Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1515068
36 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Spring 2024 picture boat hiding in cramped spaces to tend to the actors, the wireless communication system and much more. Tato and occasionally myself, would also assist Alex. This project had many challenges. Most equipment cannot be replaced in the Dominican Republic, and it can take up to six weeks to be shipped in. This is important because saltwater is very damaging to equipment, particularly electronic equipment. Working in and around saltwater for the majority of filming NYAD was quite stressful. For the storm sequence, which took about a week to film, we decided to pull out all my older wireless systems and microphones. Usually when working with rain towers for storms sequences, they use freshwater. However, because the tank and the ocean were so close, the water used for the storm was brackish. It is damaging to the equipment, often rendering it useless. Dia and Tato worked like an assembly line, servicing the gear as if it was on a conveyer belt. They dried, cleaned, repaired, and put the equipment in rice to dry out. Soldering and repairing equipment in salty air is not as easy as it seems, especially when opening up electronics. They both became so good at it. I almost felt like I was in the back of an audio shop, watching technicians doing their everyday job. Dia and Tato constantly cleaned the boom poles. The rhythm of pulling the boom pole in and out of the tank was similar to assisting a doctor in an operating room. No time for even a second of delay. Not only were we working on boom poles, wireless body mics, and microphones, but we were also in charge of the communication system for both Directors and the First Assistant Director. Dia and Tato were dry on the docks and boat, however, they were always working directly over the water greatly increasing the risk of accidents, such as when the PA microphone took a dive into the blue ocean. The communication speakers and cables also took a beating 24/7, but constant cleaning and maintenance, as well as pulling in all the sound equipment every night kept it safe and functioning. The film trucks used in the Dominican Republic do not have air conditioning. Fortunately, our department was able to obtain one equipped with a cooling system. This was crucial for us to monitor and control the moisture in the equipment. In the hot, humid conditions, always working under duress, this was truly a blessing. We were able to have a Fisher boom sent from Santo Domingo. We positioned it next to the two Technocrane dolly tracks. Unfortunately, it did not have enough extension to reach the actors in the water or on the boat, who were generally 100-200 feet away from the edge of the water tank. We had no choice but to go back to using Alex and his boom in the water. As it turned out, he was able to maneuver the boom in the best positions necessary, much better than the Fisher boom. While filming the wide and tight angles, we were able to find a solution when the boom was seen in the sky or the water, to have the VFX Department paint out the boom in post! Despite the constant battles and complaints from camera, producers, etc., this was the only way that it could have been done and, in the end, much more cost-effective than replacing all the dialog. Marco "Tato" Vargas, Addtional Boom Operator from the DR, on the Fisher Boom.