So the day had finally arrived to start filming ‘Cognition’. For the three day shoot we rented the following Equipment :
- Sound Devices 633 Mixer x1
- Tascam DR-100mk11 Recorder x1
- Sennheiser Radio Microphone x4
- Boundary Microphone x1
- Sennheiser MKH416 Rifle Microphone x2
- Carbon Fibre Boom Pole x2
- Rycote Wind Jammer x1
- Line Input Cable x3 (for the radio microphone)
- Rode NT4 Stereo microphone x1
- XLR Cable x3
From my research, I understood that there were many consequences using lav microphones as there can be phasing issues, frequency drop outs and interference between the microphone and cloth. Therefore we made the decision to use the Sennheiser MKH416 Rifle Microphone as the main microphone to boom, use the boundary microphone as a second choice and then use lav microphones as a last resort.
As the script had very little dialogue, we used the opportunity to record on-set foley. We made the choice to do this as it would give us the option to eliminate the need to record foley in post-production and it would also give us a guide track to record foley too, if it was needed.
Me, Dan and Sam split the roles into three; production sound mixer, boom operator and sound assistent. We alternated the jobs throughout the shoot so it would give us all the opportunity to learn and become more knowledgeable in each role.
What I achieved and learned in performing each role:
Production Sound Mixer
The role of production sound mixer is to mix and record dialogue into the mixer/recorder. In this case, the recorder was the Sound Devices 633 mixer, but usually you would also/either have a mixing desk with physical faders, routed to a monitor for you to track when to mix certain microphone levels to the actual picture. Since this is a low budget film and we don’t have the equipment to do this, we only used the Sound Devices 633 mixer. Throughout my time as production mixer on ‘Cognition’, I had to keep in mind the 3:1 rule to solve any phasing issues or frequency drop outs that might of occur when using the lav microphones. This requires you to deactivate any microphones that aren’t needed to be used whilst recording so there isn’t any inference between them. This also applies to any phasing issues between plant microphones. This commonly occurs when using a lot of microphones, so luckily we didn’t have this issue, but as a production mixer you need to be aware of these problems so you can quickly fix them.
Boom Operator
As a boom operator, it was my job to make sure the set was quiet and ready to record clear dialogue. I was to mic the talent, communicate to the sound mixer and sound assistant about good and bad takes, follow the action and cue booming when recording, position my boom correctly, decide what techniques needed to be used for certain shots and positioning plant microphones in zones if needed. From previous shoots, I felt confident with the role of boom operator, but new sets come with new challenges to overcome. The challenges that I faced as a boom operator were:
- Noisy Exterior- Even though we were shooting everything inside, we still had to battle with traffic noises from outside. Originally, we were to film in a bedroom in a house on a quiet street, but since our location changed to Lincoln Big a few days before we were to start shooting, we had to adapt and rethink our techniques for our new location. Lincoln Big is in the centre of Lincoln and the main noisy sound source was traffic. To counter act this, I made sure that in each shot I positioned my rifle mic the opposite way to the traffic, this way the rejection from the side of the microphone would reduce the traffic picked up. This didn’t eliminate the traffic entirely, but it reduced it dramatically as to not potentially cover the dialogue.
- Not knowing the particular framing of shots- This was an issue due to the change of location. As it was decided only a few days before, I didn’t know what was going to be in the frames. This meant that I couldn’t prepare where to boom from, and whether I needed to scoop or boom overhead. It also prevented me from knowing exactly where I could place plant microphones. This wasted time on set, which is precious. To overcome this I had to make quick decisions to reduce time wasting.
Sound Assistant
When performing the role of sound assistant, I needed to act as a second boom operator when needed and create a chart that consisted of the scene, the shot, the take and a comment section on the take. By making this chart, it allowed me to take notes on what takes in certain scenes had good audio and which didn’t. This had to be communicated between me and the mixer. I assisted the boom operator if plant microphones needed to be re-positioned and assisted on cable management.
What did I learn and improve on whilst filming ‘Cognition’?
One key skill that I developed more was communication between myself, the director and the producer on set. I maintained a positive work ethic in order to keep on track with the day’s timeframe. By having good communication on set with director and producer, it allowed me to do my job, and for them to do theirs. It was great for me to be able to use my research on plant microphone techniques to be applied on set. Using plant techniques improved my knowledge, allowing me to further my confidence with them. The outcome proved effective as well, but even if it didn’t, it was useful experience experimenting on what worked and what didn’t. I got the chance to hide lav mics in various locations on the talent. One position was directly on the sternum to get the most central position possible. Other positions included underneath the collar of a shirt and one clipped onto the inside of a shirt pocket.
On the set of ‘Cognition’ I learned how to overcome problems when booming and mixing. I gained knowledge and experience with lav and plant microphone positions. I believe my communication with director and producer was professional, allowing us to execute our jobs competently. Overall a successful shoot and I am now looking forward to working on the post-production for the film.
