updates

We've started Swingtown, back from the WGA strike. Production for the show began back on March 25 and we are already into our second episode since we kick back into production. Everything is going quite smoothly and we are all happy to be back to the grind. Swingtown will begin airing May 29 at 10pm. It's the slot right after CSI, so we are hopeful for a good carry over audience. The show is good, so all we need is viewers...

The new cart is working fantastic. Not much I'd like to change at this point as I'm still getting used to the design and footprint. We were out at Disney Ranch for a couple of days last week, so it had the rough ground test. It was really stable and performed just fine. Actually much better than my previous cart, which was a surprise. Very happy so far.

~pwp

Finished sound cart

The cart is done. Finished loading the gear this weekend. Just in time to load in for work this Monday. Here is the link to the whole process:

sound cart page




~pwp

Cart phase 1.5

I got the base back from powder coating this past Friday. I've reassembled the base structure..looks pretty good.

I'm in the middle of ordering and purchasing all the needed items for the gear assembly.

~pwp

Cart phase 1

I took delivery of the new cart this past weekend. Brett Grant-Grierson has done a great job building the base and platform for the SKB Shock Rack. I've put a page of photos together.

Sound Cart photos

Here is the assembly before the powder coat. The bottom supports for the base are steel, and are off getting coated black at this time.



Once I get the base back and coated, I'll assemble the gear and put up some new shots.

~pwp

New Cart in production

I've decided to move on from my PSC modified sound cart, which has been my main recording cart (off and on) for 9 years. It has become somewhat unstable due to the amount of weight that it must support. I sit a little too high for my liking, causing me to hunch over when I get tired..which is everyday and my back hurts regularly.

The new design will be a Shock Rack based cart with a platform designed around a vertical Magliner. Brett Grant-Grierson is designing and building the platform. Hopefully we can have it completed before he heads back to work on Medium...which is a couple of weeks off.

I'm sourcing all the parts today and hopefully will have them to him by this evening. The cutting and welding will begin immediately. Pictures to follow...

~pwp

New vertical follow cart completed

Sorry it took me a while to finish out this project, but it was the holidays after all.

The cart is completed with three rack drawers containing microphones, wireless transmitters and related gear, Comteks and IFB's, mic mounts, etc. The bottom bin is for extra gear and spare batteries, etc. The top deck has small bins for primary batteries, and 2 IPower 9volt chargers. The back has hooks for 2 Rycotes that have Sanken CS3e's.

This was my first sound cart, and had been sitting in my garage for about 8 years. It was a recycle job. This new/old cart will fit nicely behind my main cart inside my GMC Safari van. Bye Bye to the Rubbermaid!









~pwp

new follow cart for day calls

My dilemma: The follow and accessory cart that I have been using for the last couple of years is a rather huge, six drawered behemoth that has the nickname of "the bus". When doing day calls and commercials I have to use my GMC Safari van, which completely rules out it's use. I can't even get this cart through the back doors of the GMC, and even if I could...it could kill me at any moment. In years past I have used a Rubbermaid cart fashioned with three drawers, hooks for the Rycotes, pole mounts, etc.

My mission is to make a vertical cart into a usable accessory and follow cart. Haven't seen anything that I like in this realm, so it's a good project. I've got lots of time thanks to the WGA strike, and several carts to steal parts from in the garage. It will be a recycle project as well... More to come.

~pwp

strike movement??

A couple of things have happened in the last days that show some positive movement in the continuing WGA strike. First, welcome to the Directors. It seems the DGA is not thrilled with the continued effect the strike is having on it's members, and has chosen to begin its negotiations in January regardless of the status of the WGA situation. This has the effect of saying, "the directors have arrived". If a deal is sealed by the DGA for it's upcoming contract negotiations, the pressure will surely increase dramatically for the WGA to follow suit. The next thing that has so many talking is the Late Night hosts have decided to return to the small screen in January regardless of the WGA strike efforts. This shows the support for the strike has eroded in some circles, specifically all those NOT part of Worldwide Pants (The Letterman owned production company). WWP has lined up an interim deal with the WGA to allow his writers to return to work. The other shows, Leno/O'Brian/Kimmel, all will be without WGA support at this time. The ratings have sloped to all time lows, and their long term future is apparently in jeapordy. I guess this would be the only reason to return while the strike is still on.

The best source for strike information, Deadline Hollywood Daily. I don't always agree with Nikki, but she gets all the info and lays it out there. She's totally on top of it, and she's the new industry trade as far as I'm concerned.

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/

Please negotiate

The arrogance of the negotiating teams for the WGA and AMPTP is astounding. As I sit, almost all of my friends in the business of Television and Film Production have lost their jobs. A select few have found jobs on features that will carry them through the holidays, and perhaps the toughest part of the strike. The ripple effect is being felt throughout the community. My next door neighbor has seen a decline in business at his work place. There have been lay offs at restaurants around the studio sites due to no lunch and dinner crowds. Crew folk like myself are not shopping for the holidays. Charitable donations have all but ceased, food banks and toy drives are empty.

All this is from the greed of a very select few people who already stand to make a very good living from their job of choice, even with the previous contract. The new one, even if it's the one the the AMPTP would like to see, will certainly show some sort of increase in the average income of the ABOVE average salaries.

It's very true that many, if not most of the writers in the WGA do not make a substantial living from their efforts. The large part of the income is garnered by a select few individuals who have had the fortune of writing successful projects. But I must stress an earlier point...it is a job of choice. No one is holding anyone down and forcing them to be a writer. For most, it is a vocation of passion, and art. And with any luck, you can make a buck.

But now...the entire industry is being held hostage by the negotiating team of the WGA. Pull yourselves together and go back to the table. Clean slate...no demands. Negotiating is not about demands, it's about give and take. Start over from the beginning and save our jobs.

Just my opinion....

~pwp

Jericho air date - 2/12

We have an air date! Season 2 of Jericho will begin on February 12 at 10pm. Our lead in show will be a new season of Big Brother.

The WGA strike has effectively shut down the fall season of TV shows. Nearly all shows have shut down, or are in the process of doing so at this point. It looks like a bleak holiday season if you are in our business. Since the talks have broken down, support for the striking writers is becoming more fragile. I expect that support to erode substantially as we head through the holidays. My hopes are high for a good WGA contract, but the price for that contract seems to be the jobs of so many.

It's up to the Jericho Rangers now. Get the word out. Let's get the viewers in front of the TV's. The ratings are more important now than ever. It's a whole new ball game to get a season 3.

~PWP

Swingtown...down for the strike

This past Tuesday was our last day of photography due to the current dispute between the AMPTP and the WGA. We had high hopes of continuing production, but we were cut short due to lack of prepared scripts. At lunch on Tuesday, lay off letters were issued to each crew member. We knew it was coming, but I've never actually received an official lay off letter. That's a first.

This coming Monday, November 26, the two sides have reported that they will begin negotiations again. Many things could happen, so I will reserve my predictions. My hopes however, are the swift end to this strike, a compromise and agreement to return back to work. Thousands will suffer the consequences of this strike this holiday season, which is tough already due to the economy.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday. Cross your fingers and lets send good wishes to the negotiators, in hopes that an agreement will be made.

~PWP

A short ending

We are now mid way through shooting episode 103 of Swingtown, and due to the current WGA writers strike we will be shutting down production next week. We got off to a pretty good start, but alas...the disagreement between the studios and the writers will put a quick end to our production schedule. This will put some 140 or more of us out of work.

Let's all hope cooler heads will prevail, and the negotiating will begin again. It seems there is no talking at this point...which many of us do not understand. It seems, at least to me, that if you want a contract that you like...you must negotiate to get it. There is so much more at play than I or any of those I work with understand, but now we are out of work because of it. We are now the casualties. Many of us in the industry cannot afford a long lay off, as we do not make the salaries of the executives or the select few writers who make most of the money. We are the working class, the labor, the engine that keeps the shows on the air, in the theaters and I guess now on the web.

Please, lets get back together and hammer out a deal!

~PWP

Pre-Production of Swingtown

We have several phases of production in the film and TV world. Pre-production, everything before the camera starts rolling. Production, everything while the camera is rolling. And Post-production, which is everything after the camera stops rolling. There is actually more, but that's the gist of it all. There is more...but not something I will go into any detail.

Right now, we are less than a week away from beginning production and principal photography of Swingtown. This is a freshman series that will be a mid-season replacement on CBS for the 2007-2008 season. We're looking at a January(ish) start for Swingtown. We don't know the dates or time because we are waiting to see what new shows don't fulfill the networks dream of success.

Pre-production for a me as a sound mixer is a lot of things. Equipment cleaning, updating my gear if possible, meetings, and getting in as much rest as possible since our days will be long. The gear is in pretty dusty and dirty shape after Jericho, so I spent the better part of yesterday cleaning the main recording cart. Today will be the follow and accessory cart. Lots of new wireless to program and label, as I've updated all my transmitters.

Swingtown looks as though I will get a bit of a reprieve from the dusty farms of Jericho. Our new show takes place in Chicago, so it looks like urban locations for the next 5 or more months. I welcome that aspect. The farm was incredibly dusty and difficult on the crew and myself.

I look forward to giving some updates as we start production next week.

Lectro transmitter upgrades

I've wanted to do this for some time now, and with the new SMa mods now available for the smaller SM transmitters it seems now is the time. I'm upgrading all my UM transmitters to the SMa model. It's an expensive transition, but the size, weight and performance benefit makes it a worthwhile expense. The boom rigs will stay as UM's but I am upgrading to the UM450, 1/4 watt version.

I'll report later on the transition.

We start Swingtown at the end of the month, so it's clean up and upgrade time.

~PWP

Wrap on Jericho season 2

That's it! We're done with principal photography on Jericho season 2, all 7 episodes. It was a crazy, long, and emotional last week of filming.

Thank you to everyone at Jericho and CBS for helping us out. And to all the fans for their support and dedication, which is why we came back for more.

It's rest time for me and my crew. We have about a month off before we embark on another project....more on that in another post.

Time to clean all the Jericho dust off of everything....

Tomorrow is the release of the Season 1 box set of Jericho. There is a lot there, behind the scenes, all the episodes, interviews, etc. Go pick it up... Thanks for listening.

~PWP

Mini rig in action

For those sound mixers out there who daily do the bag rig deal, this probably seems like a strange post. However, those of us who primarily spend our days sitting behind our sound carts...this is a pretty big deal. I put together this bag rig as a totally separate recording system for when I have to jump in a car, on an insert vehicle, top of a building, down on the beach...you get the idea. Anywhere the cart is a difficult operation.

These past 2 episodes of Jericho have been really rough and tumble. Lots of difficult locations and situations. I've been able to do these things by having this rig ready to go at any time. I just burn a different sound DVD for these situations. It's working great! Redundant receivers for the mini rig, allow for the seemless transition to my cart when we jump back to normal operations, as we did here. As soon as the dialog was complete in the vehicle...we continued the scene outside.



~PWP

Ep 6 almost in the can...

We are on the last day of photography for episode 6 of Jericho season 2. Scott Peters has been our director for this episode, and done a fine job with so little time to tell a story.

Scott is most known for his work as Writer/Director/Producer of the popular series 4400. Also quite a bit of work on the series The Outer Limits. Don't worry Jericho fans....we haven't jumped the shark and gone to the Aliens did it. But that's a good leap...

We have one episode left before we put the show to bed once again. It will be up to the fans once again.

Buy the DVD box set please. I believe there will be quite a few extras such as commentary, behind the scenes, etc. in the DVD package.

~PWP

Going green - using rechargeable batteries

This season of Jericho I decided to try and cut down on my waste of one use alkaline and lithum batteries. We would go through a bucket of batteries every couple of weeks under normal operation. The wireless transmitters, IFB receivers, sync boxes, TC slates and many other items all use 9 volt and AA batteries. So I have given it a try and I am very pleased with the results.

For 9 volt batteries, I have been using the IPower Lithium Polymer battery system. The batteries seem to last longer than your average alkaline and on par with the lithium single use battery. The accompanying chargers are called smart chargers, due to their conditioning ability of the battery. The battery is drained and charged properly to ensure a longer and more reliable life. There have been a couple of batteries that had strange behavior. Specifically, showing full charge but having absolutely no voltage when metered. When put back on the charger, they still show full charge. Then taken off the charger, they might show max voltage...or not. Apparently the internal circuitry is at fault here, and the battery is no good. I've sent back a couple. These are easy to single out, and I've replaced them. I also had one charger that was quite flakey. It would sometimes light up when a battery was placed on charge, and sometimes not. That one got swapped out too.



The AA batteries are Duracell NiMH 2650mAh batteries, and again have better performance than the comparable AA alkaline battery. The chargers are the Maha MH-C801D eight cell charger. These work very quickly and produce a lot of heat. If you try and grab a battery off the charger right as it's done...you'll get burned. They are really hot!!



We keep 16 9 volts and 32 AA batteries in circulation. I hope to add some more Ipower 9 volts soon, to start using them in all the comteks as well. I've cut down on my disposable battery usage by at least 50% since starting this season. The results have been much better than anticipated.

~PWP

Jericho ep. 5

We are a few days into episode 5 of season 2. Guy Bee is our director for this ep. Guy was our director for "Rogue River" and "Coalition of the Willing" last year. A seasoned veterin of the Jericho family. Very happy to have him for another great, action packed episode.

It's time I did another equipment related post, so tomorrow I'm going to try and put something together about my new rechargeable battery systems. Boring as it may seem, it's part of my world.

~PWP

Jericho season 2.....halfway

This past Friday marked our halfway point in production of season 2. Sadly we have only 7 episodes to film this season, but all of us hope that these will lead to a longer and full season 3 next year.

Friday we were out at the Farm once again. The dust and seemed more than usual...not too sure why. Maybe the water trucks weren't running full steam or something.

Our director for this episode has been Steve Gomer. Steve directed one of our best episodes from last season, "Heart of Winter". At least this episode doesn't have the wind, snow and cold weather we endured for his last season.

Cheers to Jon Turtletaub, Karim Zreik and Dan Shotz for signing their deal with CBS/Paramount for more TV projects in the future.

~PWP

Sunset at Richmond Farm

Here is a photo taken from our set out at Big Sky... aka. Richmond Farm. I think that's our Fire Safety Officer enjoying the sunset.




~PWP

Jericho 2 .... mid week 4

Not too much to report at this time, just wanted to touch base. We've been putting in some long hours...which is pretty normal for TV production these days.

We've spent the better part of the last 2 weeks on stage, which has been welcome since the heat here in So. CA has been pretty intense.

I'll try and have a more detailed update soon.

PWP

interview on Jericho Monster

Here's a link to an interview with me on the blog Jericho Monster:

Thanks...

PWP

Jericho 2 .... End of week 2

It's Friday here on the set of Jericho. We've spent the last couple of days out at the ranch getting dusty. Glad to be back in the air conditioning.

Thank you to all the Rangers and fans who have posted comments and sent shouts through BlogCatalog. It's great to hear from all of you.

The weather is supposed to cool down a little this weekend, and on into next week. That should make our exteriors much easier to handle. It's still better than last season, when the temp got up to 115 out at the mine while we were filming episode 2. That was miserable.

Someone sent me a note asking to give a bit of a Job Description of what I do. I'll start putting that together.

For the sound folks out there... I put the mini-rig together and it's working great. No more dragging the cart into impossible locations or ripping everything apart for insert cars. The mini-rig consists of a Sound Devices 442 and 744T, 3 Lectro 411 receivers, 1 Comtek M216, and an Ambiet Lockit. All powered by a Remote Audio BDS and NP1. Here's a pic:



Hope everyone has a great weekend.

PWP

Jericho 2....day 7

Well...thanks to the Jericho Rangers and BlogCatalog, I no longer have to wonder if anyone ever reads this blog. Thanks for all the comments and shout outs.

Yesterday was quite a day, long and hot. We started the day at 6am, pretty normal for a Monday here in LA...but it was a 14 hour day and I rolled in my door at about 8:30 last night. Exhausted and it's only the first day of the week.

The cast and producers went to ComiCon this past Sunday and we heard the stories. It was an amazing turnout to the panel. They were absolutely blown away by the response and fan support. The fans really own the show. If it weren't for all of you out there, we would all be doing something else this year...but Jericho lives. Lennie gave me the run down of all the questions, the cheers, the Rangers...he's hilarious. We laughed...and watched more YouTube Jericho videos. Yes, we watch them...

We complete episode 201 today, with 202 coming right on it's heals. Back out at the farm on Wednesday. Hot...

PWP

Jericho begins

Still have no idea if anyone ever reads this thing...

We started photography for Season 2 of Jericho this past week.  Lots of changes in the crew, as many left for other shows at the notice of cancellation.  We have an entirely different Camera, Grip and Electric department.  The show is looking great and we have some great stories developing for the fans that brought us back.  We hope they are as excited as we are.

This past week found the crew deep in a ravine, yet again.  Very rough terrain with no real level ground.  My sound cart was doing okay, but I think it would have been a lot easier to just do the mini-rig that I have been thinking of building.  The mini-rig will consist of a SD 442, SD 744, 3 radios, and a Comtek transmitter all in a Petrol PEGZ1 bag.   So, I put the order in and should have it for our next trip down the rough road.

Here's something for our Jericho fans:

NT2 and the water...

We only had 5 days to complete on National Treasure 2, though they were a very difficult 5 days. It consisted of 6 actors being close to neck deep in rushing water delivering 6 pages of dialog. We gave up on radios right off the bat because the packs would be below water level, and the rushing water would dowse the mic capsules immediately. We opted for two booms, bagged up as best as possible to keep dry. Not much kept dry.  On day 3 we lost both boom rigs to the water, with 2 MKH50's going under. The booms were wireless, so the transmitters went too.  A heavy day for loss and damage.  We also lost a Time Code Slate somewhere along the way. I'm probably no friend to the production accountant right now.

All in all we recorded a pretty good guide track for the sequence.  The rushing water noise, along with the pumps, shouting crew, etc. didn't make for an ideal recording situation.  

My crew really dug in and did their best to get the best tracks possible. Thank you to Robert Maxfield on boom, and Patrick Martens and Jeff Zimmerman as Sound Utility. Great job guys.

Now, I've got to get all this stuff cleaned up for Jericho. We start production in less than 2 weeks.

PWP

SF for the Weekend & finishing up NT2:Book of Secrets

Went for a quick weekend trip to San Francisco, which is close to an impossibility.  A quick weekend trip anywhere is very difficult these days with the state of air travel.  And a trip for only 2 days to San Francisco is almost futile.  Well, we tried it and had a good time.  Though quite a bit rushed to do just about everything.  Had a couple of good dinners, and did some shopping around Union Square.  We stayed at a very swanky boutique hotel called Hotel Diva on Geary street.  The first night almost killed the entire weekend.  I booked the trip through Travelocity, which meant that I had no input as to where or what our rooms might be.  We ended up with a room directly on top of the truck delivery and trash pick up.  Also right in front of the Geary Theater which is the current home of Jersey Boys.  The noise was unbelievable.  We were about to check out at 3 am and head to the airport to hop on a plane back home, when they offered to "upgrade" us to a more pleasant room.  Well...the new room had a bigger bed, a desk lamp that actually turned off without unplugging it, no street noise, and a clock radio that was actually plugged in.  Disaster averted by the night desk clerk.  We enjoyed the rest of our stay very nicely in the swanky, Euro styled Hotel Diva, which had very cool internet lounges on almost every floor.  My suggestion if you plan to stay there....call ahead and ask for a room as far away from Geary street as possible.

Tomorrow I take over sound duties on National Treasure:Book of Secrets.  There is only about one week left of production, but they have gone over and the mixer had to leave for previous engagements.  Looking forward to working with Jon Turtletaub again.  We worked together on Jericho for quite some time.

PWP

IA 695 meeting and discussions

Went to the quarterly union meeting today and was saddened by the turnout.  We didn't make quorum, so it ending up being an informal gathering.  No business could be conducted.  Though we had lively discussion on a few subjects for over 2 hours.  One interesting thing was a brief mention on the looming contract negotiations between the Producers and the Writers Guild. The possibility of strike being the most feared outcome of those negotiations.  Several members feel that it is all talk and they will come to an agreement, while others are shouting "save your money, we're going down".  I'm trying not to buy into the fear of strike movement at this point, as I see that many productions are going on business as usual.  The fear was that production companies would start to stockpile shows in order to have a backlog of material when and if the strike happens.  In years past, this has created a 'de-facto" strike, as the strike never happened...the backlog of shows caused a long pause in production.  The end result was the same thing, many folks didn't work because of the backlog.  It seems to me that this is not happening this time, which could be good if the parties reach an agreement.  If they go on strike, the whole town will feel the heat.  I for one hope everyone holds their head up and comes to an agreement.

Bag Rigs

I don't really do the run and gun video shoots very often, and the reality gigs are not for me. But occasional documentaries, interviews and the odd day call are interesting for me. I've always had a bag ready for these sort of things, but lately I've wanted to upgrade it to a more useful rig. With the guidance of a few mixers who do this sort of thing on a regular basis, I went for the Petrol PEGZ1 bag rather than the old stand by Porta Brace. The end result was a nice and comfortable bag rig, that can be modified to do whatever I need to do.

In video mode, this rig contains:
Sound Devices 442
2 Lectro 411 receivers
2 Lectro 200 transmitters for camera hop
1 Comtek M216 transmitter
Remote Audio BDS power distribution with NP1
Transmitters, Lav mics and accessories.



My plans are to use this same bag as my mini rig for recording when needed. I will replace the contents of the upper pocket, the receivers and transmitters, with a Sound Devices 744T. This will be my rig for insert cars, tops of buildings, the occasional bus and train type of shots. Anywhere that the cart can't make the trip.

~PWP

Day calls and rechargeables

Starting to get quite a few day calls for coming up. I actually quite like doing commercials and day calls, as it allows me to meet so many more people. Last week it was toy commercials, this week it is dog trainers and 2nd unit on a big feature. We don't start back on Jericho till mid/late July, so it's good to keep the income going.

I'm going to try some rechargeable batteries this coming season. The new iPower Lithium rechargeable systems have been getting good reports. I'm going to try them on my wireless boom and IFB rigs, as well as my standard UM400 belt packs. Not sure what I'm going to do with my SM packs yet. The SM's and my slates use AA's, so I'm doing some more investigation. I'm trying to limit the big footprint of a bunch of plastic battery chargers and wall wart power supplies. I hate that... More reports to come on this.

~PWP

Jericho Lives!

It was amazing. Close to 25 tons of peanuts, endless phone calls and emails to the network. The largest fan and viewer revolt in TV history worked. Jericho will return to CBS sometime this fall season with at least 7 new episodes. The network will watch this VERY closely, so hopefully the fans will turn out. If there is success, perhaps a season 3. A long shot at best, but that's what the show is all about, survival. Cheers to all the fans who stuck with and supported us.

Thank you to www.nutsonline.com

On the work front, some more days of National Treasure 2, Book of Secrets as they are nearing the end of their schedule. 2nd unit is picking up the leftover bits and pieces. I rather enjoy that sort of thing. Lots of stunt work though, waiting around, etc. All good...

~PWP

updates

Been a bit of a slow summer, but things are picking up a bit. Did some 2nd unit work over on National Treasure 2, Book of Secrets, a couple of commercials and the NFL Rookie Premiere for the NFL Network.

The campaign to save Jericho is now called the biggest viewer revolt in television history. Check out www.nutsonline.com to see the up to date pound count of nuts sent to CBS. It's absolutely awesome to see the fan support of our show. We only wish that CBS would acknowlege the fans, but that seems a long shot. Keep this up! They have to listen eventually!

Really feeling the need to get a bigger vehicle to haul all my gear around. Doing the day call routine has required using my GMC Safrari van. I bought the thing way back in '99, when I had a few cases and a small sound cart...my things have changed. If I don't end up on a series for the coming season, I am considering a Sprinter van. I will have more than enough room in the Sprinter, and not have to fold my cart down for load. Not to mention the ability to stand up when I load and unload the equipment. My good friend Frank Menges has tricked out a Sprinter quite well for a sound package...very interesting.

Updated the website yesterday. www.palmeraudio.net It was looking a little old and Windows Front Page like, as that's how it was created. I've since moved over to the Mac camp, and used Freeway Express to quickly create a simple and effective site. Freeway is a really easy program...after the 3 tutorials you can get right down to business.

~PWP

I've been entertaining the idea of putting together a smaller, "mini rig", as a stand alone for insert cars, boats, busses, rooftops, or wherever the main cart can't make it. This would not be a bag rig type of set up, that's something else...and another topic.

This would have to be a mixer, recorder, 2 to 4 wireless receivers, Comtek and Lectro IFB's. Something nice and tight, that could stay built and be ready for use when the main cart is still set up.

Thoughts please...

Thanks to all those who helped me out this season. We had a lot of help both on and off the set. Thanks to Location Sound Corporation and Coffey Sound for their usual support. We had a lot of crew come and go throughout the 9 months, and I really appreciate all of you. We don't know if we are up for a season 2, so cross your fingers.

I'm taking some much needed time off, then getting back in the game. I should be ready for day work and whatever else beginning April 23. My van will be ready for day calls...so there you go.

~PWP

Looks like Zaxcom has figured out the problem with my DEVA, and potentially the problem of many early generation units. The first of the DEVA IV and V units that were shipped with the internal DVD-RAM drive had a 2X drive. The newer media that is available for use is 3X and 5X, with higher speeds on the way. The older drives had problems with the mounting and stability of the newer media speeds. With the install of a new UJ-85J drive, the unmounting and non-responsive drive issues have gone away. I've had the drive back for 3 days now, and things seem to be very stable. I'm running version 3.39.

Let me know if you're having strange DEVA behavior, I might have some insight.

~PWP

Pure sad blogging activity. I'm really bad about this. I promise to try and do better this year...

We've got about a month to go here on Jericho. Winding up the season with a lot of action...

Been having a lot of difficulty with my DEVA lately. The DVD-RAM drive has been very unpredictable and unreliable. Considering this is the method of delivery for the entire system...I consider this to be of great concern. The main problem is that the drive tends to un-mount the DVD-RAM periodically, rendering the drive unresponsive and useless until I power cycle the machine. This has been happening intermittently since I purchased the DEVA, but lately more frequent. Then all of sudden, the drive would not recognize any disk, by any manufacturer, or any speed. The common response from both the vendor and the maker of the machine has been, "it must be the media". I would think that, if the same media didn't work in other machines by other manufacturers, such as the Sound Devices 702T. This is not the case. The media works fine in other systems. I have also spoken with several other mixers who are experiencing the same symptoms and problems. Mine is finally going back to Zaxcom for service...let's hope it doesn't sit on the bench too long.

More to come on this matter...

Got a new console at the end of 2006. I'm now mixing on a Cooper 208D. A beautiful sounding mixing panel. I can't believe I waited so long to change over. I'm running all 10 channels on the DEVA, using the digital outputs for the master tracks and all eight iso tracks are running in analog. So far....so good.

Starting to look for work! Oh my...haven't done that in a while.

~PWP

Ooops, sorry it's been a while. We've been hard at work with the drama/series Jericho. Patrick Martens has taken a break until February, so we have Mike Piortrowski on boom for a while.

I've added some equipment to the cart, mostly enhancing the wireless set up. Just this week I installed an antenna multicoupler that allows my spare wireless units and my Lectro Sixpack to run on one set of antennae. Seems to be working well...I like having my spare units ready for when big scenes require more than 6 wires. This happens daily...

The Sound Devices 702T has new software that allows for simultaneous recording to compact flash and DVD-RAM. I've only had a couple of hiccups in this system, a re-boot has solved the problem. Hopefully new versions of the software will stabilize the process.

I tried the demo version of the MIX12 from Zaxcom and was not impressed with some of the key features. I'm sure this will be a very nice product for some, but not for me. The gain, navigation and lack of inputs and outputs on the main control surface are big issues. If the DEVA has problems or locks up in any way...you can't swap out to anything other than another DEVA. Also, there are no dedicated headphone or IFB feeds, like on every other location mixer. You lose one of the analog outputs for each of these feeds. I found that you needed to run the input trim almost all the way up to get a normal amount of gain that we are used to on the analog panels commonly in use.

After a demo of the Cooper 208D and the Zaxcom Mix12, and careful thought about the Sonosax SX-ST...I have decided on the Cooper 208D. The sound and function of the mixer is unparalleled by anything out there. Purely a subjective comment on my part...I just like the way it sounds.

Here's a pic of the current sound crew on Jericho... Keep watching...please!

Here are three pictures of the sound cart as it lives on the set of Jericho. It's usually quite smokey on the set, so it looks like I'm in a fog...which I am.





Oops, I almost forgot the follow cart. Also known as "the bus"

Yep...late night filming tonight.

We're into episode 6 right now. It's the week of Labor Day, and our season premiere is just 2 weeks away.

Not much to report, except we've been hard at work now for over 9 weeks. We've settled into a pretty good groove, but the days are still long. Pretty much as expected.

Jericho, Wednesday nights starting September 20, 8pm Eastern/Pacific...please watch, thks.

We are a couple of weeks into the season of Jericho. The HD camera systems have gone through a bit of a change, we started with Fiber Optic links....and ditched them after 3 days. The Telecast system that we tried was definitely not ready for film style production. Too many variables and too delicate of a system to operate in the rough and tumble world of episodic television.

I have basically stayed the course, with recording master tracks on my DEVA...sending a mix track only to telecine. Backing that mix track up on a Sound Devices 702T, and burning a DVD-R at the end of every folder change on the DEVA. All DVD-RAM and DVD-R numbers remain consistent. All mix and iso tracks from the DEVA are dumped to an external hard drive, then sent to sound editorial at the end of every episode. Hope that made sense.

We are about halfway done with the second episode and all seems to be working smoothly. ;)

Very busy show, lots of moving around and hectic situations. Very different from my last project, Medium.

Patrick Martens and Jeff Zimmerman are my crew, and working quite well and hard. Doing a great job!

PWP

And the summer hiatus is ..... gone.

I will be starting a new series for CBS this fall, not returning to Medium as earlier reported. My crew and I will be joining the production of Jericho, airing on Wednesday nights. Patrick Martens will be joining me as boom operator and Jeff Zimmerman will be returning as sound utility. We start production on July 19.

Changing a couple of things on the cart, most noteably using a new Sound Devices 702T as my backup machine. The Fostex FR2 will be used for run rigs/special effects/ADR and wild lines. It will be nice to have a totally separate rig for these things, not having to strip anything from the main cart.

I need to post a new picture of the sound cart. I'll try and get that together before we start production. Prep will start right after the July 4th holiday.

I've taken a few weeks off after we wrapped Medium. I'm just now thinking of getting back to it. There are a few new developments to the sound package, but I'll leave those to a later and more lengthy post.

As things stand right now, I'll be heading back to do Season 3 of Medium for NBC. We've been pushed to a mid season show, so our start date is August 2...which is just fine by me. I thought we'd be back at it sooner, but the extra time will allow for some much needed rest.

Patrick Martens will be joining the crew this season as boom operator. Jeff Zimmerman will still be putting up with me as my utility sound tech.

More later...
PWP

Done...and done...

We finished up season 2 of Medium last Thursday night, with a rain scene on stage. Yes, that's saving the best (worst) for last. We made it through, knowing that summer vacation waited at the end of the shot.

I'd like to thank Jeff Norton and Jeff Zimmerman for their tireless work and constant support. They've stuck with it through my constant pressure to deliver the best sound we know how. Everone gets their money's worth...and then some! Also, there were some other players through the season that helped out: George Flores, Mike Piotrowski, Rocky Quiroz, Patrick Martens and Devendra Cleary jumped in when called on. And a big thank you to all those I might have missed...

Who knows what awaits for the next project. Medium has been picked up for another season...we'll just have to see if I'm invited.

Going to make some minor equipment changes, probably just a back-up recorder change. The Sound Devices 7 series HD recorders will have Firewire hosting completed soon. This will allow me to mirror record to DVD-RAM while on the cart, and not have to wait till the end of the day. A big help when the driver is standing there waiting for the sound to go to the lab.

Okay it's been way too long since the last post. We're still on Medium, and will be filming till May something or other. We're a bit behind, but making it...

Still planning on my trip to NAB this year, hopefully I'll find a mixer that I'm happy with...both $$$ and feature set. There seem to be some offerings from several manufacturers, so we'll have to see. The RAMPS party should be fun as well.

I have a gripe toward the manufacturers of the current compact flash recorders. I don't know why they haven't made any headway in the mirror process. The standard of delivery for telecine is either DVD-RAM, DVD-R or CD. None of the CF recorders provide for this media, therefore the user must transfer via computer or direct burn device. This requires space, time, and extra equipment. I envite any and all equipment manufacturers to sit with me at the end of the day, and watch the flurry of activity, loading and packing of equipment, while I wait and burn the days work on to DVD. They will then understand why we need this to be addressed. All in all, it's still better than a DAT machine...but PLEASE!

A day out at Ventura Farms:

A few new developments. We've been asked to remian on Medium for the rest of the season. It's a great crew and company, so we are thrilled to join full time.

The new accessory cart, shown in the previous post, has turned out to be PERFECT! It is just the right size, though I was a little scared. The guys really like having all the room for gear. It's funny, all the stuff we had crammed in and on the Rubbermaid filled the drawers on the big cart just fine.

Starting to think about the next addition to the main cart. It has been time to change my mixer for quite some time. The PSC M8 has served me well for many years, but I must move on. Right now it is between the Cooper 208D and the new Sonosax.

We're back to work after the holiday break. We started back with a 2 day, short week...all things back to normal next week.

Newest addition is my accessory cart. The modified Rubbermaid cart was getting so full and cluttered that is was hard to work off of. The top was always crammed with junk that there was no work surface. I took the dimensions of the Rubbermaid and added a few things, and had Encore cases build me a new cart. Here it is:





Hopefully it wont prove to be too big to move around. We'll just have to see.

We've got about 3 weeks left on Medium before we hand it back over to Kim Ornitz and his crew.

PWP

Just now done for the Holiday break. We are still on Medium, and will continue until the end of January. I believe Kim Ornitz will return to the mixer position at that time.

It is great to be back on the show. The crew for Medium has been together for a couple of years now and there is a great feeling of 'family' on the show. Since we were a part of the first season, however brief, we were welcomed back into the fold. It's a great gig.

The new year has yet to unfold, so there is no telling where it will lead us. I didn't think 2005 would be nearly as exciting or as busy at it was...so I wont even guess as to what awaits us.

Stay tuned.

PWP

And that door would be... Medium

After a brief week off, actually less due to some prep and clean up, we will start on Medium for Paramount/NBC. We will complete one more episode before the holiday hiatus, then see what happens. Not sure whether this is a long term engagement, we'll have to wait and see.

More later...

PWP

It's official, we're done. Threshold has been pulled. We will finish the last and 13th episode the week after Thanksgiving. Too bad, there was a lot of potential there. Great group of people to work with.

When one door closes, another opens.

~~PWP

The somewhat current view of the sound cart 

We had a little fun with Brent and his trailer...


The new Brent Spiner building. :)

Yes, I know it...it has been months. The TV series grind is quite tough, and I just haven't been motivated. So...there, I'm back.

We are on episode 12 of the 13 show order of Threshold. We have no idea whether we are doing any more, as CBS and Paramount are waiting to see how are ratings do on our new night...Tuesday at 10pm. Watch please!

Shows are getting very interesting, lots of action and alien goings on...

On the gear front, I tried Metacorder...didn't work for me. It was frustrating trying to marry consumer, "prosumer", and professional gear all into one recording device. The audio interface was the most troublesome for me, as I tried the Edirol UA25 first. It inducted all kinds of noise, mostly from the Mac Mini. The sound of processor whine with every thing the computer tried to do was annoying. After trying the Traveler, it was less but still there...and all I really wanted was a back up device. I've got a DEVA as my main recorder. I pulled the computer, monitor, keyboard, track pad, power supply, audio interface and pile of cables off the cart, and put a Fostex FR2 in it's place and it works great. I pop the CF card out and burn a disk, same time as it would take with Metacorder, and I'm out the door.

Since I spent so much money trying to get the Metacorder to work, I will continue to experiment with it. Hopefully it will work in another form, perhaps with a laptop.

Cross your fingers for the show pick-up!

~P

We have been working some long hours on our first 3 weeks of Threshold. We have just begun shooting our 3rd episode. Great cast and crew!

The Jeff's are back with me on this one, after a few weeks off. The Entourage experience was tough on all of us.

I'll try and post a little more often now that we are settling into a groove over at Paramount.

P

A few weeks off and we will be back at it. Next week is the Monday Night Football opener shoot with Hank Williams, Jr....lot's of playback and cheerleaders.

Then, beginning July 12, we will begin shooting season 1 of Threshold for CBS. It's a Sci-Fi/thrill show that will air on Friday nights this coming fall season. I'm really excited about this show...great cast and a great story.

My crew will be the same as the last few projects, Jeff Norton on boom and Jeff Zimmerman as utility. I'm sure there will be many opportunities for others to join in, so I'll be calling my regulars. We are at Paramount for quite a bit on this, which is awesome. I get to finally get back to the gym!

We start in just a couple of weeks, so more later.

We've finished filming Entourage, season 2. It was quite a wild 5 months of shooting, but we made it through. I can actually say that there are things that I did on this show that I thought I would never do. The scene at the Laker game was by far the wildest recording experience in quite some time.

This picture was taken by Jeff Graham, one of our camera assistants on the beach in Malibu. It was one of our last days of shooting. We had a big walk and talk down the beach. At the end I was able to put the rig down...it was getting heavy.

The second season premieres tomorrow on HBO.


Malibu

Three weeks left on the schedule and we are getting close. It's been a long run since January and everyone is looking forward to a break.

There are a few things that this show has done for my mixing abilities. Since we rarely, if at all, get rehearsals, the art of mixing on the fly has really become important. It's very interesting how, after a few months, you can get a feel for how actors will make their way through a scene...even if they have never done it together before. Jeff Norton had a great way of describing it: it's like getting out of the van every morning and jumping into a blender. A good analogy I think...

I've really put my crew and all of my equipment through a great amount of test and stress through the last 4+ months. We've changed how we do a lot of things...including the entire cart. I had to ditch the big magliner and go with my older, smaller and more agile PSC cart. Way to many moves and small locations to use a battleship like the Magliner as a sound cart. Now that I've gone to the PSC, though quite modified, I'll probably not go back to the Magliner again. Check out this link for pictures: http://www.palmeraudio.net/equip.htm

This coming week I will be giving the new FAT32 OS of the DEVA a good run through. Hopefully things will go well...I've been testing it all weekend.

Cheers...

We've got about 5 weeks to go on Entourage. We've been shooting a Comic Book convention the last few days...funny stuff.


?!?

We've been shooting all over Los Angeles. Nearly a different location every day, sometimes two. Recently we shot at the Vista Theater in Los Feliz. It has recently been remodeled and has a great interior design. You should really stop by and see it...Sunset and Hollywood Blvd.


Jeff Norton at the Vista Theater...

Long days, late nights, not enought coffee... :)


Thanks Claudette

We are very deep into filming of the second season of Entourage. Not quite mid way through, and we are very busy. This weekend was highlighted by the transfer of all my equipment back on to my smaller, more mobile vertical cart. It is a modified PSC cart, with some additions by Chindha Kommarath. I'll ad some pictures in the next few days. After a couple of years with a big Magliner to manuever around our locations, I got fed up and went back to the original cart design.

This week was highlighted by two days of shooting at the Playboy Mansion. Lot's of people with very little clothing.

The week ended with lots of rain...not my favorite way to work.

I'm really thinking of moving back to a smaller, more mobile cart. It is just too hard to move around a magliner in so many of our locations. Back to the drawing board...again.



at the mansion 

Really sorry it's taken so long to get back to the blog. I've been very busy with the new show, Entourage. It is a very difficult show from a sound view because of the amount of dialog and poor locations. The locations are all Hollywood, Beverly Hills and LA practical locations, with very little stage work. Some of the locations have no sound control what so ever. The show is wall to wall dialog with the 4 principals in almost every scene. My work has been cut out for me!

This past week we spent in Park City, Utah at the Sundance film festival. We shot exteriors on Main St. in Park City for 2 days, then went on top of The Canyons ski resort for a scene with the guys snowboarding. It was quite a trek up the mountain. The gear had to go up in a snow cat, while we took a gondola and a chair lift.

We returned late Friday night and have a 5 am call tomorrow. That's all for now.

Happy New Year to everyone...still not sure if anyone ever reads this. It's New Years Day here in Southern California, and it's not sunny...at all. In fact it looked like rain all day. We're in for another cycle of rain storms over the next week.

Starting to prep for Entourage tomorrow. They have moved the start date to Friday of next week, so I've got to get things going.

This Mac powerbook is really great. I find that I am on it much more than the PC, much more. When I do get on the PC, it just looks bad...I mean ugly. The Mac interface is so much more pleasant, easier on the eyes.

I've gotten into the chat thing so here are my screen names.
For iChat: pwpmixer@mac.com
For Messenger: phil@palmeraudio.net

Let me know when you're online...

Christmas eve here in Southern CA...sunny and 70 degrees today.

Been doing some brainstorming as to how I can get as mobile as possible for the coming show. There are a lot of "doc" type situations, parties, bars, clubs, Sundance, etc. I'll be wearing the soundcart for these situations. Of course they want everything, so I cant go simple.

We finished up Bewitched this past Monday with Nellie the elephant. Thanks to David Macmillan for bringing me on.

Merry Christmas.

Well, I did it. I've got a new 12" powerbook. Not sure what took me so long, this thing is great.

Merry Christmas to me...

Just when I thought I was off for the holidays... Back on to Bewitched for some 2nd unit. They are trying to complete photography by the Christmas break, with a lots to do.

K's out of town, just me and Ollie here. Christmas shopping to do.

Fighting off the urge to buy a 12" powerbook. :)

Done with Medium. It was a great show to work on and I'll miss the crew very much. We wrapped for the holidays last Friday, or should I say...very early Saturday morning.

I've already started preparing for Entourage. It is going to be quite a hustle, as I understand it. I'll be in documentary mode for quite a bit...I hope not too much. The problem these days, is that they want all the extras while in doc mode...ears, wires, etc. That means a lot of stuff in the bag.

Looking forward to the holidays. Kathy will be heading to Dallas next week for a farewell/Christmas party for TXCN, her former employer. I'll be hanging around the house...resting. Hopefully catching up on some reading. Oliver will be close by...as usual.

We took a bit of Thanksgiving break from Medium. Though I spent a few days of it working on Bewitched for David Macmillan. David was out ill...best wishes to him.

We are finishing up one more episode before the Christmas holiday break. The original schedule was to have us finish the season at the end of December, but we've gone over by a few weeks. I'll be moving on to do another project in January.

January will be the beginning of Season 2 of Entourage for HBO. Both Jeff Norton and Jeff Zimmerman will be helping me out on this one. We have a 14 show order, so we should be shooting till the end of March or so.

The new DEVA Vis working nicely, but with a few bugs. I would really like for it to at least do everything the DEVA 2 did...but that's not so yet. Whatever...

Been looking through a lot of blogs lately. I'm quite fond of a few...you should sifting through them. Mush more interesting than plain old websites...

I took delivery this past week of my new DEVA V hard disk recorder. There was a bit of frustration in the beginning having to do with the post facility not able to read the disks. This issue has now been cleared up and I'm hot to go. I've been using both the DEVA II and V all week, stacked together on the cart. Friday was the first day of DEVA V only. At this point I am very pleased with the improvements over the II and even now it would be hard to go back. As long as what I deliver to post production works, I've got a machine that I like. I'll still be running a DAT backup for some time to come however.

I'll add pictures to the website later in the week...

I've been on Medium now for the past 2 weeks and all is going very well. Not too bad on the hours, though we had a couple of long days this past week. We begin episode 10 this week with 13 total to shoot.

A big thanks to Kim Ornitz for passing the job over to me. He has gone on to do a show in India for the next couple of months.

I loaded my gear on the Camera Truck this past Friday. The show is Medium, and Jeff Norton and Damon Cleary will be helping me out as boom operators. Damon has been doing the show all season, so his help with the changeover is essential. I'm very lucky to have a great crew.

No new additions to the equipment package for this project, but the new DEVA is on the way.

Just an update... I'll be finishing up the season of "Medium" beginning October 25. Kim Ornitz has mixed the first 8 episodes and will be leaving for another project. They have been picked up for 13 episodes, so it will take me to Christmas. I'll get more information this coming week...

Still quite busy with day calls. Some interviews lined up, nothing definate yet...except for The Entourage in January. I think I was on a different project every day this past week. The Tonight Show has got to be TV heaven. The entire crew was great. I would love to work that show again. The Bush impersonator/interviews were hilarious, I couldn't even look at the guy...

Considering changing the cart around again, no shock there. It's always a work in progress for me.

Okay, it's been a couple of weeks...and pretty busy. Lots of day calls, both TV and reality television. I spent the weekend down in Del Mar with a Bravo show about Dog Show People. After many days of wearing my ENG rig, I've come to the conclusion that I need to think about a lighter rig. My back is killing me! These reality shows never stop shooting...for hours I have to wear the rig. I am considering going to the smaller, and lighter SD302 for when it's only a boom and 2 wires, which is most of the time.

My PSC M4mkII is starting to freak out...yet again. I really think this was a poor mixer from them. So many other companies have come out with better machines, and for the same price range. It's just too unpredictable. The headroom just isn't right.

I'm hoping to hear about some work before the Entourage starts in January. I'd really like to do something in between then and now.

Considerign going back to the verticle cart...from the Magliner. Any thoughts???

Been quite busy with day calls this past 2 weeks. I thought it would be slow, but I was wrong. Just did some openers for Monday Night Football today. Next week is shaping up as well.

I think all is set for Entourage season 2. Thanks to Mark Greenberg for bringing me on board. We start in January.

I got to visit my friend Craig Woods on the set of Bernie Mac today. He's been mixing that show for all 4 years now. We shot some promos for Mr. 3000 with Bernie and Angela Bassett. Pretty much 5 hours of waiting for 20 minutes of shooting.

Filming dog stuff this weekend, music videos next week and car racing next weekend...

Good news. I've been asked to mix season 2 of Entourage for HBO. Sadly we don't start till January, so I still have to find some work. The pressure is releaved a bit however. :)

It looks like a funny show. I've wanted to do a comedy for some time.

It's Labor Day here in the USA, a holiday. I've got a few things planned for the next week, interviews and re-packing the gear for days calls. This past week was spent mostly decompressing from the last show. It takes a few days to get the sleep patterns back in order, whatever that is.

On Friday I put my name on the list for a new DEVA 5. I've been waiting for the bugs to get worked out, and the waiting list seems long enough that I will get mine after many are figured out. It will probably be around 2 months before I see my new machine. All that being said, I can't wait now that I've commited. The Yamaha digital mixer is probably on hold for me now...the DEVA will do all the digital patching that I need. If all goes well with the DEVA V, I might go for the control surface when it comes out.

Still wondering if anyone actually reads this blog. If so, please post a comment...

Thanks!

Okay, the fog has cleared. We had the wrap party last night for Rikers...it was a great party. I can't say enough about the director and producers. They were very sensitive to each department, and especially the sound department. Charles Winkler is truly one of the best to work with...bar none. I hope to do many more with him.

Now...about HD/24P. The camera equipment was really not up to the task in my opinion. Way too many failures for a location package. I couldn't believe how many times the gear went down. If it wasn't the fiber cable it was a board in the camera... I really think Sony has failed in the ruggedness of the F900 and F950. It is fine for the studio, but on location...forget it. It does not save any money. You end up shooting far more throw away material in search of the perfect take. In a normal film set up, everyone prepares for the take in the same manner...rehearse, last looks, shoot, fix, repeat. With the advent of HD, it seems we just shoot the rehearsal and never get really set for the real "1st take". Things start being overlooked, which are usually caught during the rehearsal, and you end up with printed material that has flaws in continuity, dialogue, camera movement, lighting, and whatever else. Then, just because you can, sometimes they never cut and you do the scene 2 or 3 times before anything is fixed. A real bummer for every department. I'm not sure the actors like it either. It's not just on this production that I saw this happening, I've seen it on EVERY 24P show I've worked on.

Now it may seem that I'm venting here, but it really concerns me. We are going for quantity over quality. Not a good trade in my opinion. But, it is just that...my opinion.

I had a few hiccups in gear on this show, but mostly recurring problems that I'm working out. I am considering going to the new Yamaha 01V96 mixer. It is really a great set up for location recording. We'll see....

We wrapped Rikers last night, or I should say this morning...at 7:30am. It was a great experience for our whole crew...I wish them well with the movie.

Cleaning and repairing gear this coming week...nothing on the horizon yet. Day calls most likely.

Two weeks into production of Rikers, and halfway done. Big prison riot scene this past week, very difficult...but well done, I think. I have really enjoyed working with our director and producers. Their attention to all aspects of production is excellent and appreciated. This project will end far too soon for me...

The Jeff's have had their hands full this past week with lots of wires and gear. We were all over the place. My cart looked like an installation...thankfully I didn't have to move for the big scenes. Since we are doing this show on 24P/HD, we tend to move the village as little as possible...sort of shooting around the video world. This has made my antenna loom very essential. We are running the antennae out as much as 100 feet for each set up. It's far better than running multiple wires all over the set, and moving for every set up. I'll try and go into more detail after the show.

We have also done quite a bit of testing for Lectrosonics on this project. There might be a modification to the UM400 series in the works.

We're a week into production. It's a fast paced shoot, not much down time...if any. The actors are great, I'm very impressed. We're having to wire a whole lot more than usual, and than I hoped...but all is sounding good. The DEVA is getting a work out.

Jeff Norton is getting quite a workout as there is little or no rehearsal for anything. It's a very spontainious deal everytime we roll. It make for a very exciting picture.

More next week...

Prep and camera tests went well. We're using a new deck from Sony, a portable HD deck that will record 4:4:4. I'll be sending digital audio to it for scratch track editing. The master audio will be the DEVA, which will be used for the dialogue edit. The camera boys had their hands full for the test, so Jeff and I hung out on the perimeter. All was fine.

We start production tomorrow on a stage downtown. We're there for 2 days then we head to Nelles Prison camp for 12 shooting days.

I'll be testing a stereo mic rig and a new ear wig system on this show. Peter Devlin has graciously loaned me his two systems for testing.

Scouts went well...best I've been on, very organized.  Production meeting was yesterday, quite good...2 hours.  We load the truck today, camera tests are tomorrow.  Last minutes on Friday.

Great group if people assembled for this project.  Looking forward to it, can't wait actually.  Great script...

Wished we had more time for shooting, but that's the project.

Location scouts begin today.  Looking forward to this project, though the 24P thing has really become a pain in the rear.  It has so many variables, simplicity is a thing of the past.  Camera will be working with the new Sony 5000 machine on location this time, I'll be feeding digital right to the machine.  They wanted me to run the machine but I turned that down.  The only drawback is that they will probaly use that track, even though they say they wont.  I'll do my deal, and see what happens.

My workflow will be: DEVA master (24 bit), DAT backup (16 bit), AES through the DAT to 5000 - channels 1 & 2.  I am treating the DAT and the 5000 as backup.  Sync will be from the DEVA via Lockits on all devices.  DEVA and DAT will be 29.97, cross jamming Lockits to 23.97.

Starting a new film next week: Rikers, with DL Hughley.  It's short project, mostly shooting in prison facilities...should be interesting.

My crew will be back with me for this one, Jeff Norton on boom and Jeff Zimmerman as utility.  I'm looking forward to getting everyone back together.

As per usual, I wanted to add something to my cart, and in the process have dismantled the whole thing.  I'm re-doing a few things that have been bugging me over the last few months.  I'm adding two Marshall 7" HD monitors right above the mixing panel.  It should be nice. 

Check back on the website in a couple of days for new pictures...

Ho... Sorry it's been a while. We just got back from the summer, family visits around the country...very glad to be home.

Still doing day calls...Monk this week.

Just finished a very good book: The Zenith Angle, by Bruce Sterling. If you are any kind of geek, it's a must read. It will empower you. :)

I've got some updates to do on the gear, I've been daydreaming while travelling...as ususal. The dual monitor thing has got to change a little. Also, the roll cage will be changing a bit. The barcode system will also be in place.

What to read next?

It's been a couple of days of work per week, not too bad...keeping me busy at least. Tomorrow and Friday I will be back doing ESPN-ESPY awards shoots. I did some of these last year, including the big music video for the opener. Matt Brady has been producing these for some time, nice of him to call me back.

Still waiting to see on a few projects...my name is in the ring for a couple. We'll see...

Had a good time yesterday at Huntington Beach. 2nd unit shoot for Cloud 9 at the AVP volleyball tournament. Very nice day at the beach. I've forgotten how much a DAT recorder weighs...good thing I don't do that everyday. Back to the cart for me...

Looks like it's my turn for day calls. Tomorrow I'm doing some 2nd unit for Cloud 9, starring Burt Reynolds. We're at the beach for a Pro Beach Volleyball tournament. Pretty much run and gun all day, so I'll have to be light.

Hopefully some of these day calls will turn into something more long term.

I got a last minute call on Friday night for a shoot Saturday morning! Thankfully I have a day call package that will fit in my van. It ended up being some pickup shots for the upcoming movie Taxi with Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah. I'm glad I have all kinds of playback stuff, as it ended up being playback in a vehicle while recording the actor singing along with the track. None of this was relayed to me in the frantic phone call at 10:30 pm the night before, but as usual... I bring everything. All went without a hitch... :)

I can't stress enough how important it is to be prepared for as much as possible these days. The days of just showing up with a deck and a microphone are long gone...

A big thanks to Jeff Zimmerman for answering his phone late Friday night as well. He didn't boom as much as he did music playback. Another important note...be able to do as many jobs as possible in the sound department, we never know when we have to shuffle around and do other duties.

This past weekend I subbed for Stacy Brownrigg on Fat Albert, directed by Joel Zwick...great cast and director. It should be a funny show. I had the chance to mix on a Zaxcom Cameo for the first time. It was a bit of a shock but I mostly enjoyed it. There were a few odd moments, but by and large all went smoothly.

I signed yesterday with Prime Artists for agent representation. Time will tell on this move...I think it will work out. He seems to know everyone...that's where I'm at a loss.

Re-arranging the van and garage this week. Trying to make my day package fit in the van again...it's gotten rather large. I'll be purchasing a trailer soon for the longer projects and travel jobs. More later on this...

Looking for work...

Wondering if anyone reads this blog...???

Looks like I'll be signing with Prime Artists for agent representation. I guess my interview went well...

I hope this will help with the cold calls...I hate them.

Monday....

Working for Stacy on Fat Albert this weekend, should be fun. He's got a Cameo so I'll get some time on the digital mixer. I need to download the manual today.

Meetings tomorrow...hopefully I'll have an idea of some work coming up.

Writers and Teamster threatening of a strike...everyone is trying to get shows going and done before that happens. No news on She Spies season 3, might be a goner. Who knows, hope not...

More later...

Been a nice slow week. Lots of cleaning the garage and dusting off gear. It's amazing how much space you gain when you clean out the garage. It happens every time!

Still no word yet on a new project, hopefully something will turn up soon. I'm shakin' the bushes. Meetings next week...hopefully something will turn up.

It's gotten quite warm here in So. Cal., a bit earlier than usual I think. The AC's working hard already. Nights are nice and cool though...good for dog walking.

I've been doing some cable and equipment modifications over the last couple of days...I'm looking forward to completing them next week. My crew will be happy.

More later...

We wrapped Hostage this past Friday with a day in the crawlspace. A great job from everyone on the sound crew and a special thanks to Peter Devlin for bringing me on board. It should be a very good movie.

No plans for work as of yet. I need some time off to rest and clean up. I've posted some sound crew pictures on my website: http://www.palmeraudio.net/gallery.htm

I'll update a little more often now that I'm off work...

Wow...sorry it's been too long. I finished up Species III two weeks ago. Many thanks to my great crew Jeff Norton and Jeff Zimmerman. I think we did a fine job for the company and I look forward to hearing the results.

I immediately cleaned all my gear and loaded it onto another job. Peter Devlin was so kind to recommend me to replace him for the remainder of Hostage, a Mirimax film. We have several weeks left, all on stage at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. The film is written by Robert Crais and stars Bruce Willis. We are off for the Easter Holiday weekend, and I'm catching up. George Flores and Jeff Zimmerman are finishing up this picture with me.

That's the update...

Week 4 is in the can. Lots of special effects this week...which means a lot of guide tracks for me. All in all, very good stuff. Let's see...the DAT recorder went down this week, got it repaired...the DEVA is acting weird, it's going out next week...I've blown up two power supplies for my cart, they're back at their maker. Kind of a tough show on equipment, and I can't really figure out why. I guess it's just my turn, as I rarely have these issues. Thankfully I'm real paranoid and I have backups for just about everything.

We've got 1 more week to go, then I'm off for a few days. I am jumping on to the last week and a half of Hostage for Peter Devlin so that he may go and start another show. After that...who knows.

I think I may be testing some new gear as well...we'll see.

Just finished week 3 of Species III. All in all I'm quite happy with the sound we have recorded on this project to date. The locations have been a nightmare for ambiance, but that's somewhat normal these days. Even on stage we have so much noise from fans, SFX, crew, and above everything...the cameras. I'll keep from that rant this time around.

I have to say, I've got a great sound crew. The Jeffs...Jeff Norton and Jeff Zimmerman are doing a great job. It is very comforting to know that all I really have to do is mix...everything else is taken care of.

We've got 2 weeks to go. The hardest location is coming up this week...we are shooting at the old power plant in Rodondo Beach. The final week is on stage.

Hopefully we'll know more about She Spies in the next week.

Beginning week 2 of Species III. These F900 cameras are the loudest video cameras I've ever worked with. In the words of another sound mixer, when these things spin up...it sounds like the DP is making daiquiris. I can't get a clean close up without fan, tape transport and servo noise. We are working on a barney type glove...hopefully the KATA product will work.

The show is good, the actors are good, and the crew is great.

Lots of multi track on this project. I'm trying to use the DEVA to it's fullest. I'm really enjoying the machine, I hope we can get a couple of bugs worked out.

We start splits and nights today...