Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1122868
46 S P R I N G 2 0 1 9 C A S Q U A R T E R L Y The wind was brutal. We couldn't put large wind gags on the lavs because the costumes were so minimal. Our wonderful wardrobe department worked with us to create low-profile wind rigs that worked out beautifully. On Ocean Drive, our man in South Beach, Kevin Cerchiai, worked magic with our location people to get nearby nightclubs to minimize their loud music. He was invaluable. Thankfully, the production paid to redirect traffic, so we owned the street. Was there anything unusual about this show in comparison to the multitude of shows you have worked on over the years? Our lead actor, Darren Criss, was absolutely unique. One example was when we shot in a tiny one-bedroom apartment on location during the hottest part of the summer. The whole crew was crammed into this living room, stepping over each other, trying to light, set up cameras, move set dressing, and sweating the entire time. Needless to say, morale was suffering. Rather than go to his nice, air-conditioned trailer, Darren sat at this tiny upright piano that was stuck in a corner, and started taking requests. He's a brilliant singer and musician. He'd remake the lyrics into something funny about a crew member or the show. It made all the difference. Great story! Is there an important aspect of the show's sound we haven't talked about? I would love the CAS to consider including the entire production crew for the award. Mixers are only as good as their crew. JOE EARLE CAS: Production Sound Mixer Where did you grow up? I was born in Washington, DC, but my family moved to Potomac, MD, when I was 10 years old. At the time, it was a hotbed of doctors, lawyers, and Indian chiefs. Don't I know it! My father was one of those lawyers, next door in Bethesda. Small world. What did you want to do when you "grew up"? I was studying music, trying to learn every percussive instrument I could, but the lure of photography and cinematography drew me away. So how did you get into the industry? I pursued film school at USC and never left the city. How did you further develop your understanding of the sound industry? Working at Todd-AO during its heyday was special. The company was filled with legendary mixers and editors. I could walk into any stage and sit down and watch the best of the best mix their films. What kind of directive did you get for this project? Ryan Murphy's soundtracks are usually thinly built out in picture editing. Our sound supervisor, Gary Megregian, comes onboard early to supply the picture department with certain design elements as they edit the show. Once they turn it over to us, we begin to fill out and shape the shows so that transitions, environments, and design elements really help push the story along. How did Mac Quayle's epic "Adagio in G minor" arrive to you? Were you forewarned that the show would begin with a nine-minute classical cue? I was aware of the beginning classical piece coming my way. Mac had originally done the score without live instruments and we mixed against that. There is only so much you can do with a limited number of synthesized stems. When the real instruments arrived with splits for the cellos, violins, and brass, I was able to dig in and get warmth in the low strings and space and placement in the high strings. I've already asked John this, but since you mix his product, I thought it appropriate to get your perspective. It appears the show was shot right in the heart of Miami's South Beach, an extraordinarily busy area. What were the particular challenges of mixing scenes shot both on the beach and on Ocean Drive? John Bauman is one of my favorite production mixers. He is able to get a good level of dialogue even in the worst conditions. If I have enough level to work with, I can usually carve around to the dialogue without crushing it. I prefer to lean on EQ rather than rely on plugins. That's not to say that I don't use iZotope RX and Cedar DNS plugins to help, but I'd rather keep some of the noise in the track than get it so clean it begins to feel disembodied. Is there anything you'd like to add? I like to fill up all of the frequencies as we move along through a show. If a scene feels thin, I ask for more. If it feels too fat, I thin it out, which puts more pressure on me but inevitably, we get what we're looking for. Is there an important aspect of the show's sound we haven't talked about? I think in TV we often overlook the collaborative effort of the sound supervisors, editors, and post producers. With schedules getting shorter and expectations getting higher, it would be impossible to arrive at a cohesive effort without the pressure we put on our supervisors.