Why "One Man Band" Sound Mixing Doesn't Work:

[Bill Davis]

Just to re-visit to stir the pot...

The problem has always been the thread title. It's an absolute. Absolutes are bad.

The instructive think to my thinking is how easy it is for people to think that the way THEY do things is always the way it needs to be done. And understand that that reality is as true of the SPC practitioner as it is of an orientation where "sound mixing" is a thing done on a large set with a large team of people being paid to be there.

It would be interesting to know the truth of the matter. I'd love to see a pie chart that accurately breaks down how many of the "video productions" being done all over the world in the next seven days fell into nice pie slices ranging from "1 person goes out to do everything" to "Hollywood franchise movie arrives with 15 trucks and 100 people reporting on-location at 5:00am"

But that pie chart doesn't exist. So it's comforting to simply relate to what we're comfortable with. So a "shoot" for the SPC guy is a crew of one. And a "shoot" for a hollywood guy is a sound department of 15 and a location crew of 6 (or whatever)

Between those two extremes is a huge range of differences that the original title of this thread ignores.

One thing is sure. No matter WHICH slice on the pie chart your project falls into - there WILL be someone trying to do it for less money! That's just how business works. Controlling costs is a major component of ALL business. Period.

So the thing we're talking about - particularly here in SPC is how to make that reality WORK the best it can in the situation we find ourselves in most often.

And sorry, but the truth is that for a wide range of useful video production processes, it's perfectly possible for a sole practitioner to get great results. It requires knowing the precise circumstances when a lav, or an overhead on a stand mounted boom - taking into consideration the sound profile of the space - combined with a simple, clean recorder that the camera operator can ride levels on - is ALL that's required to meet the needs of the shot at hand. And there are probably tens of thousands of shots like being recorded every week around the world. Heck, it's the default status of nearly every field interview you see on TV below the "network package" level.

It is also VERY true that there are a wide range of recording situations where a single sound person IS totally inadequate. And if you try to apply that model in the wrong circumstances, you'll screw things up royally. Because it's equally true that in trying to save the cost of a couple of qualified crew people in the field, the production may have to bear the costs of 10 or 20 or even a hundred times the short term cost savings in Foley work or ADR or (shudder) re-shooting. Heck, if you're working with rarified talent, the one day callback fee to fix that bad decision might be 100 times the cost of the extra crew all by itself!

The point in my mind is that the internet is full of people who are willing to tell you how stuff has to be done in order to do it properly. There's nothing wrong with that at all. But more important is the requirement that when you read or hear those voices, you have to be experienced enough to judge whether what that voice is telling you has reasoning that backs up their opinions. And that reasoning is what provides the context for knowing whether to take their arguments at face value - or whether you need to say to yourself "Well, that's one way to do things when I'm in a situation that which is being described - but not always."

Along that path lies wisdom, IMO.

[Don Bloom]

Bill, very well put.
To me it's like saying to a carpenter, build my house but all you get is a 22 oz. framing hammer and a crosscut saw. Sure it can be done but...Sometimes it's the right tool and sometimes you need a whole lot more.
When I do a seminar for example, I work with the sound guy (most of them I've known for a long time so it does go smoothly) but for 99.999% of seminars there is not need for more than 1 sound guy just like there's no need for more than 1 video engineer and no need for more than 1 guy (if that) on the DMX board.
Do a stage show and yeah you're probably gonna need a bigger boat if you catch my drift. Each job has different requirements so never say never, never say always!

[Graham Bernard]

Bill and Don - yes.

Maybe the title could read:

"Why "One Man Band" Sound Mixing Doesn't Work, all the time!

...or...

"Why "One Man Band" Sound Mixing Can Work"

My "take" on it.

Anyway, great thread with valuable contributions.

Grazie

[Josh Bass]

He said the article specifically mentions film sets and reality shows as the instances hes making a case for.

[Graham Bernard]

Got that.

G

[Josh Bass]

Sorry to keep beating that dead horse, just seemed like some people missed that little nugget.

[Graham Bernard]

No worries. "People" dip in and out of these Forums and may not, as you say, could miss the relevant/initial poise and purpose for the thread's reason to be born.

G