1 October 2007
On Monday we shot our insert "Salsa Dancing" Maikha was our Dir/Pro with Guy as our sound person and Billy as our editor. On our shoot it was Maikha, Guy and myself with Mark Alexander coming along to help. Maikha hired out the dolly on wheels which helped me get some shots I think worked very well. We had massive problems with the equipment as our yellowhead started smoking and blew and the camera batteries ran out of charge very quickly and we only had approximately an hour worth of battery due to what we imagine had something to do with the batteries losing charge over the break. In the end we only captured about 22minutes of raw footage, which having seen Billy's edit was used brilliantly considering the opening stand-up and our interview took up about 13minutes of this. I have to say the dolly was our saving grace and also without the interviewee who was a pleasure we would have been in strife. I cannot say enough of the people I worked with on this insert as they all impressed me with their knowledge and Maikha let us to our own device's after telling us his vision for the shoot. The only problem I think we faced on the day visually was the lighting in the dance studio itself. The flurescant lights were a hindrance even though we white balanced every time we shot. I think it has been fixed up alot in post and as I said, I was very happy with the people I worked with.
After the shoot I was involved in my first production meeting for the Christmas children's show produced by Nathan. We met at Gelatissimo and it was a good outing to meet the people I didn't know a bit more closely to get comfortable with them before we worked together. The only negative was that Kate Shephard did not turn up to her own meeting and drove past at the end which I thought as very unprofessional.
2 October 2007
On Tuesday we had another production meeting but this time for the Aussie BBQ show produced by Peter G. This was very much an informal gathering at the Nosh Pit and did not last longer than 30minutes after everyone had introduced themselves and the necessary discussions were had.
In the evening we had our first rehearsal for the Christmas show which very much fell to pieces from most angles and acted as a very good wakeup call. We had a very large problem in audio trying to send foldback to the boom after a few people, myself included tried to muck around with the router and basically stuffed up all the audio for the evening. As Sound Sup I was very disappointed in myself but have since been to tutorials regarding patching and am competent in what I need to do including pre-fading the auxillary to the boom and controlling all other levels around the studio. It was pretty daunting having no one there to hold our hands for the first time but am better for the exprience.
3rd October
On Wednesday we had our first rehearsal for show 1a directed by Anne-Marie. I voulenteered for CG in this production as it would give me a bit more exposure to the control room and understand the intricasies of using CG on a live show. I got the jpeg up on screen for what we needed to use it for but as the animations are currently in the wrong extension I couldn't really suss them out. We have a tutorial with a second year student Andrew Varvel on Tuesday the 16th of October which should be very helpful.
5th October
On Friday afternoon we went through the entertainment show for the last time which I was Talent and Cam for. What struck me most was that the directors are thinking alot more laterally about what they want and how they want it which is a big help to all involved with the production. Mark Alexander was my director on cam and he basically told us what he wanted but gave us free reign to show him some shots that might work. His directing really keeps the crew interested and in high spirits.
Later that evening we had our first full rehearsal for Aussie BBQ. Mark as director of this show really pushed us until 9 o'clock and we eventually ran the show full length with random tapes instead of inserts and ads. Our final rehearsal ran to the tune of something like 00:29:59:24. After this all of the cast and crew were very happy and we all shared a beer at the tav to celebrate how well it actually went.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Week 7
6 October 2007
After our holidays we were finally able to get back into the studio. To get us back in the swing of things we did the light entertainment show again and I was in sound and on boom. I felt very rusty in the sound room as I was in their by myself and forgot some stuff concerning the mixing desk from the extended break. It was generally not too difficult though as most of what we did was pretty straight forward. The biggest problem I seemed to encounter involved setting the levels at the right volume for the boom mic interview, although after a practice they seemed to go fine. Being back on the boom mic presented no real drama's althought it was difficult to keep it loud and out of shot from my end which may have someting to do with the lack of gain in the audio control room. I researched the positioning of microphones to see what gets the best sound for live music and interview situations.
The golden rule of microphone placement is get the distance right. In general, place the microphone as close as practical to the sound source without getting so close that you introduce unwanted effects.
The aim is to achieve a good balance between the subject sound and the ambient noise. In most cases you want the subject sound to be the clear focus, filled out with a moderate or low level of ambient noise. The desired balance will vary depending on the situation and the required effect. For example, interviews usually work best with very low ambient noise. However if you want to point out to your audience that the surroundings are very noisy you could hold the mic slightly further away from the subject.
It is possible to get too close. If a vocal mic is to close to the speaker's mouth, the audio may be unnaturally bassy (boomy, excessive low frequencies). You are also likely to experience popping and other unpleasant noises. A microphone too close to a very loud sound source is likely to cause distortion. Placing a mic too close to moving parts or other obstacles may be dangerous. For example, be careful when micing drums that the drummer isn't going to hit the mic.
Reference: http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/microphones/placement.html
After our holidays we were finally able to get back into the studio. To get us back in the swing of things we did the light entertainment show again and I was in sound and on boom. I felt very rusty in the sound room as I was in their by myself and forgot some stuff concerning the mixing desk from the extended break. It was generally not too difficult though as most of what we did was pretty straight forward. The biggest problem I seemed to encounter involved setting the levels at the right volume for the boom mic interview, although after a practice they seemed to go fine. Being back on the boom mic presented no real drama's althought it was difficult to keep it loud and out of shot from my end which may have someting to do with the lack of gain in the audio control room. I researched the positioning of microphones to see what gets the best sound for live music and interview situations.
The golden rule of microphone placement is get the distance right. In general, place the microphone as close as practical to the sound source without getting so close that you introduce unwanted effects.
The aim is to achieve a good balance between the subject sound and the ambient noise. In most cases you want the subject sound to be the clear focus, filled out with a moderate or low level of ambient noise. The desired balance will vary depending on the situation and the required effect. For example, interviews usually work best with very low ambient noise. However if you want to point out to your audience that the surroundings are very noisy you could hold the mic slightly further away from the subject.
It is possible to get too close. If a vocal mic is to close to the speaker's mouth, the audio may be unnaturally bassy (boomy, excessive low frequencies). You are also likely to experience popping and other unpleasant noises. A microphone too close to a very loud sound source is likely to cause distortion. Placing a mic too close to moving parts or other obstacles may be dangerous. For example, be careful when micing drums that the drummer isn't going to hit the mic.
Reference: http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/microphones/placement.html
Week 6
7 September 2007
Today was the second time we did the show involving a presenter, a cooking segment and an interview. I was put into the role of cables and Boom. This was the first time other than the tutorials that I actually got to use the boom in a production which proved very helpful as I am going to be in this role for the childrens show. After figuring out exactly how to work it, I found it fairly simple and was happy with how I went, even though I imagine my uses for it will be very different come the childrens show. I found it quite nerve racking at first, espescially moving it up and down, worrying that I would drop it on a camera person's head. Doing cables was fairly straight forward although some of the moves from the camera's meant we had to always be on our toes.
I did some research on the uses of a boom and the role of a boom operator. Working either on location or on a studio set under the supervision of the Sound Supervisor/Production Mixer, the Boom Operator's main responsibility is to control the long boom arm, either hand-held or dolly-mounted (on wheels), with the microphone attached, manoeuvring it as close to the action as possible without getting it in shot. They may have to learn the script in order to anticipate lines and to move the boom arm accordingly. They are responsible for fitting radio microphones to artists, for placing microphones appropriately for a required shot, and for keeping Recordists informed of changes on the set. Depending on the scale of the production, Boom Operators may also have to make simple recordings and undertake basic repairs. Boom operating is not only about positioning microphones, or following the instructions of the recordist/mixer. It also involves accurately hearing sound, knowing what the camera is shooting, understanding camera lenses and focal lengths, etc. An understanding of basic lighting techniques is necessary to understand how to avoid casting boom and microphone shadows on artistes and set. Knowledge of lens sizes and camera angles is required in order to understand the frame limits and to keep the microphone as close as possible to the artistes, but clear of the picture. Although hours are often long and irregular, the role can bring great personal satisfaction, particularly when working as part of a team to create the best possible product.
Reference: http://www.skillset.org/tv/jobs/technical/article_2791_1.asp
Today was the second time we did the show involving a presenter, a cooking segment and an interview. I was put into the role of cables and Boom. This was the first time other than the tutorials that I actually got to use the boom in a production which proved very helpful as I am going to be in this role for the childrens show. After figuring out exactly how to work it, I found it fairly simple and was happy with how I went, even though I imagine my uses for it will be very different come the childrens show. I found it quite nerve racking at first, espescially moving it up and down, worrying that I would drop it on a camera person's head. Doing cables was fairly straight forward although some of the moves from the camera's meant we had to always be on our toes.
I did some research on the uses of a boom and the role of a boom operator. Working either on location or on a studio set under the supervision of the Sound Supervisor/Production Mixer, the Boom Operator's main responsibility is to control the long boom arm, either hand-held or dolly-mounted (on wheels), with the microphone attached, manoeuvring it as close to the action as possible without getting it in shot. They may have to learn the script in order to anticipate lines and to move the boom arm accordingly. They are responsible for fitting radio microphones to artists, for placing microphones appropriately for a required shot, and for keeping Recordists informed of changes on the set. Depending on the scale of the production, Boom Operators may also have to make simple recordings and undertake basic repairs. Boom operating is not only about positioning microphones, or following the instructions of the recordist/mixer. It also involves accurately hearing sound, knowing what the camera is shooting, understanding camera lenses and focal lengths, etc. An understanding of basic lighting techniques is necessary to understand how to avoid casting boom and microphone shadows on artistes and set. Knowledge of lens sizes and camera angles is required in order to understand the frame limits and to keep the microphone as close as possible to the artistes, but clear of the picture. Although hours are often long and irregular, the role can bring great personal satisfaction, particularly when working as part of a team to create the best possible product.
Reference: http://www.skillset.org/tv/jobs/technical/article_2791_1.asp
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Week 5
31st August 2007
This was the first time in what seems like a long time that we had not done Hello Riverina, we finally saw the back of it and I think most people were very excited to do something new. This was also the first time that we also swapped roles halfway through class, which I personally enjoyed as it allowed me to fine tune particular roles and also allowed people who drew the short straw with their positions to have a chance of taking part in more involved roles too. This week I was in Sound and on camera. It was interesting being able to use three lapels and the boom in a new setup where I had free reign on when and where to use them. All went well but we briefly had some troubles with sending foldback to the boom.
On camera it was a different story and a big learning curve. Having student directors blocking our exact positions proved to be difficult at first but was happy with the confidence they ultimatly gained after gaining a bit of confidence. Peter G directed me in this and I found his correlation with the FM to be more important today than ever before.
Due to the problems with involved with the boom foldback I research routing to auxillaries.
The Auxiliary send routes a split of the incoming signal to an auxiliary bus which can then be used with external devices. Auxiliary sends can either be pre-fader or post-fader, in that the level of a pre-fade send is set by the Auxiliary send control, whereas post-fade sends depend on the position of the channel fader as well. Auxiliary sends can be used to send the signal to an external processor such as a reverb, which can then be routed back through another channel or designated auxiliary returns on the mixer. These will normally be post-fader. Pre-fade auxiliary sends can be used to provide a monitor mix to musicians onstage, this mix is thus independent of the main mix.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixing_console#Auxiliary_send_routing
This was the first time in what seems like a long time that we had not done Hello Riverina, we finally saw the back of it and I think most people were very excited to do something new. This was also the first time that we also swapped roles halfway through class, which I personally enjoyed as it allowed me to fine tune particular roles and also allowed people who drew the short straw with their positions to have a chance of taking part in more involved roles too. This week I was in Sound and on camera. It was interesting being able to use three lapels and the boom in a new setup where I had free reign on when and where to use them. All went well but we briefly had some troubles with sending foldback to the boom.
On camera it was a different story and a big learning curve. Having student directors blocking our exact positions proved to be difficult at first but was happy with the confidence they ultimatly gained after gaining a bit of confidence. Peter G directed me in this and I found his correlation with the FM to be more important today than ever before.
Due to the problems with involved with the boom foldback I research routing to auxillaries.
The Auxiliary send routes a split of the incoming signal to an auxiliary bus which can then be used with external devices. Auxiliary sends can either be pre-fader or post-fader, in that the level of a pre-fade send is set by the Auxiliary send control, whereas post-fade sends depend on the position of the channel fader as well. Auxiliary sends can be used to send the signal to an external processor such as a reverb, which can then be routed back through another channel or designated auxiliary returns on the mixer. These will normally be post-fader. Pre-fade auxiliary sends can be used to provide a monitor mix to musicians onstage, this mix is thus independent of the main mix.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixing_console#Auxiliary_send_routing
Week 4
27 August 2007
This week we once again recapped Hello Riverina. I think this was mainly to let the 1st year student directors be more exposed and feel more comfortable in their roles. The roles I was given this week were camera and talent with Michael being my director. It was interesting to be able to really feel the different styles of my peers as directors and personally I think the four that are taking up this role would probably be the four most competent in this role.
Taking direction from Mike on camera compared to Mark the week before, I found that Michael's style was more meticulous in exactly where he wanted to block us and what shots he wanted to take, whereas Mark seemed to give us a degree of creative freedom. I cannot fault either of these styles as Mike obviously wanted to go for a particular look that he had imagined whereas Mark gave us the chance to show what we have got.
As we slowly delve deeper into the intricacies of multi-camera setup I decided to research a bit about its history. First used in television by Desi Arnaz and DOP Karl Freund on the sitcom I Love Lucy, it was developed to be faster and less expensive than a single camera setup, although taking away some of the directors creativity with limitations in each shot. In todays industry, most drama's are shot single cam whereas most sitcoms are done multicam.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple-camera_setup
This week we once again recapped Hello Riverina. I think this was mainly to let the 1st year student directors be more exposed and feel more comfortable in their roles. The roles I was given this week were camera and talent with Michael being my director. It was interesting to be able to really feel the different styles of my peers as directors and personally I think the four that are taking up this role would probably be the four most competent in this role.
Taking direction from Mike on camera compared to Mark the week before, I found that Michael's style was more meticulous in exactly where he wanted to block us and what shots he wanted to take, whereas Mark seemed to give us a degree of creative freedom. I cannot fault either of these styles as Mike obviously wanted to go for a particular look that he had imagined whereas Mark gave us the chance to show what we have got.
As we slowly delve deeper into the intricacies of multi-camera setup I decided to research a bit about its history. First used in television by Desi Arnaz and DOP Karl Freund on the sitcom I Love Lucy, it was developed to be faster and less expensive than a single camera setup, although taking away some of the directors creativity with limitations in each shot. In todays industry, most drama's are shot single cam whereas most sitcoms are done multicam.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple-camera_setup
Week 3 Blog
17 August 2007
Today we were in the studio again for the first time of the term. To get us back into the swing of things we recapped Hello Riverina and we were able to start slotting in to our preferred crew roles much more. My roles were on camera and Sound Director which excited me alot as they were the two aspects of a production I am most interested in. What, for want of a better word, relieved me the most was how much I did actually enjoy partaking in these positions and how hungry I was to learn more about them.
Most of the people I got to work with in this show were already people I had a good repore with such as Nathan Howelly, Mark Alexander and Stuart Buchannon which I found made it run so much smoother than previous shows with other people.
One aspect of sound that really interested me was the improvements digital mixing consoles have brought compared to that of analog mixers. Through doing research I found that obvious things like the ability to have 100 channels of audio on a desk that has only 25 physical channels. Other factors that really impressed me were the limiting of reverb in the studio, automatic feedback reduction and the fact that the digital circuitry is more resistant to interference from outside noise such as comms and mobile phones.
Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Audio_engineering
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixing_console
Today we were in the studio again for the first time of the term. To get us back into the swing of things we recapped Hello Riverina and we were able to start slotting in to our preferred crew roles much more. My roles were on camera and Sound Director which excited me alot as they were the two aspects of a production I am most interested in. What, for want of a better word, relieved me the most was how much I did actually enjoy partaking in these positions and how hungry I was to learn more about them.
Most of the people I got to work with in this show were already people I had a good repore with such as Nathan Howelly, Mark Alexander and Stuart Buchannon which I found made it run so much smoother than previous shows with other people.
One aspect of sound that really interested me was the improvements digital mixing consoles have brought compared to that of analog mixers. Through doing research I found that obvious things like the ability to have 100 channels of audio on a desk that has only 25 physical channels. Other factors that really impressed me were the limiting of reverb in the studio, automatic feedback reduction and the fact that the digital circuitry is more resistant to interference from outside noise such as comms and mobile phones.
Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Audio_engineering
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixing_console
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