Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538091
C I N E M A A U D I O S O C I E T Y. O R G 17 and the whole room feels better when it sounds as mixed as possible. I feel it is always important to understand the environment the scene is taking place in. Our challenge is being in a very quiet and soundproof recording room but having to match the atmosphere of the scene. How it was recorded on set may differ from how we have to record in the studio. Sometimes the same production mics used work great and sometimes we just find which mics match best for our studio environment. At times, I will ask for the actor to perform more off-mic or with their head buried in their shoulder. Anything to help match the production. I try to reach out to the production sound mixer to ask what was going on in a scene, or if they can send me a split of the lav and boom mics. I also have some props, as I'm sure many other mixers have. I have weights to help an actor if they need a little push back for the tone or struggle. I like to use Fig Newtons for food scenes. They have the right amount of texture for just about anything while allowing the words to be heard. There are a number of other tools as well. I have asked actors to speak into the editor's desk to reproduce a reflective bounce or specific sound. I've miked actors while doing push-ups, as they wanted to perform that way. We have even gone as far as to have a tub of water and put a mic into a surgical glove under water, and one boom above with the actor dipping into the tub, and then out. It's amazing when the teamwork is there. I once reached out to the production sound mixers of a series I was mixing when I was unable to match the sound of an interrogation room. I was told it was a makeshift room made out of plywood and put up quickly. So, I matched the hollow bounce so it could have a chance of working. I also understand the mix and pre-mix of the dialogue. I only want to get into the ballpark and not deliver audio that's over- processed or uses too much perspective in the miking. We have so many tools today to fix dialogue, and I understand the next step after ADR, so I don't want to tie anyone's hands with what I deliver. Tell us about your mic choices when recording ADR. It's a little bit of a challenge because you have one camp of thinking, "This is what they used on set, so it has to match." And then the other camp that says, "Do whatever you think works." In the past, the lav mic would rarely be considered for use in the final. That has obviously changed. The lav can now be the main focus and mic on a show or scene. I will often turn the lav upside down and put it off-axis facing the floor, so the impact doesn't distort the capsule. However, it doesn't always work when it is a huge scream. I like to hang a Schoeps CMC 6 body with an MK 41 capsule. That was pretty much the gold standard, and I feel it still works. I like it because it isn't super clean and doesn't make the ADR feel like ADR to me. I have a second Schoeps with a -10 dB pad on it which I call my "Yellie mic." I have an MKH 416 because it's a thinner and brighter mic. I use a COS-11 lav and a DPA when needed. I also like a Neve preamp and compressor because they are smooth and have great headroom. When dealing with a flashback to a certain decade, I try to match the mics and sound quality based on the era and sound. I will use a handheld mic if there is a comedian on stage or a karaoke scene. An SM 57 or SM 58 has a good sound, and the natural pops on the mic can feel organic. I am happy when directors, producers, and editors are willing to experiment. As a backup, I will always have a clean boom in case the other doesn't work as well. What advice do you have for up-and-coming ADR mixers who would like to incorporate perspective into their mixes more easily? Advice is sometimes tough because we all have to be willing to listen. I will try not to push advice on someone or make it sound like "advice," but more like an option. I try and express to the new generation that I am going to give you everything in my head that I know—take what you want and throw the rest in the garbage. I won't be offended. I will also say I can learn as much from you as you can learn from me. I feel strongly about empowering anyone I teach, that this is not my room, this is your room as well. I want to help motivate confidence to bring out the best they have, and the more relaxed the room, the better. I am very proud to have been a small part of the CAS Student Recognition Award for the past eight or nine years under Sherry Klein's expertise. What a thrill to see the new and talented group on the rise. What are some of the projects you are most proud of? Well, not a topic I am comfortable speaking about. I will say that I have been extremely fortunate to have had great teammates throughout. It is about the relationships I have gained through the years. I have met some truly amazing people that I have become friends with, and that is really what I am most proud of. It is not about a specific movie or TV show. It is about the quality of human beings that makes all the difference. Respect and teamwork, to me, is where success is born.