Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1351516
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y I S P R I N G 2 0 2 1 51 been destroyed. Often, with no notice, the standby painter will paint a section of tape to miraculously match a baseboard or tablecloth so that a cable can be hidden right in the shot. Greens can bury a plant cable when needed, or even mask the sound cart. Of course, they are the original collaborators with plant mics! On my fi rst day as a mixer on a big studio fi lm, we had a noisy paper bag interfering with dialogue. Steve Bowerman CAS, who worked with me often before his illustrious mixing career, and who already had much more experience than I had, immediately asked PROPS to fi x the problem. Easily done. I have since learned about rubber grocery bags, rubber ice that doesn't clink, and museum putty to quiet silverware and glasses on trays. Sometimes an EFFECTS department can switch to wafters or move closer with a lower speed to reduce noise from fans. Each department knows so much more about what options they offer. They just need to be politely asked—as far in advance as possible. I can't leave out TRANSPORTATION. I know it's within their job description to help get us and our gear to and from work, but good communication with the drivers can expedite this, particularly when we need to transfer to stake beds, or when there is an equipment issue and replacement gear is needed. I've also been assisted by being set up in a follow van for running shots. It doesn't hurt to be nice to both transpo and LOCATION if you want your truck near the set. Finally, a little about PRODUCTION. They affect our workday more than anyone else. A cooperative AD can make sure sound has time to do their work, keeping us from interfering with grip and electric as they do theirs. They can often give us notice about special needs, like playback, telephone setups, or audio cueing that may have been determined in meetings before we started. Of course, this helps them, too. Production, with location, can also provide intermittent traffi c control and strong lockups. And we need to have their help to record wild lines, voiceovers, and the ever-elusive room tone. We all work together to make a movie. These are a few of the things other departments do to help us. We need to return the favor whenever we can. On Wild Wild West, we assisted the animal trainers by placing a miniature speaker in Ted Levine's fake Victrola- styled earpiece so the little dog would listen to it like Nipper in the RCA Victor logo. We often put in extra time or limit moves to get horses used to the boom. This applies to babies, too. When we can, we go beyond sound work to build community on set. Some mixers are asked to play music during setups. Kelly Doran, the utility I work with often, has a whole system devised with fl ags on the cart to announce the Martini Shot and, often, the Lou Nidus. Kay Colvin, in her free time during her utility career, knitted ear cozies for all the Comtek headsets, often using colors or materials selected for each user. Sometimes we contribute merely by giving up on certain things. On No Country for Old Men, we stood down so the trainers could yell, "Scooby, Scooby, Scooby!" to make the pit bull chase Josh Brolin. But usually we trade with our primary currency —batteries! Josh Brolin in No Country for Old Men Joel Coen shooting The Tragedy of Macbeth