Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/830490
30 S P R I N G 2 0 1 7 C A S Q U A R T E R L Y FROM PRODUCER GREG SPENCE: "We should mention that, in addition to 'Dragon Unit,' we have 'Wolf Unit,' a completely separate unit shooting simul- taneously, and that the fi nal soundtrack involves both Ronan's work and that of Richard Dyer, the Wolf on-set mixer. While Ronan and Richard have different styles and different equip- ment, it all comes together fl awlessly on the mix stage." BRETT VOSS CAS: FOLEY MIXER Where are you from? How did you get into sound? Did you study audio in school? Do you have any mentors that helped you get where you are? I grew up in Livonia, a city outside of Detroit, Michigan. I was pretty heavily into music, so it made sense that I found myself attending Full Sail University (then called Full Sail Real World Education), learning how to record instruments, and ultimately, the study and exploration of sound. I've had many sound mentors throughout my career; my fi rst real industry job was working as a runner at Todd-AO Lantana, which was fi lled with so many incredibly generous people happy to share knowledge and advice. But, if pressed, the three people who really stick out would be Cecelia Hall, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and Hunter Menning. Cece taught me how to think of sound as a storytelling tool. Jeff opened my eyes to the delicate world of Foley, and how it can help propel or hinder the story. Hunter, my friend and former teacher (and current Ambassador) at Full Sail, continues to offer great advice throughout my career. Do you have a musical background? I've played guitar since I was 17 or 18 years old. Before that, I played clarinet in the symphonic band at Churchill High School in Livonia. Prior to that, I played the recorder in fi fth grade, and the pots and pans on the kitchen fl oor. How did you become involved in Game of Thrones? Peter Brown (Season 2, sound super- visor, now at Formosa Group) was looking for a feature crew to tackle this TV show we'd never heard of. He stopped by our stage to chat with us, and very fortunately, it worked out. We've been on Game of Thrones since Season 2. What mikes, mixer, and recorder do you use? We use four different mikes present- ly: Sennheiser MKH 60, a Michael Jolly modifi ed large diaphragm, a Neumann TLM102, and a PZM. All four mics go into a GML 8304 pre. I also have a Grace 101 for a little warmth from time to time. Because I simply need a rock-solid system that moves when necessary, I'm on Pro Tools 10 HD with a Pro Con- trol. How many tracks are typically recorded, and what is the track layout? I hold 16 tracks for Feet and 16 tracks for Props available for delivery. Props typically include anything touched or used, and gear movement. We shoot specifi c gear for story point characters plus a schmutz pass. Sometimes we go over track count, depending on the episode. Something tells me this sea- son will be wider. Do you do any processing before delivery? Not really. I record 1, 2, 3, and/or 4 mikes to one printed track, and that's what is shipped. It's all about mic placement. I hardly ever (if ever) print additional reverb or process. What unique challenges did you have to deal with on this particular episode? Every episode is a challenge on its own. It is like shooting a mini-feature (sometimes not so mini) every week. This epi- sode was really no different. I'd say creating the horse body falls were particularly time-consuming. Is there anyone you would like to mention or thank? Thanks to Greg Spence at HBO, and re-recording mixers Mathew Waters and Onnalee Blank for their amazing atten- tion to detail and kindness. Tim Kimmel for being our fear- less editorial leader. Ronan Hill and Richard Dyer, our won- derful production sound mixers who were not able to attend this year's CAS Awards. Jeff Wilhoit, Dylan Wilhoit, Brad Katona, Paula Fairfi eld, John Matter, Tim Hands, and Pernell Salinas. David Barbee, Mike Marchain, Mike Minkler CAS, Scott Millan CAS, Craig Mann, Duke Lim, Richard Burnette, Liliana Zurawska, and everyone else who helped along the way at Todd-AO. Michal Marks (RIP Sophie), Seann Dougherty, and Jimmy Moriana. And of course, God, and my parents Jim and Diane Voss, for