Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1399159
28 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Fall 2021 Here's the problem: It's 2020 and we live and work in an ongoing COVID-19 environment, so none of the callers will be on stage. In fact, they will all be working from home, wherever that might be. How to proceed? I knew I'd need a reliable system that actors could easily oper- ate without too much audio know-how. I created an "actor's kit." Each one was identical and contained a Sound Devices MixPre3, a Shure SM58 microphone, a desk stand, a flexi- arm with a clip, Sony 7506 headphones, and a pair of USB cables (depending on the user's computer). Factory-sealed, disposable, screw-on mesh windscreens were included with every SM58 to assure COVID safety protocols. SD cards were formatted, folders were created, and the gain was set (based on Zoom rehearsals. I had a rough idea of how loud each character would be). In fact, with 32-bit float recording, I had ample dynamic range available. Instructions were created to help non-audio professionals succeed, including photos and YouTube videos. A spreadsheet was also created to map out which actor had which rig on which day, and were recording to which folder. I intentionally did not include batteries or a power supply for the MixPre3, thereby requiring it to be bus-powered and allowing it serve as both an interface and a recorder. Interface? Yes. All actors would be on a Zoom call (it's 2020, remember?), as well as myself, the AD's, and, of course, the lead actor. Off-camera actors were asked to join a separate Zoom call before joining the larger production Zoom. This first Zoom call provided the actors with basic instruction on (1) how to operate the rig; (2) how to assign their audio to the correct folder; (3) how to operate the MixPre3 faders; (4) how to get timecode and jam it into the recorder. Their instructor was Utility Sound Technician Richard Novick, my co-architect on all systems used on the movie. Oh, yes—timecode. With actors working from home—and home meant Los Angeles, New Orleans, Austin, New York, Toronto, and elsewhere—how to get all recorders in sync with each other, as well as with my on-set recorder and the cam- eras? My research found three different products that provide satellite-broadcast timecode. After considering price, avail- ability, and ease of operation, we selected the Betso system. A Betso GPS calibration module, connected to a Betso SBOX-1N sync box, would be able to output timecode on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to the recorders used by the actors, as well as to me on set. We con- tacted Betso, learned they had eleven units left in stock, and p r o d u c t i o n purchased all of them. This meant that we could pro- vide timecode to ten actors' kits, and to me, and every- thing would be in sync. Local 695 in the house (Front row): Production Sound Mixer Ed Novick, Utility Sound Technician Richard Novick, Boom Operator Knox White, Video Playback Erich Stuhl. (Back row): Video Assist Alex Sethian, Video Playback Supervisor Steve Irwin, Video Playback Terry Clifton One actor's kit