They will either want video journalist or one person camera crew. Applying as a boom operator won't have got you far, since it reveals you don't know much about shooting news. They may have an assistant for the news studio sound mixer, but since that probably just involves putting on tie clip mics, they may let the floor manager or other production person do that.

Oh okay, but I thought in this time of virus crises they would want a boom operator who could extend the pole from far away rather than having to get up close to the person to put a lav on.

Theyre doing this in vox pops, but clearly waving a boom wasnt covered in their audio course, 2 hours one afternoon at uni a few years before. On TV yesterday they did a live show with no audience and used the crew for the audience bits and were short of booms for distancing, so unscrewed the boom from a mic stand and used that! Love it!

Oh okay. I want to get more work as a boom op if possible but it seems like a real dying art as most people want to use lavs nowadays it seems.

In the news studio they can use desk mics, or the person can clip on the mic themselves. Studio interviewees are tending to be done online, so they''re not physically there.

On location the reporter can hold the mic boom. It's all to keep the costs down

Booms are only used on dramas or if there;s a studio audience, where people are asking questions. I suspect you're in the wrong location, unless they make a TV soap in your region or dramas.

I thought you gave up on booming as a job role? Blimey you swap a lot. Seriously though, its a rotten job. I always hated it, probably because it's hard work and often painful!

Ryan is going to
Boom, boom, boom
Even higher than the moon, moon, moon

I thought you gave up on booming as a job role? Blimey you swap a lot. Seriously though, its a rotten job. I always hated it, probably because it's hard work and often painful!

Oh well I have the boom pole and audio equipment, and people I work with keep asking me to do it, so I thought I would do it, for projects to be part of, if they keep asking me.

I was thinking from now on I am doing to get a DP for every project. However, in the past when I got DPs, if the DP became unavailable the actors and crew, expected me to take over the DP role. Is that expected of a director, if the DP becomes unavailable on the shoot dates?

No, you get another DP. It's pretty standard stuff on TV programmes. On dramas it can also happen, but the replacement DP has to match the style of the original one, that's also a key part of the 2nd unit DP's job. They can't do their own thing, everything has to match.

Okay thanks, I just don't like having to delay shoot dates while I look for another one. But if that's better, I can do it.

You ring around to find if someone else is available as soon as you hear that the first DP can't make it. I assume they're not falling out on the day of the shoot.

No they are not the day of the shoot, but a few days before something has come up. But I have to put out adds for a DP, and it takes a few days for others notice and respond to the add, and I couldn't get a new one in time before.

You should have the phone numbers for DPs in your contact book, so that you can phone around to see who's available on your shoot day. DPs often give their contact details in online trade directories or it's given by work of mouth.

No one puts out DP wanted ads for one day shoots or even crewing ads. The DP has almost always been picked before any crewing ads are posted. .

Sounds like this is a product of a non paying gig. Either something better came up or he decided he rather not work on your project. The only reason people work for free is gaining experience or use it for their reel/resume. But if the project is weak they’ll ditch at the first opportunity.

Oh well if the DP has a higher paying gig offered, I would have paid him more money than the other gig to stay, if he would have mentioned how much, but couldn't get a hold of him on the phone to talk about it.


You should have the phone numbers for DPs in your contact book, so that you can phone around to see who's available on your shoot day. DPs often give their contact details in online trade directories or it's given by work of mouth.

No one puts out DP wanted ads for one day shoots or even crewing ads. The DP has almost always been picked before any crewing ads are posted. .

Oh yes, I know it's just if the DP becomes unavailable I mean and I have to look for a new one. I do have numbers, but if the one you had originally cancels, and even if you call the numbers and none of the others can make it for those days, then I have to put out new DP calls to find someone knew.

If people are dropping out frequently that’s a sign there’s something wrong with your project. If this is the same movie you’ve talked about we already told you the premise is bad and the subject matter would be off putting to most people.

Oh no, I was talking about the short films before, but what I want to do differently next time. For that controversial project, no one is dropping out so far, but I've had trouble finding enough people for it so far as well.

If you want to produce your own movies then finding competent, reliable people who want to work on your project is going to be a difficult task.

Do think maybe I should someone who is really good at 'schmoozing' and who can really schmooze people to really want to be a part of a movie project?

They always do that, "it's a really great script" is the usual line.

They always do that, "it's a really great script" is the usual line.
LOL Where do I sign!