Sunday, May 27, 2012

Communications

Continuing my post-mortem on the shoot of The Prometheus Trap:
I'm very happy about having bought some six radios for this movie. Firstly, these kids nowadays with their cheap Family Band Radios have it good. These things are cheap. And they're rechargeable.



And they work. They probably have a practical range of a quarter a mile, which for us is all we need.
One thing I hate is having to yell all day long. And when you're in an echoic environment like a big warehouse it gives you a headache just to try to hear people.
But radios? With headsets?


That's paradise.
You don't have to yell. Everyone (who hasn't accidentally unplugged their headset) can hear. And talk.
Now, of course, this required the characters to be on radio. Which for most movies is absurd. But oh man it was nice.
Now, I'll admit that running multiple lines of audio into my brain is something I'm sort of trained to do.  I used to do audio for broadcast which involves listening to various competing conversations while mixing a show. I was not the best at it, I was at the bottom part of the top rung. Or, as I used to say, "Of the very best, I'm among the worst." Or, more accurately, "Of those who can do it, I'm the most expendable." None of the other (better) engineers ever contradicted me when I said that.
Anyway, where was I? Ah. Yes. Communication. So sweet.  O! That all the director's commands could be delivered like a whispered threat into each person's ear.
Now, we can certainly make it easier for me to hear everyone on set. Just throw a wireless lav on each actor and having someone mix to a Comtek that goes to me. As long as a big ol' limiter is on that feed to me I'd be fine.

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