Deadbeat's Downfall - The Diary of a Sound Recordist. Part 2

"Deadbeat's Downfall" is being shot over the course of three days - Monday 23rd, Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th January. And Monday was fun.

I'd already spent the weekend recording some early Foley - punching steaks and smashing melons with hammers in an attempt to recreate the sound of somebody's head being crushed repeatedly - so come Monday morning I was very much in the mood to get some film made. It would have been nicer had I not had the worst possible night's sleep ahead of it, but like most things in life I've just got to work around that. It's not like I can travel back in time and try to go to sleep all over again (not yet, at least). And anyway, I was still fully able to do my job. It just meant I was slightly more tired than normal - especially come the end of the day, by which time I was shattered.

The morning got off to a truly wonderful start by all standards (that's sarcasm, just in case it didn't travel well through text). I'd set up the sound kit in the Unit Base, and I was waiting for my boom op to arrive, when I was informed that she was ill and wouldn't be on set today. Instantly, this lead to some panic - for a few seconds, until I learned that the spark would also be filling in as boom op.

It didn't prove to be much of an issue at all, really. He proved to be a very capable boom op, and between us we were able to get all of the sounds which I'd earmarked for the Monday shoot.

Deadbeat's Downfall - The Diary of a Sound Recordist. Part 1

Hello, one and all. I'm back, and with the first of what will hopefully be three or four blogposts chronicling the latest film project I'm working on - a short film going by the name of Deadbeat's Downfall (hence the name of the post). As those of you who read the post's title may well have guessed, I'm working as the sound recordist on set for the film, which is due to shoot next Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. I don't have gallons of experience as a sound recordist, but I know my way around the basic kit, so hopefully I'll be able to do a decent job.

And as an added bonus, I get a boom operator, so I don't have to murder my arms trying to hold the boom pole up in the air during lengthy takes. I'm basically living the dream!

As for the film itself, I can't say too much about the story (as the film hasn't been released yet, and I don't want to spoil it for anybody), but it's based on a wonderful script by Conor Dwyer, which has been adapted by the writing team of James McKeever (also serving as director) and Will Todd. It'll be shot on film, rather than digitally, and though it's only very short, it'll serve as an interesting challenge.