Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1500728
38 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Summer 2023 I am not a ninja Sound Mixer. I thoroughly disapprove of that term. It minimizes what we do and what we can give to a production. We are a hugely creative addition to storytelling. I never just try to get through the day unnoticed, unseen, and unheard. I always make sure I am in sight and earshot of the Director and the DP. I am there to answer questions and offer solutions. I am there to cheer the crew along too, but with that said, I also understand that there are days when we as a Sound Department should take a less prominent seat. Knowing the difference, I believe, is what makes our involvement and input valued and often requested. Skywalker Sound's Randy Thom once wrote a little piece on his Facebook page, and I can't stop thinking about it. He said, "In a new book on creativity, Rick Rubin says, 'No matter what tools you use to create, the true instrument is you.'" This is precisely why mixers should be asking fewer questions about gear, and more questions about creativity as it relates to their own thought processes. When nearly all your questions are about tech, it means that you think you have the other bases covered when in fact, you don't." This became apparent when discussing filming with our Director and fearless leader, Deborah Chow. During prep, Deborah talked about wanting to use quite a lot of music and sound FX playback on set for motivational purposes and setting a scene. Deborah would ask for moody, marching, hero, scary, the light and dark side. Every description was an emotion or pace she desired. She was specific and so well-prepared, it was a joy to be asked for this type of collaboration. Every question I asked back was answered thoughtfully and in precise detail. I remember the first time we used music, it was the show's entrance of Darth Vader. He was walking down a street flanked by stormtroopers, while handing out cruel punishments to the planet's inhabitants, and on the lookout for Obi-Wan. It was a massive setup, multiple cameras, hundreds of background actors, and a large crew. I found a moody and dark "Imperial March" section and it worked beautifully. The stormtroopers stood straighter and with menace, Darth Vader had a rhythm and dark purpose to his walk, even the crew felt an emotional connection while it played out, and I know it made a huge difference to the final shot. This was to be used so many more times and became a fun and hugely enjoyable part of our days. Even to the final duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader, where we played a version of John Williams' "Duel of the Fates," while they sparred. I know Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen were hugely appreciative of the additional motivation and emotive push that it gave to the scene. Playback sometimes ruins whatever dialog and sound effects we want to get from a shot, and our primary job is to protect the performances of our actors. But we are also there to help a director elicit something different and exciting, too. I always get at least one clean take and a wild track with grunts, Foley, and breaths, for the action track. For the rest, we let the music play out. Now for the kit and set up… Digital recorders and wireless systems don't make creative decisions. We do. My driving message is this: "Does it sound good?" That's it. Not what I use, but how I use it and what my ears think. With a constant dialog from the beginning with post-production, the editorial team, and Deborah Chow, I kept affirming throughout filming that we were doing well and getting them everything the show and the Director needed. I have the ability to record up to twenty-four tracks with my digital system, using two to three booms, combined with plant mics and the ability to have up to twenty individual radio mics at one time. Discrete IEM's when needed, underwater speakers for use in water tank scenes, and many more little gadgets that help me get through any given day or problems that usually come up. Yohannes Skoda and Ben Greaves