Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1530210
40 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Winter 2025 flying from one end of the stage to the other?" "You know, we need big wind in her cape." "It will be too athletically demanding for her to sing as she's doing somersaults on wires," etc., etc. The problems and preconceived doubts and issues kept coming in my direction. All I could say was, "Guys, we have to be ready for anything. Don't assume this will be a pre-record. I know it looks difficult, but we've got to be ready to support Cynthia and if she says she wants to sing live, I don't want anything to restrict her." Carefully, we were a huge supportive film family ensuring that we were making everything as quiet as possible. From the stunt team and its incredibly complex wire rigs, to the grips and their camera cranes, which were tracked at speed moving in and pulling out, to the SFX department that rigged all of their various silent wind strategies. Finally, the shoot day arrived. Cynthia had been rehearsing the athletic movements of flying with the stunt department and as she was rigged with her wires, she exuded confidence in the process. Jon Chu asked her if she'd like to sing live and Cynthia's response was simply, "Of course!" There was an exchange of looks amongst all of us in the crew, as it instantly became clear we had done exactly the right thing rigging the Silent Wind and putting in the preparation work to facilitate live singing on an incredibly complex stunt sequence. SFX technicians brought the Silent Wind hoses onto the set and skillfully positioned them so that wherever Cynthia flew in the huge stage, she would have a jet of directional wind hitting her costume to open her cape. We had the DPA 4061 in the brim of her hat and we also had 1st AS Arthur Fenn on a Schoeps Super CMIT wireless boom with a digital Zaxcom 743 transmitter that could send both processed and unprocessed AES signals back to the sound cart. The boom pole was covered in a blue sleeve, and we were using a Cinela Piano zeppelin to protect the mic from the wind which was also covered in a custom-made Bubblebee high-wind cover in chroma key blue fur. Making the boom pole and mic completely blue and putting it on a radio link gave Arthur the ability to follow Cynthia in close-up at all times and capture at least seventy percent of her live singing on the boom. The DPA in her hat also had wind protection and sounded absolutely superb. Again, we were able to deliver choices to sound post. Cynthia's ability to sing perfectly again and again as she looped the loop and did somersaults was nothing short of extraordinary. Although she was pitch perfect in every take, there was also a truth and reality in her delivery and breathing Silent Wind being piped through the set with the fan positioned outside the set to provide noiseless wind. Live vocal capture: 1st AS Arthur Fenn booming Cynthia Erivo as she sings, "Defying Gravity" live by flying on wires with carefully aimed and focused Silent Wind hitting her cape but not the mics