Project: Potemkin "The old Guys"

[Potemkin_Prod]

In "The Old Guys," we used a 10" mic with a book. It seemed to pickup all the echo generally caused by the shape of the station where voices are echoing back to the mic.

Bill Walker is filtering "Care for a Lift?" considerably. It was filmed using our second tier video camera and its built-in mike in an outside closet. The newest edition is really close to being right.

In filming "The Void," we used a 22" long directional mike that was held beneath the actors as they delivered the lines. We've determined that the shape of the bridge contributes to the echo problem, so I've spent much of the past three days laying on the ground while pointing the mic up at the actor/actress who was speaking at the time. Honestly, I ache from it. LOL But it's what the executive producer has to do sometimes. My boom mic operator from the last production was doing White Christmas.

We filmed additional cast members this weekend, including one new to the production (our new bridge engineer), and we filmed around the schedules of three of our regular cast members. All in all, it was pretty darn cool.

 

[lennier1]

Thanks for taking the time to explain it.

Bill Walker is filtering "Care for a Lift?" considerably. It was filmed using our second tier video camera and its built-in mike in an outside closet. The newest edition is really close to being right.

Now it also makes sense why the "Edit Draft 1" file of Care for a Lift had that strange sound in the background whenever one of you guys was talking.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

See if Edit Draft 2 corrected that problem to some extent.

 

[lennier1]

See if Edit Draft 2 corrected that problem to some extent.

You're right. It is an improvement, even though microphone hiss is still there.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Yeah, but if you had heard the original, unfiltered version, you'd be amazed.

How was the sound on "The Old Guys" by comparison?

 

[lennier1]

Old Guys didn't seem to have that much background noise. The only problem was the echo, which made the set sound too small and cramped.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

We're hoping that using a different, longer microphone with more directional focus will eliminate much of the echo caused by the shape of the sections of our set. We should have no problems whatsoever filming the shots Monday evening. Our ready room is quite spacious compared to our bridge.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

For those interested, we've posted the final draft of "The Old Guys" to our Scripts On-Line page.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

In the coming days, we'll be posting the DVD cover artwork, a poster and the DVD file(s) for "The Old Guys."

 

[Maurice]

If echo is a persistent problem, try hanging heavy blankets over sections of the set that aren't in shot to deaden the sound reflection. We had to sound baffle a hatchway in the Short Solent where we shot "Stagecoach In the Sky" because the echo from it was maddening.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Definitely will try that if it continues to be a problem. By positioning the microphone low (I was on the floor most of the time) we cut the echo dramatically for "The Void."

"The Old Guys" was shot with a completely different boom mic, and "Care for a Lift?" was shot with a shotgun mic that picked up a fan that neither Ricky nor I could hear in the background.

We learn by doing.

 

[Maurice]

Definitely will try that if it continues to be a problem. By positioning the microphone low (I was on the floor most of the time) we cut the echo dramatically for "The Void."

"The Old Guys" was shot with a completely different boom mic, and "Care for a Lift?" was shot with a shotgun mic that picked up a fan that neither Ricky nor I could hear in the background.

We learn by doing.

You definitely learn by doing. I just directed two music videos back to back this weekend, shooting on a location and on a stage, and I'm always learning new stuff.

Anyways, re sound recording, one thing I learned a while back is that mobile phones can sometimes create interference with mics, and you need to shut such phones OFF if they're anywhere near the set or you may get inexplicable noise on your recording. I always mandate my crews shut their phones off when they're on set for that reason (as a bonus it minimizes distractions from calls and text messages).

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

We found that there's a faint buzz from the overhead fluorescent lighting at our ready room set. Very disconcerting. Solution was to turn the lights off, and set up the floods to kill any shadows created by their use.

As far as the text messages go, we let the cast do as they will with them as long as we're not shooting. While blocking or setting up the mike and lights, you should hear all the clicking going on. LOL

 

[Maurice]

We found that there's a faint buzz from the overhead fluorescent lighting at our ready room set. Very disconcerting. Solution was to turn the lights off, and set up the floods to kill any shadows created by their use.

As far as the text messages go, we let the cast do as they will with them as long as we're not shooting. While blocking or setting up the mike and lights, you should hear all the clicking going on. LOL

I'm going to sound like a tyrant here, but I think mobile phones are the bane of a well-oiled production, as "it's not the time it takes to take the takes that the time; it's the time to talk between the takes that takes the time." My feeling on a set is that all attention should be focused on making sure you have as much rolling-camera time as possible and to facilitate that you need everyone doing their job quickly and efficiently between setups, and that means the extra 30 seconds it takes Joe to get back to the set because he's texting or calling his buddy is 30 seconds you're not rolling camera. Multiply that by the size of the crew and you're talking losing several takes a day at least.

I've noticed that on shoots where the cell phones OFF rule has been applied we get more shot in the same amount of time.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

I'll just have to disagree. We had more delays in the filming of "The Old Guys" because of the interactions between the Star Trek fan actors who were busy entertaining themselves with "in what episode, who said this line?" games than we did with the drama students who between setups sat at their posts and texted. YMMV, of course.

 

[Maurice]

I'll just have to disagree. We had more delays in the filming of "The Old Guys" because of the interactions between the Star Trek fan actors who were busy entertaining themselves with "in what episode, who said this line?" games than we did with the drama students who between setups sat at their posts and texted. YMMV, of course.

Well, as Dennis can tell you, I'm very results-focused on set and the moment the fun starts impacting speed I crack the whip. Despite that, for some reason, people keep asking me back. Masochists.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

LOL Our cast knows the director (J.T. Ealum) well enough to know that when he says "Places!" that everything better be ready. He doesn't tolerate delays after he, Jeff and I have spent 15 mins with the lighting, camera and mike placement.

 

[USS Intrepid]

Fifteen minutes? Multiply that by at least a factor of four for most sets. And that's on a very good day.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Wow. An hour between set ups? Gosh, I'm not sure why, but I'm serious about no more than 15 minutes. We've three lights (one reflector, one diffuser, one nice box light), one camera on a tripod, one boom microphone (although we're experimenting with mike placement), nine cast members. We shoot a scene from one angle (usually an establishing shot), then another (mid range), then another (two-fer), and then closeups. Are you setting up multiple cameras?

 

[USS Intrepid]

I wasn't specifically talking about Intrepid, though we wouldn't be that quick either, but other than greenscreen only sets (such as HF) I've never been on one that only had 15 minutes between set ups.

Making sure your lights are right, checking makeup, checking camera angles, checking focus, rehearsing camera moves, double checking makeup, continuity, etc, etc, etc. Heck, lighting's pretty much an art form in itself (one I've yet to master). So is sound for that matter. These things do not generally constitute a 15 minute job (in my limited experience anyway).

Not suggesting it's 'wrong' or can't be done. Your mileage, undoubtedly, may vary and different things work for different people. It's a curiosity to me, though, and I'd be interested to hear what others have experienced.