Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1257029
28 We used a combination of Sennheiser MKH 50 and Schoeps CMIT 5U microphones for almost all of our booming. Sanken COS-11D's are our lavalier workhorses and were also used to plant even more often than our MKH 8050 or Sanken CUB- 01's. We used the DPA 6060's for special lavalier rigs and button holes. I'd situationally adjust high shelf equalization (@2k) for my wires if, for example, we had tie rigs working in a scene with mics placed closer to the sternum. Depending on the talent, tie placement of a COS-11D can sound muddy when compared to another COS-11D placed lower on the chest, so I chose to normalize them. I also rolled off all mics @ 100Hz. None of that really matters unless the mics are placed correctly and I fi rmly believe that the boom operators are the linchpin of the department and are the primary reason for high-quality sound. I am so fortunate to have two award- winning Boom Operators in Ace Williams and Kris Wilcox for my crew. Hollywood moved at a fast pace and we almost always mic'd every speaking part whether they were on camera or off. Ace and Kris are second to none when it comes to navigating the constant fl uidity of a fi lm set. Changing frames, lighting, refl ections, dialog, and actor idiosyncrasies are all handled in stride. Both have worked on series set in this time period, so they were aware of the particular challenges with noisy background footwear, unusual costume fabrics, noisy props, and antique vehicles. Working as a team, either one would lay carpet, wire an actor, or boom a scene. Their extensive experience allowed them to anticipate and solve potential noise issues without any direction from me, which was a critical component to our success as a department. Their prodigious talent meant I didn't have to constantly worry about where the boom was placed. Hollywood, like all RMTV productions, was beautifully wrought. Ryan Murphy has a keen eye for set design, decoration, costumes, hair, makeup, and photography. He has assembled some of the very best artists in these fi elds and many have been with Mr. Murphy for years. Together, they brought 1940's Hollywoodland to life in every detail, from a perfect interior recreation of the iconic Schwab's Pharmacy, to the color of lipstick Vivien Leigh might have chosen to wear to a dinner party. No easy feat considering the rarity of color photographs from the era. Located in southern Jordan, near the Saudi Arabian border, the Wadi Rum Desert looks a lot like Mars. (Photo: Giles Keyte) As you might imagine, our show involves fi lm making in the '40s. I loved shooting the "behind the scenes" scenes, with all the old moviemaking props, especially the old Mole Richardson microphone perambulators. They would always show up broken and in disarray. I worked with the Prop Department to string them as best as we could, which usually meant that they couldn't really be operated. I would instruct the BG person designated as the boom operator, so he would look like he knew what he was doing. It was my contribution to the show, and it was really fun. Our toughest and most fun days were when we shot the 1948 Academy Awards. The sequence included thirteen speaking parts, seven music cues, and six cameras. We mounted a COS- 11D on the stage mic, wired everyone, and had two boom mics for the crowd. I primarily ended up using that plant mic for the presenters and winners on stage, and fi lled it with the boom mics pointed at the audience. The music cues wouldn't have timed out correctly if they had been preceded by clicks, so Composer Jasper Randall, who also played the orchestra conductor, and I, had to feel when the music would come in after each announcement. The timing of those scenes was almost entirely reliant on us. Each character would begin to speak when the music stopped and the audience would applaud when the music started. I enjoy the times when I get to be so much a part of the scene. It reminds me of what I learned a long time ago. Watching the six monitors while filming the Academy Awards scenes David Corenswet as Jack Castello. Photo by Saeed Adyani/Netflix ©2020 John Bauman's sound cart