Wireless Mics used on Hollywood Films?

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Blackforest

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I'm planning doing audio for feature film and it needs to sound perfect like those Hollywood movies. Since the director is shooting lots of wide shots, I will need a wireless setup that I can count on.

Does anyone know of some wireless lav brands with video examples of what they sound like? Please post a movie trailer or a scene in which the wireless mics where used.

P.S. I'm putting my ass on the line here, if the audio sucks, I'm fired. :cry:
 
You need to do a lot of reading, starting with the stickies in this forum.

Audio "like those Hollywood movies" has a lot more to do with post-production sound than it does with production sound (read THIS THREAD). Production sound's goal is to get clean dialog, and that's pretty much it. Getting clean production sound is a little bit reliable gear and a whole lot of know-how (mic placement, proper levels, etc.).

Here's a place to start on wireless mics:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthrea...n-or-quot-What-cheap-system-should-I-get-quot
 
Blackforest said:
P.S. I'm putting my ass on the line here, if the audio sucks, I'm fired. :cry:
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Hopefully you don't take this as harsh but just by the way you asked your question it's obvious that you really don't understand sound.
You want your sound to be "hollywood level perfect" and if it's not you're fired.

The only, and I repeat ONLY way you're going to pull off what you are asking is to hire a seasoned pro who has years of experience under their belt.

If you decide what you need and what you're willing accept is far below that..
then ask away, and also include your budget.

Don't forget the budget for the other 100x things a sound mixer brings with him on set to achieve the final goal.
Don't forget a "hollywood" level film also has extensive and i mean EXTENSIVE post production work done as well.
 
THe budget is whatever it takes to get perfect sound. If it's $500 or $5,0000. The director doesn't want to hire a pro sound guy and since I'm his best friend he wants me to give it a try. But at least he is willing to shell out the money for good sound equipment. Also, the filming doesn't start till this summer, so I have time to learn. I heard Letrosonics is the industry standard.
 
If you've never done this before, you're going to need a lot of practice before you get into the production. Gear is important, and a reliable sound kit is a large investment, but knowledge and skill are much more important. Again, please read the stickies first. Also, try the search function. All these questions, and many just like them, have been asked many times and discussed at great length.

Here's the "Audio 101" sticky, in which you'll find many of your answers... and a link to a great training DVD.
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?247260-Audio-101-Helpful-links-and-information
 
Lectro and Zaxcom are at the top of the heap. And hope your director friend is comfortable >$5K Remember that is for each speaking part, and you haven't even got to mixing and recording yet. Not clear why your friend is comfortable with spending several $10s of thousands on gear but doesn't want to hire a pro?

"I have a bad feeling about this." -- practically every major character in the Star Wars series. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drkh0YLF8rI
 
I think it has to do with trust. He's had several instances of expensive equipment stolen, even when paying lots of money to his hires. I think he just has bad luck with hiring people.
 
If you want perfect sound, you will need to do what the pros do, which as Alex said, is to re-record the sound in post-production. The sound you record during production should for the most part only be used as a reference to know what the actors actually said. Then the actors re-record their lines in post-production.

Wireless is the worst choice for getting sound. While there is some excellent equipment out there, it has issues such as random RF interference, clothes rustling; bulges in costumes; inconsistent sound levels as actors heads turn. It may get you a decent reference track, it will likely prove to be trouble for you.

I agree with the others. If you don't have experience with this, it has a very good chance of not turning out well. If you really want to do this yourself, then plan that none of the production sound will be usable and that all the dialog will be re-recorded in post. Then use any means in production to get the reference tracks. Boom is preferred, but if you must, then wireless.
 
Blackforest said:
He's had several instances of expensive equipment stolen, even when paying lots of money to his hires. I think he just has bad luck with hiring people.
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Apparently. The good audio pros bring their OWN equipment. And they have years of experience knowing how to use it properly (which is probably worth even more than the $10s of thousands of equipment they own.)
 
Paul F said:
If you want perfect sound, you will need to do what the pros do, which as Alex said, is to re-record the sound in post-production. The sound you record during production should for the most part only be used as a reference to know what the actors actually said. Then the actors re-record their lines in post-production.
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No, no, no. Where, in either of my previous posts, did I mention "re-recording"?

This is a terrible misconception (or piece of misinformation) that keeps coming back around, and this isn't even what I said. Movies do not rely 100% on ADR (aka "looping"). Dialog is not replaced in post unless it absolutely has to be. Production sound's job is to get clean, clear, usable dialog. Yes, there are (few) places where even that is not possible... but the goal of production sound is to give post as much as possible to minimize the need for ADR.

Yes, there are a few films out there that are ADR-heavy... but those are the exceptions rather than the rule.

Back to what I actually said, and to clarify so that I'm not misquoted again, "Hollywood" sound has more to do with post: that means a rigorous post-production regimen that takes the production dialog and layers underneath it Foley, FX, music... and occasionally ADR if it's absolutely necessary.

Again, this has all been discussed to death. Please refer to the stickies and the search function.
 
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Paul F said:
If you want perfect sound, you will need to do what the pros do, which as Alex said, is to re-record the sound in post-production. The sound you record during production should for the most part only be used as a reference to know what the actors actually said. Then the actors re-record their lines in post-production.
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As Alex said this is just totally wrong.
To over generalize most movies out there use most of the production sound and in many cases will use almost all of it, if not all of it.
I won't repeat the rest of Alex's answer but this is just so totally wrong I had to say something.
 
Alright, folks. Let's reel it in.

Blackforest, the Audio board is a bit more abrasive (or, painfully honest... blunt, even) than others on DVXUser. You've walked into one of the great fallacies of Audio which is, "I have no experience, but what gear do I need to buy to get professional results?" This is much more than equipment, and professional sound persons are hired to bring their extensive gear setups along with their extensive experience and know-how. Though 84% of statistics are made up on the spot, it's about 30% what you have and 70% how you use it.

Lest this thread sink deeper into the depths of lambasting the newb, it's closed. You have links to all the information you need to get started. If you read through the stickies, watch the DVD, and still have questions (and if your friend still insists on buying the gear rather than spending that money on someone who brings their own and knows what to do with it), please do come back and ask questions.

Since you have time before you go into production on the film in question, you have time to do some serious research and to get some hands-on practice. Get involved with some smaller productions... even get a team together and create some shorts just to practice, even if they're never shown in public. Play with different mics in different places, just to see what works and what doesn't. While you may not be up to the level of a seasoned pro by the time this larger project happens, you may find yourself at least equipped to capture decent dialog. Yeah, you'll hit some snags, but your director/friend should also understand the situation and have some patience with you in light of that.
 
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