Production Jobs Deep Dive: Sound Department

If you have been to many film festivals, you know that one of the most neglected aspects of low budget films is the sound. Whether it is patchy, mixed too low or too high, or there is background noise obscuring the audio, there are many pitfalls that a film can fall into when it
comes to sound. That is why it is so important to have experienced and knowledgeable crew in your sound department.

Before we get into breaking down the roles, here is a quick breakdown of common sound equipment:

Boom Mic: a general term for any microphone attached to a boom pole, a long, adjustable pole typically held over the heads of the actors to capture sound. Generally, the microphones are highly directional so as to cut out as much background noise as possible.
Lavalier Mic: often called “lavs,” a lavalier mic is a small microphone clipped onto an actor’s clothing. They can be wired or wireless, though wireless is generally preferred. Lavs are often used concurrently with boom mics.
Recording/Mixing Interface: used by the sound recordist/mixer, an interface connects to all active microphones so that the recordist/mixer can monitor and mix the audio live.

Other necessary equipment include high quality headphones, XLR cables, SD cards, but these are well enough known items that we don’t have to define them.

A complete sound department includes a sound mixer/recordist, a boom operator, a sound utility, and a sound PA. The mixer is the department head.

“Their job is to ensure everything is recorded cleanly, labeled correctly, and the mix sounds great,” says Jessie Van Der Vyver, a Kansas City area location sound mixer/recordist. “There is also the artistic side of their job to pick mics that capture the performances of talent in the space that serves the story, not to mention also reading the script and capturing as much on set elements as possible…Technical side, they are coordinating frequencies of all the wireless, and working with the sound utility or boom op on changing the [frequencies] on the talent packs.”

A boom operator, as the job implies, operates the boom mic, but also has several other responsibilities.
“Their role is to ensure the performances are captured and the dialogue is intelligible with a boom mic,” says Van der Vyver. “They are the person on set holding the long pole dancing with the camera team and the talent. They are also the eyes and ears on set for the sound recordist. They are keeping an eye out for exposed lav wire/packs, assisting the Sound Recordist with placing lav mics and managing the sound equipment.”

A sound utility is not always seen on sets, but their job is very valuable.

“The Utility is able to jump in and boom op at any moment,” says Van der Vyver. “Sometimes there are complicated scenes and you need an additional boom mic to capture the performance well. The Utility is ensuring the batteries are charged and works with both the boom op and sound recordist on timing for batty changes. They help with putting lav mics on talent. They are another important part of the sound team that ensures that no one is waiting on sound.”

A sound PA is the entry level job in the sound department, and their job is to support the rest of the department in setting up, operating, and maintaining sound equipment as necessary. All of these jobs are very different, and in a perfect world, a production would have all of
them. But, on lower budget projects, it is not uncommon for all of these roles to be combined into one Jack-of-all-trades person. This is not ideal, as operating and mixing at the same time is a challenge, especially since the sound department does not get very much prep time.

“The thing that I wish fellow crew members understood about sound mixing would be, I get a VERY NARROW window of time to rehearse a scene before we roll,” says Jamison Sweet, a St. Louis area location Sound Mixer. “Every department gets ample time to preplan, plan, rehearse, but with sound we practically have to wait for the very first shot of the scene, because everyone is working, so we can’t even hear the room until we shoot.”

When asked about his favorite part of his job, Sweet said, “My favorite part of being a sound mixer is that everyday is completely different. Stories that I get to be a part of, or learn about, it is an amazing experience to be able to be part of the story making process.” Van der Vyver had a similar answer, saying, “I really love the networking side of the job. I love meeting people who have worked with people I have, especially on travel doc shows or the features that come through. On the technical side, I love that every day is different, there’s a new challenge to overcome. I’m constantly thinking ‘how can I help tell this story?’”

We asked both Van der Vyver and Sweet what advice they have for people who are interested in a career in sound, and below are their answers:

Sweet: “The one thing I would say to anyone that is interested in sound is to talk with a sound mixer and try to get them to let you shadow them for a while. You will have to pay your dues, so to speak, but well worth it! It can be very rewarding.

Van der Vyver: “I would say get as much practice in as possible. Ask as many questions as possible. Say yes to opportunities that scare you. Learn the basics of Post audio, because that will help inform your confidence in yourself and your gear on set. Lastly, don’t forget to
press record.”

If you want to learn more about the sound department, contact us at mofilm@ded.mo.gov. If you work in the sound department and are interested in working on more films in Missouri, make or update your Production Services Directory listing today!