MovieChat Forums > Amazing Grace (2007) Discussion > Boom Mics Throughout

Boom Mics Throughout

posted 17 years ago by elfrijolero
16 replies | jump to latest

Did anyone else see the boom mics scattered throughout the film? You could see the boom mic poke into the top of the screen in at least 10 different scenes. There was one scene where the mic and entire pole were seen. It was quite hilarious and effective in removing you from the environment of the film. Like a scene out of arrested development or office where they purposfully drop the mic into the scene to remind you of the documentary feel of the show. I don't know how they missed it.

[–] louv2000 17 years ago

The problem was with your theatre, not the film per se. They need to set the right ratio and 'frame' the projector. The projectionist at your theatre didn't do that.

I've seen it twice, and at the one theatre I had a similar problem. You're best to complain to the manager and let them know about their carelessness.

[–] dcadapen-1 17 years ago

I saw this too and it pretty much ruined the entire film for me.
I watched it in a cinema in London. I have noticed a few people have commented on the booms on this discussion list and so I find it hard to believe that it's simply a coincidence that projectionists all over the country, indeed all over the world are consistently "framing the film wrong".

Is it is beyond the realms of possibility that maybe something went awry in the production of this film?
If it was simply a projectionist's fault then why was this the only film I've ever seen a boom mic in in over 15 years of dedicated cinema-going?
Is it just bizarre coincidence that all the inept projectionists of the world gathered in force for the release of Amazing Boom, sorry Amazing Grace?

[–] louv2000 17 years ago

Well, I've seen it 3 times. Twice it was perfect. Once there were boom mics.

This is from RogerEbert.com and hopefully answers your question better than I did already.

Quote:
Movie Answer Man
Q. I noticed the microphone overhead in the "A Beautiful Mind" movie, and towards the end it was almost blatant. Did they do this on purpose? Surely they could have deleted this from the film. It made it seem almost like an amateur film. (Curtis Goodman, Carmel IN)

A. You have not been playing attention to the Answer Man, who has written about boom mikes again and again and again. One more time: When you repeatedly see a boom mike in a movie, 99.9 percent of the time it is NOT the fault of the film's director, but of the projectionist in your theater, who has framed the film incorrectly. Many films contain additional real estate above and below the frame, to allow the picture to bleed off the edge of the screen. A complaint to the theater manager may do the trick.

[–] dcadapen-1 17 years ago

Thanks Louv2000, but I'm still not convinced. Why have so many people seen the boom mics on this particular film, in so many different theatres, in different countries at different times etc,etc? The fact that even you saw boom mics once out of the three times you saw it, actually confirms to me that there IS something weird going on with THIS particular film.

I'm sure that on the odd occasion, projectionists do get it wrong but this is too much of an anomaly for it to be put down to projectionists alone. If nobody else had mentioned seeing the boom mic I would have put it down to simple error but a lot of people including you have indeed noticed it.

It's not that big a deal at the end of the day but to just dismiss it as a projectionist's error doesn't seem to make sense to me....

[–] louv2000 17 years ago

Apparently it happened in Disturbia as well (if you do a search on boom mic's that film is mentioned a lot, but I haven't seen it).

I think the fact that its not happening at EVERY screening of AG is more than enough proof that it is indeed the projectionist and not the print. If it was the print, then it would be happening 100% of the time.

It was very obvious the time I saw it, so much so that my friend and I were giggling throughout. In a subsequent viewing, not one boom. Explain that?

[–] rowox 17 years ago

I'm a projectionist and I haven't seen the boom in shots as yet - will go check after writing this.

Maybe a film-maker (camera-op and/or editor) can back me up here, but I think this is a case of both projection and film-making faults. I have seen many tops of frames in my time, and rarely have I seen a boom in frame. I don't believe we should be receiving prints with film gear anywhere in frame - even if it is meant to be framed out.

This signature has been deleted by an administrator
www.myspace.com/rowox

[–] louv2000 17 years ago

Since you're a projectionist, maybe check out this link. Its all about the problems with Disturbia and yes, projectionists are getting part of the blame.

http://www.firstshowing.net/2007/04/11/film-projection-quality-control-how-bad-can-it-be/

[–] cheesemaker03 17 years ago

I was a projectionist for 3 years and I never once saw a print with a boom mic, or any film equipment for that matter. Ive never heard such rubbish if im honest.

[–] deniro1 15 years ago

I worked at a movie theatre in the mid 90's and once after work we were watching a movie preview for a new Albert Brooks film....and in almost every shot of the preview you saw the boom mic, and we were laughing because it looked so silly, and at first thought it was part of the joke, but then realized it just wasn't framed right in the projecter.

So this indeed can happen and probably was the issue.

[–] jollygoodcolonel 17 years ago

As an Assistant Manager of a theatre, I will add that it is not the projectionists job to "edit" out the boom mics from films.

Yes, there is screen masking and a frame line in the projectionist's control that will most of the time cut a little bit from top and bottom, and it will in most cases remove any boom mic presence.

But asking projectionists to remove boom mics and production equipment is like asking them to show a scene from a different angle.

When you get the DVD you'll have the same problem.

[–] caliass 17 years ago

I think that it is the job of Dana Carvey seeing that the posts over there are smitten with finding out whether or not he lives in Mill Valley.

[–] simonkevnorris 17 years ago

I watched the R2 DVD over the weekend and did not notice any boom mics on screen (I do usually notice such things).

[–] helloeeze 16 years ago

I saw that boom mic in a Beautiful Mind. Really blatant. Now I know why.

[–] linda303 15 years ago

No sight of the boom mic in Region 1 dvd.

[–] m_radders 17 years ago

I have just watched it on DVD and didn't notice any boom mics, so it probably was the projectionist.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]