Drunken Monk Audio

03/06/2023

This is what all the hard work amounts to: putting on an amazing show with fantastic artists. Anthony Forest rocked tonight.

17/05/2023

This was an interesting one-day project that I enjoyed being involved in 😀

10/05/2023

It’s not the time it takes to take the takes that takes the time. It’s the time it takes between the takes that takes the time to take the takes.

15/04/2023

And with that, it’s over too soon.

14/04/2023

The office this week…

12/04/2023

In the Victorian high country for a week for Man From Snowy Riger Festival. What a beautiful place!

03/04/2023

The Tailgate stage was the office for a week during CMC Rocks

03/04/2023

Was involved in the making of a thing a short while ago….

You asked, he delivered - The Dawn of Dwayne

02/04/2023

Tailgate OB at South’s Logan Magpies - BMD Rnd 04

11/01/2023

Hope you've had a great start to 2023!

"2:32am" has made it's way to France 🥐, officially selected for the RED Movie Awards! Excited to see the film start to gain some international traction! 🌏

03/12/2022

A little fun in the sun today at the Hayden Kenny Surf Classic

01/12/2022

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/carbon-creative_enrolnow-vote-activity-7003169491148759042-0qDu

This week sees the unveiling of our latest campaign for the Australian Electoral Commission encouraging all First Nations people to enrol to vote. Featuring a…

07/11/2022

Happy to be involved in encouraging First Nations voter enrolment. Utility/VO gig for an AEC ad campaign at Spire Street Studios.

04/10/2022

Zombies eating corn chips and chasing influencers. Such a fun set!!

16/09/2022

Actors: Rae Leigh and Lance Giles Directed by: Christopher sommers Cinematography By: Philip Rang ACS Edited by: Philip Rang Audio Design: TJ Price Music By: Artlist

08/09/2022

Hello folks!! It's been a week...or two. I'm sure you've all had a week - I certainly have! Any way...without further ado, or a due, or a jube, here comes (my personal favourite role)....

Drunken Monk Audio Guide to Sound Department Roles:

Sound Utility

If you like hoarding scraps of tape, stalking the set and asking other departments to turn off their equipment, and bum-packs, then you just might enjoy being a Sound Utility.

If the Production Sound Mixer is the Wizard of Oz of the Sound Department, and the Boom Operator is the Black Swan, then the Utility is, quite possibly, the Quasimodo. Originally also titled Cable Wrangler (or similar titles), improvements in wireless technology have seen Utility role change from supporting the Boom Operator by ensuring the boom cable was appropriately organised during takes - providing or taking up slack as required - to supporting the entire Sound Department.

Currently, the Sound Utility is still generally responsible for wrangling cables, but they are also responsible for organising movement of Sound Department equipment as production moves from set to set, applying lavaliere microphones to talent, changing batteries in wireless packs for both talent and IFBs, being a secondary boom operator when required, providing timecode and slates to Camera Departments, setting up and moving Voice Of God systems, general assistant duties and coffee runs.

The Sound Utility is considered an entry level role to the Sound Department, however, a level of knowledge regarding the operation of the department is desirable - radio frequency spectrum, equipment operation, on-set conventions and more. The Utility will generally get along with costume and HMUAs, as they will need to consult regarding lav placement and more complicated techniques such as hair-micing.

A high quality Utility will have a good understanding of the operation of all equipment used by the Sound Department and enjoy interacting with other departments, as well as keeping in communication with Assistant Directors to ensure talent is wired before they are required on set and any changes to equipment set ups are executed quickly and efficiently so that the department can function without holding up production.

The Sound Utility is an essential role to larger productions and is an asset to any production, as they allow the Mixer to concentrate on critical activities and ensure the Boom Operator is supported in their tasks.

Remember folks, sound is AT LEAST 50% of your production, so the more you put into your sound budget on set, the better your production will be!

25/08/2022

Drunken Monk Audio Guide to Sound Department Roles:

Boom Operator

The most ubiquitous production sound role is also eponymous! The Boom Operator's role is to locate the primary microphone in a position that records the most desirous sound in each take. This is normally dialogue, due to the fact that the norm for film is that all other sounds, whether diagetic or otherwise, are created, recreated, or otherwise reinforced, in the post-production workflow.

The boom operator will work with the rest of the crew to find the best location for the microphone, based upon limits of frame, camera movement and lighting, so that it can be positioned in a way that allows for the best capture of specific sounds and minimising the capture of undesired sounds and reverberations in the space. The boom operator will also "swing" the boom to change microphone position based on camera and character movements, ensuring that delivered dialogue is captured optimally, and also take into account the perspective of the shot, with regard to reverberations in the space and camera position.

The optimal positioning of a microphone for dialogue capture is approximately 1-3 feet from the subject, overhead, aiming towards the middle of the subject's forehead. This is generally considered the best location for consonant intelligibility. However, there are a number of solutions for positioning microphones, dependent upon a myriad of shot composition factors.

Microphone choice is often determined by both the set and the source, as different microphones will be better suited the sound department often will have a range of microphone choices, based upon the situation and the subject being captured. At minimum, a properly equipped sound department should have a couple of options for the boom microphone - the most common choices being the Sennheiser MKH416 shotgun and the MKH50 small diaphragm condenser (SDC)

Outdoor settings typically mean that a "shotgun" microphone is the best choice, as this particular design employs an interference tube to reduce capture of off-axis sounds. Shotgun microphones vary in length and longer shotgun microphones are more focused, meaning they have a narrower angle of pickup, or "polar-pattern", making them more useful for applications where the microphone is required to be placed further away from the source, and the opposite is generally true of shorter shotgun microphones.

Indoor settings, on the other hand, lend themselves more to the application of SDC microphones with a narrow polar-pattern, typically super- or hyper-cardioid . This is due to the fact that the interference tube function is less effective at reducing reverberations of the primary sound source, which are more likely in an enclosed space.

The polar-pattern of a microphone is also a consideration for the boom operator, as microphones with narrow polar-patterns tend to also tend to capture sound at the 180 degree position, so Boom Operators will need to be mindful of microphone position with regard to background noise, in order to optimise off-axis rejection.

The Boom Operator tends to be the "public face" of the Sound Department, relaying information between other departments and the Production Sound Mixer and working collaboratively to ensure sound is captured without intruding into shots or hindering performances.

The role of the Boom Operator is often physically demanding, requiring exertion to hold the boom in place for extended periods during long takes, or stretch and move in awkward manners. A dedicated boom operator will therefore have an understanding of the established best practices in terms of posture and grip of the boom. Ignoring these practices and adopting poor techniques can lead to operators suffering chronic stress injuries or developing arthritic conditions later in life.

27/07/2022

We're pretty happy about being selected for the West End Film Festival!

15/07/2022

A bit slack of me, but better late than never…

A lot's happened while we've been gone, but we're excited to share that Wendy & Vee has been named a contender for the 2022 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Short Film Awards! If you're an AACTA member, you can watch Wendy & Vee now for your consideration in the link below, voting opens July 15.

https://tv.aacta.org/film/wendy-and-vee/

Witness the case, coming soon.

12/06/2022

This presser was a great experience. Hoping to do more in future.

Subscribe now for more! https://youtube.com/c/Studio10auCheck out our home on 10play: https://10play.com.au/studio10Strap on your blue suede shoes and sit do...

01/06/2022

Small gifts from early mornings…

30/05/2022

Just ”On Set” things: “Let’s try that again but this time do it like you’re really acting.”

27/05/2022

Watching this shot being set up was quite satisfying

08/05/2022

My first foray into Audio Post-Production

It's the last day of high school for best friends and fellow musicians, Lucas and Brandon. Brandon is ready to chase his dreams, but Lucas is caught between ...

07/05/2022

Ryan is an amazing colleague and a dedicated professional. I’m honoured to know him and glad to see him passing on his knowledge to encourage emerging talent.

18/04/2022

01/04/2022

Not my usual gig but a fun, light-hearted experience with plenty of happy customers! 🤘

28/03/2022

Wrap day on Two Blue Lines. It’s been a fun two weeks with an amazing cast and crew!