Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/830490
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y S P R I N G 2 0 1 7 29 rect sound or playback. It can also be utilized for two- zone use. How many tracks are typically recorded and what is the track layout? How do you deal with dailies? The workfl ow is relatively straightforward. The pro- duction mix for editorial is on track one, the main boom on track two, stereo and ISO lavs then follow. The poly WAV fi le is recorded to the internal SSD and compact fl ash on the 788T and backed up on the fl y to another compact fl ash using a FireWire card reader for dailies. Post backs up all fi les and imports track one for editorial. As they have all tracks, I don't get any calls to forward any material such as stereo FX. Timecode is used as the primary method of sync with conventional boards as backup. We don't send any guide to cameras. Timecode has proved to be remarkably accurate be- tween the Sound Devices 788T and the Arri ALEXA. Do you do any processing in the fi eld? I don't do any processing in the fi eld. I imagine on some jobs there is merit but I am still of the opinion I should be able to hear all offending noise so we can work on a plan to reduce or eliminate it on set and limit the need for this to be removed later. I also think I am best to record as much of the original signal as possible and trust the talented team in post to eradicate or clean up where necessary. Do you ever do wild lines or ADR in the fi eld? We rarely record wild lines but when we do, we try to record them using two mics, one close and one wide to allow per- spective to be mixed according to the shot. We do record ISO tracks for various cast mics and, on shots where the artist is not in the shot or shot from behind, we cheat the mics into better open placement. This negates the need for wild lines on most occasions. What unique challenges did you have to deal with on this particular episode? One great thing about Game of Thrones is the meticulous plan- ning that goes into every episode. "Battle of the Bastards" was a fi ne example of this with every sequence mapped out in advance. With a plan at hand, we prioritized characters with dialogue to radio mic and action to record with stereo effects. For me, it's never enough just to record the dialogue, and we try to record stereo effects in addition to a mono boom where possible, to get a real sense of drama. We also fi tted mics to cameras on tracking crane arms and radio mic'd a few horses—placing the capsule on the girth to get clean horse hoof effects for the charge into battle. In addition to boom and stereo mics, Jon Snow would have been radio mic'd with particular attention to mic capsule placement and transmitter placement. When you fi t a radio mic to a person, their body absorbs some of the signal. The fact that he is surrounded by a large, compressed crowd makes getting a radio signal from his transmitter very diffi cult but it is essential to record the integrity of the original perfor- mance. The battle scenes give you a sense of the scale of the battle- fi eld and this huge area required a degree of fl exibility. I tend to fi nd the best plan is for the sound cart to be on the edge of the shot, as close to the action as possible. The sound cart is powered by lithium batteries, which means it can be moved quickly to facilitate the setup when there is no handy corner to hide. A second Sound Devices 788T is rigged for "run and gun" situations, or when the setup does not allow me to use a cart. The Audio Ltd. radio mics performed very well with good range using high-gain Yagi antennas and, as you have the fl exibility of using the 2040 transmitter as a body pack or with a phantom power lead as a radio boom, setups can be quickly changed. Mud is part and parcel of "Dragon Unit" and "Battle of the Bastards" was no exception. The equipment was cleaned on a daily basis. My sound van was covered in mud from "Battle of the Bastards," which dried and ended up on the fl oor of my garage. As I placed the last of it in the bin, I wondered if I had missed a classic eBay opportunity! Is there anyone you would like to mention or thank? Firstly, I should mention my team, boom operator Simon Kerr, sound assistants Jonathan Riddell and Jonny Waite, and trainee Andrew McNeill, as well as producer Greg Spence, whose support and infl uence since the pilot has encouraged other departments to reduce their negative impact on produc- tion sound and ensure ADR is kept to a minimum. He keeps a close ear to the sound right through the fi nal mix. Also, I should thank supervising sound editor Tim Kimmel MPSE and his team for the fantastic work they do in post, and every member of the crew on "Dragon Unit" for their help and assistance. And thanks to the membership of the CAS for its continued recognition and appreciation of our work. Photo by Helen Sloane/HBO