T.J. Garland is a boom op and location sound mixer based out of Atlanta, Georgia. He’s worked on TV shows like Atlanta, featuring Donald Glover and on the feature film Hangman, with Al Pacino and Karl Urban. Listen as he shares some unique stories about being on-set.
Joe Giannotti is a freelance sound recordist based out of Tampa, Florida. He’s worked on thousands of broadcast television productions for networks like ESPN, ABC, HBO, TNT, BBC, Discovery Channel, NatGeo, NFL Network, MLB Network, HGTV and more. He’s also the creator of the Quiet Please, Filming in Progress signs seen on sets all around the world. www.floridasoundman.com
Carl Welden is a production sound mixer and boom operator in upstate NY. He also works as a radio announcer, MC and voice actor. He uses a Sound Devices 633 mixer/recorder, Lectrosonics mics and Deneke time code sync boxes.
Jimmy Sieczka is a location sound mixer working on shows like Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid and Nat Geo’s Ice Holes. He’s worked around the world in extreme environments from tropical jungles to temperatures of -40 degrees Fahrenheit. Jimmy uses Wisycom, Lectrosonics, and Rycote products on-set. Check out his amazing stories of recording sound in very challenging conditions.
Larry Williams, Jr. is a freelance location sound mixer based in South Florida. He grew up in Miami and attended the University of Florida. After college he interned and ended up working full-time for a production company for 10 years. It was during these 10 years that he gained an invaluable amount of experience working on different types of projects and genres.
You’re on-location filming and your using a shotgun mic on a boom pole to capture dialog. Suddenly, the wind gusts at just the right moment and the perfect take is lost due to wind noise on the mic. Fortunately, there are a number of windscreen options out there that can help reduce or practically eliminate wind noise altogether.
Foam windscreens that usually come with the mic are designed for use indoors. For example, they help reduce noise if drafts of air blow on the mic from an air conditioner. It’s not a good choice outdoors. …
On-set it’s the sound guy or gal’s responsibility to mic the talent. Many location sound recordists use both a lav and boom mic at the same time as a backup. If you’re not using a boom then you will definitely need to wire the talent with a lavaliere mic, lav for short. If you’re only using a boom mic, the type of shots your director of photography will be getting, such as wide shots, may show the boom mic on camera. Depending on the type of productions you do, many of you will be dealing with a professional actor or actress. Otherwise, it may be someone who has never before worn a wireless microphone.
Putting a lav mic on someone can be uncomfortable. Think about it, you walk up to a person you probably don’t know and have to put a wire under their clothing, around their body, clip a transmitter pack to their waist and tuck in the cable so you don’t see it. Sometimes the transmitter pack has to be clipped to a bra strap and sometimes it’s hidden in their undergarments. It can be a little invasive so try to make it as comfortable as possible. …