My entire (15 year) career I’ve been hearing 1st ACs commiserating that some sort of autofocus technology will eventually make their jobs irrelevant, and it still might. I agree that mixers need to stay up to date with equipment keep up with current trends. As you mentioned the way sound is usually done has changed over the last 15-20 years. While the mix itself might not be as vital as it once was, the scope of the sound department where we now routinely have a dozen wireless booms+lavaliers out in the wild at any given point of time has increased. Every day I feel at certain points that three set of hands is too much and not enough. Having a full sound team can save a production at times even if no one outside the department will ever admit it. I always stress to my crews to be seen working and demonstrate your worth. I also put a HARD cap on how many people I wire in a scene without a utility.

This is almost surprising to me. Granted I’m just starting but I’m used to doing everything as the sound mixer (again, college/amateur level). - I do the timecode for the slate and cameras - I set up the lavs and get them on the talent - I do the fricking sound reports I idolize mixers such as Simon Hayes who get actively involved in what’s going on. I also shiver at the thought that most of the dialogue I record might get replaced with ADR because no one cares about onset dialogue anymore. That’s how much I care about the job.

Great episode. Interesting discussion about the economics on film sets and how producers are looking for money saving approaches like firing caterers and bringing in food trucks.

For a bit of levity, I would love to see the look on a 1st ADs face when they ask the Boom op what the delay is, and they say they're on the phone with tech support because the remote mixer isn't getting a feed 😂

Not to put the job down, but I highly agree Sound Mixers likely need to step up their game. The work I do as an Live Broadcast engineer for corporate events has me heavily involved in RF, Dante network and system management, and then broadcast mixing the final production. Over fiber, I can run all my sources to a control room over a mile away, and remotely control my mixer from my computer. The future is now and industries are definitely tightening their belts on how many techs are necessary.

Don’t forget that the picture editors use the production sound mix for their base picture edit.

I feel like the trend of playing radio music started over 20 years ago. I recall reading about the psychology of music selection way back then. I remembered it recently when (upon going to the grocery store) I recall how much I liked the music and realized that I had become old. Or has my memory finally failed, betraying that I am old?

In a corporate world the smallest departments get cut the most. Why not in film production?

I work with software developers and I tell them the same thing about Gen AI . They need to be as good as they possibly can be and use AI to complete what they do, not only use AI.

That blows my mind that a mixer wouldn’t take the time to know their gear intimately.

Who provides the equipment if the sound mixer job goes remote?

Sounds like the sound mixers need to reinvent themselves as a sound and RF coordinator in order to remain relevant.

Is this anything new? It’s been going on for over ten years. As for supermarket music being generic, how dare you call “Theme from a Summer Place” generic! 😡