Being able to close boom mic is an art learned over time.
Holding a boom mic in close proximity to an actor or a scene is an art form, but one that is done by trial and error. The best boom operators in the business have learned this by doing it for years, (but they make it look so easy). Reading the script and knowing when the characters lines are being performed is like poetry in motion.
That doesn't mean that it can't be taught to a new-comer like I was at one time. Don't get me wrong, I am no way better than some of the great boom operators like Adam Laschinger, Dean Miles and Adam Sanchez. I have watched movies and documentaries that they have done and tried to mimic their moves and capture great audio. It hasn't been easy. I have been yelled at by directors, camera men, you name it.
While attending college for digital audio production and design, I had a film editing class which started me on my path to location audio. I interned on my first film production where I learned how to do production sound mixing, and boom mic operation. This was so cool, I would get the chance to interact with actors and camera crews, grips, I often wondered what a best boy was anyway. After figuring out what everyone's job was I stuck to doing what I do best, sound.
A boom mic operator is a job that takes practice on and off the film set. You will not know how close to get in a scene until you hear the talent speaking or the sound of water dripping in a kitchen sink. You have to be mindful of any shadows you might cast in a scene (the cameraman or the director will remind you of that).
This is a job that I love. Being on set of a film, recording actors in their environment is an awesome experience. You truly get the chance to see how prepared they really are and how much concentration it takes to deliver a line many times a day. In the coming weeks I will share stories on how to close mic actors and prepare them for the day of filming.
