In a special bonus episode, Kody chats with Caleb Fanning, Blake Elder, and Dan Robinson, the team behind Rockhill Studios’ new short film “Blood on the Risers.” Then, Kody’s joined by Dwight Chalmers, Arkansas film’s go-to sound guru, to talk all things sound production.
Surprise! We’re happy to present a bonus episode of Reel Talk! Kody chats with the team behind “Blood on the Risers,” a new short film from Rockhill Studios. Writer/director Caleb Fanning and Rockhill producers Blake Elder and Dan Robinson talk creative process, running a production studio in Arkansas, and making movies safely during a pandemic. Then, Kody’s joined by Dwight Chalmers, Arkansas film’s go-to sound guru and sound designer and mixer at Prisma.
Reel Talk Arkansas is a production of the Arkansas Cinema Society. It's produced by Christian Leus and Kody Ford.
Kody Ford (voiceover): Welcome to a special bonus episode of Reel Talk Arkansas. We have a couple great guests lined up today. We have the team from Rockhill Studios who did a short film that is really doing great out on the festival circuit right now called “Blood on the Risers.” And it was shot here in Northwest Arkansas last summer, during the pandemic using COVID protocols. They pulled it off and made a really great film, so we’re excited to have them here to chat about it. And also, we have Dwight Chalmers. If you’ve worked in film in the state, you have met Dwight at some point. Really great guy, and he has been the go-to sound guy for a very long time in Arkansas. We’re gonna talk about his career, how he got started and where he is now. So sit back and enjoy.
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KF (VO): For the last few years, Rockhill Studio has been doing great things with filmmaking in Arkansas. Um, they have brought in features that they have co-produced and they have also worked on their own productions, such as the new short film “Blood on the Risers.” “Blood on the Risers” is a tale about post-traumatic stress disorder. It's a historical epic of sorts that is in with it, you know, 20 minutes long or so. And so it's just really amazing what these guys are able to pull off, shooting it here locally in Northwest Arkansas, uh, during the quarantine lockdown of 2020, and they really put together something magical. They had a great team. And today we are going to talk to writer/director Caleb Fanning, director of photography and producer Blake Elder and producer Dan Robinson. So, I want to welcome them to the show.
KF: We have some special guests here, uh, some filmmakers right up in Northwest Arkansas in Fayetteville. Uh, we have Caleb Fanning—writer, director—who has a new film out with Rockhill Studios, "Blood on the Risers." And from Rockhill, we have Blake Elder and Dan Robinson. Thanks for being here, guys.
Caleb Fanning: Thank you. Happy to be here.
KF: Yeah , it's good to have you. And it's exciting to see, you know, you guys were able to pull it off last year while everything was getting shut down. Uh, you, you guys were able to push through and make a film happen, but first let's kind of catch everybody up on "Blood on the Risers." So Caleb, if you would kind of walk us through the process, you know, and tell a little bit about the film and, and how it all came about, how you guys got connected.
CF: Well it is an idea I had for several years and it kind of went through all different eras until we finally completed it. Was going to take place in the forties with World War II, but it was always centered around PTSD and how it was untreated and not recognized in that era. And so Blake and we kinda came up, me and him both, with the story outline of the story, and then it was just the writing process from there.
KF: Okay. Well, well tell us a little bit about the plot of it.
CF: Yeah. It's about a soldier in World War II comes home and basically he has to fight with his inner demons, basically. Uh, he sees, he sees, his PTSD resembles a friend and ex-partner in the military and, and his wife has to figure out, you know, what's going on with him, cause she's, you know, she's not familiar with PTSD as well as he is. So neither one of them know what's going on. And it's a struggle of trying to, uh, conquer, conquer this PTSD as well as keep his family together.
KF: So why was this an important subject for you to write about and ultimately make the film?
CF: Well, Blake and I have both been, um, you know, very interested in World War II, World War I, historical military. And we've always known that, back then, it was just, it was, it was passed over. Um, people didn't know what to call it. They didn't have a name for it. They called it shell shock and battle fatigue and all different things. And there was no right treatment during those times. And now everyone recognizes PTSD from the modern wars and we wanted to get out there that, um, PTSD is, is incurred. This thing has been going around for generations, centuries, and, uh, these people struggled without anyone even knowing about it.
KF: So have you guys worked together before? How did you, uh, get hooked up?
Blake Elder: Yeah, we, we've known each other, oh my gosh, probably since like first grade. Um, both of us have always had a passion of filmmaking. And so throughout, you know, I guess our journey of becoming filmmakers and things like that, we have, you know, it's just a natural, uh, connection, in terms from our DP/director relationship of how we work together. And that was really, um, uh, that it's just, I'm trying to think of how, how to say this. It's just very organic in terms of how we communicate, work together, and how we tell stories are pretty much identical. And um, so it's just always been a pretty natural relationship.
CF: Blake can read a scene from my screenplay and see what I was seeing when I wrote it. So we're always on that same page.
KF: That's awesome. Well, let's talk a little bit about, um, you know, all the roles, so, you know, Blake, you were a cinematographer on it.
BE: That's right. I was cinematographer, a producer and editor.
KF: And, uh, Dan, uh, what was your role on it?
Dan Robinson: I was a producer on the film.
KF: Okay. So, um, so as well, let's, let's talk about yours a little bit just to expand, cause producer can be such a broad thing. What were you uh, doing to get everything ready as producer?
DR: Sure. So, uh, when I saw Blake and Caleb, uh, we're doing the prep work for this film and it was extensive and it was incredible. And then they approached me and asked if I would be interested in being part of it as a producer. And I was very eager to, it was a really ambitious project. I could tell that it was going to be an amazing accomplishment if we were going to be able to pull it off. So, um, that was how I got involved. Uh, and then we just kind of went from there and, uh, it was really exciting to see how we were able to get so many people together, even through a challenging time. Um, but my role is really to help get all the pieces put together to make it happen. They had an incredible vision and, uh, we had to pull together a crew and locations and then make sure that we were following a brand new set of rules that we had never had to play by before. Um, so that was, that was a great challenge. And I, I was really proud of how we were able to pull it off.
KF: Well, let's talk about those rules for a second. It would kind of, on day to day, I was talking to someone earlier who works, works in the theater and was just like, she's saying that she, for her production, they're going to have to like, not be around anybody for like a while, you know, uh, cause they're prepping for this, uh, play. And so for you guys, I mean, did you go into a bubble for a couple of weeks or were you doing like the drive-through COVID tests daily? How did that work out for you?
DR: So we were essentially just ahead of the bubble model model. Um, so what we did instead was testing and then comprehensive screening. Uh, at that point we were doing really comprehensive screening, uh, to make sure. And then once we were in production, everybody understood. I would say that that the bubble did occur once we got rolling because everyone understood that we had to keep a contained group of people and then everyone stuck to their own respective departments. Um, and then we just had systems that we did not compromise on—routine wipe downs and gloves, and of course, masks and sometimes double masks for, uh, anyone that had to interact with talent that was not able to wear a mask at that time. So, um, it was steps like that that ensure that we were able to have a safe production.
KF: Okay. And how long was shooting by the way?
DR: Um, we had three days of principal shooting and then we had to pick up shoots after that.
KF: Okay. So let me throw this out to anyone who wants to take it. So you're doing a historical, uh, you know, piece on, I assume, fairly, you know, fairly limited budget given that it's a short film, everything. Walk me through all the ways that you guys pulled this off to ensure accuracy.
BE: One of the biggest things for us was, you know, with the settings, we kind of had this conversation about, you know, what, what can we use for our, our advantage in this region? And most of those, we kind of pinpoint, uh, uh, was the Shiloh Museum, um, the train station. And we have an excellent, the Arkansas Air and Military Museum here locally. Um, and you know, what was great about the Shiloh Museum was, not only were there buildings 1940s accurate, um, or even maybe just a little bit earlier, um, you know, they're, they're equipped with, um, power drops and, uh, stations where we can hold talent and crew. So we weren't out in the middle of, you know, in the middle of nowhere. Um, and it's right downtown Springdale, which was nice. Um, and then of course the Arkansas Air and Military Museum, they, you know, with, with working with them as a partner, they, you know, just as you could imagine, their, their planes and their vehicles, um, just cranked up our production value. Um, and not to mention, you know, not only did we have those locations, but we still had to have our art department come in there and really dress it for, for our story. Um, and so with pairing those two up, yeah, I think it really came together. Um, and then of course just naturally like, like Caleb mentioned earlier, just, you know, being a history buff and liking World War II, we, we really dove in deep on the details of, um, you know, and their insignia patches and things like, and the, uh, their wardrobe and military items, and that was a blast.
KF: Are you guys able to find, like, online where you can purchase, like, patches or recreations of it, things like that?
BE: Yes, absolutely.
KF: Who handled costuming for you guys?
BE: It was a little bit of a combination of, uh, me and Caleb and, uh, Dusty Helms, um, who was our key wardrobe.
KF: Uh, Caleb, I want to bounce it back to you for a second. Let's talk about the cast. So what were you looking for whenever you're casting this? Uh, you know, tell me who the principals are and everything on that.
CF: Uh, Chuck Meré plays the lead and, uh, Blake introduced me to him actually. And, um, he was, he was actually jumping on board, I believe to do some, uh, special effects work and, uh, read the script and was interested in it. And so we got a video audition of him and I mean, he was perfect and, uh, that's how he got on board. And I feel like he nailed, nailed the role.
KF: What was it Chuck brought to it that really connected with you?
CF: Just the realism, you know. Uh, every time I watch it, I don't, I don't see Chuck, I see Charlie, the character. And, uh, what I was looking for is someone that you could see that what he's been through in his eyes. And I think you could see that in Chuck's eyes.
KF: What about the rest of the cast?
CF: Cassie? I had her on my mind, even during the writing process, it was just a matter of locking down dates and she was interested in that kind of thing. And we met with her early on and got her onboard quick. And then with Scott, he came on late, but he picked it up insanely quick. Uh, it was, it was, it was really late when he jumped onboard, but…
BE: He, he jumped onboard. Um, unfortunately we had an actor had to drop out, but he came in, I think, two or three days before we even started shooting.
CF: Yeah. And I mean, he had a couple of hiccups, maybe, the whole time. His lines were, you know, right on.
BE: We couldn't be happier with his performance. I mean, he's, he knocked out the park for us.
KF: Right. Well, how big was your crew you were shooting with during this time?
BE: Dan? It was about what 30, I think. Our biggest day we had 30 cast and crew.
DR: Um, yes, we had a 15 person crew. Um, but then when we got everybody else in the mix on our biggest day, it was about 30 people.
CF: Uh huh.
KF: Was that all Arkansas cast? Are you guys pulling some from other states in the region? I mean, Arkansas crew.
BE: Yes. It was 100%, if I'm not mistaken.
CF: Yeah.
KF: Is this eligible for incentives or anything given that it's a short film?
BE: I don't believe so. I don't think so.
KF: Okay. Yeah. I wasn't for sure if it wouldn't be, that's something we should work on for sure. But I think it's fantastic you guys are pulling such a local crew. I mean, how do you, cause you guys have been doing this for a bit, for a few years around here. How do you feel the crew is within Northwest Arkansas, even statewide if you've got to do a production?
BE: It's, it's right up there with any, I would, I would put them up against or with all the top crew around the country I've ever met. I mean, it's, it's, I, I really want to help change the narrative of, it's not, we're not “little old Arkansas.” I mean, these are professionals with experience and talent that excel at what they do. Um, it's, it's extremely impressive.
KF: Right. So what is next for the film? What are you guys looking to do?
BE: Uh, we're, right now, we are just now starting to submit to film festivals, so we are about to crank out a big festival run. Um, so we're, we're really looking forward to that. Um, and see what happens there. Um, and yeah, I mean, that's, that's kind of our goal for now and, um, we'll see what happens later.
KF: Okay. What about projects for you guys next? Any, any creative endeavors coming up or are y'all sticking kind of close to commercial work this year?
BE: Of course, with COVID it was very, um, you know, commercial driven, which was great for, for that side of our business. Uh, we are looking forward for 2021 and we got quite a few, um, in the pipeline. Uh, we're just trying to work out the details and, um, and, and bring them here.
KF: Okay. Yeah. And one last thing, I guess, just before we go, is, in case people aren't familiar with Rockhill, uh, why don't you guys tell us what all is available in case someone wanted to, uh, you know, utilize the facility?
BE: Are you talking about the facility in general?
KF: Yeah. If you want to just kind of elaborate on things.
BE: Sure. Um, you know, we, we really like to describe Rockhill as two separate, uh, stages. Um, we have our, you know, our film production side and our commercial side. Um, with our film production side, we, uh, mainly do production services. So if there's somebody out of state that wants to come here and shoot, we can, um, basically be turnkey for them. Um, as well as, uh, we, we tried to, I mean, our biggest goal at Rockhill on that side of things is bringing outside dollars into the state. Um, so we are out there trying to, meeting with producers and filmmakers and trying to get them to, uh, come shoot in Arkansas. Um, and so that's, that's our main goal. You know, we want to keep the crew here working. Um, that's, that's huge. We don't want people to feel like they have to leave the state to get work. Um, and then Dan, I'll let Dan step in for our commercial side.
DR: Yeah. We're, uh, we are really happy to be able to bring film production, quality resources to commercial production. So we've had the pleasure of having some great local partners that we've been able to serve with commercial production, but we can be a one-stop shop resource for all corporate media, including internal videos and that sort of thing. Um, we definitely can give things a pro quality look, uh, and we can bring that same crew to the table, uh, if we're needing to do a major national commercial, which we would be excited to do.
KF: Now, one last thing before we go, if people want to find out more about Rockhill studios, how can they do that?
BE: Uh, the best way to do that would be either to go to our website, um, which is rockhill.studio, or you can check us out on Instagram, Facebook. Um, and we even have on our website, if you want to, uh, we have a, fill out a form and if you want to join our crew list and see if we can't get you on a project.
KF: Okay, guys, thanks again for being a part of this and chatting about the film.
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Kody Ford (VO): Sound is one of those things that is a backbone of filmmaking. One of those things that if it's off, you notice it. And you might not even know why the film doesn't seem right, but it's one of those behind the scenes sort of things that if it's not working right, your movie's probably not going to work right. And for the last couple of decades here, going back to, you know, mid-00s, Dwight Chalmers has been a staple here in Arkansas in the film scene. I mean, he's also worked across the nation. Uh, you know, he's worked for everybody from Discovery Channel to filmmakers such as our co-founder Jeff Nichols on the film Mud and many, many other productions, even with Terrence Malick. And we'll talk about that here in a minute. But Dwight, aside from just being an incredibly standup guy, is extremely knowledgeable. And so we just had a little fun talking about his career and why he loves working with sound. So I'd like to welcome Dwight to the show.
Kody Ford: Dwight, thanks for being here.
Dwight Chalmers: Hey, thanks. Yeah.
KF: Glad, glad to get you here and chat about it. So let's just talk about how you got started initially. So for years you had a studio here in Fayetteville and you were recording bands.
DC: Yeah. I started out, um, owning a recording studio and I'd help bands, uh, with their albums or, um, from a song to a full album. And sometimes albums would go over a couple of years to a second album, a third album. Um, I did that for close to 20 years in Fayetteville. Um, and, uh, it was a great time. It was, uh, we had a place, an old house that we would run the studio out of, and it sounded really nice. And I pictured myself doing that, uh, for forever, really, uh, until I got on set.
KF: Talk about how you got on set because not to brag, but I may have launched your career inadvertently. [laughs] So you, your first project was “In their Words” with Gabe Gentry, who is a friend of ours, right? And so Gabe, Gabe and I were talking the other day and he brought this up and I'd forgot about it. So I introduced him to, uh, our mutual other mutual friend, Matt, who then, and then Matt introduced Gabe to you. And that's how you got on the project.
DC: Oh, yeah?
KF: That's what he was saying. I was like, oh, I didn't realize that. So, so yeah. Uh, which I thought it was kind of funny. It's, it's weird how life, like you meet one person who introduces you and it sort of snowballs, but, uh, yeah, I thought it was really cool. But let, let's talk about, um, “In Their Words” and that project and your first opportunity to get out of the studio and into the field when you were working with Gabe on this project for Arkansas PBS back in, was that 2005? I think something like that.
DC: Yeah. 2006, somewhere around there. Yeah. Um, yeah, well, it was, um, I was still in the studio still recording, uh, albums. And, um, I had just started in post, I recorded or actually mixed, uh, two different films for some guys out of St. Louis. So I was just getting into it. And then an opportunity came up, like you're saying through a string of friends, uh, that really didn't all know each other completely yet. Um, about this documentary coming, coming up. And, um, I was just going to supervise the sound on location and I did that and we went up to Washington and it was a tricky shoot because we were, there was airplanes involved, there's hangers involved. There was, uh, tours around Washington. There was just a lot of aspects that we had to be ready for multiple cameras. And I had never done it before, but it just made sense to me automatically. Uh, so I ran with it and did it, and then by the end of the production, Gabe had asked me to actually mix the entire project. And I was gathering a lot of ambiances while I was in Washington for whoever might mix it just to where they would have a bed of sound and Gabe, he liked that and he said, “Well, why don't you just mix it?” And so I did.
KF: Did you do much research on like, you know, being there, supervising the sound and, you know, in the field, had you, were you that familiar with that? Or did you just kind of like, well, you know, you figured it out along the way.
DC: I pretty much just figured it out. I mean, I called the, uh, friends who had done it before. No one I knew had really done it professionally on a set. There was just a bunch of small pockets of, uh, productions going on at that time. Um, but it made sense that it's kind of like working in the studio except audio can happen anywhere and you just have to be ready and there's a lot more batteries involved. There's a lot more mobile aspects and, um, different setups that, that are always changing. Um, so I'll learn the camera, uh, audio and then the wireless and, uh, just really started there. I mean, we only had maybe two wireless mics and a couple, uh, shotgun mics on the camera. So it was a pretty small, small start.
KF: Yeah. One thing Gabe was saying in our conversation was how great you were to work with on that, that you were even when, like the rest of the crew was kinda like just goofing off and stuff like that. Just like you were plugged in, you were out there doing the ambient sound and like always like on top of it and in the zone. And I know he's very complimentary of that, so…
DC: Well, that's great. That was fun. That was a really fun project, but yeah.
KF: So you went from that, uh, you came back, you mixed it, the film came out on AETN at the time, or Arkansas PBS now. What was the next project and how did that come about?
DC: Well, at that time, there really wasn't too many dedicated audio folks in Arkansas for on-location. There was live sound, there was a lot of studio guys, but nobody, really the idea of just, you know, you using a couple lives in a boom. I think everyone kind of skipped over that at the time and either went to more exciting things, but I just had a lot of interest in it and getting really clean dialogue just sounded fun to me, you know, and all the different little things you have to do to achieve that. And I, um, I was ready to get out of the studio. I'd been there for so many years, being on set and then having new adventure was, was just exciting. So I just ran with it. And really soon after that, uh, there was a commercial, I think within the same week, that popped up and Little Rock and I said, “Yeah, sure, I'll do it.” And so I went to my friends and borrowed a bunch of gear and stayed up late, studying, uh, everything to do. And I basically showed up with a cardboard box in the back of my car and, uh, would hide the gear in my car. I didn't want to carry in a box. So I would just carry in the gear to look professional and, um, pulled it off and it went well. And then next thing, you know, a reality TV show popped up and then another commercial. And then, you, you know, work with a few different producers and directors, and then they want you to just to start doing all their stuff. So it really snowballed after that.
KF: Were there any producers or directors that, you know, you felt really helped grow your career and they kind of championed you over time?
DC: Yeah. Early on, David Folks and Gabe Gentry for sure gave me that push. Um, and even David Folks said, “You know, you'll probably end up moving to Little Rock.” And I just looked at him like he was crazy and sure enough, within a year, um, I moved down there and started doing a lot of commercial work. There really wasn't any film for me then. Um, but just a lot of commercials and then, um, some reality TV and documentaries. And, um, and then while I was down there, Jeff Daley was involved with this new project that he really couldn't talk about and he needed an audio guy. And I, by that time I had bought some gear and I was ready to start taking on gigs. And, um, so we went up to Northeast Arkansas and started working with this director. And we did that. I did that for about a hundred days over two years. And that project was, uh, West of Memphis, um, the West Memphis Three story. And so that was really exciting. And then, um, after that, I got a gig on a film called Mud that shot here, or in South Arkansas, and as a sound utility position. And I hadn't, like I said, I hadn't worked on a film set yet, but that was a really good place to start because sound utility, you really learn it from the ground up. Um, you might do a little bit of second boom. Um, but you really just have a handful of things that you're in charge of too, it's like a PA for the sound department pretty much. Um, and that was a great experience. And then, um, through that, I met Sarah Green and she took me on a Terrence Malick project. Um, the entire time I've been doing sound, even in the studio world, I've loved recording natural sounds and just going out and recording ambiances. And I had quite a big, uh, collection of ambiances and, um, she heard about it and said, uh, that, uh, I would probably get along with, uh, Terrence pretty well. And so we went to New Mexico and Colorado and worked on an IMAX movie. Um, and that was really amazing and it was called, it was called The Voyage of Time.
KF: Did, uh, did Malik, did you learn anything from him, you know, or just even just being on set there, what was that experience?
DC: Um, that was really, really eye-opening, um, it's a, anything can change at any moment. Um, and, um, natural sound is very important to him, so, uh, we'll try to set recorders out and really capture a lot of things in the morning and, uh, in the evening and the bugs, how the bugs change and really try to make something nice that they would have, uh, for post. And when they, uh, finish up shooting and go into the studio to start laying in backgrounds and beds and, uh, sound effects.
KF: Okay. Let's hop back to West of Memphis real quick. And that, what, you said 200 days total? Or 100 days over the course of two years or something?
DC: For me, it was about a hundred days over two years.
KF: Okay. And that was the project that Peter Jackson, uh, produced, right?
DC: Yes. Yes. He and a friend were in charge of that. And then we were just the local crew on, on the ground here.
KF: Now, weren't you there the night that they were released up in Memphis? Like, weren't you at the after party and like, were you guys recording or hanging out or?
DC: Well, we had followed all the action that day and a few days leading up to it, um, as a documentary team. Um, a lot of the people that were coming into town and all the logistics of the release, and we were up at the release, covering it, um, as a team, um, then we had to get interviews after, and that took pretty much the rest of the day. So going to the after party was never really an option because by then we were so beat after a 16 hour day, we decided to, just to go back to the hotel and go to sleep.
KF: So that project and, uh, were there any, you know, good times on Mud, you know, like, cause it was primarily an Arkansas crew, right? So it was this, like, a lot of the guys you had worked with, you know— men and women, I mean—that you had worked with here in Arkansas on projects.
DC: Yeah. A lot of us, you know, Mud was a start for a lot of us, um, in any department, you know. That was really the, the first big movie in a long time that had come through. And so a lot of my friends were on it. Uh, there was a lot of out-of-towners, it was a big union film, you know, for, for us. And so there was, uh, there was local spots, non-union spots, that needed to be filled and sound utility was one of them. So I got on there and a lot of my friends, you know, we would, we would help each other because, um, if, if you need something from another department and you don't know anybody in the department, except that one local person, they're the person that's going to help you out. So, um, it was good. It was, it was a good experience. It was, uh, late nights and we would get rained on and it was full of adventure.
KF: Did you learn much from, like, those union guys? I mean, since you were sort of like in a sense their PA, did, did you expand your knowledge of how to do it on a larger scale set?
DC: Yeah. You learn the flow, um, of the set and the cadence of the roles and how to approach actors or not approach actors, um, and keeping everything in sync. That's the most important thing. Um, the audio department is, you try to, you try not to be seen and the only time that there's a problem, that's when, if the audio department starts talking, then there's a problem. And so we try to just stay out of the way, keep everything in sync, get great sound, um, and just keep the show going. Um, and basically just try to stay out of the way.
KF: Well, you know, when you're out there on set, what are, you know, what are some of the good things and some of the downsides of it? Or the challenges, probably, moreso than the downsides. If you did that life, what for 10, 15 years, 13 years, was it that you worked on sets?
DC: Yeah. Yeah. Working on sets, you know, the, the crew's going to change every, every show. And sometimes you might have a busy week where there's three different productions that come in in one week and you just do a day on each, but keeping your gear ready, uh, making sure your gear is working. Um, if you have rental gear, just pretty much assume that there's something wrong with it and you need to figure out what it is before the shoot. So, um, if you think that things should be okay, then they probably won't be okay. You need to really make sure that they are going to be okay. Um, so you have to do your homework and just be ready. Um, know your gear, know where it is. Have enough batteries, have enough, if there's that one cable and it's getting a little bit fragile, overnight another. You know, it's small things like that, that, um, when you end up way, you know, at a remote location on set somewhere, you may have thought you're shooting downtown and you're close to your apartment, but really the set for the second half of the day is an hour and a half away out in the field. So you really just have to make sure that you, uh, you know your gear and that you have everything you need.
KF: What had been, uh, are there any other big projects you'd like to discuss that you enjoyed a lot over the years?
DC: Um, you know, Greater was another project where a lot of locals came together. Um, it was shot in Northwest Arkansas. Um, and that was, uh, that was a really great experience because we had all been through a handful of films. And then that was, I think, my first one to be the main sound mixer on, cause a lot of times in the sound department, you start out as boom, or you start out as sound utility, um, or, and you might stay there and now not have any plans of acquiring gear, but then, um, in some cases you get gear and you move up. And, um, so that, that was a really good experience. It was a very tough film to make. There was a lot of moving parts and the football aspect, but I think we were, we were all really, uh, really happy about it afterwards.
KF: How did you go about getting sound for the football games? Did you go to some of the games with gear and get to record, or was there like some that you guys could just purchase and mix it in post?
DC: I was only involved, actually, I was involved, uh, on set getting, you know, dialogue and everything. Uh, but the director had cleared it for me to go to one of the games and basically walk along the sidelines with my recorder and get tons of great sound. Um, and weirdly enough, I had already started a football collection and I had gone to the games with a recorder and gone to outside the stadium with a recorder probably five years before. Cause I just kind of had a feeling that a football game may pop up at some point, um, or a football movie. And, um, so I had several years of recordings by the time we were ready to go on it. Um, I wasn't in post on that movie, but then we turned all those recordings in and then once it leaves your hands, you really don't know what is yours and what is bought out of a collection. But as having some post experience now, it takes all of it. It takes everything you can get on set. It takes everything you've got in your sound effects collection. Um, and then still you probably need a little bit more. Actually, All the Birds have Flown South, that was a really important movie as well because that brought a lot of local crew together. Um, that was, that was a great experience. The Miller brothers, um, filming in Little Rock and, uh, and knowing those guys and being able to talk to them about their film for a couple of years, you know, they would, uh, they were working on it for quite a while before they filmed it. So we were all aware as a friend group, what they were working on and it was exciting to see it finally come about and, um, a lot of friends and a lot of good memories on that. Getting snowed, almost snowed in, uh, on set one night. Uh, oh, there's, there are some interesting times.
KF: Nice. So yeah. Oh, one thing I was going to ask. Tell me, you've talked a lot about going out and just kind of recording sounds in the field on your own accord, but you have done this and created your own films and like, uh, ambient kind of experimental films, right?
DC: Yeah. Yeah. I, um, shoot a lot of Super 8 and uh, will just capture some imagery here and there and make a story. And, uh, it's kind of a long form thing where a short film may take me a couple of years to finish, but I'll wait and find the locations naturally in life instead of making a list of everything I need right now to do the shoot. So, um, it started to come together with the Super 8 imagery and the sound effects collection to really experiment with that. Um, and put some, uh, put some films together, different environments and kind of put them into film festivals. And that was one thing that, that, you know, right now with, we're coming towards the end of COVID when we're recording this. So one thing I really really miss is, uh, the film festival. Uh, you know, we had a lot of fun making short films, putting in them into festivals and traveling to the festivals and meeting people. And, uh, even though they've gone virtual, it's a little bit different, you know, I'm looking forward to those coming back, but yeah, I did a festival run with, with my own short films and, uh, um, Angela Carpenter, co-produced with her on some films and, uh, even, uh, Josh Miller is involved in, in some of mine as well. So yeah, it's fun.
KF: Well, one other question is like, what do you prefer doing? Like the foley arts aspect of things? Or do you like mixing better? Is there a preference?
DC: Oh, as opposed to being on set and being in post?
KF: Yeah, yeah. On-set film work versus, you know, being behind, you know, the, I'm totally blanking on the word, you know, being, being there behind the desk, I guess, in the mixing board.
DC: Yeah. Yeah. Well, um, so I've always loved location sound and then I figured I would be doing that for quite a while. And, and, uh, 2007, 2008, I kind of had a plan to maybe do it for 10 or so years and then get back into post-production. And, um, I just kinda ran with that. And about a year and a half ago, a friend of mine, Zach Kennedy, started talking about putting together a surround sound mixing room and Dolby Atmos room. And he did, and a year and a half ago, he said, “If I put it together, I'd like for you to run it.” And so we just kind of operated off that that might happen, it might not. And it happened. And, um, it's real exciting. This is kind of the next step of my career, I guess, is now I'm in post full-time and I'm sitting right now in a Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 mixing room. Um, and, uh, my first day was February 1st. So, I'm, freshly up here and we, today was the first day we're starting, uh, our first feature up here, uh, in post-production.
KF: And Zach's company being Prisma up in Bentonville.
DC: Yeah. The company is a Prisma Post and, uh, it's, uh, David Adair and Zach Kennedy. You know, the feature is kicking off now for my doing the post of that.
KF: But you also, you, you guys have done some shorts. You worked on “Blood on the Risers.” I was up there with you the day you were mixing that. You were mixing that for Dolby that day, right?
DC: Yeah. We, uh, through Rockhill, um, Blake Elder. Um, he was telling me about a short he was doing last summer and I couldn't be involved on set. I was in Utah on a History Channel show for 13 weeks. So I told him, “I can't be on-set, but let me definitely be involved in post.” And so finally the sound design came around and, uh, foley. And, um, a sound editor, John McCallum, he, uh, helped me out on it and we just went to town on it and did all the sound design. And then once we got at a certain point, we brought it up to Prisma and then did our 7.1 mix and then expanded that out to a Dolby Atmos mix. Uh, so, uh, that's been real exciting. It's a great story. And it has left a lot of creativity, uh, that we can design in the sound to help tell the story.
KF: And it, hasn't it won a couple of awards for sound or am I mistaken?
DC: It won an award for sound design and production design recently.
KF: You mentioned, uh, John, he, you brought him onto the, and "In Their Words" project, right?
DC: Actually, yeah. Yeah. He is involved in that. Yeah. He, uh, was the composer. Yeah.
KF: That's just, I guess that's one of the good things about, and you know, I've talked to people in LA who, it seems to sort of happen out there some too, but just being here, we're so much smaller that it's like, you, you've always got a friend who knows how to do it, or they've got a friend who knows how to do it and it sort of comes together like that. Um, so you're, you're loving doing, you know, being there up there at Prisma and doing your thing?
DC: Yeah. It's great. You know, it's, uh, it's neat to see a bunch of worlds come together. Um, the location sound world, I still do a little bit. We have, uh, shoots that we go out on. But say, even just getting in all the tracks for a short or a feature and going through those and organizing them, and then, uh, if there's any de-noising or anything that any, uh, issues that we need to kind of investigate and make sure things stay in sync, and then there's a lot of work and prep you have to do. And then you get to get into the sound design element and then the mixing element. And so there's a lot of things that I've done over the years that are now all coming together here, um, pretty much, uh, in post-production. So that's, that's really exciting for me.
KF: You mentioned to me that like your nephews, like you kind of have gotten them into recording over the years and now you work with one of them, right?
DC: Yeah. Um, for years I've been giving any, uh, gear that I had phased out of the studio, I would give it to my nephews. And they’re both musicians and it was neat to see them pick everything up in their basement and just go for it and have over and record. And so I would funnel them any, any kind of gear I could. And, um, they're, they're both really great editors and motion graphics guys and musicians and, um, uh, Ben Drain and Taylor Drain. And they're, uh, uh, Ben actually got a job here as a motion graphics, uh, and editor and their location sound guy. And so it's really come together now on features. Um, I'm training him how to be a dialogue mixer, and he's already a good, uh, sound effects cutter. And so, uh, Ben and I will be taking on, uh, a lot of the work up here.
KF: What, do you have any advice for, uh, people like, uh, Ben's age? That the, the younger generation, if they want to get into what you do and working with sound?
DC: I think working with sound, I would say try to, you know, just try to start messing with it any way you can, whether it's through a church or radio station or TV station. Um, I did all of those. Um, anything you can do just to see how all the different set-ups work and how they're calibrated and, uh, just, uh, get started somehow, if you want to do specifically film, um, you know, when film festivals, always recommend people start going to film festivals when they come back, because, uh, the people that you will meet there, someone may call you six months from now or after the festival and say, “Hey, I've got a project. And I remember you saying you wanted to be involved.” Um, and that's how I got a lot of work early on, was just going to festivals and networking that way. Um, and working on other people's short films, because there most likely will be somebody on that short film that ends up with a commercial project and a budget. And they're going to look at all the people that they've worked with recently and, um, kind of check everyone's availability and, um, kinda like, uh, with the Gabe Gentry project, that's pretty much how that worked. You know, he looked to his own network early on, too, of friends and, uh, people in production that he had already worked with. Um, so that's pretty much, uh, just start out that way. And, um, then when a movie comes through, if you want to go that route, uh, even being paying on a film and being able to see how things work, um, is, is really valuable as well. Just because you can't get in the sound department or the, um, camera department, just getting on somehow and seeing if it's for you. And, um, if you get addicted to it and want to do another and another, that's kind of how it works. I've told people that, so some people don't go looking for a film, a lot of times, film will find you and you just start out and go from project to project. And then next thing, you know, 10 years has gone by.
KF: Well, Dwight, I appreciate you hanging out and talking with me today. Is there anything else you want to pitch in about, you know, what you do or, you know, shout outs to anybody, you know, anything like that?
DC: Um, well I think, uh, you know, there's a lot of things going on, uh, post COVID now, they're starting to come back. And, uh, I, I think, um, I'm impressed with, um, Prisma and Rockhill, Rockhill is really, uh, going out there and doing some stuff. And, um, it's good to see that, that things are starting to come back. You know, there's some stuff moving along in Little Rock and I think, um, there's some shorts being filmed and, and that's good to see, you know, I can't really think of everybody that's working right now, but it's, it's good to see that people are, are, are going ahead and, uh, getting back to work and at least scheduling projects, um, because there for awhile, there was zero going on and in all our lives, uh, during the shutdown. So, um, yeah, basically, it's, it's just great to see everybody working now.
KF: Yeah, absolutely. It's been, it was great. You were able to get on that show last year. It's been rough for some people, for sure, so I think it's going to be good, um, coming out of this and a lot of people are optimistic that there's going to be a lot of work coming. So fingers crossed. We hope it happens. Well, Dwight thank you again for taking the time to chat and tell us all about sound and yeah. Happy to have you back in itself.
DC: All right. Thanks, Kody. I appreciate it.
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KF (voiceover): Reel Talk Arkansas is produced by Christian Leus and Kody Ford. Theme music by Amos Cochran. Thank you for listening and tune in next time. To find out more about Arkansas Cinema Society, visit our website: arkansascinemasociety.org.