Production Sound and a Greener Initiative.

As I continue into the world of audio post-production, I decided to take a look into the side that provides content to the studio and spend some time in production sound. At UCDenver, I had one class that had some production sound, post production I. I do not have much experience on set, but I think the best way to understand the filmmaking process is to understand what happens in both production and post. Communication is key in making sure projects are completed on time and understanding how your production sound mixer works and organizes tracks will make the post production workflow that much easier.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to spend a day on set with Paul Marshall, CAS. Paul has been working in production sound since the early 1990’s from documentaries, short films, and television; Paul’s experience expands from being a boom operator, production sound mixer, director and even producer. I had several questions about processes and how things worked from beginning to end or the production process. Paul was great, not only answering my questions but  also providing me with stories and situations explaining why certain measures are taken. Paul’s boom operator is also named Paul, and he gave me some tips on the importance of being detail oriented. Paul and Paul are also business partners who are developing greener solutions for production sets. 

As more and more studios and productions look for way to save on expenses, Paul and his team have developed a greener solution for keeping phones, laptops and other electronic devices charged throughout the shoot, without eating into other power devices, Solar on Set. Their ray catcher is able to catch sunrays and provide solar power to their charging station. They also have it equipped with 4G wifi to provide locations with Internet connectivity, giving even producers the ability to check their email on location. Their website is still in the development phases and will soon look a little different.

Overall, it was a great opportunity to see a production sound team at work and how they are trying to contribute to the greener campaigns many people and companies are now employing.