Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1277927
22 S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y INTRODUCTION This is a discussion on how the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown and re-emergence could change how we mix production sound going forward. There's a myriad of official discussions and plans about protocols, best practices, disinfection of equipment, etc. This discussion instead will be about the drastic decisions in technique that we may or may not have to make. Overall, this is a complicated and multilayered topic. With that in mind, I want to focus in on just two main points of contention regarding two different pieces of methodology. One is more fundamental, and one is more technological and both have valid data, preference, and value behind them. First is the idea of whether we drop the use of talent radio mics and switch to exclusively employing the use of boom microphones to capture dialogue. I want to make a fair argument for, as well as against this idea. The second is whether we take the extreme physical distancing option and set our main recording workstations beyond our wireless capacity—hundreds of meters away from the set via network or fiber-optic means. Whether this should be something we are required to do or something we retain the option of doing. Combining the philosophical side of the discussion and the technical side of the discussion, I'd like to make my cases here. How Will COVID-19 Change