Larry Ellison, Jack Dorsey, Craig Newmark, Jeff Bezos. These names may be familiar, or they may not. Oracle, Twitter, Craigslist, Amazon; these names are very familiar. These are examples of people who may have been considered nerds and may have been picked on growing up, but are now successful, billionaire founders of these companies/websites.
The point being: you never know which “nerd” you’re picking on will become rich and successful. Don’t pick on the poor folks in the sound department, they’re people too, and they’re important to the success of the production.
Often, the “cool kids” in the camera, production, grip… really, every other department will look down upon the audio crew. They blame all their problems on the audio crew, and probably even say mean and hurtful things behind their backs- or, to their face for the full, bullying experience. A camera operator forgets to role: audio’s fault. The actor forgets her lines: audio’s fault. Craft services is out of creme cheese for the bagels: audio’s fault. Your dog used your living room rug as a restroom: yup, audio’s fault.
Audio is a very difficult position that requires hard work, concentration, a plethora of experience, and most importantly, thick skin. In this two part audio odyssey, we will explore the challenges and intricacies of the audio department; and shed a bright, happy, non-judgmental light upon this misunderstood and scrutinized world and those who inhabit it.
To get started, watch this video, which takes an awesome look at sound production on a film set. https://vimeo.com/116200417