Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1076412
20 from someone to be sure they were not going to play in a specific part," Ellis continues. "All the actors were fitted with a Sanken COS-11D. Each wire had its own ISO track and the mix was kept consistent no matter what happened on the page." To record the dialog and for communication between the director and actors, an intricate setup was configured that included off-camera readers. "Alex [Lowe] was fundamental in all of this," says Ellis. Lowe created three different mix options to route through. Sound also accounted for each actor's preference in terms of who they wanted to hear and what they wanted for playback. For instance, Ben Owen, who played John Hodge, wanted to hear all twenty-three microphones at once in his earwig to feel the sense of urgency and chaos in the room. Recording dialog inside each spacecraft was a different technical story. An early concern for sound was the multitude of spacesuits and helmets as wardrobe. The film moves from 1961 through 1969 and details five missions, including the X-15 flight, Gemini V, Gemini VIII, Apollo 1, and Apollo 11. Costumer Mary Zophres researched and duplicated each look, even creating two suits for Apollo 11, one for each actor and the other for their stunt double. "In prep I spoke with Whit Norris and Mark Weingarten, people who had done helmet movies before to find out what they've accomplished, but I learned they didn't have to worry about the period piece part of it like we did. We didn't have as many wiring options so we planned different strategies for when we could get our hands on the helmets," says Ellis. "We ended up buying four new mics and had a quick release made right at their neckline because the minute the actors could, they would take off their helmets." The spacecraft modules were built for actual size. They were tiny, and once an actor was inside, it was impossible to adjust the wireless microphone. "Our other concern was about airflow and how loud it was going to be inside the helmet. You have to have enough air for the actors so they don't pass out but it can lead to condensation," says Ellis. "Instead of a regulated system, they had an air compressor pushing air into the helmet. It was all or nothing and very loud," notes Lowe. "Mary sent me separate feeds that I gated Located in southern Jordan, near the Saudi Arabian border, the Wadi Rum Desert looks a lot like Mars. (Photo: Giles Keyte) The crew filming the Apollo 11 walk Filming outside the famous X-15 flight Inside the Apollo 11 capsule