Location Sound: The Basics and Beyond

The reason for these pages:

I have worked in video production since 1967, over 40 years. Then I got my first job at a TV station we were still black & white. We were recording on an Ampex 2" Low Band Quad deck that was bigger than a double door refrigerator. For field work we were using a Bolex Rex 5 16mm camera with mag stripe and for larger projects a CP 16 16mm camera. Any straight cuts only editing was done with rewinds and a hot block splicer. For anything fancy it had to go through the switcher using A-B rolls.

I have had the opportunity to work with an ever expanding world of equipment and techniques. I now work exclusively in the digital world and would not go back for any reason.

Many of the skills I have learned over the years are now obsolete. However, I had some good teachers and gave me the best advice you can get, "Look at the thing you are best at. It's the next thing to become obsolete."

Other tidbits included, "Kid, there's always more than one answer." "You can't know it all, trust your crew." Your opinion is just as good as anyone else's and even better if you know the target audience better." "Take the tips you want from me and every other pro you work with, toss away the ones you don't like. Shove the ones you like in your bag of tricks and eventually you will have a style that's all yours, made from your experience and the combined training of a hundred others." and "Trust your gut. If it feels wrong, it is. Do something about it."

The one thing all of the talented men and women who took me under their wing had in common was, the belief that it is a video professionals moral duty to help train and pass along skills to the next generation of video professionals.

I make a point of working with young videographer's and editors on a day-to-day basis and now understand why my mentors were so willing to teach. The secret is that I learn as much from them as they do from me. Add to that, these are the people that who will be running the Ad agencies, TV stations, production studios and movie studios. How do you want them remembering you, as the grumpy old coot that didn't have time for them or as the guy that helped them along with their career when they needed it. It's the old saying, 'Be nice to the people on the way up. They are the same people you meet on the way down.'

So, that said, this section is a tribute to all of the amazing people I have learned from over the years.

Jim Sawyer

Much of the information in this section has been taken from other talented artists that feel the same way I do about passing along the knowledge, in an open source way. I have attempted to give credit and link back to where the information was available. So often an article on the web takes a life of it's own and sometimes credit's don't follow. If I have an article in this section that is yours and I have not been able to find credits for it, please let me know and I will credit the information to you. If you see something that is yours and you want me to remove it I will do so immediately. Anything here that has my name on it is free to take. All I ask is you keep it in context and give me credit for it. A link would be great, the more places link to your site the higher your page is ranked. Anyone that wishes to exchange links please send me an e-mail at jsawyereditor@gmail.com and I return the favor.

E-mail to request a DVD demo with past work.
E-mail us at - jimsawyereditor@gmail.com

NATIONAL & STATE LEVEL AWARDS:

1999 - THE VIDEOGRAPHER AWARDS - Award of Excellence - "Survival", Chester Boot, Videographer/Editor

1999 - TELLY AWARDS - Winner - "Cutting Edge", Today's Headlines, Editor

1999 - TELLY AWARDS - Finalist - "Survival", Chester Boot, Videographer/Editor

1999 - TELLY AWARDS - Finalist - "Image SE MI", Comcast, Writer/Producer/Videographer//Editor/VO

1997 - GOLDEN GOBO AWARDS - Winner, (Best Comcast Spot Nation Wide.), "Survival", Video/ Editor

1995 - TELLY AWARDS - Winner - "It's My Car", Saturn of Southgate, Writer/Producer/Interviewer/Editor

1987 - Michigan Safety Council - 2nd Place - "Bomb Threats & Search Techniques", Mercy, Dir./Editor/Writer

1985 - American Hospital Assoc. - 1st Place -"Silently, Lovingly ....", CO-Producer/Director/Editor/Camera

1972 - ADDY - Amer. Advertising Federation of Florida - 1st Place- Radio,"Great Expectations" Writer/Talent

Videographer Awards
Telly Awards
Comcast Golden GOBO Award

E-mail me at - jimsawyereditor@gmail.com

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The reason for these pages:

E-mail to request a DVD demo with past work. E-mail us at - jimsawyereditor@gmail.com

NATIONAL & STATE LEVEL AWARDS:

E-mail to request a DVD demo with past work.
E-mail us at - jimsawyereditor@gmail.com