Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1277960
40 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Summer 2020 director falls in love with a location, there is little remedy. However, to avoid these problems, we should do our due diligence and judge in advance of the company's arrival with the help of our virtual scouts and communication with the Location Department. Forewarned is forearmed. Are there measures to be taken that would mitigate the problems? Can traffic be controlled, the construction paused, the dogs housed in a kennel? Acoustic treatments? Or are the problems insurmountable and we move on? We should always be prepared that the location will in fact, suck for sound. Perhaps the powers that be are aware of the issues and are counting on our ingenuity to "make it work" and, if not, to accept the loss and "fix it in post." The performances happening on the day are important— and we know time is of the essence, and we'll do all we can to try to ensure suitable locations are chosen. Camera The use of multiple cameras has become absolute in our world—with a few rare exceptions. This style can indeed increase production efficiency and, if done properly, without impacting our work. It's best if ground rules can be established early in the process. Similar headroom and focal lengths, avoiding the wide & tights can all make a big difference in keeping the work flowing smoothly. We can establish ahead of time that the boom can bust the frame to catch the simultaneous tight shot, or that we have a great wireless option to use. That is why we have all those tracks available. Even if this modus operandi has not been clearly established in prep, there is always time to have the conversation and make new ground rules. Which is a much better alternative to stopping the proceedings to get clearance every time this happens. Costume An actor might be dressed in a costume and accessories so noisy that it conflicts with the body mic and even affects the boom track. What can we do to avoid these situations? The best remedy is always prevention; communication and preparation can help prevent the problem before it shows up. With the longer prep schedules for features, you can meet with the Designer and Supervisor, tell them your concerns and enlist their support. If costumes are recurring, it is possible to have them build-in your wireless, or at least make accommodations. In episodic television, this may be a luxury as many times the actors are cast the night before they work so it is a mad scramble for everyone. But if the Designer is aware of the impact their choices can have on our work, they can make a huge difference. Try to get shoes treated with soft soles. Work with the background costumers and production to have the background show up with soft-soled shoes. It saves a lot of time ferreting out the noisy BG walkers and treating their shoes or laying miles of carpet. Other Considerations Other changes in the way we work will include greater physical/social distancing on and around set to reduce the potential viral load in the workspace. The Sound Mixer will be even further from the set. For some of us this is normal, others might have to make some accommodations. Solutions can be to remote your receiving and transmitting antennas or receivers. Be ready with an open mic and to distribute audio for the very first marking rehearsal of the day, and subsequent rehearsals, as we will not be allowed all those people on set like we used to. We'll have to reduce our interactions with other crew, particularly regarding shared equipment. Perhaps wireless timecode slates that don't require physical jamming, and giving the Camera Department its own rechargeable batteries and charger of course. Plan for Comteks to be assigned to individuals or departments for the run of the show, much like walkie-talkies. Supply them their own batteries and chargers that they're responsible for. No more shared headphones; they are single-use/single-user or they should provide their own earbuds. Finally, take that courtesy cellphone charger off your cart! It is certain that when we do get back, the highest priority will be keeping our workplaces infection-free. Despite the meticulous and rigorous guidelines, there will always be the chance of someone getting sick. There is talk of two weeks' sick pay for those that do, much more generous than what we normally have. If someone in your department falls ill, it would be best to have a backup plan to stay functional and not derail the work. This will be more complicated than grabbing another transmitter to replace one that's failed! When staffing, consider having as much redundancy built-in as possible. Your utility can certainly boom, but can they run the cart and mix? Keep a short list of available crew who are familiar with your setup and could step in. There will be a vetting process for admitting new people to your production bubble, likely to involve testing; keep your people close, just in case. If you're not already working, keep your status updated on the Available to Work page; perhaps the Local can update it more frequently with more detailed information. Everything at work is going to be very different and pretty intense for a while. We're hoping for some great medical breakthrough that will allow us to return to something closer to normal. In the meantime, we might have a chance to address some longstanding points of friction and create improvements to make our work run more smoothly that will carry on into the "newer" normal. Here are the links to the Les Miz articles. Well worth the time! It may really change the way you think about what you do. https://magazine.local695.com/magazine/winter-2013 https://magazine.local695.com/magazine/spring-2013