Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1474752
38 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Fall 2022 some Sound Utilities don't need you to do their job for them. So, when you sit in someone's chair, you don't want to go mucking up things. I absorbed a great deal just observing someone's work- space and their equipment; even trivial things like how sound reports were filled out and timecode numbers were written down. Even where the sound cart is parked is important to remember, because some Sound Mixers want to be away from the immedi- ate set while others want to be close enough to speak with the Director or hold court. During this time, I also began to purchase gear in earnest. By then I was married, and those decisions needed to be discussed or negotiated. My wife is in the same business (costumes), so she understood that it was going to be a substantial and ongo- ing investment. I wasn't going to get all the toys I wanted all the time, yet I didn't want that either. The mixers I had worked under gave me valued advice regarding what equipment to purchase or when to rent instead of buy. Many times, it wasn't about the gear, gig from another mentor, Steve Nelson. From there, I began doing 2nd unit work, small referral jobs, and fill-ins. Fill-in work is great because you're placed in a veritable hot seat where you must adapt to the technical surroundings and people. Some Boom Operators are particular about their mic and headphone levels and "In 2008, I went to work on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Season 4 of this half-hour comedy was my entry to 'Fun Stress.' You're either going to be com- pletely miserable on a project or you're not; you embrace the complexities and the challenges or find a way to rationalize your commitment to that project." With Tomlinson Holman visiting NCIS (2019) Boom Operator Gail Carroll-Coe battling two Steadicams, NCIS Season 19