AN INSIGHT INTO THE SOUND DEPT.

THINGS TO CONSIDER...

Creating visuals and creating sounds
All other departments work for the picture/visual. Unfortunately, no one knows or sometimes cares what's happening to your audio. We are the beginning stages to creating the sound track of your film, the role is more important than most realize.

Respecting sound
A boggie is an unwanted object or person that enters frame during a shot. It is usually an automatic cut when this happens. However, when a person or object creates unwanted noise and enters your audio/soundtrack, it is usually ignored.

Unwanted ambiences/sounds can affect your dialogue
We are not closing a window or turning off an AC for fun. We are doing it to recording clean dialogue for your film. If a fridge can't be turned off it doesn't affect us.

Do we all understand production sound?
Does the director, producer or AD have experience with or understand production sound? If not, that’s okay. But please discuss this with the sound department so they can advise on certain situations. For example, most music video directors jump onto a narrative with very little experience working with a production sound team. They are usually so visually focused that they neglect the importance of sound.

Sound department, not sound person
The same way a DP does not build the camera, run to grab lenses or charge batteries, a production sound mixer should not have to run to grab cables or chase down talent to adjust a wire. A production sound mixer should be involved in the discussion with the AD, DP and director about the upcoming shot, the boom op should be watching the blocking to know how to boom a scene, the sound utility should be everywhere, laying out carpets, wiring actors, changing batteries etc. They are all important roles. Don’t hire a DP, cam op, two AC’s and a DIT, yet have a sound mixer, “one man banding it.” Again, its your film.

Can the sound department always record good audio?
The sound department is at the mercy of other departments. We cannot make any decisions until the frame has been set, lights have been placed and actions/dialogue has been blocked. If all these factors and more are working against us, even the best struggle to record good sound.

What should the actors wear?
When wardrobe is been chosen, often someone will say, “let’s show this to the DP and make sure it works for the frame.” Have you ever heard, “let’s show this to the sound mixer and make sure it’s a lav friendly material?” Since lavalier microphones are becoming more and more relied upon to record dialogue, a scratchy / starchy shirt often is impossible to wire. Yes, impossible. Even the pros can’t wire it and make it sound good. So if the shirt looks good, but destroys one of your sources of recording dialogue, why would you choose it?

What’s more important than your dialogue?
Is the type of shirt your actor is wearing, a cool gold necklace, a noisy backyard location or the buzzing joker light four feet away from your actors more important than clean dialogue? That’s your decision to make.

One team
Don’t forget we are all one team. Besides the obvious rules that protect each department, we are all here to assist each other. If a shadow can be flagged to create a better boom position, it helps the whole film, not just the sound dept. If a wardrobe is changed to allow for a clean lav mic, it helps the film. One team.