30 January 2013

Zax to the Maxx

On Februry 16th, Zaxcom is having a shindig (read: seminar)  at Coffey Sound in L.A. :


NeverClipA live demonstration of NeverClip with a detailed explanation of all it's benefits to production.

ZFR bodypack recording with wireless QC audio and time code transmissionA major step into the future of production audio, this new software release enables multiple ZFR100, ZFR200 and ZFR300 bodypack recorders to wirelessly transmit timecode for syncing and audio for quality-control monitoring. The update enables a new, low cost, time code referenced method of recording high quality sync sound for production without the use of traditional wireless microphones and bag-based audio systems.

MaxxThe Maxx is a new class of mixer / recorder / transmitter. We'll demonstrate its many capabilities and how it can improve bag-based production audio.

The seminar is free of charge and will begin at 10:00AM PST. Everything should be wrapped up by around 11:30. Lunch will be served immediately following the event. 

27 January 2013

Time To Make the Doughnuts

Here's a nice little BTS clip about a cam op/mixer team on Bravo's Top Chef:





Ty One On

(Yeah, the title isn't my best work, but this is happening pre-coffee, people...)

+Ty Ford recently sat down to chat with +Jon Tatooles from +sounddevices about the 664:


20 January 2013

Bag 'Em and Tag 'Em

Tom Craca over at Gotham Sound has posted a field report on the Petrol PS617 Deca Lightweight Audio Bag. Many mixers have been eagerly awaiting an offering from Petrol that fits the Sound Devices 664's longer form factor, and methinks he liked it:

Overall, I am extremely pleased with the new PS617 bag designed for the Sound Devices 664. The bag is thoughtfully designed to securely hold the mixer and/or CL-6 and multiple wireless units and it certainly can be used with any other combination of mixers and/or recorders. I appreciate how its design does not force you into one configuration and Petrol clearly did that on purpose.

Link

19 January 2013

Nope

Buenos tardes, sports fans. 

Sound mixers are a techie group, by definition. Our jobs only exist due to audio technology.  We bury ourselves in acoustics and electronics, we learn to perceive the world a decibel at a time. We hold fuzzy sticks aloft.

We must also be business people. As most of us are freelance, we become our own employers. Business acumen may come more easily to some than others, and it can become a trial by fire, lurching from one awkward negotiation to the next, until we get our sea legs and can converse as easily about invoice terms as we can about hypercardioid pickup patterns.


Where am I supposed to point the fiery end?

Part of those growing pains is transitioning from being eagerly available and saying yes to anyone who calls to becoming more discerning, and saying no when it's appropriate. There may be any number of reasons to say no: unrealistic client demands; low pay; you're feeling bloated and gassy and a heavy gear bag pressing on your abdomen isn't going to do anyone any favors.

But the most important reason is you. As your own boss, it's up to you to make sure you're adequately compensated and treated fairly. Occasionally this means saying no to available work, which at first feels completely at odds with freelancing, but over time contributes to your overall professionalism. When you do show up on a set, you're prepared and confident.


This is what I got when I entered "confident" on google image search.

The blog Work Made For Hire has a great post about learning how to say no. I had to learn myself, and while there were a scary couple of months (I swear I opened my checkbook one day and a tumbleweed rolled out), it was worth it. Yes, I work fewer days, but those days pay better, and are more on my terms, where I feel comfortable:


“No” is one of the best tools a freelancer has to protect herself and make sure she’s in control of her career.
“No” to a low paying job is “Yes” to your value as an artist or freelancer.
“No” to a client’s outrageous demand is “Yes” to your professionalism and self-respect.
“No” to a volunteer project you honestly don’t have time for is “Yes” to time necessary to relax and rejuvenate so you have the mental and physical energy to do all the other things you’ve said, “Yes” to.
“No” can help you avoid getting distracted by gigs that don’t serve your goals or that make you feel trapped.
Every time you say “No” to a request, you are saying, “Yes” to something else.


Remember, sometimes you just have to vote nope: