Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1545215
32 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Summer 2026 an important stage announcement and it was necessary to have some sort of working mic. Fortunately, props came to the rescue. They were able to fashion a dummy look-alike microphone, hollow, with a screw top for access. In it, I was able to put a small recorder and a high-quality lav mic (DJI mic/recorder with a red dot [low sensitivity] Sanken COS-11 microphone). The recording was unattended, but confidence was high as testing had proven to be a success. The time stamp on the DJI was roughly the same as the timecode on set, so syncing wasn't too difficult. And we were able to verify the successful capture regularly throughout the day, when time allowed. Of course, while a good portion of the film has performance pieces, it isn't a concert film. It is very much a family story that features its most talented and successful family member. Much of the emotion of the film is drawn from family scenes. One of the principal locations was the Jackson family home in Encino, California. We were able to occupy the house Vintage gear used for props for our filming of the Thriller video. (redressed for the correct period) for filming as it's still owned by the Jackson family. Magical moments included a recreation of the now-famous Motown 25 event and a recreation of the Thriller video (and the making of). In fact, our filming took place at the exact same location in East L.A. where the original Thriller video had been shot so many years earlier. Of special note, I was able to capture (in daylight, after camera had wrapped) a stereo wild track of the footfall of all the dancers performing the zombie dance portion while being led by Rich and Tone, the Choreographers, who were listening to the song via headphones. The fact that it was the end of our shooting day (dawn), meant that the dancers had been doing it all night and knew it so well. In all, the film is a wonderful exploration of the formative years of one of the greatest musical artists who ever lived. We're lucky to have been a part of it. Above: The DJI 'red dot' recorder and Sanken COS-11 microphone Above: The DJI 'red dot' recorder and Sanken COS-11 microphone