Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538148
While debating Cole's replacement as primary Boom Operator, I called my friend Nick Allen. Nick is an accomplished Sound Mixer whose reputation in the sound community is second to none. He had done a ton of music playback and second unit mixing work for me previously, and we have a great rapport. We got together for coffee. I explained the show and its complexities, then I made my unorthodox pitch. I calculated that, at times, this gig might require two full sound carts or bag rigs or a playback cart, in any variety of combinations. I needed someone who was extremely versatile. Earlier in his career, Nick had a reputation as a top-notch Boom Operator on epic shows like Heat, The West Wing, and True Lies. Would he even entertain partnering with me on The Studio? After a few days of consideration, Nick jumped on as our primary Buck Robinson CAS and Trevor Tordjman at Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank, CA. The sound crew (L-R): Cole Bluma, Add'l Boom Operator; Nick Allen, Boom Operator; Buck Robinson CAS, Production Sound Mixer; Rachel Schroeder, Utility Sound Technician; Evan Hare, Video Utility Martin Scorsese Buck and Producer Jesse Sternbaum on The Chateau Marmont's penthouse balcony. Boom Operator, Second Unit Mixer, Playback Operator, and RF expert extraordinaire. Cole was available as our additional Boom Operator. We would also be backed by stellar Utility Sound Technicians in Rachel Schroeder and Kelsey Nie. We had our production sound crew! Nick and I continued to analyze the scripts. The most unique aspect of the shooting style would be how we break the scenes up into big chunk one shots. Each individual camera shot propels the story forward in real time, connected occasionally by a whip pan stitch to another big chunk. As the sound department, we had to look at getting each scene right in the master. We needed to be as perfect as possible on every take, in case that was THE take for performance and camera. If they