Behind the Sound Cart

Book excerpt: "I was tasked with designing the communication system for Brad Pitt's spacesuit in "Ad Astra". A Sound Mixer told me to sweep the gravel of Western Town for a walk-and-talk dolly shot between two cowboys because it made too much noise under their boots. Another Mixer asked me to walk up 78 stairs to the top of a stage at night to find a cricket that was chirping - and then spray him with hairspray so his legs would stick together and not chirp. When I was booming a scene of an actress milking a cow, the cow peed on camera - and me! And I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything, because I love making movies!" Patrushkha Mierzwa, authorThis book illustrates the job of The Utility Sound Technician (UST), a career almost invisible, yet extremely interesting and exciting - and paying a high five figures a year. Ms. Mierzwa's book creates a process that has heretofore been non-existent, relying upon on-the-job training. The book identifies traits and characteristics of successful USTs and details the myriad responsibilities in pre-production and production. Special features include standardized forms and addressing scene elements that could take a lifetime to experience and learn from. Ms. Mierzwa takes you from the first work call to the final wrap, explaining the order of the work and the details that experience can provide, so you don't make mistakes that can sabotage your career before it's even started. More than the tasks and importance of preparation, you'll learn about the social dynamics of a set and why you can know a lot about film but not be able to sustain a career.Target market: Film school students or graduates, people considering sound as a career in movies & television, any working professionals who are curious about how to get better at their jobs, people who enjoy an inside look at the practical business of movie-making.