Holding a long boompole fully extended for a long period of time requires a lot of strength and endurance. Although it may not be a problem for the experienced and well conditioned Hollywood professional, it can be daunting for the average "I don't do this everyday for a living" boomperson. K-Tek has developed their new E-Z Boom as a solution: a comfortable body harness supports the boom from above, taking the weight off of the arm and shoulders, so that the boomperson only has to "steer".
"Carousel" is a California State University Northridge senior thesis film shot in December of 2010. The story follows a French and American couple at a small town carnival, as they discover sometimes the grass isn't greener on the other side, and that it's important to hold on to what they have. The film was shot on 35mm film on location in Riverside, CA (On the same location as the hit HBO show "Carnival").
The sound department oddly, was the biggest department on set. It consisted of 2 mixers (Melissa Chapman & Brad Mclean), 2 boom operators (Alex Renato Hernadez & Eric Del Aguila), as well as 2 sound production assistants/Utilities (Katie Sheil & Ernesto Ruvalcaba).
The crew worked hard in 40 degree weather to rig lavs, boom from long distances, and to stay warm.
K-Tek generously donated the loan of their boom rig prototype to the production, and it worked out wonderfully. Without it, booming wide shots in such harsh weather would have been impossible. The sound was recorded with a Sound Device 744T, the K-Tek boom rig prototype, Audio Technica 4073, and a Mackie 1402 Mixer.
The E-Z Boom was one of the final project's of the late Manfred Klemme, who passed away in July 2010. Manfred is best remembered as having been the face of Nagra in Hollywood; and later as the founder/president of M. Klemme Technology (aka K-Tek) which designs and manufactures boom poles, windscreens, shockmounts, and a host of other innovative products for the film & video industry.
The concept of the E-Z Boom is to provide the boom operator a comfortable means of supporting a long boompole for long periods of time (endlessly long takes) without hampering mobility. The audio verson is based on the E-Z Rig camera mount system that utilizes a vest with an overhead rail from which the camera mount is hung. In this instance, K-Tek has developed a rotating collar for the boom pole that allows for quiet pole rotation (mic cueing) along with re-positioning for length & balance.
Prototypes of the E-Z Boom made their industry debut at NAB 2010 and were later seen at HD Expo/Creatasphere 2010 in Burbank. Professor Fred Ginsburg C.A.S. brought a unit to CSUN to let his production sound students to try out during his class production exercises. The unit worked out so well, even in the hands of novice sound people, that it was then made available to the advanced film crew of Carousel.
Here is what the boom operator for Carousel, Alex Hernandez, had to say about the K-Tek E-Z Boom support rig:
"There are more good things about the "rig", as we came to call it, than there are negative things. The rig delivers what it promises. With it, I was able to stand around with the pole fully extended for literally hours. The control over the pole at full extension is great. I was able to get a foot to half a foot away from the actors and maintain that for a long period of time something I would have gotten tiring with the boom pole by itself.
"Tracking along with the subjects and beside the camera was a breeze. Because of the said reasons above I was able to maintain the pace and steady mic placement without dropping it into camera view. This is also an advantage from the rig. During the 5 days of filming the boom was in the shoot only once and it could have been because it was the last day of shooting, the last scene and the last hour of the 12 hour day.
"The practicality of the rig is well thought of. It was at times difficult to maneuver around the sets, however, to be fair the sets that we had difficult getting into where tents and game stands.Other than that I was able to boom inside a 15 foot tent with the pole extended around 12 feet and not get in anybody's way. Obviously the rig works best in the exterior settings but it could be used indoor if there is sufficient space and communication between the crew.
"The rig, like a traditional boom operator, requires a utility, but at times for efficiency we would be a 3 man team: operator, cable utility, and a guide/pole extender. However, I am sure that a professional sound crew would have no problem with a 2 man crew.
"In conclusion, the rig works. A few minor adjustments and the product is ready.
"One last note that I have is an aesthetic one. It seems that the camera crews and gaffers have all the cool toys and keep up with technological advancement. This vest rig is that equivalent for the sound crew! The E-Z Boom makes the sound crew look cool and is a head turner. It's nice to have something that'll give the sound department an edge, and really be of interest to new potential sound people."