Editor’s Note: This is the first article in a series of articles we’re doing on how to quickly train an unskilled person for any job on the set – in 2 minutes.
Operating a boom mic on a set is an interesting job. In Hollywood, there are people who just operate boom mics. It’s their job. They literally spend all day boomin’ it up, and they’re good. Real good.
On the independent/DiY level, you are very lucky if you come across someone who is proficient in boom pole operation. You should probably give them an edible arrangement and be best friends with them if you find one. Never let them go. Never.
For the most part, though, you will be going through a familiar scene: trying to train someone to use a boom pole quickly so they do a decent job. Could be for one scene or a whole day. Could be because you forgot, our the edible arrangements made your first boom pole guy sick. It doesn’t matter. You need audio, and your brother’s girlfriend isn’t doing anything for the next 30 minutes.
So, we’ve rounded up a few tips to make sure you communicate, and you’ll have some decent audio flying your way.
