removing boom guy in post for WS?

[kevin baggott]

Shooting a pilot in coming weeks and I have a lot of Wide Shots where I wont be able to hide the mic (lav or boom) - example a pool scene - is it common to mask the boom guy in post?
I've had editors in the past do some of this masking on a shot or two - but it was pretty time consuming. I know it's best to do this on static shots.
Appreciate any advice. Thanks

[Batutta]

If it's a static shot it's pretty simple. Lock off the camera. Shoot the wide with the boom operator in frame. Then clear him out after the take and get a clean plate. Then matte the two together.

[puredrifting]

If it's a static shot it's pretty simple. Lock off the camera. Shoot the wide with the boom operator in frame. Then clear him out after the take and get a clean plate. Then matte the two together.

Except when the clouds moving through the shot make the exposure of the mask area plate different lighting and levels...
If it's a nuclear bright day with no clouds, pretty easy on a lock off.

[Paul F]

Other options are;

- Place a plant mic in a prop such as some toy floating in the pool
- Shoot with the boom mic out of frame to get a reference track. Immediately after the take, have the actors redo the scene with the boom in the scene. Most actors can redo the take well enough to dub the second take audio onto the good take.
- ughh, ADR

[Batutta]

You could still probably match the exposure in post pretty easily. With the tools today, I wouldn't call this time consuming. Now if it was a moving, traveling shot, that increases the difficulty ten fold.

[kevin baggott]

Thanks guys,
Very helpful.
Yeah - they're all static shots I had in mind.
Paul - F - good tips. Merci. Everyone.
Peace - Kev

[kevin baggott]

'If it's a static shot it's pretty simple. Lock off the camera. Shoot the wide with the boom operator in frame. Then clear him out after the take and get a clean plate. Then matte the two together.'
Hey Batutta - thanks for the above - I was watching some vids on this. One question - and ya don't have to go into too much detail as the editor will be doing the masking - but when I clear out the sound guy from the shot should the clean frame be as long as the take with the sound? Curious.
thanks

[Batutta]

'If it's a static shot it's pretty simple. Lock off the camera. Shoot the wide with the boom operator in frame. Then clear him out after the take and get a clean plate. Then matte the two together.'
Hey Batutta - thanks for the above - I was watching some vids on this. One question - and ya don't have to go into too much detail as the editor will be doing the masking - but when I clear out the sound guy from the shot should the clean frame be as long as the take with the sound? Curious.
thanks

It doesn't have to be. Technically you could just use a still, but there might be a subtle moving grain depending on the sensor, asa and compression where a clip would more seamlessly blend, but a few seconds of that could be looped to fit.

[kevin baggott]

"...but a few seconds of that could be looped to fit."
Thanks Batutta!
Kev

[Batutta]

I should add, make sure whatever space the boom operator is in, whatever is behind him is static. No moving tree or things flapping.