Behind the Sound Cart: A Veteran's Guide to Sound on the Set (All Art is Technical: Sound for Motion Pictures and Television)

I have a long history of jobs related to music, but I recently became a location sound mixer by accident. I was in the right place at the right time and stepped in to save a shooting day. That turned into enough offers that it became my full time job. I wish I had met a mixer to work with before jumping in with no guidance. Patrushkha very clearly shares insights I have been spending years learning on my own and wishing I knew “out the gate”. I recently had an A list actor be difficult with me, and remembering what I read in this book helped me turn the situation around and make the next month with him very pleasant. Spend the money, it will pay for itself in no time.

This is such an incredibly written book and a wonderful guide to the inner workings inside the sound department in the production industry. I would highly recommend it to anyone from a curious film student, to a working professional.As familiar as I am in the department, my experience is still somewhat limited as I’ve mostly been working primarily in Texas without any personal gear, relying on rentals or provided gear.I felt like I learned so much and I felt very comfortable reading and relating to stories of productions across the spectrum as well as the wide range of gear used for any given situation. I love the department and the problem solving nature the job requires of you. I sincerely love that each chapter has a section in the end for notes and I know I’ll be going back and adding to it over time.I’ve personally been an audio mixer and boom operator (non union) based in Houston, TX for over 10 years. While I’ve loved my job, I’ve also had some unfortunate experiences, most of which could’ve been avoided with better pre production planning or simply a better budget for a larger sound team. I wish the standard for having an audio team here was the same, but people are making a lot more low budget indies here in Texas and often relying on one man band sound guys or gals. I feel like this book gave me new insight into the possibility of what an ideal set and production team would like be in the future.As it is more my specialty, I am absolutely looking forward to the boom operator book!!!Thanks!-Chris

I'm only 8 chapters in so far, but this book is a fantastic and holistic reference manual for one of the most challenging jobs on set. In fact, I'm tempted to recommend it to my friends outside the sound department, because it describes the interpersonal and political skills of production work in such depth and clarity, as well as the history and context of filmmaking that culminated in the systems we utilize today.Looking ahead, author Patrushkha Mierzwa appears to break down the more technical side of the job, which I'm equally excited to read. And while this type of information is more readily available from the various online sources we are probably all familiar with, I can tell from the first third of the book that it will be rich with practical insight and context often missing from these informal discussions. I can tell I will be coming back to this even after it has been read through, and likely lending or gifting copies to those who work on my team.

The book focuses on "The Third Man" of the sound crew - the Utility Sound Technician. Ms. Mierzwa has written an easy to follow how-to guide for anyone interested in that critical movie crew position. The information is not just theoretical; it is well-grounded in actual practices followed on major movie sets today. She also provides guidance about on-the-set behavior and etiquette, as well as health, nutrition, hydration, and even clothing. Even if you are not interested in sound or have no desire to work in movie production, the book is an excellent resource to read and consult both before you get into the "biz" and while you are neck deep in it. I sorely wish it had been around when I got started several decades ago; my own career in post-production would have avoided so many dead-ends and pitfalls. Every film school around the world should make it required reading.

All I can think about while soaking in the pages of this book is "Where was this book when I first started my career in sound?" We are gifted to work in an industry that is constantly shifting and changing, constantly presenting new opportunities to learn and adapt; Ms. Mierzwa has found a way to not only navigate, but bridge the educational chasm between our industry AND our humanity -- we bring both to our craft, so why write a book addressing only the technical craft? It's brilliant work and speaks to the artfulness of what many see as a purely technical position. This is not just insight into the technical filmmaking process from a professional in peak form, but also a guide to how to navigate the pitfalls of the industry with your integrity and humanity intact. I, quite literally, cannot endorse this work more strongly.Thomas Cassetta, Production Sound Mixer & Re-recording Mixer

Some books help you know technical how to. This book does much more. It gives you a path for a career. Indoctrinating you into the culture, plus inspire with some relevant stories of on set examples so you can be more prepared to be an asset when you work on film sets.

After 20 years of running sound on documentaries, commercials and narratives, along comes a book that brings together the many aspects of working in the sound department on a set, in a way that is comprehensive, concise and enjoyable to read. If I ever teach film production sound again, this will be required reading.

I ordered the hard copy and and became impatient for its arrival, so much so I downloaded the Kindle version. When my hard copy arrived I started reading it but switched back to my iPad. I’m 59% through now. It’s a great read! I just wrapped a 16 episode TV series in Canada. I was the UST. I’m learning so much from Patrushkha’s book. Thank you for writing it.

This book is a fantastic resource for those involved with, or interested in working in the Production Sound team for narrative screen productions, but beyond that, it is also useful for Producers in order to help them understand the Sound Utility / Utility Sound Technician (UST) role, which is one that is often not understood fully or appreciated.

I’ve spent 6 years learning everything the hard way. I wish this was available as it answers almost every single question I ever had.A must have!!!

The book is a great introduction into the world and practical experience of a UST.

Great book! Very informative and thoughtout.