Behind the Scene with Sound Mixer Chris Howland - Two Days on 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'

LA based Sound Mixer Chris Howland CAS breaks down a scene he covered for Mark Ulano CAS on Quentin Tarantino's new feature film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."
Our host Kim Kylland asks Chris how he prepared for the job of covering for Oscar Winning Sound Mixer Mark Ulano and the methodology of working with Tarantino and his crew.
Chris speaks about the creative choices that were made during the shoot to create the right atmosphere on set for cast & crew. He tells us how and where microphones were rigged in the car, how music playback was utilised and how he applied the lessons he learnt from his mentor Mark Ulano to help tell the story through sound.
Every Friday we will be bringing out new URSA Exclusive videos where we speak with industry sound professionals about their work, their kit and how they approached and achieved a specific scene.
Next week we will be back with Chris Howland CAS getting an in-depth look at his amazing Mini-Cart, his Bag Unit and his Follow Cart. We delve into the boxes to see his boom mics, LAV mics, recorders and transmitters. We talk as well about the workflow Chris has developed over the years for approaching and delivering great sound on a variety of amazing projects.
Please subscribe to the URSA Straps channel for a notification when the next video goes live!
Thank you so much to Chris Howland for taking the time to talk to us and agreeing to be filmed! We hope this video has been a useful source of information on the work of a professional sound recordist.
Chris Howland CAS , IMDb:
www.imdb.com/name/nm1983811/
Presented by Kim Kylland:
/ kyllandmusic
Mark Ulano IMDb:
www.imdb.com/name/nm0880360/
Filmed & Edited by Bird Murmur:
birdmurmur.com
Stills courtesy of American Cinematographer:
ascmag.com/articles/back-in-t...
Footage from 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' copyright:
Sony Pictures
Brought to you by URSA Straps:
ursastraps.com

[@gregoryburrowes3006]

This is really fantastic. I've always wanted to see videos where Production Sound Mixers breakdown specific scenes from a location sound perspective. Fascinating and Informative!

[@URSAStraps]

Hi Gregory, thank you! Stay tuned as we have some more scene break downs coming soon.

[@JasonMcNamara]

Fantastic video for us audio nerds. I’m a working sound recordist living in Tokyo and it’s not everyday you find content like this from a BIG production movie on sound. Thanks for doing this to ALL involved, especially to Chris for being willing to share.

[@KyllandMusic]

こんにちは Jason! thank you so much for this feedback! We are having a great time creating this series :) . As a sound mixer myself, I am learning a lot by hosting these episodes !

[@davidbrownlow5245]

One of the best interviews and discussions about sound I've seen/heard. I'll use it to show all the people who ask me to teach them about film sound. Please do more very clear and concise, Mark was lucky to have you.

[@simonbysshe]

Thank you Chris & Kim! So exciting to see this go live!

[@paintballing489]

I attended a sound masterclass in london which Chris Howland was helping run. He was very generous with his time and knowledge. Great guy.

[@KyllandMusic]

Big thanks To Chris Howland! This interview was so fun! :)

[@URSAStraps]

Thank you Kim!!

[@LASoundMixers]

I don't think I have every replied to a You tube thread so this is a first!! But yea, thank you for having me on and I look forward to following this series in the future.

[@BraulioLin]

Many great insights-thanks for making this available!

[@kabed9413]

Such a nice guy Chris

[@kabed9413]

and the interviewer as well :-)

[@lectrosonics]

Thanks for this very interesting and informative interview! Really interesting to hear some of the details and specific choices that were made and why.

[@MichaelTheSoundGuy]

Great behind the scenes audio discussion! Chris and Kim, you rock!!

[@KyllandMusic]

thank you Michael !! :)

[@julionietochannel]

Thanks a lot for your amazing work Miss Kim Kylland.👏🏼👏🏼

[@Liamjollymore]

super informative interview. Cant wait to see more.

[@MyJeanf]

I am not a sound mixer but found this video truly enjoyable and interesting. Thank you for such a compelling video.

[@yakplateado1923]

Really really informative, entertaining and just generally awesome. Thanks you so much for these series of videos!

[@LiebeNachDland]

Awesome video. Well done on that scene. Must have been super fun, just as it was in the theater. I never would’ve noticed that mic there, and then I realized also, “oh, that’s right” - how would they have fit that massive Panavision camera in that car for Margaret’s overhead shot? Then I realized, of course they would have to take off the roof. Pretty cool. Anyway, well done and the sounds are awesome in what I think is also the greatest OST that I have seen in film.

[@TheSoundBarr]

Awesome! Learnt a lot. Thanks so much

[@richardlang3513]

No way! I attended that very talk Mark Ulano came for at the watershed in Bristol!

[@pmierzwa9203]

That was a great class and I really enjoyed it!

[@LikeAGentlemanPlease]

That iPod story was interesting. Interesting because I didn’t know that iPods were still being produced.

[@kappabravomusic2101]

5:36 couldn't say this any better. Amen.

[@mariolobo01]

You present the best, great standards to exposē, it makes one think honestly if this is a career for oneself. Its brilliant and the people you showcase are hard working problem solvers and craftspeople. Thank you. Great job.

[@Balegarul]

Great video!

[@URSAStraps]

Thanks Bugz :)

[@deafdave6468]

So none of the camera crew complained about the visor mic being IN SHOT!!?? Nice bunch of people!! What a luxury to have but they sort of glossed over this in the discussion.

[@pmierzwa9203]

The old car had a worn out visor and sometimes it dropped; something none of us back at staging could know. it escaped the operator and no one addressed it in post.

[@brysimm404]

I found this surprising too. Hell, I’ve worked corporate video shoots where that would be considered a screw up for sure. Chris even mentions it so casually, like no big deal. Huh?? I’m even more surprised they didn’t just paint it out in post, which definitely could have been done. Go figure. Would also be good to know what was actually used for the “visor mic” since it picked up so well from distance.

[@nemospodcast6766]

Dope

[@rabiranjanmaitra6971]

Great

[@TheAerovons]

Why did they need to use a different car for the overhead shot of Margaret? I wasn't clear on that..

[@URSAStraps]

Hi Oceantracks, we were looking for a good reference picture to edit into the video at that point but we couldnt find one from the shoot. Its basically a moving car rig that allows you to move the camera on a special crane all around the outside of the moving vehicle. So with no roof it can look directly down on the artists inside.

[@TheAerovons]

@@URSAStraps Hey thanks...so to be clear, when that cut happens to the overhead view of Margaret, that is in fact an insert shot done later? If so that's amazing it could match so well!

[@LASoundMixers]

@@TheAerovons The overhead shot was done on the same day as the rest of the car coverage. We needed a different car which happened to be a convertible version of the same car. It was a different exterior color but the interior color was identical. While we were off shooting the standard coverage on the process trailer, the Camera & G/E crew was rigging the convertible to the biscuit and mounting the camera body for that specific angle. Once we finished one side on the process trailer, we transitioned to the biscuit for the overhead shot and then back to the process trailer for the other side of the scene. It was a very smooth process and we were able to establish a nice flow for everyone. (The "biscuit" was the term used to refer to the vehicle that looks like a process trailer but it is actually self powered and drivable so doesn't need to be towed.)

[@jackreed7287]

I hate it when people refer to "The Talent." They're just in the profession of acting, like any other job. Mr. Howland is just as so called 'Talented' at what he does, as to what Mr. Pitt and Miss Qualley do.

[@thatpoldechraksa2615]

Please anyone. How did she hide Magaret's transmitte? Her outfit is so impossible to hide it. My guess is the boom op switched it's spot base on cam angle?

[@KyllandMusic]

hi there! Patrushka Mierzwa (sound utility and boom operator on this film) tells me that it involved moving the transmitter A LOT at times to get that coverage. It's also easier than ever to paint out a wire. We shot THREE episodes with Patrushka Mierzwa and Mark Ulano (the sound team behind this and many other Tarantino films), so you can listen to her describe her work. Check our youtube channel to find those videos. hope you enjoy!! :)

[@pmierzwa9203]

Hi, it wasn't the boom op (Tom Hardig) it was me, the UST (utility sound tech). I moved the transmitter from the center back in her shorts to the side away from camera to taking it off her once she stuck her head in the window. With her head inside, I put a DPA & Lectro on the visor. Because the wire showed with the first position I worked with the operator so that when the shot tightened enough to see it when she twirled, I had a conversation with Quentin about how to proceed. Once he cut the scene if he needed that size shot he would"ve painted it out. Having a director who knows filmmaking is a real joy and allows one to do their best work.

[@matthewbryant2972]

Moleskin and Countryman B6 will get you through any dancing and talking... I need to make youtube videos, so I can just train people I'd have to work with. People enter the union all freaked out about moleskin as some kinda Union trick to get others to attempt some weird convoluted laving. Kevlar vests are my nightmare... no clue how to use butal or whatever that putty is

[@JWS1968]

"Lets listen to the scene" and then talk all the way over the scene. I couldn't hear a thing there. 16:33

[@Diggnuts]

And now lets hear from the fluffers..

[@moncorp1]

Margot Robbie's feet are gruesome.

[@pmierzwa9203]

it was intentional

[@FFHavoK]

Would have been far more enjoyable without the constant mmhm yeah yeah yeah while he’s talking.