Production Sound Technicians (IATSE Local 695)

Overview

The Production Sound Technicians, operating as IATSE Local 695, is the union representing production sound mixers, boom operators, sound utility technicians, and video engineers working in motion pictures and television in the Los Angeles area. Founded in 1930, Local 695 covers the on-set sound department that captures dialogue, ambient sound, and production audio during principal photography -- work that is the foundation of every film's final soundtrack.

Local 695's jurisdiction covers the specific phase of sound work done during production, distinguishing it from the post-production sound covered by IATSE Local 700 (Motion Picture Editors Guild, which includes sound editors) and the re-recording mixing covered by the Cinema Audio Society community. The production sound mixer plans the microphone strategy for each shooting day, manages the sound department crew, and delivers cleanly recorded audio -- particularly dialogue -- that the post-production sound team builds the final soundtrack from.

Production Sound Mixer Role

The production sound mixer (PSM) is the head of the sound department on set. Before each shooting day, the PSM reviews the script, consults with the director and DP about shooting locations and microphone placement constraints, and plans the sound strategy for each setup. On set, the PSM manages the boom operator (who operates the overhead boom microphone) and the sound utility technician (who places and manages wireless lavalier microphones on performers), monitors all audio during takes, and makes real-time decisions about which microphone sources to record and mix.

The PSM's primary responsibility is capturing clean, usable dialogue. Production dialogue is always preferable to ADR (automated dialogue replacement recorded in post) because location dialogue captures the acoustic character of the environment and the spontaneous quality of performance that ADR sessions rarely fully replicate. A skilled PSM working in difficult acoustic conditions -- outdoor locations, busy sets, ambient noise -- achieves clean dialogue recordings that save substantial ADR cost and post-production time.

Boom Operator and Sound Utility

The boom operator is the PSM's primary department collaborator, operating the fishpole boom microphone that hangs over actors during dialogue scenes. Experienced boom operators develop precise physical control -- holding a heavy microphone precisely positioned overhead for long takes, adjusting position fluidly between actors in multi-person dialogue, anticipating actor movements before they happen. The boom mic typically produces the highest-quality dialogue recording when it can be positioned close to the talent without appearing in frame.

The sound utility technician (sometimes called the cable person) manages wireless transmitters placed on performers, runs cables, operates additional boom poles on complex multi-camera setups, and handles the administrative work of the sound department -- maintaining production sound reports and managing the equipment package.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For directors, the production sound mixer's ability to record clean dialogue in challenging conditions directly affects post-production cost and schedule. Including the sound department in location scouts -- allowing the PSM to identify acoustic problems before the shooting day -- prevents costly sound problems that are only discovered in the editing room.

For producers, Local 695 rates for PSM, boom operator, and sound utility at the applicable budget tier are all meaningful below-the-line budget items. The sound package (equipment rental) is a separate cost from labor that must also be budgeted.

See Also

For the post-production sound editors that work with Local 695's recordings, see Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) in this directory. For the re-recording mixers who create the final mix, see Cinema Audio Society (CAS) in this directory.