How the CEDAR DNS 2™ helps Oliver Pattinama to deliver pristine sound
Oliver Pattinama is a production mixer based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. His impressive portfolio boasts award-winning feature films including Hardcore Never Dies and Dirty God as well as titles such as Skunk and Instinct. He is passionate about his work and believes that sound adds depth to a film and guides the audience in subtle ways. After hearing about his contributions to the Dutch and European movie industry, we were eager to learn how the DNS 2 has transformed his workflow and enhanced his sound quality.
The Challenge
We began by asking about the specific challenges that led Oliver to choose the DNS 2 and he explained, "As a production sound mixer, I record a lot of ISO tracks from different microphones which I then mix down into mix tracks. These mixdown tracks are listened to live on set during the shooting and for dailies after each day of shooting. They're also used during the whole image editing process."
READ ALSO: Using the CEDAR DNS 2 to clean up your dailies - "it's a game changer!"
"Before I started using the DNS 2, I heard many stories from image editors who were always busy editing and levelling audio while working on the image. For example, cutting an image between different shots meant hearing the hard cuts in the background noise. This was also taking up their time. As a result, some scenes, particularly intimate ones, were too harsh to edit smoothly. Also, during post-production, the director, producers, clients, and other parties want a clear sense of how the project is evolving. So they listen to these production sound mixdown tracks for months before the sound reaches the post production sound studio."
The Solution
"I first heard about the DNS 2 when the machine was new and on display at NoyzBoyz in Amsterdam. But I really dove into its potential while working with a Belgian boom operator. I've had my own DNS 2 for four years now. Through the years, it's shown me what I'd been missing out on before I owned a unit. Since then, I've used it on every feature film and series I worked on, providing image editors with solid, clean mix tracks that let them focus solely on the visuals without worrying about sound issues."
"I've had my own DNS 2 for four years now. Through the years, it's shown me what I'd been missing out on before I owned a unit"
"My recorder has limited AES inputs, which are already being used by multiple receivers and transmitters. Initially, I used the DNS 2 in analogue mode but for the past couple of years, I've used an AES/Dante converter. This lets me run the DNS 2 via AES and feed it into my Dante chain."
"Now, I get comments from the editorial team, saying that they now spend more time getting the scenes right because they don't have to listen through a noisy mix while intercutting shots. Directors and producers get a much clearer sense of how the film is evolving during the image editing process. And through the years, I've even had producers express surprise at how good the audio mix sounds before reaching the sound studio."
LISTEN: Hear the DNS 2 on location
He also highlighted the importance of DNS 2's near-zero latency. "Sometimes, we shoot in noisy locations like big office buildings or restaurants where we can't turn off the air conditioning. The DNS 2 helps me to give a live feed to the director's ears, the script person, and whoever on set wants to listen with a headphone on so they can focus on what the actors are achieving at that moment. It helps me to judge the location as well as choose microphones and create mixdown tracks."
"Just this week, we were shooting in an old police building in Antwerp. There was a moment when we were unable to turn off the air conditioning fully. Despite that, I could hear the actors' voices in the interrogation scenes clearly, thanks to the DNS 2. But I could also hear a lighting dimmer buzzing in the room. I talked to the lighting department and they put it further away, allowing for cleaner dialogue."
READ ALSO: Netflix production in Germany - "How did we ever cope with recording location sound without CEDAR?""
Final words
As we wrapped up our conversation, Oliver shared his optimism and insights about the future of production sound: "It looks bright. With innovations like VoiceEX, I'm very much looking forward to seeing how far sound technology can go to eliminate ADR. It'd be great if I could deliver a separate 'voice track' and 'noise track' from just one boom microphone on set. I think this would be a game-changer."
About the DNS 2 Dialogue Noise Suppressor
The CEDAR DNS 2 offers two channels of noise suppression with near-zero latency and high-resolution processing. For sound engineers who need to reduce background noise and control reverb in film production, the DNS 2 remains the go-to choice.
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