Production Sound Checklist / Photo Credit: Premium Beat
WHAT DOES A PRODUCTION SOUND
MIXER DO? (In the Entertainment industry. What Does A What does a Production Sound Mixer Do?)
What Does A Production Sound Mixer Do?
Job titles vary according to the industry and can
include sound assistant, sound recordist and sound supervisor.
Within film, specialist roles are available such as
dialogue editor, dubbing mixer, production mixer and Foley artist.
Since The Jazz Singer first combined a synchronized
instrumental score, spoken dialogue, and sound effects in 1927, audio has been
an essential creative component to film and television production. Can you
imagine Star Wars or Saving Private Ryan without sound? Behind all of the
music, noise, and laughter that enhances the images on screen is the production
sound mixer.
As a sound technician, it's your responsibility to
assemble, operate and maintain the technical equipment used to record, amplify,
enhance, mix or reproduce sound. You'll identify the sound requirements for a
given task or situation and perform the appropriate actions to produce this
sound.
Duties
The production sound mixer is the head of the sound
department on set, and is brought in during pre-production to collaborate with
the director and production manager to choose what type of microphones to use
and select additional audio gear. This person may also give input on crew
members to fill additional audio roles, like sound assistant, equipment
technician, boom operator or cable runner.
During principal photography, the production sound
mixer’s responsibilities are extensive. They include recording all sound on
set: dialogue, sound effects, wild lines, live music, and room tone. He or she
is also charged with maintaining log sheets for each roll of tape (or digitally
formatted unit) recorded and marking printed takes, in conjunction with the
camera assistant and script supervisor. The production sound mixer must make
script notes to be used in case of reshooting (for continuity) and keep lists
of wild tracks and sound effects that will be recorded later. This person will
also direct the boom operator and design the placement of microphones and
recording techniques for each shot—and keep an eye out for the dreaded boom
shadow.
Sound technicians are required in a range of
industries including:
- Advertising…
- Audio recordings…
- Broadcasting (radio or television)…
- Film…
- Live performance (theatre, music, and dance)…
Responsibilities
Your responsibilities will vary depending on whether
you work in such as production - the recording of all sound on set or on
location or post-production - the balancing, mixing, editing and enhancing of
pre-recorded audio.
Working in production, you'll need to:
- Assess the acoustics of the performance area and
assemble and operate the necessary equipment…
- Consult with producers and performers to determine
the sound requirements…
- Select, position, adjust and operate the equipment
used for amplification and recording…
- Apply technical knowledge of sound recording
equipment to achieve the determined artistic objectives…
- Record sound onto digital audio tape or hard disk
recorders…
- Monitor audio signals to detect sound-quality
deviations or malfunctions…
- Anticipate and correct any problems…
- Maintain and repair sound equipment…
Working in post-production, you'll need to:
- Integrate (synchronize) pre-recorded audio (dialogue,
sound effects and music) with visual content…
- Re-record and synchronize audio (post-synching)…
- Mix and balance speech, effects and music…
- Create and alter sound effects for use in films,
television, etc...
Skills & Education
College coursework in film and television production,
recording arts, and communications are recommended but not required. Classes in
these subjects can introduce you to the production process and give you
hands-on experience in the use of sound equipment (microphones, mixing
consoles) along with the required theoretical knowledge. To succeed in this
role you must be a strong communicator and effective delegator, as well as
having a highly trained ear. Work as a production assistant can get your foot
in the door, and from there experience as a boom operator or sound assistant
can lead to a gig as a production sound mixer.
What to Expect
In this role you are ultimately responsible for the
sound of the show or film. Getting the recording right the first time is
important, because each scene or line which has to be dubbed later pushes up
the project’s budget and deadline. A sound mixer who is consistent and reliable
is a valuable asset to any crew. This is also a highly creative career that
allows for experimentation in recording techniques and innovation in sound
design. It will take time and experience to work your way up to the level of
sound mixer, but from there you can move on to roles on larger projects, cross
over into sound editing, or work as a sound designer.
For large scale operations, such as film productions,
you're usually required to work within sound teams. There are often separate
sound teams for production and post-production. The job of a sound team is
essentially to follow or interpret the instructions of the director, sound
designer or sound supervisor.
A production sound mixer, location sound recordist,
location sound engineer or simply sound mixer is the member of a film crew or
television crew responsible for recording all sound recording on set during the
filmmaking or television production using professional audio equipment, for
later inclusion in the finished product, or for reference to be used by the
sound designer, sound effects editors, or foley artists. This requires choice
and deployment of microphones, choice of recording media, and mixing of audio
signals in real time.
Usually, the recordist will arrive on location with
his/her own equipment, which normally includes microphones, radio systems,
booms, mixing desk, audio storage, headphones, cables, tools, and a paper or
computer sound logs. The recordist may be asked to capture a wide variety of
wild sound on location, and must also consider the format of the finished
product (mono, stereo or multi channels). The recorded production sound track
is later combined with other elements, i.e. effects, music, narration, foley or
re-recorded dialog by automatic dialogue replacement (ADR).
Often, when taping on video, the sound recordist may
record (single system) audio directly onto the camera rather than use a
separate medium (double system), although a separate copy is often made, as it
both provides an extra copy which may have more tracks and also may include
other sound captured without the camera.
The sound mixer is considered a department head, and
is thus completely responsible for all aspects of production sound including
the hiring of a boom operator and utility sound technician, planning the
technical setup involving sound including both sound equipment and ancillary
devices involved in syncing and time offsets, anticipating and discussing
sound-related problems with the rest of the crew, and ordering and preparing
the sound equipment to be used on the set.
You can get involved in projects such as doing the
rigging and sound for amateur theatre or local musicians. Anything that helps
to create contacts in the industry will be useful.
Sources, References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, WikiBooks,
Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New
York Film Academy, The Balance, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Media
Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, Daily
Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend,
Producer's Code of Credits, Truity, Production Hub, Producers Guild of America,
Film Connection, Variety, Wolf Crow, Get In Media, Production Beast, Sony
Pictures, Warner Bros,
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Production Sound Checklist / Photo Credit: Premium Beat