An Open Letter from your Sound Department

This article is derived almost entirely from the article "An Open Letter from your Sound Department" from filmsound.org. I have added parts here and there that come from my own experiences on set. If you think you know a thing or two about film making, even if you are a 30 year veteran, do yourself a favor and read this. I guarantee you that you will learn a great deal.

This letter is being written by audio professionals to help directors and producers understand how good sound can be recorded on the set. We want to help you make the best film possible.

For this piece, we will not discuss the topic of mixing itself, as this is the "hocus pocus" part that you trust us to do so well.

We want you to have information that will enable you to evaluate what is interfering with good sound, before a hasty decision is made that can harm the quality of your film's sound. To help you make your decision you need to know about some of the obstacles that we sound people face, before we can even begin to get usable production sound on the set.

This is after all, the age day of digital sound. Theaters have wonderful THX(the audience IS listening) and SDDS with 5.1 surround. Home audio is often better than many theaters as a sophisticated audience demands DVDs with 24 bits. Yet, today's sound at it's source on set is suffering like never before.

THE PROBLEM

We, the sound crew, are the ones that you depend on to create and protect YOUR original sound tracks during production.

Unlike the work of the majority of the people who are working for on-camera results, the mixer's efforts can not be "seen" on the set. Almost no one hears what the microphone picks up. Too few are sure just what we do. Only the most obviously bad noises are even brought up for discussion.

Included in our job is to monitor the sets for unnecessary, accidental, ignorant and sometimes even malicious actions or lack of actions that may compromise your sound track. To emphasize this point: WE DO THIS SO YOU WILL HAVE THE BEST TRACKS POSSIBLE; IT IS NOT FOR US.

We are too often frustrated by the state of conditions that now exist on most sets. Many times we are expected to solve all sound problems alone. Instead, this should always be a cooperative effort with the assistant directors and other crafts.

Sound mixers are often perceived as pests or even a hindrance to the film's progress. We don't like being put in this untenable position because it is humiliating and unnecessary. We don't like to be considered adversarial to the rest of the production and we certainly don't want to be the "sound police"!

A mixer on a tough show, who fights alone to get you good sound, stands a good chance of burning out from all the excuses and defenses put up. It's hard to put it all out there without support. The temptation is to cave into the pressure and just go with the flow, and no good can come when that happens.

The problems that we face may lead you to believe that good sound cannot be achieved without set disruptions and added costs. This would not be necessary if reasonable measures are anticipated and endorsed by you both in pre-production and during production.

We know the limitations of our equipment. For example, microphones are just tools, they don't make miracles happen. If on-set audio problems are not dealt with immediately, they will only be back to haunt you again in post production.

You can help us do a better job for you. Good sound can most often be achieved by using reasonable preparation to avoid pitfalls.

We need your understanding and your backing.

THEN AND NOW

To understand the sorry state of audio affairs today, you must go back in time.

There once existed a major studio system where an assembly line of crafts worked together to churn out film products. No matter which studio we worked at, all crafts understood they were expected to take reasonable measures within their purview to allow for good sound recordings. It was instilled as part of their job description. These duties were passed on to the young apprentices. Grips cut microphone shadows sharply with flags. The electric department would change out a noisy light that buzzed. Camera assistants would try everything possible to quiet camera noise and many is the time that an operator had blankets and pillows over them and the noisy camera. Every other craft would do whatever was deemed reasonable to help get good sound, because it was considered to be part of their job. No one had to try to persuade them to do it. It was an era where reasonable co-operation with the Sound Department was the normal way to make good movies.

Today's crafts still have pride in their jobs but it seems they NO LONGER consider sound assistance to be a part of their job description. The problems began when the in-house studio training system broke down as non-union independent films proliferated. Along the way, the process of learning what their jobs entailed changed the way they perceived sound. The other crafts now don't think they should do anything to help YOU get good sound for YOUR movie. There is no longer an apprenticeship system to pass along this knowledge. They now learn on the job under fire through osmosis.

They must now be requested in each instance to do reasonable things, which are necessary to protect YOUR sound tracks, because they just don't consider it to be a part of their job anymore.

The Sound Department would gladly cut the shadow on the back wall of the set ourselves or cover the noisy camera, but that's not how the game is played. Instead, we have to convince, cajole, coerce, plead and use every other psychological persuasion technique to get the other crafts to help us prevent sound problems.

That last second, scrambling time on set should only be used to fix the unexpected problems which will inevitably occur. Instead, that last second is the first time that the sound mixer finds out about changes in dialog, staging or unwanted noises from on or off of the set.

All of the other departments work for what is seen and not heard. Every single person on the production from make up and wardrobe to grips and props concentrates only on what's seen in the viewfinder.

Because the other production crafts work only for picture, no one knows or cares what's happening to YOUR audio.

You are the only person on set with the power to allow us to get you good sound. It is always tempting for sound to give in and not go against the grain when circumstances impose impossible barriers.

Film schools are going to need to add psychology courses to their sound mixing curriculum soon. The situation is often that bad. That is why we want you to know as much as possible about the audio minefield lurking on every set.

What may often seem to you to be a lot of complaining, is in fact simply communicating negative factors to you, so that you will know what you are getting on your sound tracks, and what sound problems can be fixed NOW. For bottom line, these are YOUR choices. Just because we hear a noise does not make it a sound problem. It is your problem too. After all, we turn over the tracks to you at the end of the day.

After reading this, hopefully it will be much easier for you to make the informed decision about when it's really the time to loop. It's far too late to reverse a sound calamity later in post.

Even though this topic is last in the chain of events, we should start first by talking about why ADR is not a fix.

LOOPING

It is important to understand the gravity and consequences caused when the words "We'll loop it" are used.

You are obviously aware that extra ADR adds a financial burden to your budget, but the consequences are much greater than that. Looping is only an answer for situations where all else fails! It's not a quick fix later if the original set problems could have easily have been rectified with just a little time, knowledge or communication. Looping means that you are also making a huge artistic compromise that damages the film in many other ways in which you may not be so aware.

Obviously, you realize that the actor's performance is always better in production than in an ADR booth. Making a film is an artistic endeavor that lives forever! You cast great actors to bring together the collaborative efforts of film making and then you lose the essence of the scene by looping! The voice of a great actor totally in character, moving and interacting with other actors in three dimensional space is a treasure. It breathes life into the film.

Sure, ADR will have less noise than even the best set recording made with cameras rolling, but in fact we know it lacks any spontaneity, as well as the emotional truth of what's captured when you use your artists talents on the set. It can't be duplicated. ADR is not acting. The greatest method actors all hate it and at best, it is only a close recreation of the original scene.

Looping also just eats into a post budget's financial and time constraints, which would be far better spent utilizing their magical tools to enrich the film.

And as any independent film makers knows, they are always over budget by the time the film gets to post sound production, so do yourself a favor and allow us to get you the best sound we can on set!

When you just have to loop, the new forward thinking by many respected post sound professionals (such as Randy Thom from Skywalker) is to loop it immediately on or close to the set and as soon possible after the scene. These advocates know that the performance will be better so soon after filming the scene and the sound will be more natural if done in the same environment with the offending noises locked down. There are companies that specialize in on set looping using the video assist tapes for picture in portable studios.

Looping at best is usually fiscally irresponsible. Be sure that the audio problem really can't be fixed BEFORE you make a decision that you will regret later. Never allow the simple impatience of the moment on set be your real reason to loop! Be sure you have first covered all reasonable alternatives.

SOUND PROBLEMS ON THE SET

The majority of events that ruin sound tracks are totally predictable and happen over and over, show after show, year after year.

These are obstacles that are clearly identifiable and quantifiable. The difference between getting good sound or bad sound is often determined by how many of these predictable negative factors take place on your particular show and how they are handled.

There are few problems that don't have solutions if proper diligence can be taken in advance. The sound mixer is your advocate here. Let's try to identify the audio problems which each craft brings to your film.

PREPRODUCTION

Good sound begins by anticipating the outcome well in advance. Communicate early and often with your mixer in pre-production. Pay the mixer to go listen to potential problem sets ahead of time. Let them make a mock recording to see what can be dialed out in post. Do this before the locations are locked in and before the scouts with your key department heads. If the mixer is still on another show, have them designate a trusted associate to go for them. In the end, it's cost effective.

LOCATIONS DEPARTMENT

More can be done here to save a film's audio than any other department. Picking sets should have consideration for sound. At least try to weigh in environmental noise factors! We just ask that a minimal amount of consideration be given to potential audio problems. Often, we shoot in a place which could have easily been substituted for another location or on a weekend. Many times we film at a location which has construction, traffic, schools, airplane patterns and other background noise which are quite obvious. Only shoot those kinds of locations when it's absolutely necessary and essential to the film.

Lock down all the noise problems before we get to the set.

• Always consider the control of the air conditioning. This is a must! Without a/c control, the audio background will change from shot to shot as the air goes on and off. If it is a large building, have someone standing by with a walkie-talkie to turn the air back on after each shot. When exterior, it can be just as important to kill a/c units that are near the set.
• Have control on all noise makers in sets such as bars, offices and hospitals. All refrigerators, computers, ice makers, x-ray and other machines must be able to be turned off.
• Ask to schedule filming during non- work times in locations such as bars and restaurants.
• Avoid tin roofs during rainy season.
• Make sure sets can be cabled by electric and still keep windows, doors and openings closed.
• Be sure your location is not near busy streets or intersections.
• Be aware of trash pickup days, delivery days, etc. As well as nearby police and fire stations!

ART DEPARTMENT

• Confer with the sound department when adding noisy set furniture, computers and machinery.
• Try to consider overhead mics before building low covered ceilings, hanging lamps and cross beams.
• Inject foam into constructed stairs and steps to get rid of hollow footsteps over dialog.
• Whenever possible, carpet sets to deaden echo and live rooms. Especially consider these taking this step in rooms where the majority of dialog takes place.

ASSISTANT DIRECTORS

None of these implementation plans will succeed if the ADs don't support YOUR sound on the film. Sometimes they don't! The crew will take their cue to stop co-operating if it's clear the ADs react at the expense of getting good sound. Derogatory statements like "waiting on sound" and "just loop it" are unproductive and sap our spirit.

• Get police traffic lock downs when possible.
• Get quiet lock ups on set. Do not allow any walking. Station your PA's at key locations outside, and most especially under windows. (Keep the PA's from talking too) "Lock It Up" means that we should not hear any work noise from our crews. No engines, talking, etc. Have your walkie set up with priority override function so as to announce the roll across all walkie-talkie channels being used by all departments.
• Allow the sound department to make quick corrections that are reasonable.
• Enforce pantomiming from the background extras.
• Allocate a reasonable time and place for an actor to get wired. It won't help go faster if you push the sound crew to wire faster if the actor insists on getting wired at the last second on the set. Conversely, don't make the boom operator sit outside a star's dressing room just wasting valuable time that could be used to work out other sound problems on set.
• When there are closed rehearsals, make sure the boom operator gets to see at least one rehearsal before the actors leave the set.
• Honor wild line requests before releasing the actors.
• Honor room tone requests before breaking the set up, and stop all talk and movement. Room tones are very important to get before the ambient sound changes.
• In plane infested locations, roll as soon as the engine noise tails out before another plane comes in. Keep the set quiet enough to determine the status of the incoming and outgoing planes.
• Be sure to inform Sound Department at least two days ahead of playback days. Have the office send a post approved tape with sync. Don't expect that a CD or cassette will suffice.
• Have all walkie-talkies, cell phones and pagers turned off during takes and final rehearsals. They can wreck havoc on wireless microphones.

PRODUCTION MANAGERS

• Budget in a third sound person and the proper amount of audio equipment. A third person is invaluable in getting sound problems fixed in the crucial moments between the takes and scenes.
• Don't say "no" to any additional sound related costs without considering the entire post budget too.
• Book and check that stages are quiet. Even the newest and most modern stages often have dimmer banks located on or so close to the stage that they are a terrible problem.

CAMERA DEPARTMENT

Camera assistants: 

• When (not if) there is camera noise, make all reasonable efforts to contain it by using barneys, glass, blankets, tweaking, etc.
• Don't turn the slate on and off as time code will then be wrong. Let the mixer know as soon as a slate shows any problems.
• Let the sound mixer know what frequencies are being transmitted in case it steps on wireless mics or comteks. Be prepared to kill the panatape when it causes microphone interference.

Operators:

• Hold only the frame size to be used and no more.
• Communicate and work out any problems with the boom operator before the first team is called in.
• Be willing to operate in a pinch with cover or blanket over a particular noisy camera.

Directors of Photography:

• Light the set so that a boom can swing overhead.
• Don't use Xenon lights unless the director was informed ahead of time that the whole scene will have to be looped.
• Don't ever say "loop it"! It's not the DP's prerogative! If the DP conveys to the crew that sound matters to the film, they will follow that lead and be more attentive to potential sound problems.
• When shooting practical car scenes, try to consider sound problems and light so that windows can be closed where possible.
• When shooting with multiple cameras, do not attempt a wide and tight shot at the same time. Unless you plan on having close up and distant visual perspectives both with a distant sonic perspective, or you plan to add to the productions post sound budget. Speak with your AD or Producer on these matters.

SPECIAL EFFECTS DEPARTMENT

Make a reasonable effort to keep the offstage noise making devices away from the set and baffled whenever there is dialogue in the same scene.

• When making rain, put the rain machines and water truck as far away as possible.
• Use hogs hair to muffle raindrops on roofs and when it's seen out a window.
• When a fan is used to blow a curtain or plant, work it out with the sound mixer before the noise problem crops up after the first take.
• When using fireplaces, try to limit the hissing gas sound.
• Heaters close by on cold sets need to be shut off well before rolling to eliminate the crackle and pops from shutdown.

WARDROBE DEPARTMENT

They can help in creatively placing the wireless in the best possible position on the actor's body, when asked. They should never make negative comments about bulges that make the actors overly conscious about wearing a body mic on them. Think about avoiding noisy clothing, especially when the principal actors will wear much of the same clothing throughout the film.

• Never allow the actors to wear silk underclothes, especially bras. Cotton tank top T-shirts should be put on actors when possible to help avoid clothes rustle.
• Silk ties should be avoided or at least modify the inside with cotton for primary actors wearing the same wardrobe in several scenes.
• Be sound conscious when choosing chains, necklaces and other jewelry.

***** Stiff clothing such as starched shirts, large threaded fabrics, and other noisy fabrics should always be avoided. These things WILL ruin the sound for wireless mics, and the Boom will have to be relied upon entirely, which means that camera and lighting have to consider this, which in most cases they wont!*****

PROPS DEPARTMENT

Make an effort to keep noise making props as quiet as possible. Especially in the following most common problem areas:

• With guns, always let the mixer know if it's full, 1/2 or 1/4 loads, and how many shots plan to be fired and when.
• With table scenes, try to put down a pad or felt underneath the tablecloth to muffle dish-clattering noise.
• Use fake ice cubes in drink glasses.
• In kitchen scenes, put a cloth down where possible dish noise will occur. Spray shopping bags with water mister to get rid of paper noise.

GRIP DEPARTMENT

• Use cutters to kill boom shadows.
• Use all reasonable measures to reduce dolly squeaks. Put a dance floor down if floors creak. Use talcum powder when needed.
• Use blankets to deaden outside sound from open doors and windows.
• Make baffle covers for the loud set machines, fans and ballasts.
• Fasten down scrims that rattle in the wind.
• On insert cars keep extra stands attached to speed rails from clanging.
• Only use silks made of SILK in windy or outdoor scenes, NOT any form of plastic sheeting!

ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT

• Keep the generator as far away as is reasonably possible. Always use a minimum of 3 banded lengths (150 feet) to the first box, and go back from there. Supply base camp power where possible to avoid loud generators.
• Use all reasonable measures to keep lights and ballasts from making any noise on set, and use extension cabling to keep noisemakers off set.
• Run cables so that windows and doors can closed.
• Put variacs on problem dimmers.
• On insert cars, clip and wedge funnels to keep down the rattling sound.

CRAFT SERVICE DEPARTMENT

Set up away from sets so that the coffee makers and other devices can't be heard, especially on stage.

Do not provide lots of snacks that come in plastic wrapping. These find their way onto set and ruin takes!

TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

• Plan on pushing or pulling a particularly loud vehicle out of the scene using human manpower when it's possible during close-up shots.
• Park the trucks as far away from set as reasonably possible and keep the individual generators off during the shot. Put base camp at least 1000 feet from set in quiet locations such as deserts and mountains, and 500 feet away in city locations.
• Help keep insert cars quiet.
• Be prepared to park a truck in front of the generator.
• Instead of running car engines, use alternate quiet power for picture vehicles that must run flashing light effects during the coverage.
  • Reward the companies who have taken reasonable steps to keep quiet driving to a maximum. Especially ask if the tail pipe has been rerouted to the front of the truck and if the on board gennie is quiet.
  • Use only one key alone in the ignition to eliminate clanging keys.
  • Don't Armor-All the dashboard, and use Simple Green to remove it where mics need to be planted.
  • Keep car interior floor area free of all the noisemakers such as the chains, removed side mirrors, nuts and bolts.

   

ACTORS

To mixers, a good actor is a loud actor. Whenever we get together to discuss our jobs we always talk about how good a voice an actor has. Actors who have done a lot of stage work tend to have learned the art of projecting their voice.

• Don't refuse to wear a wireless mic when it is necessary.
• Don't ask a boom operator to get out of their eye line. (Acting has been done with the boom for decades. This is a dangerous precedent we have recently started seeing.)
• Warn the sound department when you will do a much louder or quieter take than was rehearsed.
• Please speak louder when asked. We only ask when we really need it.

DIRECTORS

Collaborate frequently with your sound mixer as you would an editor, composer, DP or writer. We can also enrich your "vision" through sound images. Find out what problems and solutions exist. Don't fall for the trap where you hate to see your mixer coming because you know it's just bad news. Your mixer will feel that vibe and start telling you less and less until sound is no longer a vital part of collaboration on your film.

A good rapport with your mixer will allow you to know information about what was borderline and what you can barely get away with. If you simply trust that the mixer is getting good sound, you may be mistaken. It is always possible that the mixer has given up fighting the good sound battle and succumbed to the lack of any positive response to their efforts.

Very often, sound problems are not discovered until the last moment after the other departments have done their work and the set is finally quiet enough to hear through the microphones. The shot sometimes evolves into a sound problem that was unanticipated. Also, we may need a moment or two to make adjustments when creative changes have been made on the spot. Like it or not, sound is a part of your entire film making process from pre-production through production and on to post production. You might as well do it right. If you convey this message to your troops ahead of time, you will be freed up to spend more quality time with other pressing areas of film making.

Remember that certain crew departments such as the UPM and ADs are compelled to watch their production budget, and are not always concerned about the entire cost of a film all the way through post production.

The difference between good sound and bad sound on many shows is only about 5 to 10 minutes a day of doing some added tweaking here, another mic planted, a wireless changed there, quieting footsteps, siliconing a door squeak, room tone, a well placed blanket, killing a machine that came on during a take, powder on a dolly wheel etc. Usually by the time you print a take, the problems have been solved. If not, another take may be in order. ADs or other crafts who stifle this process will cost you dearly later in post.

• OVERLAPS - When possible, it's always better not to have them at all unless absolutely necessary because you can only be in one cut or the other. You may decide later you want to see both sides of the actor's dialogue. Remember, it's always easy to create an off camera overlap later if you still want it. Usually, the overlaps are simply because of a belief that the performance will be hindered. That argument loses credibility when the face of one of the overlapping performers won't be able to be seen at all. Of course there are times that overlaps must happen and both sides must be miked.
• USING TWO CAMERAS - There is a proper way to use 2 or more cameras and an improper way. It is perfectly acceptable to use 2 cameras of the same approximate frame size at the same time. The sound mixer's nightmare is running one camera wide and another tight at the same time. This means that sound will be compromised because all the actors must be wired because the wide camera will not allow a mic to get close enough to the tight camera size. This can be resolved by the second camera only filming non-speaking actors, or not working at all during the wide master shot. Then, go to 2 cameras for all your coverage.
• REHEARSALS - These are very important to the whole crew. It's fine to have closed rehearsals for actors only, but give one to the crew or at least let the boom operator see one. Otherwise, we can only guess where and how the sound will be delivered. The words we dread the most are "let's shoot the rehearsal". You might get lucky, but don't shoot rehearsals unless you are willing to do a lot more sound takes to work out the unknown problems.
• AD LIBBING - It's impossible to mic lines no one knows will happen. If you want to keep an ad-lib, do another take for sound if they didn't get the line the first time.
• AIR TRAFFIC - Probably the single most frustrating audio problem on set is being in a plane traffic pattern. It's a problem that might have been avoided by better location scouting. You know it's no good, we know it, the actors know it, the whole crew knows it's no good. Yet, after awhile, you have no choice but to plow through and start printing those takes anyway. In that case, rather than looping, it's much better to get through the scene with lots of short clean pieces that can be cut together later.
• LOUDER ACTORS - Sometimes we really need you to get the actors to speak up in order to save a scene. When in loud scenes such as a crowded bar or stock exchange, it's best to force the actors to speak unnaturally loud. If not your added post sound will be thin and they won't be able to add the rich background effects that make it sound real.

FINAL NOTES

The key at all times with sound is the word "reasonable". Reasonable efforts should always be made to do all these things in a reasonable amount of time. We don't want to take over the set and make the film, it's just about getting good sound. Nor do we want to sit quietly in a corner while YOUR sound tracks are butchered.

We are only asking that we go back to a time not too long ago where this was all common practice. We won't debate why this happened, but there is no question that an anti-sound attitude now prevails. That was then, and this is now. Being a set politician is always an important forte, but your tracks should not be forced to ride on the outcome of those verbal altercations.

Don't tell your sound mixer that you hate looping unless you are willing to back them up with your on set support.

Today, it is up to you to demand better sound for YOUR picture. This can be easily instilled on the first day of pre-production. Give all the keys a memo and a verbal direction that you want every reasonable effort made to get good sound on YOUR film.

We are not asking for power on set, just a little respect for your sound. With your newfound support, we promise to act reasonably at all times and not expect that the sound be the most important part of the film. We know there will be times that sound must be looped after it was given due consideration. We just don't want it taken lightly either. The word "reasonable" applies at all times.

Most importantly, find the time to communicate with your sound mixer because you need to know if you are getting the best sound tracks possible.

We have written this because we want your film to be great! It will live forever and we always want to be proud that our name went on your film.

Sincerely, 
Your Sound Department

Wireless, Noise, and the World closing in on Good Sound

Ive had a few topic ideas recently, but a new issue in wireless communications has arose, giving me the opportunity to tie them all together.

Recently, it was discovered that some new CONSUMER (not even PRO!) Wifi distributors are hogging up space in the wireless world, causing horrible interference, and worst of all, it hops to different frequencies. So even if I were to set up some wireless mics on safe channels within the same zone, those channels might be taken over at any given point.

This is an issue that we are seeing more and more of as wireless communications like Wifi, Smart Phones, and consumer grade electronics are taking up our radio spectrum in the professional audio-visual world. What does that mean for us? Well in 2009 the frequency range known as Block 28 was annexed by the US government, so many wireless devices such as Lav mics, IFB listening devices, and even Television or Video Broadcast was out of luck, and all that expensive equipment was then rendered useless. What we see is a trend of more and more things occupying the wireless work spectrum, which means we have less and less room to use wireless devices on set. So you think you can get away with just setting up a couple of wireless lavs and be fine? Think again.

A- Thats a lazy and non professional way of looking at sound, and

B- Youre going to need to start hiring Boom Ops (Thats right, the way it's supposed to be! A Sound Mixer/Recorder, and a Boom Op, and no, a PA doesnt cut it!)

We sound guys have been doing the one man show for a while, and though you can get great results from it, keep in mind that if you want someone monitoring the levels of YOUR audio, making on the fly adjustments so it doesnt get too low and too high, AND boom at the same time, remember how many arms one person has. In this equation, you need three arms.

RANT: No matter how low budget the production, I still see a DP operating the camera, an AC pulling focus and doing his/her normal tasks, and usually the camera or at least lenses are being rented.

Now look at the audio department. Usually you have your Mixer/Recorder adjusting levels, setting the wireless systems up and placing them on talent, and doing a lot of other technical voodoo that no one else on set really understands, AND you have a Boom Op taking care of the most expensive mic on set, which is undoubtedly getting the best sound (assuming your lighting crew knows how to light for sound, and youre not shooting all wides!). Camera gets an assistant, sound needs one too to do things right.

Back to the Issues at Hand: Noise! The world is getting noisier! A guy a block away from me was sitting in his drive way revving his motor cycle for a half an hour, just because he felt like it! Plus, cars are noisy, here in Los Angeles there are planes and helicopters flying overhead at any given moment, trains, kids, dogs, etc. Try finding a place where you cant hear anything but the wind, or birds chirping. The noisier it gets, the less we can really rely on the boom mic, even though it is designed to cut down on a lot of noise. But if our wireless channels are being taken up, we cant use those either.

Will we have to revert back to hiding wired mics on set all over the place, and have talent only speak when they are near one? I dont know what the outcome will be, but I see thing getting a lot worse before they get better. So film crews, listen to your sound guy or gal when he/she raises a red flag, and dont pretend you know what youre talking about when you start offering suggestions like "Cant you boom from underneath?" or "Cant you just go wireless?"... We dont make camera or lighting suggestions, and we dont tell directors how to direct. Everyone is supposed to know their job, and what they need to do in regards to the other departments. Let the boom mic get adequately close to the talent to get good sound, unless you dont care, in which case, hand the boom over to a PA and see what your budget looks like when you have to fix everything in post.

Crafty in a Modern Age

This doesnt have anything to do with sound, but it is something that I feel I need to address because let's face it, it is something that is going to come up and if you are ahead of the game you will be notices and appreciated.

Film makers, indie or not. Let's think about the situation of Crafty in a modern day perspective. Crafty is called "Crafty" or "Craft Services" because originally it was contracted through Kraft Foods, or so I am told. Now, we all know Kraft. They make cheap garbage food that's really unhealthy, but it tastes good. Most people that work in film in Los Angeles are from places other than Los Angeles, and people's diets vary depending on where they are from. I have done a lot of traveling in my life, lots of road trips all over the states, and a lot of international travel as well. Most small towns along the freeway only have fast food joints, a greasy diner, and usually a chinese food place. Also, when you go to the grocery store, if you really pay attention to what you are buying, you will realize that most products (and produce) in America is actually unhealthy. The food industry uses words like "Natural" and "Whole Grain" to make you think that you are buying wholesome food, but in fact, if you knew what was really in there you would think twice about buying that product. Corn Syrup is in everything, as well as Preservatives, Pesticides, Hydrogenated Oils, Trans Fats, and Hormones! It's mind boggling to think that a "free market" has enabled companies to allow so many unnatural and harmful ingredients in our food. And if you go to a major supermarket chances are there is little to nothing available there that doesnt contain these things.

Basically, just about anything pre packaged, sweetened, suspiciously colorful, prepared or not in a natural state of being. Even much of our produce is genetically altered, and contains pesticides and/or wax to give it a shine. Our dairy and livestock usually are given hormones and who knows what else so for a number of reasons, which my guess is why people in other countries have less food allergies... because most other countries do not allow industry tampering to their food.

So what am I getting at? Well, here in Los Angeles, we have a lot of people that try to stay healthy, and a lot of them work in film and television. Can you imagine? People working in film and television want to stay healthy, or thin. Sounds like actors to me. But yes, also crew. I like to eat healthy too, but unfortunately I eat most of my meals on film and TV sets, and most of the time there are no healthy options. Chips, donuts, candy, granola bars full of corn syrup, food coloring and preservatives, no thank you. Usually the only "healthy" option is one of those vegetable trays with celery, baby carrots, and a tub of ranch. Well, I am thankful for the effort, but that gets old really quick. Im not a big fan of ranch, and those veggies taste like chemicals to me. Then what? Well, Im not in charge of crafty, so I dont know. I personally like hummus and freshly cut celery (not pre packaged), or maybe some organic peanut butter (I know it has a weird texture, but if you knew what they do to regular peanut butter to give it that consistency, you wouldnt eat it either!).

My point is, why should I be the odd man out just because I dont want to treat my body poorly? I work a hard job. 12 hours on set, day in and day out, plus usually about an hours of route either way. I need to keep my body in good shape and keep my energy up. Caffein and sugar are just going to make me feel bad once the initial rush is over and make me crash even harder.

The other part of this is that the food needs to be easy to eat on the go. It's fine to have some "table snacks" but we need things that we can just pop in our mouth and hop to the next take. I for example have a heavy bag around my neck that gives me limited mobility, and a boom pole in my hand, which gives me one hand to try to feed myself, so bananas are out of the question, and a whole apple is going to get my hand sticky, and I will more than likely have to set it down at some point to go back to work before I can finish it. Apple slices are nice though. But things that come in wrappers can not only prove a challenge for a guy like me on set, they can also cause problems. The sound of a plastic wrapper in headphones is not only one of the most irritating sounds you can imagine, but it can also be quite painful if it is loud enough. Those wrappers also find their way into peoples hands while we are trying to run a take, which of course will ruin the take. I have been known to approach the crafty table and throw all plastic-wrapped items in the trash when people start wandering onto set with those things in their hands and we are getting close to rolling, or while rolling for that matter. Honestly, I dont care who I have to piss off, I need good takes, and I dont want the producer barking at me when we hit post because crew members werent being respectful.

While we're talking about food on set, let's talk about meals. A crew expects at least one hot meal per shooting day, which is 12 hours at the maximum. If you go over by one minute, you are expected to provide a second. The meals should be hot, and again, healthy if possible. Indie film makers are always trying to make me eat garbage like Subway, which isnt hot or fresh (contrary to what they say), and Ive known a lot of people to get sick from them (myself included) due to their low quality ingredients. Other things people try to feed us are Stoffer's Lasagna because its cheap and can kinda feed more people, but it is again low quality ingredients, and most tomato sauces in the USA are sweetened with corn syrup, so I wont touche it. I like pizza, but I would rather not eat it on set because it is heavy, and I dont want to go into a food coma half way through the day. So get creative. Get catering or something from a good healthy place. Ive been on plenty of shoots where we had a local restaurant or independent caterer provide the catering, and it often works out to be about $5 per head, which is what you would pay if you cheaped out and got Subway. Some of the things we had were roasted or baked chicken, maybe in some delicious sauce, some prepared vegetables, salad, rice. You could even have a BBQ and not spend a lot if you know where to shop.

But do remember that a lot of people have dietary restrictions. A number of faiths do not allow the ingestion of pork or pig products, some people are vegetarian or vegan, or pescetarian. Others just simply dont like certain things, so if you are getting sandwiches, maybe only go with beef, turkey or chicken as the meat, have some vegetarian options, and dont have any sauces or extras already on them. I for one have three things that I cant stand, but unfortunately they are very common, so every sandwich or burger is a battle for me. I cant stand Mayonnaise, Mustard or Pickles. I just cant do it, Ive tried, I try all the time. But 80% of the time I will order a sandwich (or be provided with one), request no mayo or pickles, and it will be there regardless. Needless to say I get a little grumpy when this happens.

So please, start thinking healthy and learn a little bit about nutrition if you are in charge of feeding a hole cast and crew of people. And also be aware of the potential problems your choices may cause, such as noise or sticky hands, or maybe pollution :) Your cast and crew will be happier and healthier, and work harder, instead of feeling like poo by lunch time and just trying to get done with the day the rest of the time.

More on Sonic Perspective

In film, your camera determines your perspective by bringing you closer or further away from the subject. Usually you would start with somewhat of a wide shot at the beginning of a scene to establish where the scene takes place. Then you would cut between medium and close up shots periodically for coverage of the scene, with the occasional cut back to the wide to depict any sort of movement that may happen during the scene.

In sound, there is also a perspective that comes through, depending on how the scene is framed with the camera. If the shot is wide, there usually is no way to get a boom near the subject, and hence the perspective is far away.

In this case, it seems unreasonable to expect the sound department to get a close up sonic perspective of a subject if the camera framing doesnt physically allow it right? Well, you would be surprised how many people do not consider this.

Some film makers shoot mainly wide shots in an effort to save time and money, and although wide shots can be very beautiful if done right, they can also give a sitcom effect to your picture. "But sitcoms have sound right? It's pretty good!" Well, if thats what you want, but let me tell you a little about how that is done, and why it isnt ideal for your film. First, the sitcom is a dying style, and it only works on closed sets for the most part. A sitcom has a built set with no ceiling and a couple of crane operated mic booms hanging overhead with a special kind of super long range shotgun mic that is able to get decent (but not cinema quality) coverage over such wide shots, because most sitcoms are shot relatively wide. This would be rather impossible for a "one man show" type sound person to get on his/her own. Sitcom style shooting also tends to require excessively long shots, meaning they run for a long time, and cover more than one actor. A boom operator holding a boom over their head for your wide shot can't do that all day, and usually 10 minutes is really pushing it.

Well then why not just put a lav on them? If you have read any of my previous posts, you will know that relying on a lav is never the solution. If your camera/lighting departments arent working with the sound department to make sure that everyone is happy, chances are you are not going to get ideal coverage for sound. So your picture may look fantastic, but your sound may be hollow and distant, or extra noisy.

I've worked on a number of films where the DP will say something like "I've run sound for a film, so I am conscious of what the sound department needs." That is nice to get a sympathetic person on set, but the truth is, unless you have a deep understanding of sound, both technically and in experience, you will know that their idea of what you need as a sound person in order to get good sound is vague at best. They often think that because they can hear the dialogue, the sound is good. And to the untrained ear, this will pass. But as soon as that film is projected alongside a film that did things the right way at a festival or something, suddenly your opinion changes.

So unfortunately the sympathetic DP often has no real idea of what you need, which is terribly unfortunate because your camera and lighting departments are often dictating how you do your job, without really knowing anything about what your job requires.

This is why a lot of sound people keep to themselves on set, do their job, deliver the audio, collect their check and leave. Because they are tired of fighting the good battle on every set they work on, on every setup they do. So they simply say "We can only deliver you the quality of sound that your production allows us to give you". What does this mean? Well, if your camera person only does wide shots, and your lighting crew arent making it possible to get a boom near the subject without casting shadows everywhere, then they arent letting the sound department do their job right. And to make things worse, the noisier your location is, and the further away your boom is from your subject, the worse your sound will be.

What it comes down to is this: The best place for a microphone is as close to the subject as possible. This is just how it is, theres no such thing as magically "zooming in" your audio. If the mic can't get close to the subject, they will sound more distant, and you will have a louder noise floor, or background noise.

So back to perspective. If your shot is wide, dont expect to get a close perspective from your sound, because it is physically impossible, with certain exceptions. Punch in to a close up on your subject to get good coverage, and please, do not forget about the dialogue editor! They are probably the most important person in post production audio!

Syncing Sound To Film

In the independent film world our budget forces us to make decisions that we will hope save us money. One of those things that I see more and more often are people trying to record the sound directly into the camera. The idea behind this is to save time in post production by not having to resync the sound before editing. Although this works in theory, it is not exactly practical. In this post I will explain the pros and cons of doing this, and why.

Sound into camera: Why not? It is already in sync with the picture, less time in editing right? Well, yes and no.

Every so often I get a director/producer who insists that I record the sound directly into his camera. But more often than not, I am using my shotgun mic and at least a couple of wireless lavs. At this point I am using more than two tracks, and most cameras being used today in the independent film world only have two audio inputs. So there is the problem of only having an initial mix of all of the tracks. Going this rout defeats the purpose of having dialogue editors and mixers in post. In a sense, you could relate this to setting your camera's focus to a fixed point, and not adjusting it for the entire film. There will be moments of clarity, but for the most part it is far from ideal.

The other disadvantage to this is the obvious lack of monitoring and adjustment capabilities that your sound team can make during a take. Granted, if the signal is being sent to the camera via a mixer, then the sound mixer can be making those adjustments as needed on his end. But if the camera's audio input levels havnt been calibrated to match that of the sound mixer, your audio may be too low or too high into the camera. Too low of a signal means that you will have a higher noise floor, and too hot of a signal means that your signal will distort or clip.

Auto Gain and Limiting: Many of todays cameras have these features, but what do they do exactly? Well, Auto Gain simply takes the audio input level and adjusts it to always be at a nominal level. Sounds like a good idea right? Well, it is a machine, and it cannot anticipate what will happen in the script. So if there is no dialogue happening for example and it is quiet, the Auto Gain will ramp up the signal until the noise floor is violently loud, and as soon as someone speaks, the signal will be too loud and peak, and the Auto Gain will ramp the signal down too low, but not fast enough, and you will have levels changing during your dialogue. And the Limiter? Well it works some of the time, but if the signal is too loud, it is going to clip no matter what.

DSLRs and Juice Boxes: A Juice Box is a small device that you can connect to your digital SLR (Canon 5D, 7D, etc), and will allow you to connect two XLR (mic) cables directly into it. It will usually even provide the ability to switch on and off phantom power, a low cut (high pass) filter, and a pad. Some will also accept mic or line levels, and have a number of other functions, including a headphone output so you can monitor your signal on it's way into the camera. Sounds great right? Ideally it should be, but here are the issues involved with using a juice box and trying to record into your DSLR:

Monitoring: Your DSLR does not have a headphone jack, so you cant actually listen to what you are recording. You can listen to your sound before it goes into the camera via the juice box, but it may be too loud or too low when it gets to the camera, because both the camera and the juice box have separate input level controls, and you have to adjust both of them so that they match, which can be pretty tricky. Fortunately your DSLR has level meters for you to watch and see the levels rise and fall. This is helpful, but to make things more confusing, heres the kicker: There is no manual audio gain control on the DSLRs as of yet, which means you are stuck in Auto Gain! The juice box companies have thought of this however, and have designed a system where one of your two available audio channels are fed a signal tone which keeps the gain constant, allowing you to record onto your other audio channel without the ups and downs of your Auto Gain roller coaster.

So here we have somewhat of a solution, but you can only record onto one channel, which means if you are doing anything more than using one mic source, such as a boom or handheld mic for interviews, you are stuck with that pre mix problem because at this point you need your audio sources to once again go through your sound guy's mixer and be condensed down into a single mono track before it hits the camera.

The other issue I have seen with the DSLR/juice box system is that a good number of these dont seem to connect to each other well. What I mean is that in order to connect the juice box to your camera in a way to get the sound into the camera, you take a small cable coming out of the juice box and stick it into the mini-jack input in your camera. In my experience, I have seen a number of these connections fail, and you will lose your audio without even knowing it (until you go back and take a listen once youre home)! In this case, you will either get distorted audio or your camera will just revert back to it's built-in mic. I have even seen the input cable get partially in, but not all the way, so you don't actually get any audio at all! Either way you cant tell just by looking at the camera. You actually have to transfer the file onto your computer and check to be sure since there is no way of plugging headphones directly into the camera.

Time Code and Resyncing Sound: In the past we have often used Time Code as a reference so that the audio and video could be more easily resynced in post for dailies or "rushes". This is not a bad system, but it is an expensive one. Not that many cameras today being used in the indie world can even run Time Code, and if they do (like in the case of the RED ONE), there is often a drift that happens rather quickly, so Time Code becomes useless at that point. In regards to sound, what your sound mixer needs is a mixer/recorder that can support Time Code (again, an expensive feature to have), as well as a Smart Slate (very expensive), and sometimes additional components to run, jam, or link the Time Code to your camera and sound recorder. If you want your sound guy to have these options available, first consider the practical application of what you need it for, and what it would cost to get it all up and running, as well as be sure that your camera can support it! I get directors/producers ask me all the time if I have a smart slate and Time Code, but when I ask them what they are shooting on, often times the reply is a 5D or an HVX, at which point I ask them why they want me to have Time Code when they cant even use it!

So let's think about a better way of syncing sound to picture without an expensive Time Code package. I have recently worked on a few projects where the editor has been on set and told me that there are new plug-ins for Final Cup Pro and possibly Avid that will analyze the sound from the camera's on board mic, and compare it with the production audio tracks, and snap them together automatically. Although I havnt been able to find these products on my own, I have heard from a number of sources that this does in fact exist and works! And as an added bonus, they say it isn't expensive either. So there you have it! A simple inexpensive solution that will save everyone money, and you a lot of time in post production because you dont have to manually resync the sound to picture for each take, which will save you more money because you dont have to pay your editor for his/her time in doing so! And you can keep your sound guy/gal who will deliver you great audio to match your picture!

Regarding the Sound Department and Costs

When you hire a sound guy, most often there are two things that you look at when deciding on which sound guy to go with: Experience, and Equipment. With this in mind, it is somewhat rare to expect the same things from almost anyone else on set. DPs rarely have their own camera (unless you are shooting on something like a 5D or 7D), and the production usually rents the lighting and grip equipment. Makeup brings their kit, sometimes Wardrobe provides the clothing, but often times they are provided with a budget to purchase or have made certain articles of clothing. The DIT often has his computer, programs and card readers. And a few other people often have their own equipment, but usually pretty small stuff, with the exception of a steady cam operator. The sound guy on the other hand has to have his own kit, otherwise he wont get work. It isnt very faire, but thats the way it is. We also have to settle for less pay than the DP, unless its a really low budget production, in which case the sound guy is often the only person that gets paid. I'll get back to this point in a minute.

So whats in a standard production audio kit? Well, a shotgun mic, boom pole, headphones, two wireless lavs, and a multi-track field recorder/mixer. We often cary more than that, but a basic standard ENG kit is what I just described, as well as cables and various accessories. Now lets say the production wants the sound guy to provide Comteks (listening devices for the director, producer, and/or scripty), or a Time Code slate. In my opinion, these are things that are outside of the job description of the sound guy. The sound guy is there to record audio, not to ensure that the camera is in sync with time code, or that everyone can hear whats happening. So if a production requires me to provide these things, I tell them that they need to pay extra for it. But listening to whats happening, thats audio related right? Well, yes, technically. And so are walkies. But it isnt my job to provide those either. But the sun, doesnt it provide light? Well that must be something that grip needs to provide. I feel that requiring so much from the same person is a bit unreasonable. Often times because I have to show up with thousands of dollars of my own equipment, and get paid less than people who provide none of their own gear.

Now, those low budget shoots where Im the only one that gets paid. Whats up with that? Well the truth is, DPs, actors, directors, these are all people that need to have something to add to their reel. They need to prove that they are competent, and have a lot of experience, because a lot of what they do is make artistic decisions. So if someone hands them a job, that is saying that they trust these people to make artistic decisions for them, which is really a lot of trust to have for someone working on your project. But because of this constant needing to prove ones self in these fields, these people will often have to accept a smaller wage on a low budget production because they need this for something, so in a sense the project it's self is part of the pay. 

The Sound Department on the other hand doesnt need to prove anything to anyone. Once youve gotten a few credits under your belt, and you have your own kit, you can get work for the most part. So when the low budget production comes to me and says how great the team is, how awesome the script is, and how many name actors are involved, and that they are all working for peanuts or nothing at all, that it is a passion project, I consider the following: work for nothing, or an insulting rate, or just check job posting and find something with an adequate wage. I have no problem finding work, so why should I cheapen my craft by making professional production audio something people can get for free? Not to say that Im greedy, but remember how I mentioned that I have to provide my own equipment? Well that stuff is expensive, so I often have to re invest every extra dollar I have into new gear, replacement parts, etc.

To rent out a standard sound package from a rental house, Ive done the following research:

Rental House 1 - $460 per day

Rental House 2 - $395 per day

Rental House 3 - $430 per day

These are the daily rental rates of the same sound kit at three different rental houses. This is what it would cost a production to rent these items, not including someone to operate them. Now, there are then expendables to take into consideration, such as batteries, topstick or moleskin, etc. A sound person needs to make at least enough money per day to make working in audio worth it, instead of working at a supermarket. On top of that, he needs some sort of kit fee to make it worth the wear and usage of his equipment. This stuff is expensive, and some things have to be replaced rather frequently. I think on average I replace the microphone component of my wireless lavs about three times per year per lav. Why? The wires are delicate, and actors forget that they are wearing them, so they put stress on the wires, spill drinks onto them, perspire onto them, lots of reasons. And those mics start at $150 each, and can go as high as $1000 per mic!

I get a good amount of gigs where they see what my kit consists of, and then the day before shooting they tell me they are going to need x amount of wireless lavs. I have to remind them that they saw my kit, they know how many I have, and that they dont grow on trees and arent inexpensive. If they need more than what I have, they can rent them, or I can rent them and they can pay extra.

Im not trying to sound like a curmudgeon, but the overhead costs for the sound department are high, and in the independent film world, few people respect that. Those that do however are often times the best people to work with, not just because they are a friend of the sound department, but because they have a better overall sense of how a professional shoot works, and who puts what into their craft.

But the one thing that I think anyone should really walk away from this article with is that every position on a film set is important, and there for a reason. So you cannot overlook each department or position because you view them as a lesser position. Shoots without PAs and Grips take twice as long, so the money you are saving from not hiring these people is spent on time and location. An AD is important because among other things, they keep us on schedule. A scripty makes sure that everyone is sticking to the script, and generates reports that are important to the editor and dialogue editor. ACs are important because they build the cameras, follow focus, and make sure that things are running smoothly in the camera department. These are all important positions, and no single position should be overlooked or thought less of.

Frame It Out!

I dont expect everyone on set to fully understand the nature and technical aspects of audio. After all, that is why they hired a sound guy in the first place! But Ive recently had some experiences with actors and producers who really dont have a good grasp on how sound works. These scenarios are for everyone's benefit:

Most recently I was shooting a film in the desert. One of the shots called for the actor walking towards the camera while speaking. Simple enough, however the camera was hand held and walking backwards as the actor continued walking. Now, most camera operators (from my experience anyway) arent very subtle with their movements in regards to sound, and in this case, we also had the assistant director following along with myself as well. Naturally I extended my boom pole out to its maximum reach in order to distance myself from the audio I wished to capture. However the camera operator and assistant director both made a great deal of noise while walking, so when you listen back it sounds like more than one person walking during this scene.

Now, I had a lav on the actor, as well as used the boom. I told everyone involved that they would most likely have to re record that dialogue because there were too many footsteps in the background. At this point the producer began telling me that he had seen a sound guy have things on separate tracks, which is why we had the lav on the actor in the first place. Yes, this is true, however the lav doesnt have perfect isolation, so those footsteps are still audible. If you wanted true isolation, you would record the dialogue and the footsteps separately. That is the only way to obtain true isolation. At this point the producer and actor proceeded to argue with me about this! At which point, I told them that they could spend all day trying to tell an expert about his craft, but that wont change the way sound works.

This is a tragic case of ignorance and unwillingness to admit when one is wrong. But the real unfortunate thing about this scenario is that although I recorded plenty of "wild" tracks of footsteps and clothing movement, most of the dialogue was ad-libbed, so I couldnt get wild tracks of those lines because the actor couldnt remember them! This is a real case of shooting ones self in the foot, because instead of me recording the lines off camera a few times to give the dialogue editor something to play with, they will have to either go into the studio to re record those lines, or be stuck with the production audio with the mystery phantom footsteps!

Another thing I find myself saying a lot on set is that sound is not like a camera. I cant just frame out what I dont want to hear! So when we are rolling, I need things to be quiet. This not only includes the location, but also the cast and crew that are not in the scene. A funny story:

I was on a set where a number of the cast and crew werent respecting the "silence while rolling" policy, and on top of that, most of crafty was comprised of things in plastic wrappers such as chips and granola bars. I was constantly hearing those plastic wrappers in my headphones, which is a very irritating sound. So after asking politely that everyone set their snacks down while we were doing a take several times, I reached a point where I had had enough. So in the middle of a take I called cut, stopped recording, set my equipment down, walked over to craft services and threw everything that was in a plastic wrapper away, as well as took any remaining snacks out of peoples hands. One person that I confiscated their snacks from was the producer. Normally a big no-no. But when the producer got mad at me I told him that I was hired to record good sound, which was not possible if people cant put down their snacks during a take. So what was it going to be? Good sound, or snack time? I had recently told this story to some crew members, and the very next day one of those people was eating chips while we were doing a take. The director snapped at the guy, telling him "he just got finished telling us about this, werent you paying attention?!?"... I thought it was kind of a funny situation!

As you can see I am very strict about noise during a take. In many cases, the location we are shooting in will be so quiet that I can hear the movement of a person that is off camera while they simply shift their weight. That is why we call out "sound is speeding", so that people know to quiet down. If people arent respecting this right away we call out "settle!". This implies that we set everything down that was in our hands, stand perfectly still, and breath as silently as possible. Because remember, we are in a recording session at this point!

One thing that I see more often than anything else are the use of mobile phones on set. When I am on set, I turn my cell phone off. I expect everyone else on set to do the same, so before our first take of the day, I tell everyone "cell phones off!". At this point I get a lot of people putting their phones on silent instead of off. Silent is not the same as off. Have you ever set your phone next to a speaker, and then received a call or a text? That weird sound coming from the speaker is what I hear in the mic, even when your ringer isnt on. Why? Well, I dont completely understand how a transducer (speakers and microphones are transducers) would pick up on something like that, but it does. A speaker turns electrical signals into acoustical audio, and a microphone converts acoustical audio into an electrical signal, so they will both pick up on this if it does happen.

I will admit that this phenomenon happens a lot more frequently in europe for some reason, but if you are close enough to a microphone here in the States I will pick up on it. 

So I often times have to tell people that "silent is not the same thing as off, so please turn your cell phones OFF". Since there are so few people who actually do this, I sometimes have to institute a "$20 if your phone goes off" policy. Most people dont take this very seriously, and view it as an empty threat. But when it happens I stop production until I get payed by whomever received the phone call.

This is a very effective method because people dont want to have to lose that much money, but more so because the director or producer doesnt want to wast any time, so they will tell the person "thats what he said and you didnt listen, so pay him so we can move on!". Obviously this is an extreme situation, and you would have to be working with some rather unprofessional people in these cases, but you would be surprised how these types of people manage to find their way onto a set!

Aside from my extreme measures that I have to take from time to time, I am a very pleasant person to work with, and a lot of film makers tell me that they enjoy the fact that I am not a typical sound guy who stays away from everyone, quiet in his corner. Instead I make friends with everyone and participate in what is going on, as well as joke around with the other crew members. I get a lot of repeat business because people enjoy working with me, but they also know that I run a tight ship, so when it comes down to business, Im on top of it.

So the moral of these stories is simply this. Unlike a camera, I cannot just frame out unwanted sound. So if conditions on location are not suitable to make clean recordings, then the sound guy cannot guarantee the quality and integrity of the recording. And if you dont get a good recording on set, you will have to spend a lot of money in post to re record things. So make sure that not only is your location a quiet one, but the people on set with you are going to respect the fact that they have to be quiet. And film makers, please dont tell experts how to do their jobs., it only makes you look like a fool.