With a theatrical release planned for February 2011, director David Cronenberg’s latest offering, “A Dangerous Method,” recently completed filming. Shot on location in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, the film takes place at the brink of World War I and is based on the turbulent relationships between fledgling psychiatrist Carl Jung, his mentor Sigmund Freud and Sabina Spielrein, the troubled but beautiful young woman who comes between them. Freedom of mobility was essential to capturing sound on the project and, for location sound mixer Michal Holubec, Lectrosonics wireless technology delivered in a big way. The film stars Viggo Mortensen as Freud, Michael Fassbender as Jung and Keira Knightley as Sabina Spielrein.
Holubec is one of the key crew members with Bystrouska Sound Studios, a location sound services and audio post-production provider headquartered in Prague. Michal Holubec began his career with Czechoslovak Television and has film credits that include “Dune,” “Anne Frank: The Whole Story” and “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.”
“I’ve had a lot of success with Lectrosonics’ SMa and UM400a belt-pack transmitters,” he said. “I also have two HM plug-on transmitters that I use for wireless boom. On the receiving side, I’ve been very pleased with the Lectrosonics Octopac (an eight-channel receiver dock and antenna coupling system for Lectrosonics’ SRA and SRA5P receivers) and have also had a great experience with the VR field receiver system stocked with six VRT modules.”
When queried about those features that distinguish Lectrosonics wireless technology from competing brands, Holubec said, “It all boils down to robust performance and reliability. Lectrosonics gear is made really well, and it’s quick and easy to set up. Audio dropouts are a thing of the past, and the ability to change power and consumption on the transmitters is extremely useful. I’ve also been very impressed with the SMa transmitter’s really small size and its ability to be discreetly concealed among the actor’s wardrobe.”
The versatility of Lectrosonics’ wireless equipment is helping location sound engineers like Holubec stay abreast of the changes like the growing popularity of the RED digital camera system. “Film shoots are being done faster and, frequently, with a more ‘improvisational’ style,” Holubec said. “Lectrosonics’ sound quality, the compact size and its extended range and dropout-free performance really pay off in this environment. The small dimensions and low weight of the Octopac system enables me to move about freely on the set. It’s a huge advantage to have the entire eight-channel setup in one Portabrace bag. For the kind of shooting where quick and unexpected location changes are a daily occurrence, this is a great system.”
