No room for error
\u200bMercier’s experience on action and drama sets has given him a very focused and tactical approach to his work, aimed at delivering top-quality results in as few takes as possible. “These local productions work incredibly fast – often up to 17 pages a day – with very few takes to stay on schedule and on budget,” he explains. “Given that, it’s incredibly important that I be totally prepared to capture dialogue perfectly in one take because often there’s no way of going back for another and minimal budgeting for ADR.”
“It’s like the Navy SEALs of sound,” he chuckles. “There’s excitement and danger because there’s no room for error, but when you’ve built a reputation as the right man for the job, the impact that you can have on the production and the vibe of the crew is immense.”
Mercier has carefully curated a specialist set of recording tools that delivers the sound quality and flexibility that he needs. Each selection has to stand up to the day-to-day rigors of production while delivering high quality no matter the conditions. “The reality is that in these productions you don’t get the time and grace period to get ‘in the zone’ like you might want to,” he states. “Strength and quality of pickup are therefore most prized in a microphone and I choose my favorites based on their ability to sound good from any distance as I often don’t get a choice of what that distance is.”
“SCHOEPS microphones have been a major part of my life forever, and the CMIT series is about as complete a solution as you can find for the kind of production sound work that I do.”
\nA complete collection with a classic sound
\u200bMercier uses a trio of CMIT 5 shotgun microphones and a SuperCMIT digital shotgun microphone for his interior and stage sound capture. As many of the scenes in STAT require him to squeeze into tight areas or operate ‘on the run’, the superior pickup ability of the CMIT microphones ensures that the actors’ dialogue is captured accurately and at the highest possible quality. “The CMIT series has that perfect mix of what I need and it’s made a big difference on these shoots,” he says. “You have this classic studio sound quality which is very much desired by the productions, but you don’t have to be right on top of people to get it. You can capture from a distance without losing any of that richness or texture and protect the actors’ dialogue without a fuss.”
“It’s a great tool for that – and if we do get ADR, the post-production guys always want to borrow them to match the quality of the dialogue, which is a testament to how well they do the job.”
Durability and flexibility also play a major role for Mercier, an area where SCHOEPS has always had him covered. “The microphones aren’t fragile and survive bumps, bruises, and humidity very well – something that is increasingly important on these shoots,” he explains. “Although I think many people know SCHOEPS from their orchestral reputation, you can tell they care very much about serving the production sound community with their products.”
The products are designed very intelligently, and the SCHOEPS guys are always willing to tweak something for you if you really need it. For example, they are one of the only manufacturers I’ve ever worked with who were willing and able to provide custom-color CMITs for a green-screen effects show.Those small details really make you feel supported and can make a huge difference in what productions you get called for and which producers and directors ask you back.”
Mercier prides himself on his onset demeanor and the comfortable, confident vibe that he brings to a production team. Capturing excellent audio is a given, he says, but providing that safety and confidence that a take has everything it needs is his real currency. “A big part of this job that not enough people talk about is understanding the vibe of the crew, the actors, the mood of the production and how your role in it can help ensure that it flows properly and everyone feels comfortable and confident,” he says. “There’s a lot of energy and enthusiasm on the set that can turn into personality conflicts or cause challenges. My role is to understand how I can contribute to the best possible atmosphere and perform when the time comes at the highest level.”
“If you can keep the ‘noise’ of all that to a certain limit, you can control the balance and keep everyone and everything running smoothly,” he concludes. “For me, that starts with choosing high-quality gear that I trust and creating a set of tools that permit me to do whatever a director asks before they need it.”
“I’ve been using SCHOEPS for more than fifteen years and they are as good as it gets for my needs.”
For more information about Philippe Mercier and a full list of production credits, please click here.
SCHOEPS Microphones
\u200bFounded in 1948, SCHOEPS Microphones are pioneers in the world of pro-audio with a reputation as one of the world’s finest manufacturers of microphones. The family-owned business, based in Durlach, Karlsruhe, Germany, designs and manufactures all of its products in-house with a team of 50 employees. The company is driven by a passion for innovation, technical excellence, and strong relationships with the creative and technical professionals who have made SCHOEPS a part of their daily workflows.
For more information about SCHOEPS Microphones, please visit: https://schoeps.de/en/
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