“I used to be struck by the consistency of the audio whether or not utilizing a current-model pack or a legacy one; it was incredible throughout the board.”
London, UK (November 28, 2023) — Nina rice has develop into the audio admiral of a fleet of movies envisioned, created, and narratively pushed by ladies. Her credit embrace the summer season blockbuster Barbietogether with Persuasion, This Is Going To Damageand November’s psychological thriller Saltburn (directed by Greta Gerwig, Carrie Cracknell, Lucy Forbes, and Oscar-winner Emerald Fennell, respectively), in addition to a number of episodes of historic drama The Crownwhich chronicles the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. She spoke to us concerning the position Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wi-fi has performed in guaranteeing flawless audio throughout her physique of labor, together with her gear together with a bevy of SSM micro-compact transmitters, legacy SMB transmitters, HMa plug-on transmitters for growth and plant mics, and SRc receivers alongside their predecessor the SRb.
“I began on the backside, so to talk,” Rice recollects about her early profession. “I went to the Nationwide Movie and Tv College at Beaconsfield again in 2010. I used to be in TV drama for a bit, however I additionally labored by myself documentaries, together with one in Chicago known as Dream Catchers. Then, I assisted in sound on The Crown, then labored my means as much as growth operator, then mixing second unit.”
Her journey with Lectrosonics began on a documentary collection shot in Japan known as Turning into You. “It’s concerning the first 2,000 days of childhood from beginning and it included quite a lot of young children,” says Rice. “That’s why I like the SSM — they’re tiny and simple to cover.”
Typically grownup wardrobes additionally present sparse actual property for hiding transmitters, resembling in movies with focal seaside scenes. “We work very intently with costumers to give you options for hiding transmitters on artists. The scale of the SSM provides us that flexibility — we not too long ago even sewed a mic and SSM pack into an enormous wig for a outstanding lead actress.”
Music-and-dance numbers combining motion and dialogue might also name for the SSM’s diminutive measurement. “We had two packs sewn right into a lead actor’s large fur coat for a musical quantity that’s pivotal to a latest movie,” explains Rice. “One had the acquire set low for the shouts, to keep away from overloads; one other SSM was set with larger acquire to seize the whispers and quieter dialogue. Nonetheless, even a single SSM handles a large dynamic vary very effectively. That’s why the actor wore a 3rd pack for when he takes his coat off throughout the sequence.”
A tiny footprint is normally at odds with battery life, however Rice discovered the SSM provided the perfect of each worlds. “We solely want to vary the LB-50 batteries within the SSMs as soon as a day — at lunch, normally,” she notes. “This implies we don’t must disturb artists as a lot.”
In movies with massive casts, the sheer numbers necessitate cautious frequency coordination. “I’ve had as much as 18 channels of wi-fi going at occasions,” says Rice. “With the width of spectrum now being taken up by issues like 5G service, it’s worthwhile to have your wits about you and take a look at every part. For that purpose, I like the pliability of Lectrosonics and particularly the threerd celebration LectroRM app, which lets me remotely management transmitter packs so, once more, I don’t have to have interaction artists on set.”
Moviegoers might not actively discover the pure high quality of each spoken dialogue and sung passages in Rice’s work, which after all means her gear is doing its job completely. “I’ve performed checks earlier than, recording issues from whispers to shouts, utilizing the identical actor and microphone,” she says. “Not solely do I discover the audio high quality glorious, however it’s my crew who must be most hands-on — they’re those putting packs on the actors — and so they’re continually singing their praises. I used to be struck by the consistency of the audio whether or not utilizing a current-model pack or a legacy one; it was incredible throughout the board.”
Learn the total interview with Nina Rice on the Lectrosonics web site.
About Lectrosonics
Properly revered inside the movie, broadcast, and theatre technical communities since 1971, Lectrosonics wi-fi microphone methods and audio processing merchandise are used day by day in mission-critical functions by audio engineers accustomed to the corporate’s dedication to high quality, customer support, and innovation. Lectrosonics acquired an Academy Scientific and Technical Award for its Digital Hybrid Wi-fi® expertise and is a US producer based mostly in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Go to the corporate on-line at www.lectrosonics.com.
