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30 S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 C A S Q U A R T E R L Y Michael Playfair CAS: Production Mixer Fargo production mixer Michael Playfair studied fine arts and communications in a BA program at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. Specifically, he wanted to study cinematogra- phy, but after consulting with working professionals, he decided that audio might be a better career move, as there was less com- petition. He had a leg up on other students, as he was not afraid of the gear. Like many who end up in audio, he had a history of experimenting with tape decks. "At university, they had great recording equipment and excellent teachers who were electronic music composers. They encouraged experimentation with all manner of audio recording and processing equipment." While there, he also continued his studies with a filmmaking concen- tration and fine arts in general. In high school, he had music training on trombone, and con- tinued at university with music theory and music history. Michael thinks that his musical background helps a lot. "Listening is different when you have a little knowledge. You get a feel for what affects sound in an environment, all the little factors. It's like a chef understanding each ingredient in a recipe individually before they are combined." Michael learned this concept from mixer Eric Batut CAS, for whom he boomed earlier in his career. Michael worked on both seasons of Fargo, using two Cantar X1 recorders; one primarily as a backup or for a shoulder rig or car usage. "The Cantar is solidly built and survives cold, heat, dirt, mud, and freezing. I've had very few problems. There is a bit of a learning curve to get comfortable with it, but I love the thing now." Dealing with extreme weather was important, as they shot in and around Calgary, Alberta. "We were lucky in season two as it was an el niño year with a relatively mild winter. Season one was much colder." Like most mixers, Michael uses track one as a mix track and the remaining tracks are ISOs. Boom was used on every shot, and every actor is wired. Michael is extremely happy with his crew, Arjay Joly as boom operator and Valerie Siu as utility. For this show, Michael used Sanken COS 11s for lavalieres. For booming exteriors, he preferred the Neumann KMR 81 and 82 or, occasionally, a Sanken CS3e. He likes the Sennheiser MKH 50 for interiors. This particular episode, "The Gift of the Magi" (Episode five from season two), was challenging because of a lengthy sequence intercutting a stump speech given by Ronald Reagan (played by actor Bruce Campbell) over other actions by the main characters. The speech was shot live on camera, but had to be clean enough to play as voice-over for the other scenes. This sequence was shot with three cameras. "Most of the series was done with two cameras, one wide and one less wide. Season two had less coverage. We relied heavily on planted mikes for the wide shots." Another challenge was that many interiors were shot in a warehouse that had been converted into a soundstage, but the acoustics were too reverberant when volume levels got loud. In that case, he relied on the lavalieres. Michael is quick to praise writer/show runner Noah Hawley for his leadership in creating a mood and style for the show. "He really concentrated on finding top-notch, first-rate talent." Martin Lee: Re-recording Mixer (Dialogue, ADR, & Music) Like Michael Playfair, Martin Lee also studied music, playing guitar and piano. Martin attend- ed Humber College for music, Fanshawe College for recording in Ontario, and was a composi- tion major. Martin was lucky enough to find a studio job while he was still a student, working at McClear Place, a large music studio in Toronto at the time. From there, he moved to Eastern Sound, where he started mixing commercials and eventually worked with The Kids in the Hall. For the first season, he was mix assistant (recordist). For the second season, he mixed segments, and for the third season, the producers decided to build their own post facility at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). As a reward for his work on the previous seasons, they offered Martin the job to mix the show—and he was hired by the CBC. Martin is quick to point out that working in post is almost a necessity for any studio today, and that most of the old music studios have gone out of business. For the ones that remain, job turnover is rare. "Ten years after leaving music studios, the music mixers were still the same." Eventually, Martin left the CBC for Casablanca Sound. After Jane Tattersall took over management, Casablanca became Tattersall Casablanca. TELEVISION MOVIE AND MINISERIES FARGO "The Gift of the Magi" Season 2, Episode 5 by David Bondelevitch CAS MPSE Re-recording mixer Martin Lee