Being a PA

       From what I have been told by numerous people the best way and one of the only ways to become part of a production in the real film-making world is to be a PA, or Production Assistant.  So I thought that I would gather some facts on how to be the best PA ever, so that when the time comes, we are the ones that get promoted.  A lot of this information comes out of the Production Assistant Pocket Handbook by Caleb Clark.

     Caleb Clark says the quickest way to easily get the basics out is with the acronym "S.T.A.R"  which stands for; Swift, Tactful, Aware, and resourceful.  

          Swift-  A PA must always move with purpose, there is no time to just walk to get what you need,  a PA must move quickly and effectively.  

          Tactful- A good PA should always be considerate and know when to speak, and when to keep their mouth shut.  You should never say or do anything that could be seen as offensive and you should know when you're needed and when you're in the way.

          Aware-  Pay close attention and know what is happening and who is where,  you need to be able to function and be informed even when things get crazy.

          Resourceful-   you must be able to adapt.  It will be your job to find things and function, possibly far from home while on location.  you need to know where things are and how to get just about anything, fast.

     Those four things came up quite a bit while I was looking at what makes a good PA, really it seems that you just need to think before you do anything and always pretend that you know what your doing, then ask someone else if you need help.  

     Another big thing to make sure you do is to never sit down.  You should always be ready to go and prepared to help anyone who may need it.  It will be your job to do everything.  you should dress like your ready to work and you can't be afraid to get dirty.  

    Everything else is just pretty straight forward, do what your told and do it quickly but make sure it's done well.

               Most PA's don't stay in that position, the bad ones get fired, and the good ones get promoted.  So if you are the best PA you can be then chances are good that for the next production, or maybe even in the middle of the one your a PA for you will get bumped up because you have paid your dues and proven that you are worth keeping around.

 Being a PA is a great way to see what all the departments of a real production company do since you work with a lot of people.  This position is a good way to figure out what it is you like to do on set and the peruse that more directly.  So sometimes when you may not even get paid, take the job, it's a way in, and can get you to where you want to be.

Binaural Sound. The New 3d?

Has the buzzword "3D" lost it's buzz yet? It's true, after an explosive renaissance in Hollywood after James Cameron's "Avatar," 3D films just aren't bringing in the incredible margins that they have, even a year ago. As the technology gains more market share, it also loses it's novelty, which is arguably a large part of it's appeal. But three-dimensional visuals aren't the only gimmick in town. Not by a long shot. This is Hollywood afterall.

Before the days of installing new 3D-capable projectors, theaters were in a similar arms race of how many watts their theater's sound system sported. From the beginning of the Talkies, sound technology has steadily been improving from stereo to surround sound. But little known to the general population is another advancement in sound design: binaural sound.

Binaural technology records sound the exact same way we perceive them. Two microphones are placed about 7 inches apart, and a head shaped object is placed between to account for the small alterations our own heads creates. This is different from stereo sound, where the left and right microphones could be placed wherever the sound engineer wants. With Binaural recording, there is a defined perspective. The listener is then placed in the middle of that perspective when they listen through headphones (necessary to avoid "cross talking" between the two sides, or hearing a bit of the left sound in the right ear). This has the unique ability to make sound appear three dimensional. Don't believe me? Try it yourself!

Tip: You must use headphones for this to work

It would be too easy to tell if a sound is coming from the left or right. Somehow, however, you can also hear the sound move frontwards or backwards, and up or down. You can hear the woman whispering behind you, then hear her move to your front. How can only two speakers give so much dimension?

The secret is in the timing of the recordings. The minuscule difference of when sound arrives at your left ear and right ear is not lost on the subconscious mind. Also, the shape of our ears distort and direct sound differently if it is entering the ear from in front or in back. By mimicking the human aural design as faithfully as possible, the effect can become even more effective.

Just like 3D films today, binaural sound recording was developed far before the latest blockbuster films. The first experiments with it actually date back to 1881! Since then, the technology has struggled to find a proper use, despite a fad of musicians recording their albums with it (One example being Pearl Jam's unironically titled "Binaural" album). Despite it's seemingly magical effect, the technology never really "caught on."

This could be due to the fact that the format's practical applications are unfortunately limited. Though some select circumstances in movies could benefit from this total sound immersion, it is a foreign form compared to how we process movies now. It would be akin to showing feature films in 60fps. It may be a more lifelike experience, but it is not part of the audience's internal film expectations. Not to mention, you'd be required to wear headphones on top of those ugly glasses at the movie house. One application that would benefit greatly from this technique, however, is point-of-view video games. Since the audience is already submitting to a point-of-view perspective, it plays right into the audience's coded viewing experience, and add the realism that game developers strive so hard to achieve.

Though it is yet to be seen whether binaural sound will ever find widespread adoption, it still can inspire sound designers to create an ever more immersive soundscape, and make a pretty awesome YouTube video, too.

-Dylan Van Arsdale

Sources

www.filmschoolrejects.com/opinions/why-cant-3d-sound-be-the-future-of-movies.php

http://sciencefictionworld.com/films/science-fiction-films/574-the-death-of-3d.html

http://benbeck.co.uk/firsts/talkies2.htm