Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/681510
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 23 When we did Aladdin with Robin Williams, he would get right up on the mic and would be so close, his nose was rubbing it, so we had to use the foam socks. He would go from a whisper to full scream in an instant and you had to be able to catch it. I would be sitting there just riding the fader and watching his body movement because you could tell when he or any talent is revving up. Your anticipatory skills have got to be spot on. When the actors come in, they are listening to themselves through the headphones and as soon as they hear something distort, they're going to stop and come back to the booth because that's their spark and if you have to ask for another take—you've just lost a lot of confidence from your actor. So you absolutely have to get it right and you don't want to add too much compression, which is a fine line, but the mics and the gear that we use are just fantastic. We did both Monsters, Inc. movies with Billy Crystal and John Goodman working together. That's why we have all the baffles. It doesn't deaden it completely. There is still a touch of overlap between the mics, but the performance level just rises enor- mously when they can work off of each other and you get such a great performance. We did the same with John C. Reilly on Wreck-It Ralph. The producers and directors are all for it. Whatever it takes to get the best performance! How much space do you normally give between the actors and the mic? Normally 6-8 inches and, in this room, they can move around a little. The room is pretty accurate, but not so much so that they can't move a little off mic. We like them to move. In these Pixar movies, the action follows the dialogue so they can't just stand in one spot. It's rare that they get so far off mic that we need to redo the lines, but if it's really crazy, they'll cut with it and we'll replace it later, but it is very rare. You just watch the action in the movie and it just fits. Are you recording a film like Inside Out all the way up until the mix? Oh yeah, they'll come back in for additional record sessions throughout the animation process and we'll do some ADR for line changes or story changes while the talent is here. I keep track of each talent's setup, EQ and mics and levels, but I do almost nothing for EQ because the sound of their voices is the From left: Presenter Onnalee Blank CAS, Michael Semanick, Doc Kane, Mary Jo Lang CAS, Tom Johnson, Joel Iwataki, and presenter Walton Goggins. Photo: ©Ana Gibert 2016 EQ. Their natural voices are so beautiful that you just let the mics do their job. I hope they make a sequel because it was really fun to work on. Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen, and Jonas Rivera are really great, they're always fun, just really fun. We did Up together and that was actually our first show going from analog to Pro Tools. I have such great respect for all of them because they work with us in such a great way. It's always complementary. I think we've been so lucky here on Stage B because we always listen to the clients and try to make things the way they want. We listen to their suggestions and make it the way they like and the way they'll be comfortable with. Joel Iwataki: Scoring Mixer How did you get into scoring mixing? I started mixing for films rather late in life. I was a commercial salmon fisherman in Alaska for 10 years. Fishing half of each year with a small crew on a boat that I built, I was able to spend the other half of the year study- ing music. I eventually made the switch to working in music full time, writing big-band arrangements and composing scores for documentaries and educational films. Being an Alaskan do-it- yourselfer, I also recorded and mixed all of my work. Some composer friends who heard my work asked if I would help them produce their scores and, soon, I was busier as a mixer. It was when I started working with Elliot Goldenthal [ Public Enemies, Across the Universe] that I experienced the thrill of work- ing on a level of music I would not reach on my own. I recog- nized that I had a talent and temperament for [mixing], and developed a love for, mixing music for films. Where was the score recorded and do you record and mix on the same stage? We recorded and mixed Inside Out at Warner Bros. Eastwood Scoring Stage in five days. (Composer) Michael Giacchino has a special love for this stage, as it was where he recorded and mixed his first big feature score for The Incredibles. It has a great history, of course; Casablanca, Days of Wine and Roses, and Blazing Saddles were all recorded there. They have a brilliant crew and a classic "Warner Bros." sound. Joel Iwataki: Scoring Mixer Scoring mixer Joel Iwataki