Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/856624
34 S U M M E R 2 0 1 7 C A S Q U A R T E R L Y 34 34 34 S U M M E R 2 0 1 7 C A S Q U A R T E R L Y look up a professional, in-progress, ongoing discussion group and just jump in and ask the same question that's been discussed and discussed to death. So, back to your title— 'What's the best shotgun mic?' or 'What mic should I buy?' or 'Which is better, Sound Devices or Zaxcom?' All of those questions to which the only true answer is…" And in unison, we both stated: "It Depends." Further along from "It Depends," Senator Mike has coined two other gems of efficient answers. He explained: "RTFM [read the f@cking manual], contact the manufacturer, and it depends… Those are the three answers." FORUMS VS. MENTORS This raises the question of the current state of mentorship. When I was 19 years old I did not ask that question not just because I witnessed those who did being chastised; it was also because I was sampling and listening to various mics in the field with various mentors of mine. I did not need to buy one yet because I had access to many already. Mentors are good for much more than microphone testing. The frequency of seemingly unnecessary questions on sound forums proves the thinly broached percentage of mentorship in this current state and time. It typically begs the question: "How did they get the job if they find themselves asking this question?" It's often painfully obvious the lack of qualifications a questioner seems to reveal about themselves. But the problem isn't lack of qualifications, it's lack of mentorship. This question could also be seen as a "badge of honor" and as an entry point for new professionals coming into the fold and revealing how "green" they are. And how they can wear this proudly as they forge on to learn more and understand our unique industry and craft. It reminds me of my interview, with Danny Maurer for our "Mentorship" article. This conversation was so many things. It was an interview, a mentoring session, and a candid yet recorded discussion between true friends who are both passionate about sound. What I found interesting and relatable was that Danny wanted so badly to be perceived as reasonably experienced to the crew he was working with in the story he told me. When you're new to a profession but you are also extremely driven and talented, you want to paint yourself as someone who knows what they are doing. Be this as it may, truthfully, you do know what you're doing even in this junior state but true expertise is a deep, vast ocean of knowledge that manifests into effortless understanding. My perspective was coming from a place of realizing (maybe even in that exact moment) that I'm no longer a "young" practitioner. I do believe that I wanted Danny to embrace his junior status. How amazing it would be to still be inexperienced. Why? The possibilities are endless! Your trajectory has not yet been set and you have an almost empty sponge of a mind to fill with knowledge. I wish I had simple questions in my mind as opposed to complicated, potentially career-jeopardizing scenarios swirling in my head. I miss simplicity and I envy this. Danny may envy the credibility that only years of experience give you. This is because he is so smart and so talented that it is probably extremely frustrating to have all of that going for him. Dear Danny: You should rock the junior status (for now). You will be a grumpy old sound guy (like me) before you know it and your fondest years will be the ones where you remember how you stumbled through new and exciting situations and learned techniques the hard way. You'll be telling newbies, "It Depends" soon enough! It's almost as if here at the Cinema Audio Society, we can't seem to stop talking about mentorship. Jeff Wexler reminisced on his early protege experience: "When I did my first job recording sound, I had never recorded sound before, okay? I hired as my boom operator, Tom Holman, who was a schoolteacher. He wasn't a boom operator. He had never operated a boom, okay? But I knew that I had to learn a lot of stuff and I had to learn it on the first day, on the second day, on the third day." I interjected: "Fake it till you make it." Jeff continued: "Fake it till you make it. But I was faking it with the assistance of a brilliant teacher, okay? So, when I asked him, 'This switch. This low-frequency attenuation switch on a Nagra labeled LF1 and LF2, high-pass 1, high-pass 2, when should I use low-frequency 1 versus high-pass 2?' So, before using that switch on a Nagra, Tom would give me a whole dissertation about the differences between low- frequency roll-off and high-pass in terms of 12 dB per octave and the slope and the turnover frequency. So, he gave me a whole education about how to use that switch. Instead of saying, 'It Depends,' or instead of just saying very loosely, 'If you're in a really noisy environment, go ahead and high-pass 2 because that'll probably work because that's what I did on my last job and they didn't