Production Sound & Video

Winter 2021 – LOCAL695.ORG 15 Peter rolling his cart onto the National Mall in D.C. Washington, D.C., was our fi rst month of production on WW84, and we showed off the wonders of the capital circa 1984. However, one of the more challenging locations was the rooftop restaurant, opposite the White House. Gal Gadot (Diana) and Kristen Wiig (Barbara) settled into their characters, with the Washington Monument behind them, but it was the sound of jack hammers that made a greater impression on me. With both actors wired for sound, Ben's Sanken CS-3 sitting on the edge of frame for Diana, and local Utility Nate Sessions on 2nd Boom over Barbra, it was touch and go as far as getting the dialog above that noise fl oor. Of course, I had to make a request to the Location Department, "Can someone go over to the White House and see if they would work with us on "Cuts and Rolls"? I have to hand it to our great location crew, they tried but the answer from the WH was "No." With a Sanken CS-5 pointed toward the White House, capturing stereo ambience, I believed we had managed to capture the performance and hopefully a scene that would not need to be recreated in ADR later. Boom Operator Ben Greaves and I have known each other for many years. He hails from the UK and is another fi lm craftsman who has spent time in the world of big screen superheroes. We both believe the key to success in radio mic'ing is preparation. It is so important to see the fabrics and costumes early on. Prior to WW84, we had both worked with our Costume Designer, Lindy Hemming, and her Set Supervisor, Dan Grace. Because of this relationship, our attention to detail, and their willingness to understand our concerns, we were able to change the fabric in one piece of wardrobe, as well as resoling shoes for actor Chris Pine. With our reliance on radio mics and the importance of clean iso tracks for editorial for all speaking characters, the relationship between Wardrobe and Sound must be truly collaborative. In that busy fi rst month, we managed to bring to life the world that Diana found herself in the 1980's, featuring Watergate, Georgetown, and a nighttime walk and talk with the Lincoln Memorial as a backdrop. Our traveling circus made Leavesden Studios our next place to pitch our tents. Filming in the UK also meant that production licensed all my radio mics through OFCOM for the time I was there. It was here that I started with a new team of Adam Ridge, 1st Assistant, Milos Momcilovic, 2nd Assistant, and our Trainee, Pete Blaxill. I had several days of prep in London and time to get to know the local team. Milos had worked with me on Transformers 5 and so impressed me with a great attitude in challenging situations. Adam had come recommended to me by fellow Belfast Mixer, Mervyn Moore. Chris Pine as Steve Trevor and Gal Gadot as Diana Prince. Photo by Clay Enos/DC Comics/2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment

• Cover