Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/933783
MIC DRAWER: "The dividers/sections for each mic are simply plastic drawer organizers made for desks and/or kitchen utensils. They are a nice soft plastic that protects and separates the mics and, because they are modular, I can simply move them around and rearrange them as my gear collection grows. They have little foam feet so they don't slide around. They also help me corral smaller items like my Ambient QuikLoks, Allen key, and shockmount rubber bands. I keep my lavs in zippered pouches intended for DSLR camera filters (the black-and-red case on the left side of the drawer). Each lav gets its own mesh pouch and the case zips shut. Each case holds anywhere from six to eight lavs—I use two cases to hold all of mine. They protect the mics, as well as allow you to simply take one of each color with you if you have to wire up someone and don't know yet what color is needed. I actually borrowed this idea from a friend and fellow mixer who works mainly in reality TV, Marcos Contreras. Because he doesn't get to use a cart to manage and organize all of his gear, he has to think of more mobile ideas and, honestly, those ideas are great for work on narrative sets as well." COMTEK DRAWER: "You'll notice some Container Store dividers here as well! My single-ear headphones and all of my straps, Coban, and pouches are kept in place by the same desk organizers. And it's nothing new, but I use the poor man's alternative to fancy laser-cut foam—repurposing old pick-and-pluck foam from Pelican cases! I saved all my foam from my various Pelican [cases] over the years and now I use it to create 'custom' foam inserts for my drawers. It's been great for me because as I add to my collection of Comteks, I can simply adjust the size of the foam insert by removing more sections or just starting over with fresh foam." WHEN IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT SOUND The sound cart is in a unique geographical position in relation to the set. (Basically, it's ideally in the most-convenient-yet out-of-the way place.) This makes for the perfect spot for charging the company's electronic devices. While I don't feel obligated to provide the crew, cast, or producers with convenient charging, I just think it's a nice thing to do. This is Amanda's thoughts on the matter. "Cellphone charging [is] a very important addition to any follow/support cart. [It] is a place for everyone to charge their phone. But I wanted there to be a level of organization to this spot, as my utility and boom operator still need to use this cart as their workstation. And if it's a jumble of charging cables and random phones, that's no good. I found a nice bamboo phone/tablet charging station on Amazon and secured it with Velcro. One of my ingenious utilities, Tommy Giordano, added foot foam to the sections so phones don't slide out when we move the cart. And I simply use a large binder clip to keep all the cables up and out of the way when they're not in use." Amanda sums up the logic behind being motivated to get organized. "I like organizing my cart and finding new ways to make things easier for myself and my team when we're working. If everything has a place that makes sense and fits, then things are more likely to always find their way back to those spots and we won't be scrambling to find something when we need it next. I am all about repurposing things and hunting for items that do the job I need them to, even if it's not from an industry-specific vendor. I have found so many useful items at The Container Store, Fry's, Daiso (a Japanese dollar store), and Amazon. I also truly believe that, in this context, imitation is a form of flattery. I've gotten some great ideas from fellow mixers and have either implemented their methods or found a way to incorporate their ideas. And I gladly share my methods and sources when people ask, knowing that they might be able to improve upon my ideas!"