Thanks for all the feedback here. For the record, I don't think the professional I was trying to work with is a shyster by any means, and I think I might have projected the idea that there was some animosity during our negotiations. I was able to check his credentials, and he's solid. He's also worked with some other crew members who are already attached to my project, who I've worked with successfully many times on other gigs. The filmmaking circle in Austin is pretty tight, and word gets out. Bottom line, he responded to my low-budget indie crew call, but I think this guy is used to working on much higher-end productions for much higher pay, and he was ready to bring the big guns to my little knife fight. The recorder he owns is Zaxcom Nomad 10 HDD recorder, for the folks who asked in earlier posts. He owns it, and was willing to rent it to me from his own stash, which was the only thing I found a little off-putting… if he has the gear, why not bring it and just use it. I think it was a matter of him already working for a much lower pay scale than he was used to, and adding his own gear onto it would have been pushing it too far. Anyway, in the end, we discussed my workflow and endgame expectations for the project, and he agreed to come on board. Sound will be recorded straight into the camera (by way of a mixer, as he monitors). Maybe he’ll come around on bringing his recorder and using it for dual recording, but it’s not a huge concern for me. I’ve been plugging audio into my C100 for years now, and it’s always been solid. I can only assume that having a sound professional to boom, mix, monitor, and prep the environment for proper sound will only improve an already good thing.
Quality question -- Feeding audio directly into camera
- Thread starter jthabel
- Start date
GaryNattrass
Veteran
Great and glad you got it sorted, it goes to show that pre planning and discussion is far more important than just booking and accepting a certain workflow.
It may be that sep sound is good for back-up but if you don't have the time, budget or understanding of such workflows it can actually be more of a problem in the long run.
I have seen all too many budget and indie productions applying high end cameras such as the RED into the equation only to find that they can't edit or even view their material.
As I have always said multi track is great for certain productions but if it to be relied on then it needs to be applied in very strict situations such as drama where rehearsals can ensure that valid audio is on all of the channels.
That said mixing live and then using it as a back-up can be a godsend and with new products such as the Zoom F8 coming on board it may be a standard practice to deliver 8 track iso and a stereo mix for all productions with a sep sound recordist.
It may be that sep sound is good for back-up but if you don't have the time, budget or understanding of such workflows it can actually be more of a problem in the long run.
I have seen all too many budget and indie productions applying high end cameras such as the RED into the equation only to find that they can't edit or even view their material.
As I have always said multi track is great for certain productions but if it to be relied on then it needs to be applied in very strict situations such as drama where rehearsals can ensure that valid audio is on all of the channels.
That said mixing live and then using it as a back-up can be a godsend and with new products such as the Zoom F8 coming on board it may be a standard practice to deliver 8 track iso and a stereo mix for all productions with a sep sound recordist.
Noiz2
Sound Ninja
"if he has the gear, why not bring it and just use it. "
Well first he probably bid on what you were asking for so the recorder was not budgeted in and it's not uncommon to get paid a day rate plus rental on equipment. In that case more equipment means more rent.
Second is that there is some wear and tear and there is always the risk of damage. Low budget films rarely are covering enough insurance (if any) to cover replacement of expensive equipment. So it's a gamble to bring something to the set that has to be weighed against the upside. If my only choice were the Zaxcom, I'm not sure I would bring it for free to a low budget shoot. I generally do FX recording so my set up is really designed to be fairly rugged and is always in use in the field so the added risk for the odd low budget shoot isn't great. It's also a lot less expensive.
So I wouldn't ding him much on that score. Maybe a bit for not figuring out that you just didn't have the budget. But you know producers/ directors are always telling people they don't have the budget when they actually do, they just don't want to spend it, so it's hard to ding him too much on that either.
You get bonus point though for A) upping the game and tossing some money at that, B) really checking the guy out, C) asking and not just accepting or rejecting the idea.
Well first he probably bid on what you were asking for so the recorder was not budgeted in and it's not uncommon to get paid a day rate plus rental on equipment. In that case more equipment means more rent.
Second is that there is some wear and tear and there is always the risk of damage. Low budget films rarely are covering enough insurance (if any) to cover replacement of expensive equipment. So it's a gamble to bring something to the set that has to be weighed against the upside. If my only choice were the Zaxcom, I'm not sure I would bring it for free to a low budget shoot. I generally do FX recording so my set up is really designed to be fairly rugged and is always in use in the field so the added risk for the odd low budget shoot isn't great. It's also a lot less expensive.
So I wouldn't ding him much on that score. Maybe a bit for not figuring out that you just didn't have the budget. But you know producers/ directors are always telling people they don't have the budget when they actually do, they just don't want to spend it, so it's hard to ding him too much on that either.
You get bonus point though for A) upping the game and tossing some money at that, B) really checking the guy out, C) asking and not just accepting or rejecting the idea.
Really, he travels? NYC guy goes to Texas and shows em how. Wireless Too!
I'm sure the post was made innocently enough, but it still seems pretty weird plugging a sound pro like that here. I mean I live and Washington and I travel too! Sign me up.
No foul Greg_E, just tugging at you a bit.
Didn't know where he was shooting or even really located. If you think it is bs advertising for myself, then report it to the mods and have them remove it! It certainly isn't the first post I threw out in this thread, the first post I put in was that I find nothing wrong with recording direct to camera for many things, as long as the camera is of professional quality. We are talking C100 not GH2 with highly compressed ac-3 audio that barely survives playback straight for the camera card and fails quickly during manipulation in editing.
Rick R
Veteran
FWIW, It's SOP for production sound mixers to rent 'their' equipment as a separate item to the production. On an invoice for instance, there would be separate labor and equipment charges, either by the piece or a package. Not to mention the other charges, such as expendables, travel expenses and per diem.