WHAT DOES A PRODUCTION SOUND MIXER DO? (In the Entertainment industry. What Does A What does a Production Sound Mixer Do?)

Production Sound Checklist / Photo Credit: Premium Beat

WHAT DOES A PRODUCTION SOUND MIXER DO? (In the Entertainment industry. What Does A What does a Production Sound Mixer Do?)     

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What Does A Production Sound Mixer Do?

Job titles vary according to the industry and can include sound assistant, sound recordist and sound supervisor.

Within film, specialist roles are available such as dialogue editor, dubbing mixer, production mixer and Foley artist.

Since The Jazz Singer first combined a synchronized instrumental score, spoken dialogue, and sound effects in 1927, audio has been an essential creative component to film and television production. Can you imagine Star Wars or Saving Private Ryan without sound? Behind all of the music, noise, and laughter that enhances the images on screen is the production sound mixer.

As a sound technician, it's your responsibility to assemble, operate and maintain the technical equipment used to record, amplify, enhance, mix or reproduce sound. You'll identify the sound requirements for a given task or situation and perform the appropriate actions to produce this sound.

Duties

The production sound mixer is the head of the sound department on set, and is brought in during pre-production to collaborate with the director and production manager to choose what type of microphones to use and select additional audio gear. This person may also give input on crew members to fill additional audio roles, like sound assistant, equipment technician, boom operator or cable runner.

During principal photography, the production sound mixer’s responsibilities are extensive. They include recording all sound on set: dialogue, sound effects, wild lines, live music, and room tone. He or she is also charged with maintaining log sheets for each roll of tape (or digitally formatted unit) recorded and marking printed takes, in conjunction with the camera assistant and script supervisor. The production sound mixer must make script notes to be used in case of reshooting (for continuity) and keep lists of wild tracks and sound effects that will be recorded later. This person will also direct the boom operator and design the placement of microphones and recording techniques for each shot—and keep an eye out for the dreaded boom shadow.

Sound technicians are required in a range of industries including:

• Advertising…
• Audio recordings…
• Broadcasting (radio or television)…
• Film…
• Live performance (theatre, music, and dance)… 

Responsibilities

Your responsibilities will vary depending on whether you work in such as production - the recording of all sound on set or on location or post-production - the balancing, mixing, editing and enhancing of pre-recorded audio.

Working in production, you'll need to:

• Assess the acoustics of the performance area and assemble and operate the necessary equipment…
• Consult with producers and performers to determine the sound requirements…
• Select, position, adjust and operate the equipment used for amplification and recording…
• Apply technical knowledge of sound recording equipment to achieve the determined artistic objectives…
• Record sound onto digital audio tape or hard disk recorders…
• Monitor audio signals to detect sound-quality deviations or malfunctions…
• Anticipate and correct any problems…
• Maintain and repair sound equipment… 

Working in post-production, you'll need to:

• Integrate (synchronize) pre-recorded audio (dialogue, sound effects and music) with visual content…
• Re-record and synchronize audio (post-synching)…
• Mix and balance speech, effects and music…
• Create and alter sound effects for use in films, television, etc... 

Skills & Education

College coursework in film and television production, recording arts, and communications are recommended but not required. Classes in these subjects can introduce you to the production process and give you hands-on experience in the use of sound equipment (microphones, mixing consoles) along with the required theoretical knowledge. To succeed in this role you must be a strong communicator and effective delegator, as well as having a highly trained ear. Work as a production assistant can get your foot in the door, and from there experience as a boom operator or sound assistant can lead to a gig as a production sound mixer.

What to Expect

In this role you are ultimately responsible for the sound of the show or film. Getting the recording right the first time is important, because each scene or line which has to be dubbed later pushes up the project’s budget and deadline. A sound mixer who is consistent and reliable is a valuable asset to any crew. This is also a highly creative career that allows for experimentation in recording techniques and innovation in sound design. It will take time and experience to work your way up to the level of sound mixer, but from there you can move on to roles on larger projects, cross over into sound editing, or work as a sound designer.

For large scale operations, such as film productions, you're usually required to work within sound teams. There are often separate sound teams for production and post-production. The job of a sound team is essentially to follow or interpret the instructions of the director, sound designer or sound supervisor.

A production sound mixer, location sound recordist, location sound engineer or simply sound mixer is the member of a film crew or television crew responsible for recording all sound recording on set during the filmmaking or television production using professional audio equipment, for later inclusion in the finished product, or for reference to be used by the sound designer, sound effects editors, or foley artists. This requires choice and deployment of microphones, choice of recording media, and mixing of audio signals in real time.

Usually, the recordist will arrive on location with his/her own equipment, which normally includes microphones, radio systems, booms, mixing desk, audio storage, headphones, cables, tools, and a paper or computer sound logs. The recordist may be asked to capture a wide variety of wild sound on location, and must also consider the format of the finished product (mono, stereo or multi channels). The recorded production sound track is later combined with other elements, i.e. effects, music, narration, foley or re-recorded dialog by automatic dialogue replacement (ADR).

Often, when taping on video, the sound recordist may record (single system) audio directly onto the camera rather than use a separate medium (double system), although a separate copy is often made, as it both provides an extra copy which may have more tracks and also may include other sound captured without the camera.

The sound mixer is considered a department head, and is thus completely responsible for all aspects of production sound including the hiring of a boom operator and utility sound technician, planning the technical setup involving sound including both sound equipment and ancillary devices involved in syncing and time offsets, anticipating and discussing sound-related problems with the rest of the crew, and ordering and preparing the sound equipment to be used on the set.

You can get involved in projects such as doing the rigging and sound for amateur theatre or local musicians. Anything that helps to create contacts in the industry will be useful.

Sources, References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, WikiBooks, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The Balance, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Media Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, Daily Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend, Producer's Code of Credits, Truity, Production Hub, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Variety, Wolf Crow, Get In Media, Production Beast, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, 

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Production Sound Checklist / Photo Credit: Premium Beat