The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

Les Mis is the most incredible audio experience I've ever had in a theatre.
Originally I was looking for the mics they used, then I came across this ..

Les Miserables, live singing.... - Current - Discussion Group

It took me nearly 2hrs to get through the posts and vids.

So I've made a list of the most interesting .. 20, 38, 39 60, (mic choices > 64 and earwigs > 68)
and 97 for some fun. See 104 for the crew. If you've only got 6mins, see 113 and ..


Enjoy.
Cheers.

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

I'd agree. The sound was flawless. The only time I thought about it was during the rain scene. And that's what we want, isn't it? Transparency, so we can enter the story.

Not many days before, I saw The Hobbit in 48fps/3D. (Please, let's not derail the Les Mis thread with a Hobbit discussion), and by contrast, it was one of the least transparent films I've ever seen. It made the triumph of Les Miserables even more impressive in my experience.

BTW, even if you're the toughest guy on the planet, bring tissues. The whole theater was sobbing within ten minutes. And now, being conditioned with the experience, the trailer draws tears on cue!

Hathaway and Jackman MUST win Oscars for their performances. They were both sublime in their roles. And the quality of the audio really allowed them to shine through.

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

I heard a track of "I dreamed a dream" on the radio yesterday and it was incredibly moving as it was the live performance from the film rather than a playback track done in the studio.

More here:
It is great that they have got the actors to act their songs rather than try to mime or do an over produced studio performance.

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

So, if I wanted great sound like that, what mic would I put on my dSLR?

<evil grin, ducks and runs>

Perhaps I'll need to go see it after all...

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

you need a big mixing desk to feed all the multitrack recorders and a rode videomic to get some ambient sound to sync to!

Seriously the principles would be the same but you would also need the human beings to do it properly and that is where most self shoot DSLR users fail at the first hurdle as doing proper sep sound is not a one person single mic operation!

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

Wow, amazing sound. Jon is spot on as usual. Les Miserable is a must see for anyone who films for a living.

Sorry but you will not get sound like that on a DSLR.

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

Not sound related, but watch the focus in the film. We're talking about closeups from a Steadicam of a moving actor with long takes and shallow DOF. The 1st AC was under some real pressure. One bad move and he/she could trash a golden performance. In fact, there were some scenes where you could see focus being lost just frames before a cut.

The boom op clearly needed to nail each take as well, but one can fix a bad boom move with gain and EQ, if not punch-ins. A critical job, but not quite as pressure packed as the focus puller gig.

Personally, I loved the look. Real film. Shallow DOF. Deep, warm colors. It really fit the dreamy, historical mood. "I dreamed a dream..."

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

Gary and Paul: that was VERY tongue in cheek... based on frequently asked questions here and elsewhere... I'm stirring the pot...

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

I know Shaun but but my point is that the camera that they used to shoot Les Mis didn't do the sound either and just like a DSLR is not capable of doing decent sound.

And if they used a zoom whatever or a rode videomic with the same camera they still would not get the decent sound that you hear!

You can not change the laws of physics and the disciplines required to do good quality audio, period! and I bet they prepared and rehearsed till they were happy to go for a take rather than just slapping some kit onto the job and hoping it will sync up with plural eyes later!

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

Got it Shaun, we all need to laugh more every day, thanks.

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

The co-operation, research and testing of the audio chain by consummate professionals, right through from the mics to the final result
before starting any filming, was the biggest factor in the success of the actual sound of Les Mis.

Just imagine recording 24 DPA lav mics in pouring rain, put most soundies in the Laughing Academy. I had a brief look in there once or twice, it's not nice.

As Simon Hayes says it's a once in a lifetime job. Well whatever he was paid will be quadrupled in coming years, just doing the speaking circuit.
Sound guys will pay just to shake his hand.

imo everyone in the sound crew will get an Oscar.

Cheers.
President of the Simon Hayes Fan Club.

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

Right there with you Allan. Nice to appreciate and see the results from the best.

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

Certainly is Paul, with all that mega gear involved on set and at Abbey Road, how about this for a contrast ..

the foley for Les Mis was done way outback in Oz, waaaaaaaaay outback About FeetnFrames | Feet'n'Frames | john@feetnframes.com.au

To get to the Oscars, John will have to take a horse to Adelaide, 757 to Sydney, then a Jumbo to LA.

Cheers.

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

Wow, cool location

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

Mate it's hot as blazes out there .. 44C here yesterday and 53C (128F) on the court at the NSW Tennis Championships.
I offered to lay in some racquet and ball hits, but unlike the above, there's no budget :)

Cheers.

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

44C sh** that is hot. Hit 3C here today

Stay cool Allan

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

Yep, made me want to go see Les Mis again, theatre aircon is another plus.

Cheers.

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

Allan just to say thanks for the link, and heads up to the best of the thread. It is beyond my comprehension how such a complex set up could be so well controlled, and I am simply in awe of the fine job they did. I have seen the show twice when I lived in the UK, but will have an uphill struggle persuading my wife (who is no fan of musicals) to go see the movie.

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

Trevor, yep if you're into music and musicals, do you think that's the right category for Les Mis?

It really doesn't matter what awards they all get, to produce music like that the whole world can emotionally experience in a darkened movie theatre,
is the achievement of a lifetime.

I'll be grabbing the DVD asap, it'll sell like hot croissants :)

Cheers.

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

Thinking about it, the purchase of the DVD might not be all that great.

Les Mis is the classic example of seeing an emotive show, in the dark, with other people all around you experiencing the same thing.

On a DVD or Bluray at home, it might only have the effect of a good music video. It'll have 'extras' and they'd be interesting,
but how many times would you play it?

I don't walk around the house singing that stuff, France is on the other side of the world.

Cheers.

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

The thing I miss most since moving to New Zealand from the UK, is quality live gigs. A buddy who lives in Toronto, made me miserable this week with an email about Peter Gabriel's Back to Front tour he'd seen over there. The atmosphere and enjoyment from really good live gig is an order of magnitude better than listening to, or watching a DVD. Having said that, I still love to watch DVDs of great gigs. Especially ones I attended, but I definitely get your point.

Re: The Sound of Les Miserables ..
 

Here's Les Mis Simon Hayes telling all in a podcast, the reasons, the set-ups, the gear and the results.

Not only did he did produce a fantastic job, he explains it just as well ..

Post 125 .. Les Miserables, live singing.... - Page 3 - Current - Discussion Group

Enjoy,
Cheers.