Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1259912
78 S P R I N G 2 0 2 0 C A S Q U A R T E R L Y my job without him excelling at his. In 2019, I returned as supervisor for the series reboot on HGTV. I had four Sound Devices 688's and one SD 633. I sent the scratch track to camera/producers as a mono signal from a Lectro UM400 in IFB mode to minimize our loaded frequency coordination. Post pulled ISO's from field recorders because we had no multitrack in village and I stayed in constant communication with post. The show's host/team leader was outfitted with a Phonak Invisity in-ear (a Bogen MBS1000A push-to-talk was used by executive producer Brady Connell). A Comtek BST216 and Sound Devices MM1 with Mini-Mite ½ wave 216 MHz antennae were hidden on top of video village. The monitoring in village was bare bones—audio followed video from the microwave to a small mixer labeled A, B, C, D, etc., for designated cameras. Because the show was fueled by trade outs, integrations, and donations, VIP stations were set up with audio and video running to trailers and pop-up tents. We had seven such stations on the finale episode. Working side-by-side with the tech department in those situations, we checked in with AD's regarding upcoming creative beats to shoot and to prioritize where and when to pop up. We also used Zoom for mid-week live video checks between the host and the family (who was stationed off-site during the build). I sent the family's audio from a computer and projected that back to the host and volunteers. A Sanken planted on the laptop to pick up any arbitrary talkers did the trick (I never saw a subtitle when the episodes aired). Even with our big box of tools for all the moving parts, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was the ultimate run-and-gun show. I always had to expect the unexpected. Schedules and call sheets were vague blueprints with loose call and wrap times. Since we were outside most of the day, ever-changing weather in all 50 states (ranging from freezing snow to sweltering heat) also played a huge factor in learning how to adapt. And because it takes a small village to build a house in one week, the number of talent that we had to wire on the fly was staggering. It was definitely daunting for my team having to mic upward of 30 people in one shift while wearing heavy ENG rigs with no life- saving, single stationary multitrack Venue system to record to. The challenge of running audio in a loud, unfamiliar environment week after week was intimidating and thrilling at the same time. We constantly had to navigate our way through busy construction sites filled with excavators and cranes, jack hammers and concrete mixers, roaring 18-wheelers full of deliveries, a massive production crew, and hundreds of volunteers selflessly working day and night. We also had to dance with eight handheld cameras, over 20 Go-Pro's/time- lapses, a drone, a swinging jib, and a steady camera. And more often than not, we had to boom an extra player while holding a 688 and mixing live mics, all while party-dialing talent as they entered and exited scenes. Slowing things down on 'set' because of noise was rarely an option, so my team quickly learned how to thrive in chaos. On a personal note, I met my wife, Ming Lee Howell, on the show. We started our show-mance on the road, and 11 years later, she's now an executive producer in reality television and we have an amazing 5-year-old son. PROJECT RUNWAY: ALL-STARS (2012-2016) – LIFETIME ...AS SEWN ON TV Project Runway: All-Stars was a spinoff series whereby returning cast members competed to out-design the other. It was a combination of stage production, field shoots, and pre-built sets. Being the audio supervisor of PRAS wasn't a walk in Central Park. The EP, Rob Bagshaw, whom I've worked with multiple times, entrusted me with this nerve-racking task in 2012. Thankfully, my good buddy Sergio Reyes-Sheehan was available to A1 for me again. Just staffing such a large department with the right people at the height of NYC's peak season was difficult. Lots of shifts had to be covered. In addition to the A1 position, I required a staff of nine mixers and two A2's for upward of 19 hours a day, for eight consecutive weeks. Mixing the show was the easiest part! I used a Yamaha QL1 for a season, but I made the seemingly counter-intuitive decision to use the Behringer X32. The QL1 is a great desk but just wasn't practical for the demands of all the moving parts. The X32 was lightweight and the Midas pre- amps sounded great, so it served me well when budget wouldn't permit the luxury of having two separate systems—one for field and one on stage. My rig needed to be quickly transported after a taped challenge reveal from the stage into a cargo van for field shoots at various tourist hot spots such as One World Trade Center and Times Square (where RF coordination was difficult to say the least). Then it was back to the stage for design reality—all in the SAME day. Dante helped keep the operation running smoothly. I backed up my PIX 970 with multiple Sound Devices 688's. I also had two Sound Devices 633's rolling on sit-down interviews with MKH 50's. I ran lines from those interview rooms back to me for safety. We did live frequency coordination throughout the day due to our proximity to numerous unrelated shoots. To minimize our footprint, I had my mixers mix from "behind the curtain" while watching multi-view monitors. But I always kept one boom operator on the floor for when, you know, models stripped down to their birthday suits. I installed five listening stations with iPads for story producers. Icom, Aviom nor an R1a could provide the desired level of eavesdropping. So I linked my X32 to each iPad via the X32 app. This gave producers pre-fade access to each and every one of my 40-plus tracks. By cueing up any mic, they could then ask cameras to focus on the most interesting story. It was definitely a crowd pleaser! On stage, four Invisity in-ears were deployed between our host and judges. The Studio Technologies Model 216 Announcer's Console was a great fit. A combination of Sennheiser A2003-UHF wideband directional antennas and, my favorite, Mini-Mite, gave me the range I needed. I decided to use DPA d:screet 4060 and 4061 Miniature on our host with a combo of Sanken COS-11 and Countryman B6 for celebrity guests and the designer contestants. One situation we routinely dealt with was the difficulty of simply getting a wire on talent because of unique outfits, jangling jewelry, and unannounced wardrobe changes. I also provided an iPad to my