Mercy
At the beginning of this module we had a very
different script and project to complete called “Gods Among Us” and even though
that we had originally agreed to film that project, the scriptwriter retracted
the script and project for his own reasons; that did put us behind schedule to
not only make a new concept to also film it within a smaller time frame than
originally thought. Once we got the green light for Mercy we sprung into action
as soon as we could. I as the sound operator experimented with the grips and
styles of the microphones support; seeing if I could personally improve my
recording experience. I personally during the beginning of this project had
suffered issues with my ankle and supporting myself up unassisted but never the
less I made sure to be on time and found ways to set up in the more efficient
way possible.
I personally tried to give the cinematographer as
much room as he needed so I could work around him while still trying to get the
best audio possible. I also had to take into consideration the shadow that not
only I cast but the shadow that my boom pole and microphones make. With some of
the locations we filmed at however I think I could have improved the work I produced by having more control
over the environments. For example most of the interior shots have some sort of
subtle background noise; if I had more preparation and more control to alter
the environments I could have eliminated these sounds at their sources; however
because of these locations not being recce’d I couldn’t have changed anything
major. There was a shoot that I could not turn up to as I had already been booked
out that day for the project I was also working on named “The Cell”. I went and
showed my director how to record and what to turn to make sure the levels were
right and what ended up happening was the audio recorded from that shoot turned
out to be very quiet and as the sound mixer I had to turn it up just to catch
up with the other sound clips that go along with it. It is my fault as I didn’t
have time to test the room and set the levels; I left it to our director
because I was pressed for time.
As a sound operator in demand for the multiple projects
going on throughout the year I made a system that could easily be followed and
stands on the principal of, early bird catches the worm. Making sure that
whomever comes to me first and asks me to shoot on certain days and times they
then have priority.
With Mercy I had more of challenge because not only was I
the sound engineer for the whole project but I was also the sound mixer at the
end of the process and since I am also and editor I thought it’d come naturally
but I quickly discovered that I had new things to learn and I would make sure
that I couldn’t let my crew down. The issues I had with this project in
particular were little to none however the double booking of equipment was
annoying because the equipment we expected to receive was already taken out and
we got the scraps. The only other thing that could be considered as a problem
with this project would probably have to do with the last minute shoots that I
felt needed to be accepted.
The editor did a great job of editing on the go, so as we
finish filming she starts editing that very same day so when it came to doing
the Sound mixing I didn’t have to wait a week or so to get a rough cut of the
edit to work with. The producer/director and writer did an amazing job
considering the time crunch we were under as well as the locations that dropped
out last minute and he was able to keep the film date but just find a new
location. The cinematographer did an amazing job as well, not only
communicating well with myself but accepting the communication I gave him in
return about both of our roles and movements/positions during each shot.
If I personally would do anything different I’d
most possibly make sure that there were recces and that I could tag along to
have scoped out the locations and prepared more than I did. I would also
personally have put more effort into not only just making Y mic setup but also design and build a setup
for an X setup for the microphones; I just think the option of either would
have been nicer than just one. Through this project I have learned many
important attributes to do with the role of Sound operator and mixer, I have
learned how to confidently use Pro Tools as well as discovering new and better
ways to capture audio. Which in turn also challenged me to learn a new editing
program I had never experienced before as well as learning new positions and
statures while boom operating.
I
think that Mercy as a whole is a success not only as a film but as an
experience, it helped us all become more professional and more understanding of
each others roles other than our own. It as a whole is a good film with a solid
plot, story and visual presence; not to mention the audio to match. It helped
me get more acquainted with the etiquette behind meeting and greeting actors as
well as having the patience to find something that you could in fact do as you
may be waiting for someone else to appear.
For this film I wanted to take heavy
inspiration from Hannibal, the television show as it has this auditory feeling
of always being watched and uncertainty about it that I think it was a perfect fit for Mercy.
The Cell
The cell was a simple film visually and location based
however when it came to sound it was much more complex then I first imagined
because of the sheer quantity of perpetration and planning that is needed to
get every sound that is needed. I jumped at the chance to be apart of this crew
because I knew I could spread my wings in the experimentation area of sound
design and collection. Just thinking of the possibilities made me hooked onto
the projects premise and as the script grew and evolved so did my understanding
of the overall feeling the film was wanting to give out which I had to portray
in an auditory sense.
I think I could have done so much better with this
project in particular if I had went out more and collected more foley sound
even though I had already collected a good amount of clips I still feel like if
I had gotten more it would have given the editor more to work with in the long
run. As a whole I think The Cell is a great film and will stand as one of my
proudest contributions towards my career; it is still of course not the best
masterpiece in the world because everything can be improved, especially a film
with such depth in it as ours. Knowing when to leave it be and allow the film
to stand by itself is a hard move that we must all make and even with it’s
little imperfections here and there; I still believe it’s a beautiful film,
mistakes and all.
I believe I have responded well in accordance to the
input I’ve had from external sources, some of which questioned why I personally
preferred a certain number of microphones or their stand counterparts. I gave
my honest answer of “it’s better to have it and not need it then to need it and
not have it” but with this project in particular I had to revisit some
techniques and equipment I had not used or seen in a long time; using the radio
mics was great for when I couldn’t quite get the right angle to get the best
sound.
I was inspired by the Cube and it’s
sequel hyper cube for the sound gathering of The cell because both films
showcase a sense of solitude and separation with just their ambience and sound
effect; that is what I wanted to replicate with some of the Foley sounds I
collected for The Cell.
I personally think I’ve met each and
every brief outcome specified throughout its handbook, I have learned and
improved my communication skills with members of the crew and with actors whom
are non specialists. I saw the challenges that this project presented and not
only did I elaborately decipher them but I was also critical about each problem
that not only I solved but ones that I also created. The issues I encountered
with this project specifically was mainly with others communications as I knew
I wanted to be on recce’s to check the areas out but I was not informed of them
till the week after they had happened. My only other issue would have to be
with the planning behind each shoot, some were in fact marvellously organised
but some were so poorly organised that I had no idea that I was filming on
certain days till I asked.
In conclusion this entire module
has moulded me into a much more mature professional and I feel like I’m ready
to walk into the industry world where I’ll be ready for anything they through
at me. My communication skills have certainly improved with that of experts and
other members whom may not be that well educated on Film and its process. This
module helped me discover more and more about the different areas of a films
production team, which in turn will help others learn from it as a whole. I
worked on a few other shoots that I wasn’t apart of only because I knew they
needed the help and I’d rather a project have the sound op it needs in a time
of need than no sound op, helping out with The Last Ones was an interesting
experience I must admit but I cannot pass judgement as I was only there for one
shoot.
