ABSTRACT
The sound department is one of the smallest yet most important crews on a film shoot. This chapter approaches the subject of the sound department as essential to a successful film and smooth audio post-production. It discusses the importance of getting good sound on location in addition to job descriptions and operations. The sound mixer is responsible for recording sound on set. He/she records each take, as well as wild sound and room ambience. Wild sound is audio not synchronized to picture. Ambience, or room tone, is the sound in a room when no one is speaking or creating sound. The boom operator is the person who holds the boom in a position that will result in the best possible sound. Boom operators must be physically fit: it takes a lot of strength to hold up a boom pole all day. The sound package for a production consists of the audio recorder, boom poles, cables, sound cart, and, oftentimes, walkie-talkies.
