Make me into great boom operator [in 3 months]

The most interesting shot I've ever had to boom was for a forklift training video I did about a year ago. I had to boom two actors who were 15 feet away from me and get the pole high enough for a forklift to drive under it between me and the talent. I needed all of my 6'2" for that one.:laugh:
 
This is just a shot in the dark Oleg, but is english by any chance not your first language?

I don't get how anyone rags on something as meaningless as a screen name while possessing the vernacular of Tarzan.

And nice logic, by the way. If his name is "SloMocean", he must be slow. Hey, better watch out for "Barry Green", he must be an envious dude...
 
SloMocean,
I found a pretty interesting article you might want to check out.
It covers the basics of boom technique and microphone types, it is also good for anyone who asks the ever popular question of WHICH mic to get.

http://www.24fps.com/article/Alpha/53/xt/mics - shotgun.htm

Hope it helps,
CAVEMAN


Tuface, OLEG is a little "brash",but has quite a bit of audio knowledge to share, please forgive him.
 
Great article. I'm new to the forum, but here are a couple more ideas.

Great Boom Operators focus on dialogue as well as background noise reduction. The beats of the dialogue are key because you want to keep that mic pointed at the action.

Although it may seem like Lighting/Grip, are mad at you a lot - for throwing shadows or otherwise being in the way - be nice and they will fly in a C-Stand with a Maffer Clamp or some such device that will let you ballance the pole and rest your arms when possible.

When live sound quality is great, your department can save a production a boat load of money. If a boom operator interacts with the wrong actor in any way, they could cost the production days (boatloads of money!).

Some boom ops look at their mic and everything else that is in front of them in a sort of 2-dimensional environment. They imagine details of the scenery as lines and boundries that they must keep the mic within. They look and remember that in rehearsal, the Camera Opperator yelled when the tip of the mic overlapped the bottom of the wall clock 10 feet away. Then they keep the mic just above it from a 2 dimensional perspective.

OK that was wordy. Hard to explain. But hopefully a little bit helpfull.

Good luck, I agree that 3 months is plenty of time to become an adequate Boom Operator. I've been on plenty of low budge shoots where we just used the tallest intern. It really makes you appreciate what a professional can do though!

Good Luck, Keep Us Posted-

Joe F.
 
tuface said:
This is just a shot in the dark Oleg, but is english by any chance not your first language?

I don't get how anyone rags on something as meaningless as a screen name while possessing the vernacular of Tarzan.

And nice logic, by the way. If his name is "SloMocean", he must be slow. Hey, better watch out for "Barry Green", he must be an envious dude...
Click to expand...

I fell out of my chair reading this; bwhahahahahh!

:thumbsup: :cheesy: :beer:
 
This is just a shot in the dark Oleg, but is english by any chance not your first language?
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no that the forth - hebrew , russian , yedish and some lessons that i took in the school between catching waves

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I don't get how anyone rags on something as meaningless as a screen name while possessing the vernacular of Tarzan.
----------------------------------------------snip----------------------------------------------
tu face - it remind me -some sexual abuse i got from one of my privius girl friends - ill better not coninew :-)

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And nice logic, by the way.
----------------------------------------------snip------------------------------------
i was groun on supertramp and stix :-)

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If his name is "SloMocean", he must be slow.
------------------------------------------snip-----------------------------------------------------
he is - if he was fast he was playing baseball and making real bread insread trying to do living from much longer bet
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Hey, better watch out for "Barry Green",
------------------------------------------------snip-----------------------------------------------
better find yourself humor plantetin clinic or like i always say -- date with ajew


he must be an envious dude..
------------------------------------------------------snip---------------------------------------
no **** !!!
 
Oleg, you win the award for funniest dude on the forums. I'd be happy to buy you a beer at NAB next month!

I just joined you guys, but I know Oleg for some time. He may not speak too good an english, and his typing is worse, but he knows his stuff if you can decipher it.

That article Caveman mentioned has some very good advice and guidance, but the product information shows its age (very old). Here are two other books by talented pros:
http://home.comcast.net/~tyreeford/AudioBootcamp.html
http://dplay.com

A comment on JoeF's otherwise good concepts - Never, Ever, let someone put your boom pole on a stand with a "Maffer / Super" clamp. It will likely dent or crack the pole.

Here are two products that every boom op should know about:
http://atscomms.com/Products/Grip/ATS_RAM/index.html
http://www.boom-audio.com/kitcool.htm

One last note. Learn as much as you can about how different microphones work. The different polar (pickup) patterns, frequency responses, etc. Many of the mic manufacturers have white papers or guides on their web sites. Also learn how to read and study the spec sheets. Microphones are but tools in the sound person's bag of tricks. You have to learn to choose the right tool for each job.

Good luck!
 
thanks for the vertual beer Marty - if i had the chance to drink and eat every invetation i had i might bee finishishing as sumo fighter ( i am 69 kg now)
dont think cominng to the nub , short of cash after few investmens , but my spirit is traveling with the eargonizer
i like your simple signeture - keep it that way :-)
 
No ****, Oleg is a character (he is israelli afterall... :D ), but still very nice guy from whom I almost bought a mic and mixer...

BTW, did I use "whom" correctly? 'Cause if I did, man, what a rush... ;)
 
A-Man-

Quite right. I should have clarified balancing the pole for leverage, not clamping it to anything. If you clamp it you can't move or tilt it either which is important with multiple subjects. Still, it can only work when the setup is right. Thanks for catching that!
 
This info it great! Thanks so much for taking time to help. I feel better about the whole project already. If you've got anything else, keep it coming!
 
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