Every filmmaker agrees that sound is crucial for a good narrative. Bad sound can kill even the best stories. While sound design is done within closed studio walls, capturing live sound on set is one of the most underappreciated jobs in the film industry. On that note, let’s talk about the boom operator from the sound department, who contributes heavily to a movie’s live sound. Who Is a Boom Operator?A boom operator is the technician from the sound department who operates the boom microphone. A boom microphone is a unidirectional microphone used to capture live sound, such as dialogue and ambience, for a film. It is usually mounted on top of a long rod, commonly known as the boom rod, which is maneuvered by the boom operator.A boom operator is primarily an on-set crew position. That is, they are only required on the day of the shoot and are not deeply involved with pre-production or post-production. Their responsibilities to sound are primarily restricted to the set unless they’re a multi-tasking crew member in the sound department. What Are the Duties of a Boom Operator?A boom operator is the right-hand man of the production sound mixer on set. Let’s understand their duties on set chronologically.Set Up the Sound Cart and Jack Up All the EquipmentAs soon as the sound equipment arrives on set for the day, a boom operator will tally all the equipment as per the requirement list of the day to prevent any delays due to the unavailability of...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today