Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/987068
24 Shooting style dictated its own set of challenges as Sheridan directed all the episodes and blocked organically moving through 7-8 pages a day using a three-camera setup. A fourth camera, the Alexa Mini, was stationed on a jib and massaged into the workflow as well. Outdoor sets, which included different areas of the Dutton Ranch, covered hundreds of yards in any direction. Sound had to be ready to cover anything from groups of actors riding on horses often coming from two different directions to following groups of actors traveling uphill, down through valleys and across rivers. Vehicles intermingled with horses, people intermingled with herds of cattle, bison and the occasional grizzly bear. Authenticity was important to the director in order to ground the story and the characters in it. What this meant for crewmembers was turning the whole world around to prepare for the next shot. "Our sets were massive pieces of land so every time we needed to move, we'd often have to push things one hundred yards in another direction over a rocky, hole-filled terrain," Curley says. Trucks, equipment, crew, video village—everything had to be transported and positioned out of frame. "No one ever felt rushed because everyone was in the same situation. The ADs did a wonderful job handling the logistics to keep the train moving." Sound and other departments used Gator utility vehicles for mobility and Curley constructed two sound carts for different types of shooting. His main cart consisted of a Sound Devices 688 and CL-12 linear fader controller with a Lectrosonics Venue 2 (wideband low) and the original Venue (wideband low) to handle larger scenes. Then a PSC Euro Cart dubbed the "Pony Cart" touted a Sound Devices 633 and a PSC RF Multi SR Six Pack with Lectrosonics SRb Dual Receivers. The smaller cart transitioned easily into bag work. A Comtek base station handled the video village feed and Lectrosonics IFB for boom and utility. For most of the exterior locations, Costner's character and the men who worked for him wore thick flannel- styled shirts paired with a large jacket similar to the Carhartt brand and jeans. Sound worked with costumes in pre-production to find a "happy spot" to hide the lav, then gum was placed on the zipper to keep it from slapping around while on horseback. Curley admits he likes to produce "high-quality sound recordings" with a "certain consistency" which meant using the same microphones for the entire run of the project. Sanken COS-11Ds were paired with Lectrosonics SMQV and SMQ transmitters and the occasional Countryman B6 was implemented when a lav needed to be placed outside the wardrobe or when water was in play. Schoeps CMIT-5U, CMC4/MK 41 and Sennheiser MKH 60 and MKH 50 microphones combined for the overhead work. Wireless booms were equipped with a Sound Devices MM1 preamp for easy access to gain control. The pilot episode opens up with a car accident where John Dutton is left bloody trying to find his bearings as horses scatter. It's a visual metaphor for the clash between the country life and the impending urban development that overshadows the ranch. Horses a very much part of the narrative and sound was mindful of safety precautions. "It was all about communication," admits Curley. "Knox was really good about making sure everyone was comfortable on set with any boom movements and tried to buddy up with the animals as much as possible." Animal Coordinator Paul 'Sled' Reynolds, who worked on Dances with Wolves with Costner, ensured everyone's well-being. Sound would swap out the boom for a lav if issues arouse, and other times, Reynolds would change out a horse if they were acting up to no fault of sound. "We tried to be cognizant of potential problems. If you are, you can try to get out ahead of it," adds Curley. The vast landscape created swirling windy conditions that were muffled with either a Rycote or Cinela windscreen. At peak wind, lavs needed to be buried under wardrobe with fur. Curley felt the brunt of the conditions during the practical car work when he and a focus puller would hide in the bed of a pickup truck as it zipped through Located in southern Jordan, near the Saudi Arabian border, the Wadi Rum Desert looks a lot like Mars. (Photo: Giles Keyte) The sound team loading the Gator on location. Photo: Courtesy of Thomas Curley Knox White booms a walk-and-talk between two Dutton brothers. Photo: Courtesy of Thomas Curley