CAS Quarterly

As a re-recording mixer working primarily in nationally televised commercials for the last 20 years, I've mixed many iterations of short form content, including Super Bowl commercials, television promos, music videos, radio commercials, and even those pre-taped sports packages that play during live talk shows such as Fox NFL Kickoff. In all actuality, mixing short form content is not vastly different than mixing long form content. You are still taking someone's vision and trying to bring their message and story to life. But particular to commercials is how we approach dynamics, a single-person work ow, and how we attract and retain clients. Please allow me to share some of my experience and explore some of the different ways mixing short form has also helped me when attacking a long form project. Levels Have you ever wondered why commercials always seem to blast you in the face with excessive volume? Well, that's my job. The advertising mindset is all about grabbing your attention and grabbing it quickly. Prior to the passage of the CALM Act in 2010, commercial mixers mixed to make sure we didn't distort our ¾ inch and VHS dub copies, but aside from that, it was basically like the Wild West. Before the standardized loudness spec, I'm sure my mixes were all over the place. On the plus side, I do remember getting booked on a job once solely because the clients liked how loud an Applebee's commercial I mixed sounded on the air! Structurally speaking, on a commercial, there is not a lot of time and space to develop dynamics. In fact, an overly dynamic mix, especially one with little or no dialogue, is at high risk of sounding quiet on the air—and advertising clients do NOT like that. This presents the challenge of creating a mix that sounds dynamic, but doesn't look too dynamic on the meter. Care must always be used when using dynamic compression on dialogue to avoid side effects that sound artifi cial. Of course, I always want my dialogue to sound natural, but when playing simultaneously against a loud music track, a different treatment is often required. To maintain intelligibility and energy, I might use a touch more compression on dialogue and voiceover and tightly weave music levels with a restrained approach—kind of like mixing a record. This helps keep all of the elements working together. Lone Wolf In general, I'm a fi rm believer that collaboration leads to better ideas than trying to do everything yourself. Working as a team on a fi lm or series allows each participant to focus on their assigned segment of the project, which can provide a huge advantage. When mixing short form, with a few exceptions, it's a one-person show. In addition to mixing, the mixer also handles the dialogue edit, VO and ADR recording, music editing, FX editing, and Foley. If I think about it, I probably spend more time editing than actually mixing. Often a writer might toil over every syllable of a voiceover-heavy spot to try and create the perfect performance. Sometimes legal comes back and asks you to create sentences using words that have no business being next to each other, so I often feel like Dr. Frankenbyte. Then there are versions galore. Cutting down a 60-second spot to 30 seconds, 15 seconds, and even six seconds. Sometimes you will have sets of nearly identical spots that have a few small word changes that would be easy to miss unless you are actively paying attention. So staying organized with a solid understanding of the big picture is essential. Perhaps a downside to working solo is that there are few opportunities to be in a mix with another experienced mixer to bounce ideas off of. Since commercial mixers often share clients, there can be a temptation to be competitive and secretive about the tools and techniques we use. This really doesn't help anyone in the long run. The CAS, MPSE, Facebook groups, podcasts, and online tutorials have really opened my eyes and ears to new ways of working over the last couple of years. I'm glad the desire and opportunity to learn and share knowledge seems greater than ever these days. Getting the Gig So how does one get into commercial work? While some freelance commercial mixers are out there, it is defi nitely advantageous to be hired by a facility. At a commercial mix facility, a team of audio producers handle bidding, rate negotiation, scheduling, coordinating, and billing. Jobs can last between a couple of weeks to as short as an hour, so trying to fi t all of those puzzle pieces together is more than a full-time job. When there is a scheduling confl ict or a project does not have a specifi c mixer request, the audio producer makes the call. So, keeping your audio producer happy and looking good is essential. Volume and Vibe I try to remember that when clients are in the room (or on the Zoom), as a mixer, you are "on stage." Of course, I always strive to make the mix sound as good as possible, but the experience is just as important. Many agency clients see the mix as a break from their normal routine, a nice chance to get out of the offi ce. A well-stocked fridge with plenty of delicious food options certainly doesn't hurt. If you can make the mix sound good and the experience enjoyable, you create working relationships with your clients built on trust and friendship. Do that and you generate future bookings with members of that team and their associates as well. Post Mixing for Commercials b y C A S A s s o c i a t e m e m b e r S a m C a s a s 84 S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y

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