On The Ice

When I get the call about working 300 miles north of the arctic circle in Barrow, Alaska thinking about saying no isn't even an option. Sure it's far away, really cold, and extremely remote, but what an amazing adventure. Getting to work with my friend James Demer again is just another bonus.

I got my first sense of the extreme cold on the short walk from the door of the jet down the open ramp and across the pavement to the tiny terminal at Barrow's airport. I got my first sense of danger after being reprimanded for taking an unescorted walk unto the frozen ocean just a few hundred yards out the door of our beach front hotel. I got my real sense of what this job was about when I took a 45 minute ride on sled being towed by a snowmobile out to set the first day. And I got an unimaginable sense of awe when I stood a few feet from a huge crack in the frozen ocean and watched a bow whale blowing about 50 yards from where I was standing.

Alaska was difficult and magical and completely unforgettable. On one hand it's proof that I am tough enough work in one of the more difficult environments around and on the other hand it's strong reminder what awesome opportunities come from getting to do this work.

Bubble Gum Baby

Friend, film school graduate, and former live sound man Sid McGregor gave me a call about DP'ing a music video he was getting ready to direct for bluegrass band The Chapmans. The idea was to merge a turn of the century theater with a contrasting white studio space.

I've worked with Sid and The Chapmans before so I knew it would be a good time. I used matching dolly and jib moves in the two spaces to tie the studio elements together with historic theater. In the end, I am very happy with how the two scenes connect back in forth with each other.

Because we shot this locally I got to work with several friends that I normally only get to see socially.

Logan

Following my sound work on 'Winters Bone' I became eager to find another project doing sound. Eventually that opportunity arrived in the way of a post on the stlmediawire looking for a sound mixer on a film shooting mostly in suburban St Louis.

Having lived in Missouri much of my life, I had actually spend very little time in St Louis prior to working on 'Logan'. While working on the film I stayed in the middle of downtown and made the reverse commute south to neighboring Jefferson county.

Because it was a small film with mostly child actors there was plenty of goofing around when we were not shooting, but both Leo Howard and Booboo Stewart were extremely focused when it came time to shoot.

During some down time during longer setups I also got the chance to shoot some production stills including one which was being used as the poster before the film got distributed.

Making of Winter's Bone

When I started working on 'Winter's Bone' I assumed my only role would be shooting still photography, but after the first week the producers approached me about also shooting some behind the scenes video of the production. During the reaming weeks of the schedule I alternated back and forth between shooting stills and video.

Winter's Bone - One Day of Sound

If you need a production sound mixer then hire James Demer. If James is not available, you can call me.

I sought out James on the set of 'Winters Bone' before I even knew who he was. When I arrived on the first day of production with a home made camera blimp, I was generally terrified that if my camera's shutter sound caused even the slightest bit of disruption, my time on the film would be very shot. I knew the blimp was quiet, but without an industry standard (and very expensive) Jacobson Sound Blimp to compare mine too, I did not know if it was quiet enough. The very first person I found when I had a chance to start shooting stills was the boom operator and I auditioned the camera shutter for his microphone, it was James who gave me the ok that my blimp was going to be quiet enough to use.

It was from that initial contact that James and I became friends and really the beginning of my professional career in production sound. Later on in the schedule, with great assistance from James, I got the opportunity to recored some second unit sound for the film which ended up becoming the opening sequence of the film.

Chapmans Concert - New Brunswick, Canada

If you believe like I do that life is about the journey and not the destination, then traveling thirty hours each way in a tour bus to work two nights makes perfect sense. As a job, traveling with The Chapmans from Missouri up to New Brunswick, Canada really did not compute, but when I friend asked if I was interested in an adventure, the timing was right.

In addition to managing a five camera live concert shoot, I got the opportunity to explore a part of the world I had not visited, experience the "Woodchuck Man" of Bouctouche, and meet and stay with some of the most awesome Canadians around.

The long trip and the show are now behind me, but the memories and friendships I made in Canada should be around forever.