixer
Scott R. Lewis CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Tony Villaflor–Re-recording Mixer
Chris Fogel CAS–Scoring Mixer
Aaron Hasson–ADR Mixer
Scott Curtis–Foley Mixer
Production Sound Team:
Patrick Martens Boom Operator,
Yvette Marxer & Eva Rismanforoush,
Utility Sound Technicians,
David Hernandez Trainee
Tandem Unit:
Moe Chamberlain Production Sound Mixer,
Kraig Kishi Boom Operator,
Cole Chamberlain Utility Sound Technician

What We Do in the Shadows: S05 E05 Local News
Rob Beal CAS–Production Mixer
Samuel Ejnes CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Diego Gat CAS–Re-recording Mixe
Stacey Michaels CAS–Foley Mixer
Production Sound Team: Ryan Longo Boom Operator,
Camille Kennedy Sound Utility

Television Non-Fiction, Variety or Music – Series or Specials

100 Foot Wave: S02 E05 Lost at Sea
Keith Hodne–Re-recording Mixer

Bono & the Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with Dave Letterman
Karl Merren–Production Mixer
Brian Riordan CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Phil DeTolve CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Jacknife Lee–Scoring Mixer

Formula 1: Drive to Survive: S05 E09 Over the Limit
Doug Dredger–Production Mixer
Steve Speed CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Nick Fry CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Additional Sound Team:
Adam King Production Sound Mixer

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: S08 E31 John Oliver;
Broadway Cast of The Lion King
Pierre de Laforcade–Production Mixer
Tom Herrmann–Foley Mixer
Al Bonomo–Monitor Mixer
Harvey Goldberg–Music Mixer

Welcome to Wrexham: S02 E06 Ballers
Mark Jensen CAS–Re-recording Mixer

Student Recognition Award Finalists

Allison Blum, Savannah College of Art and Design
Shubhi Sahni, University of Southern California
Doris (Yushu) Shen, University of Southern California
Eunseo (Bella) So, Savannah College of Art and Design
William Tate, Georgia State University

The Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS) Film Award
Nominees

Excellence in Sound for a Feature Film

Barbie (Warner Bros.)
Nina Rice–Production Mixer
Kevin O’Connell CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Ai-Ling Lee CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Additional Sound Team: Steve Hancock Key Boom Op,
Sarah Howe Boom Op,
Laura Clough 2nd Assistant Sound

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount)
Chris Munro–Production Mixer
Chris Burdon–Re-recording Mixer
Mark Taylor–Re-recording Mixer
Additional Sound Team:
Lloyd Dudley 1st AS/Additional Production Mixer,
Tom Harrison 1st AS/Boom Operator,
Luigi Pini 1st AS/Boom Operator (Italy),
Freya Clarke 1st AS/Boom Operator,
Hosea Ntaborwa 1st AS/Boom Operator,
Ayesha Breithaupt 2nd AS

Oppenheimer (Universal)
Willie D. Burton CAS–Production Mixer
Gary A. Rizzo CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Kevin O’Connell CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Additional Sound Team:
Douglas Shamburger Boom Operator,
Adam Mohundro 2nd Boom Operator,
Brett Becker New Mexico Sound Utility/Boom Operator

Saltburn (Amazon)
Nina Rice–Production Mixer
Federico Costantini–Re-recording Mixer
Jasper Thorn–Re-recording Mixer
Additional Sound Team:
Liam Cotter 1st Assistant Sound,
Sarah Howe 1st Assistant Sound,
Laura Clough 2nd Assistant Sound

The Zone of Interest (A24)
Tarn Willers–Production Mixer
Johnnie Burn–Re-recording Mixer
Additional Sound Team:
Mateusz Stasiak 1st Assistant Sound,
Jimi Ogden 1st Assistant Sound,
Filip Sulima Sound Trainee

Oscar Sound Nominees

Motion Picture

The Creator
Ian Voigt–Production Sound Mixer
Tom Ozanich–Re-recording Mixer
Dean A. Zupancic–Re-recording Mixer
Erik Aadhl–Supervising Sound Editor
Ethan Van der Ryn–Supervising Sound Editor
Additional Sound Team: Jordan Milliken 1AS,
Katika Tubtim 1AS (Thailand), Nick Ager 2AS (UK)

Maestro
Steven A. Morrow CAS–Production Sound Mixer
Tom Ozanich–Re-recording Mixer
Dean A. Zupancic–Re-recording Mixer
Richard King–Supervising Sound Editor
Jason Ruder–Supervising Sound Editor
Additional Sound Team: Jeanne L. Gilliland Boom Operator, John-Paul Natysin Utility Sound Technician,
Christy Illius Utility Sound Technician

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Chris Munro–Production Sound Mixer
Chris Burdon–Re-recording Mixer
Mark Taylor–Re-recording Mixer
James H. Mather–Supervising Sound Editor
Additional Sound Team:
Tom Harrison 1st AS/Boom Operator,
Luigi Pini 1st AS/Boom Operator (Italy),
Freya Clarke 1st AS/Boom Operator,
Hosea Ntaborwa 1st AS/Boom Operator

Oppenheimer
Willie D. Burton CAS–Production Sounnd Mixer
Kevin O’Connell CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Gary A. Rizzo CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Richard King–Supervising Sound Editor
Additional Sound Team:
Douglas Shamburger Boom Operator,
Adam Mohundro 2nd Boom Operator,
Brett Becker New Mexico Sound Utility/Boom Operator

The Zone of Interest (A24)
Tarn Willers–Production Sound Mixer
Johnnie Burn–Re-recording Mixer
Additional Sound Team:
Mateusz Stasiak 1st Assistant Sound,
Jimi Ogden 1st Assistant Sound,
Filip Sulima Sound Trainee

BAFTA Sound Nominees

Motion Picture

Ferrari
Angelo Bonanni–Supervising Sound Editor
Tony Lamberti–Re-recording Mixer
Andy Nelson CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Lee Orloff CAS–Production Sound Mixer
Bernard Weiser–Supervising Sound Editor
Additional Sound Team:
Jeffrey Humphreys Boom Operator,
Angelo Bonanni Production Sound Mixer,
Luigi Pini Boom Operator,
Michele Brambilia 2nd Boom Operator/
Utility Sound Technician,
Alessio Ombres Sound Trainee

Maestro
Richard King–Supervising Sound Editor
Steven A. Morrow CAS–Production Sound Mixer
Tom Ozanich–Re-recording Mixer
Jason Ruder–Supervising Sound Editor
Dean A. Zupancic–Re-recording Mixer
Additional Sound Team: Jeanne L. Gilliland Boom Operator, John-Paul Natysin Utility Sound Technician,
Christy Illius Utility Sound Technician

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Chris Burdon–Re-recording Mixer
James H. Mather–Supervising Sound Editor
Chris Munro–Production Sound Mixer
Mark Taylor–Re-recording Mixer
Additional Sound Team:
Tom Harrison 1st AS/Boom Operator,
Luigi Pini 1st AS/ Boom Operator (Italy),
Freya Clarke 1st AS/Boom Operator,
Hosea Ntaborwa 1st AS/Boom Operator,
Ayesha Breithaupt 2nd AS

Oppenheimer
Willie D. Burton CAS–Production Sound Mixer
Richard King–Supervising Sound Editor
Kevin O’Connell CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Gary A. Rizzo CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Additional Sound Team:
Douglas Shamburger Boom Operator,
Adam Mohundro 2nd Boom Operator,
Brett Becker New Mexico Sound Utility/Boom Operator

The Zone of Interest (A24)
Johnnie Burn–Re-recording Mixer
Tarn Willers–Production Sound Mixer
Additional Sound Team:
Mateusz Stasiak 1st Assistant Sound,
Jimi Ogden 1st Assistant Sound,
Filip Sulima Sound Trainee

Creative Arts Emmy Sound Winners

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)
The Last of Us
When You’re Lost in the Darkness (HBO MAX)
Marc Fishman, CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Kevin Roache, CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Michael Playfair CAS–Production Mixer
Additional Sound Team:
Louw Verwoerd Boom Operator, Valerie Siu Utility Sound Technician

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES
(HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION
The Bear
Review (FX)
Steve “Major” Giammaria CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Scott D. Smith CAS–Production Mixer
Additional Sound Crew: Joe Thomas Boom Operator,
Nick Ray Harris Boom Operator, Nicholas Price Utility

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES
(HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION
Daisy Jones & the Six
Track 10: Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide (Prime Video)
Lindsey Alvarez CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Mathew Waters CAS–Re-recording Mixer
Chris Welcker–Production Mixer
Mike Poole–Music Mixer
Production Sound Team: Ryan Farris Boom Op and
Music Playback Operator, Emily Poulliard Utility Sound Technician
Additional Crew: Donovan Thibodeaux & Jared Lawrie Boom
Operators, Oliver Bonie & Deshaun Andre Utility Sound Technicians

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM (SINGLE OR
MULTI-CAMERA)
Welcome to Wrexham
Do or Die (FX)
Mark Jensen CAS–Re-recording Mixer

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY SERIES OR SPECIAL
Elton John Live:
Farewell From Dodger Stadium (Disney+)
Michael Abbott–Broadcast Production Mixer
Eric Schilling–Music Mixer
Matt Herr–FOH Mixer
Alan Richardson–Monitor Mixer
Christian Schrader–Supplemental Audio Mixer

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM (SINGLE OR MULTI-CAMERA)
Moonage Daydream
(HBO MAX)
Paul Massey–Re-recording Mixer
David Giammarco–Re-recording Mixer

Disclaimer: The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) does not award Emmy statuettes or nomination certificates to those listed under “Production Sound Team”

From your experience, who is the most interested director in sound?

I’ll answer the question I wished you had asked. It’s the director who understands that sound, from the very beginning in pre-production, includes his/her sound artists as advocates for the idea at hand. This director hugs the sound artists inside the circle of trust recognizing their creative contribution. This director understands that sound is an integral part of the creative palette, beginning with the essential capture of performance, effects, and environment in ways that reveal character and tell the story. This director takes his Sound Mixer on his tech scouts to witness and join the creative power flow emerging with the DOP, AD, and other team members.

What is your view of the Sound Department’s artistic contribution to each project?

It is an experienced reality for many of us in our esoteric art form. What we do is so invisible and misunderstood, especially with how we function on the set. I don’t mean this in a disrespectful way. There is great misinterpretation by those who work alongside us every day. Very often, they are unaware of exactly what we’re doing. Our collective voice must reposition this disconnect in a proportionate way. Fortunately, this is in play in certain quarters these days, but it’s still a major challenge to the recognition of our craft.

I don’t use the “bad-for-sound” description of a challenge as it usually triggers a territorial interpretation of what I’m saying. Instead, I engage when choices need to be made. I explain the issue, with the fewest words possible, placing in the director’s hands, the options before us. If it’s the director’s idea at issue, it’s much more effective to speak forthrightly, in terms of the competing elements and the range of solutions available. I won’t cut unless I’ve been given that authority by the director in advance. I don’t want to anyway, as there may be other essential elements within the shot not sound-related. This must be a part of our trust relationship. If a 2022 Airbus 330 jet flying overhead occurs during an 1870 dialog scene, I will bring it to the director or AD’s attention in the moment.

Some people who have the creative and financial authority of directing and/or producing are not necessarily knowledgeable about production sound and its use as a part of their skill set or creative palette. This can certainly be a problem.

What is the best way to communicate this?

How we communicate this has multiple levels to it. If you frequently come as the messenger of bad news, you can erode your credibility. We’re there as an advocate for directorial intent and telling the story, Our only agenda is to help it be better. My position is, it’s never about my sound, it’s about the sound. It is about serving your project. If the production wants to make a decision that is going to postpone the resolution of the problem; it’s their prerogative to do so, and I’ll support that even if I think it’s not the best solution, as long as I’ve been clear about the competing elements in a timely fashion.
My prejudices must stop at the door. A leader takes information and recommendations from the team and then makes a decision. This is the responsibility of the director. But how you present where your concern comes from should redirect the attention from yourself to the “we-together” problem solving of the project. My ego is intact, but it’s directed toward serving the project, not about protecting my “work” or worry of being criticized in my absence, I work at defusing the notion of bad production sound by establishing my credibility.

I aggressively maintain a collaborative relationship with the Supervising Sound Editor and the Re-recording Mixers in pre-production, and then through production. I want that open line of communication, not just for challenges and problems, but for creative contributions that together, we interpret the intent of the director.

I did a film called Cowboys & Aliens with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. Harrison created a voice for that character that he turned on and off like a switch. Cameras on, he’s in that voice, it’s sort of low and gravelly, very consistent. He was his own reference. That voice impacted my choices for tonality, which mic and its placement I would use for him and how I would mix his voice into the scene. This is an example of being aware of a significant actor contribution, and how I was collaborating with and protecting that contribution.

That’s the mindset I have when I’m dealing with this idea of “Okay, we want to create sound that tells this story, we’re really with you.” Then on the day, we’re chasing the sun up the hill. It’s panic vision and f**k sound and we’re off and running. I try to be a buffer to that impulse. Often the First AD is an interpreter of a director’s decision-making prerogative. The First AD has more than one agenda. Surface-wise, they’re the director’s advocate and a conduit of information to the rest of the crew. But they’re also part of production; they are shooting a schedule and making their day has financial implications for them. They get bonuses for coming in under time and under budget. One could argue that this is a conflict of interest, but nonetheless, there it is. Or they may have very deep conviction that they know exactly what is and isn’t okay without consultation. We’re there to be the “DPs of Sound,” if you will, on the set. Our responsibility is at this level.

Some mixers remain silent out of fear of alienating themselves with the ADs and the Director.

To me, this way of thinking is a strategic mistake. There’s a third way. You don’t need to be in an adversarial posture over the challenges created by competing elements. Moviemaking is all about competing elements. Every day, every shot, there’s some kind of element that seeks to be dominant in the shot. It’s not up to the Department Head or the mini-department heads to take it personally. The higher up the food chain you go though, the less frequently that occurs because they’ve been seasoned, they’ve been experienced. They understand it’s not just about them, it’s about the project, serve the project.

So, if you’re challenged by an element that has not been fully thought through and that is damaging other key elements, that’s a situation that could possibly have been solved in advance, but then…

If it isn’t, on the day, on the fly, in the moment, you, together, collaborate on a solution (if there’s one to be found). On a big movie, it’s probably five thousand dollars a minute of shooting time to run a two-hundred-million-dollar budget! You miss ten minutes and that’s fifty grand. You’re already stepping into a schoolteachers’ annual salary for those ten minutes.

So, how do we transcend that conundrum?

A: Become deeply invested in anticipating.
B: Become deeply skilled in interpreting the truth of the moment, not what everybody thinks what the moment will be, and
C: Have an armful of potential solutions for that moment in a very short period of time.

That means having more than one game in play simultaneously, most of the time.

The most important issue is how you are communicating these concerns?

My partner, Patrushkha Mierzwa, says, “When you come up against a challenge … never describe it as a ‘problem.’ “We don’t have a problem, we have a situation, and these are the competing elements, and here are the solution options. We need to decide what’s the best solution for this, whatever that range may be.”

It’s often our responsibility to make clear to people who do not understand what we do to not jump to a conclusion about how long something will take to do. We may have a much better solution that’s actually equal or less in time than the solution that they leap to in their mind. It’s up to us to be able to say, “This will take thirty seconds. This will take four minutes. This will take…” Whatever they need to be soothed in their anxiety about the time lost, and then to perform within the parameters close to your estimate, because you have the experience of how to do that. It’s in your repertoire.

When a DP needs to add another light, and there’s a ten-minute interval, it’s OK. But when our department asks, we sometimes hear, “We have no time.”

In The Godfather, Mario Puzo reiterated an ancient Greek saying: “The fish stinks from the head down.”
If you’re working with a director in control of the production priorities, and you’ve been successful being included in his/her “circle of trust,” then the director can see what you’re contributing towards their personal gain or loss for their work. If this can happen, then you will have an ally in clarifying what does and doesn’t matter. Of course, you have the responsibility to hold up your end by being good enough to solve it.

Often as not, we have the autonomy to creatively solve things that our non-sound colleagues may be clueless about, and I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way.

I’ve done more than one hundred fifty projects, primarily features, but some television projects. Most directors that I work with will have ten to fifteen projects in the scope of their careers. Does that make them less experienced than me? On one level, yes. But on another level, no. They are successful in those careers by having unique and capable voices and skill sets to manage creating a film. It’s unfortunate but the reality is very little is being taught about the sound arts to film students.

It has become our responsibility, in that early stage of pre-production, to establish our bona fides as a full contributing creative partner, as an advocate for the director’s intent. You embody that by the way you operate, by how you perceive each and every day, shot by shot. The precision of the words you use is your passport to inclusion.

We’re in a public debate right now in our community over the place and the hierarchy that the production team has. There are many of us who don’t recognize the value of their own contribution. It’s stunning, but it’s really true. “I’m just there, I record, I go home, that’s my bit and that’s my gig,” versus what is it that I’m doing that is best serving the idea here at hand? Who is this character? How is the audience supposed to experience this character? Is the character evolving over time through the plot? What am I doing that’s supporting that arc, the way depth of field, the way focused placement, the way tonality, composition, color, exposure? We have similar, not exactly analogous, but similar tools in our toolkit that engage in those pieces of telling the story.

What is the line of communication? Is it always going through the First AD primarily, and when do you talk directly to the Director?

I don’t have a very in-depth ideology in terms of words, but it’s very deep in terms of its purpose. I call it the ID ideology. “It depends.” Who are they? What’s their point of reference? How do they behave under load and what’s their perspective on what they do and what you do and how they interact?

The AD and the Director.

Is it a weak director? Is it a strong director, but weak in technique? Is it a director, strong in technique, but weak in philosophy, afraid of their actors? They often try to hide their fear of the actors by over-engagement. Do they feel under assault? Many directors are in abject terror from day one, or even prior to day one. There are two groups in the director community; those that have established their autonomy by success in the market and success in the critical world, and by their repeated engagement by major funding sources for their work.

Then there’s the other group who are still clawing their way to some degree of career stability, but are most often surrounded by a committee of second-guessers who are there with good intent and under great levels of compensation, by the way, to protect the director from themselves and to validate and justify their purpose.

Many TV shows have 10, 12, 15, 18, 20 people with the title of producer, and they’re mostly writers, but they’ll sit at the set in a chair watching a monitor of the scene with headphones on and on their cellphones, and they’re pulling down six, seven figures a year to do that. Meanwhile, we’re out there actually making it happen for far, far less. So that interferes with the director’s progress to mature into a skilled confident creative person.

For me, the best strategy has been to always approach the work as a filmmaker, akin to musicians in the orchestra. First, self-identify as an artist with a special instrument, then apply this instrument to telling stories with film through sound. We interpret directorial intent through emotion and tonality. We connect the characters to the audience. Every artist contributing to a film is a technician with their medium. We are as well. We make many creative decisions every day. We interpret and capture performance in context to story arc, character arc, and directorial intent. We do this in collaboration with the other film artists, above and below the line. We come together to tell the story. Nothing less…

by James Delhauer

Today’s productions move faster than ever before. With larger budgets and pre-determined release dates, efficiency is the name of the game like never before. That is why a centralized communication system is essential. Gone are the days when a simple walkie-talkie setup will suffice. With so many moving parts on set, the average member of the crew needs to be able to monitor several feeds and discussions simultaneously in order to do their job well. That is why PL/Comms Technicians in Local 695 have turned to Cine-COMM Inc. and the Riedel-powered Bolero systems in order to facilitate advanced communications throughout the production process.

Cine-COMM was founded in 2021 by Local 600/695 members Simon Jayes and Eduardo Eguia. The impetus for its inception came when Simon found himself working as a Camera Operator on Wonder Woman 1984 and needed to remain in communication with multiple departments at once. To facilitate this, he was forced to wear two traditional intercoms with a headset on each ear, a Comtek, and a walkie, ALL at the same time. With two ears and four devices, this obviously posed a problem. And it wasn’t a unique problem. Conversation with other department heads across multiple productions revealed that this was becoming a systemic issue on set, especially as members of the crew needed to communicate with remote workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Somehow, communication had become more of a hinderance than a convenience.

PL and communications work has long been within the jurisdiction of Local 695 and our members have done this work consistently in live broadcast, sports, and TV studio-based productions for decades, but narrative and episodic productions present unique communication challenges. Shooting on location or sound stages that weren’t designed with comms in mind can make it difficult to set up point-to-point systems, and not all locations are equipped to provide consistent AC power supply. This is why walkie-talkies became the standard in the first place.

When setting out to create a better communication system, Simon and Eduardo found that there was really only one product available on the market that met the needs of modern productions: The Riedel Bolero wireless intercom. This unit serves as a portable, all-in-one communications tool that can be custom programmed to distribute up to seven audio feeds to a single beltpack, eliminating the need for multiple pieces of equipment per user. What’s more, the Bolero Standalone System can support up to one hundred uniquely programmed beltpacks in a single networked deployment and, if used with Riedel Artist, it can support up to two hundred and fifty, meaning anyone and everyone on set can have a customized communications device to service their specific needs.

Cine-COMM Inc. harnesses the potential of the Bolero system to create and deploy turnkey wireless systems specifically for the film and television industry. Beltpacks can be programed to interface with one another, but can also communicate with existing systems such as Production Sound, Voice of God (VOD)systems, IFBs and Earwigs, Audio Playback, and even Bluetooth audio devices.

Bolero’s high-clarity voice codec provides higher speech intelligibility than standard walkie units and a robust RF system designed to keep units functioning in challenging environments where other systems might fail. Unlike conventional walkie-talkies, the system supports Duplex communication, meaning that multiple speakers can communicate simultaneously. This allows for more conversational usage and eliminates the age-old problem of one person accidentally drowning out an entire walkie channel by holding or setting their device down in just the wrong way.

Most importantly, this system is far more secure than open band communication systems. When relying on traditional walkie-talkies, productions leave themselves vulnerable to clever members of the press and paparazzi who might source walkies with the same channels in order to monitor on set communications, resulting in production and casting leaks before studios are ready to make such announcements. However, by encoding all communications, Riedel’s system protects the security of the production and ensures that no one whose device isn’t on the same network can monitor chatter throughout the day.

Cine-COMM systems are highly customizable and are individually tailored to the needs of a given production. The company packages all necessary components for a given shoot, providing both the hardware and configuration services to ensure proper implementation on set. Though the company was founded in 2021, its services have already seen widespread usage on major productions. Films and shows like The Mandalorian, Our Flag Means Death, Thor: Love and Thunder, Barbie, Black Adam, Interior Chinatown, Ahsoka, Mayor of Kingstown, and many more have implemented Cine-COMM systems into their workflows. Thor: Love and Thunder director and Our Flag Means Death creator Taika Waititi has become something of a power user within the company, using Cine-COMM systems to facilitate both communications, VOG, actor line feeds via earwigs and music playback on set.

As wireless intercom systems like those provided by Cine-COMM become more prevalent, a new generation of Local 695 PL/Comms Engineers will become necessary. That is why our Local has partnered with Simon and Eduardo at Cine-COMM in order to provide training to members who are interested in taking on this sort of work. This partnership allows for productions renting Cine-COMM systems to correctly staff the communication positions on set, while also ensuring that those hired to facilitate communications have the training necessary to service productions from start to finish.

At one time, the megaphone was considered a breakthrough in communications technology. Then came the walkie-talkie and point-to-point comms systems. The Cine-COMM Inc. Bolero-based system is the newest evolution in connecting members of the set with one another. It presents a wide variety of solutions to age-old problems and offers productions a future-facing option to tackle the issues of tomorrow.

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www.cine-comm.com, where you can find more information on Cine-COMM Inc. and the various products they offer.