just back from the shoot from hell!

[matthewd5]

ok.

i'm still pretty much exhausted and i'll post something more lengthy after i sleep for a few days but i had to get this one thing out there for some feedback...

setup - sd 442, sd 744t, pair of oktava mk-012's, sennheiser 416

problem - actors levels

in between takes the actors would be conversing with each other and the meters on the 442 were nice solid -4 to 0's

and this was a fairly low level of conversation, they always forget the mic is there and they have fairly intimate subject matter etc.

but when the camera rolls their vocal level drops way off the meter

to the point where the meter isn't even always lighting up at all!

real problem - how do you explain to the director and dp and actor that the problem isn't in the mic or the mixer or the idiot sitting at the mixer but that the actors just need to project a little more?

the director see's it as though i'm asking the actors to "scream or shout" but i am merely asking them to speak at or near the levels they were at when they were just talking to each other between takes.

a small part of the dialog was supposed to be at a lower level and the actors were saying those lines at a true whisper.

to the point where people standing 6-8 ft. away couldn't make out what they were saying.

is this something that i am screwing up because i don't have a huge amount of experience?

or is it a matter of the actors just needing to project and to do a "stage whisper" when it is called for?

there were 2 or 3 very experienced actors in the cast and they were great, they could do a "whisper" and still hit good solid numbers on the mixer.

i could have the boom 3 or 4 ft away and still get great levels on them.

but with the other "actors" even in a tight shot where the mic on the boom could get as close as 6 inches from their mouth the levels were barely even hitting anything on the mixer. maybe a -14 at the most.

the only way i could get decent levels was to turn up the channel gain or the master gain until the background noise/noise floor was rididiculously loud and almost comical.

of course the dp insisted that i didn't know what i was doing and suggested that i had the mixer set for the wrong input type!

i had the same results with both the oktava mk-012's and the senn 416

matthew

 

[ptalsky]

Matthew,

First of all, my sympathies. I've been on tough shoots like that.

My recommendation for next time you encounter this problem is two-fold, and really depends on your relationship with the director and producer.

First, if there is really nothing more you can do on your end, then call the director over and ask him to listen to the previous takes. Explain to him/her simply, directly, and firmly that there is nothing more you can do to bring up the levels, and that the actors have to project more. Then you pull out the whammy - ADR. You let the director know that you consider the current takes unusable, and that remaining takes at the same level will be the same. Then your concious is clear.

What I will do, pretty much throughout, is call for levell checks from the actors. This will often remind them, somewhat subtly, that they need to keep their levels up. (Okay, maybe it's not that subtle, but it works for me).

And, if you have a good relationship with production - talk to the actors directly - just let them know you're not asking them to change their performance, just bring up their levels a bit. (Granted, most of the time, especially in the situation you describe, you will not be able to do this. But, sometimes if you're wiring an actor, it's a good chance to "chitchat". ;-)

Bottom line, once you've brought the problem to the attention of the director and he ignores you, it's no longer your problem. Make a note on your sound logs when you bring the problem to the attention of the director, and be sure to keep a copy of the logs so when they blame you in post, you have your tush covered.

As far as the DP goes, F*(* him/her. Imagine what would happen if you ever told the DP that they had not lit a scene properly.

Really, what it boils down to for me is confidence. I always present problems with a high level of confidence - I'm sure I know what I'm doing, and you hired me so obviously you have confidence in my skills too - and be firm.

And finally, and this is always a must for me - get your payment before you turn the sound files over. My rule is always payment before files. If you wait until you turn them over, then you have no leverage. If they question why you don't trust them, tell them you've been burned in the past, so this is your policy. And, always, let them know up front.

Of course, all of this presumes that you had everything set correctly. ;-)

Phil

 

[wabbit]

Phil nailed it. You need to diplomatic but firm. Explain the consequences of not listening to your "advice" and then let them hang themselves if they must. No matter how little experience you feel you have, you are the audio boss for that day and you need to play that role. Walk the walk, talk the talk, and never let them see you sweat.

Most trained actors can maintain consistent levels while novices rely on whispering to impart drama and yelling to impart anger, power, or dominance. This is just cheeseball acting 101. If your director does not see this then he is the one lacking in skills and experience.

I worked with a famous actor who has been doing film and TV since the 80's and this person delivered everyline as if it were a secret (may have been famous but is also a known mediacre actor). The inexperienced director was too intimidated by the actor's fame to actually give any direction. So suffice it to say the shoot was a nightmare.

And I also completely agree with Phil on the DP. You need to take him aside and set him straight. Some DP's get use to being the cock of the walk, even taking over directing duties, but if they invade your territory they need to be smacked down...in a polite and diplomatic way.

On smaller independent films I would get my pay up front or at the end of the day but most legitimate jobs require some accounting before payment but they are usually pretty good with coming through on payment. Just make sure your contract is solid.

Cheers

 

[matthewd5]

the dp and a couple of the inexperienced actors were telling the director that the levels were normal and that it was my fault.

yet the director called me one morning after a week or more of shooting to say that he and the producer watched the footage and he wanted to say how great the sound was and what a great job i was doing.

its funny you mention whispering and yelling because there was more yelling of lines than i have ever run into before!

the most experienced actor offered to coach the actors who didn't know how to project on how to present their lines without whispering etc.

i am pretty sure that a big part of the problem was the dp, mr. i have been doing video production for 20 years...

his idea of audio was this beat up 10-15 year old sennheiser shotgun that he dragged around in a box or backpack with no shockmount and no windscreen of any sort.

matthew

 

[timapter]

ugh. i hate that... yeah, levels can be a b-tch with inexperienced actors. but it sounds like you did good, so well done.