Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1545202
and he'll do the mic move as the characters are walking into or out of a busier area. You really get a natural effect as the voices move on- and off-mic, feeling closer and farther away in the same take. We do a lot of experimenting with mic placement in loop group to get a sound that feels real to the space of the ER." Alex sung Bryan Parker's praises as well: "Typically, on the Foley stage, we work with what we have available. But since the start of Season 1, Bryan's been bringing us props from the set. These are such specific medical tools, they sound a certain way, you know? He's bringing us bone cutters or sharps or whatever, so that we can give it authenticity and a realism to all of the sounds we're creating." Todd added, "We should also credit Vince Tennant, who's cutting ADR with Bryan. They're really good at organizing themselves around this crazy schedule. They might be cutting episode five, recording ADR on episodes one, two, and three, and then preparing to do loop group on episode six. Quite an assembly line that they've got. And, to their credit, they make it look easy." Todd continues, "We've kind of changed the way we might normally do a show. Ed's definitely playing a lot more of Alex's Foley, for example, because it's a really integral part. I'm playing a ton of the loop group that might otherwise be, as Tami said, buried under music. So, I have to be responsible and try to play that honestly and accurately. And I don't want to take credit away from composer Gavin Brivik, who does some nice tonal stuff, but, really, the focus should be on the realism and the authenticity. They're taking time to record Foley for some of these surgical tools and respirators, all that stuff really plays in, and I think that is worthy of note." The post team commended Von Varga and his crew. Tami remarked, "For such a large cast, there's far less principal ADR than in many other shows I've done. And most of that ADR is due to a dialogue change or the addition of a new line." Todd agrees, "Praise to Von Varga and his crew, because, honestly, that thing is racing at 100 miles an hour all the time, and they do a fantastic job of getting clarity." UST Yervant offers, "If we hear an actor say to another, 'Yeah, I just came from ADR,' our ears perk up. We ask, 'What did you have to do?' And the answer is usually 'No, no, it's not you guys. They changed the dialogue.' And we're like, okay, perfect. But we're interested, we want to know!" Todd and Ed also commend John Wells for the crew he has assembled. "The best thing about this entire project is it's a team," explains Todd. "Everybody is doing their job, everybody's rowing in the same direction, everybody wants the best outcome, and it shows." Ed emphasizes, "It kind of starts at the top, too, with John and all. You get a vibe that it's a real hospital, and you're just trying to stay out of the way." The crew are about to embark on their third season together, proud of being recognized by their peers. For now, they reflect on their success. Von Varga's parting words were powerful: "Everybody brings their 'A game' on this show, and it's just the most pleasant place to be because everybody's there. You would never want to show up and be the slacker. Let me tell you, this is not the crowd." Alex Jongbloed added an uplifting thought: "There's a lot of trust between us. The whole crew helps us all to strive for perfection." Todd M. Grace CAS Tami Treadwell Von Varga