Lee Thompson Sound Recordist

BBC Radio 4 – In Search of the Tigers Roar

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01b9jny

In January 2011 I was part of a group of Wildlife Sound Recordists who travelled to Corbett National Park in Northern India with top wildlife sound expert Chris Watson and Wildeye the international wildlife film school. Chris took the recordings everyone made that week and has collated it into a program for Radio 4. It was without a doubt one of the best weeks of my life, wonderful people in the most beautiful forest on in the foothills of the Himalaya recording and photographing the world as it should be.

Photo copyright Maxine Lister

http://wildeye.co.uk/

www.chriswatson.net/

IPS Training weekend

In February I will be attending The Institute of Professional Sound annual training weekend at the National Film and TV School.

A two day course, the first day covering outside broadcast for Live sports events, specifically aimed at the Olympics later this year.

The second day is covering the recording of live music performance with live bands.

“Shameless”

I was very kindly invited for a day as a sound trainee on the latest series of Shameless being filmed by Company Pictures in Manchester. Spending the day with David Hall AMPS production sound mixer and his team was fantastic.

David uses the Zaxcom Deva II Recorder and has a very nice Schoeps SuperCmit rifle microphone, which with their expertise the team get great sound in quite a colourful noise environment!

Everyone was great, really nice working atmosphere and people were having fun. I was well looked after and learned a great deal from David, Johnny and Ryan. Thanks guys!

VHF Radio

I have just taken a marine radio course as part of my continuation of sea based work skills, next I am due to start my Yacht day skipper theory. Soon I will be sailing along the west coast of Scotland

“In search of the Tigers Roar”

I Janurary 2011 I was on a Wildeye sound course with Chris Watson, the BBC Natural History units number one soundy in Northern India. A group of 15 sound recordists out in Corbitt National Park for 10 days of recording in the jungle. During this time Chris was recording for a BBC 4 radio doc which is due to be aired in early 2012, produced by Sarah Blunt of the NHU in Bristol. You will be able to hear a brief interview with my friend Alex and myself after we recorded the mating call of Pathera Tigris! I will update closer to the time.

http://www.chriswatson.net

“Sightseers”

I had a day covering boom op under sound mixer Rob Entwhistle on this low budget feature film by up and coming British director Ben Wheatly shot in the Lake district, its a dark comedy staring and written by Alice Lowe and Steve Oram as a messed up couple on a caravanning holiday. Ben has just won awards for his last film “Kill List” so I will be interested to see how sightseers comes together, everyone I met that day was really nice. Go follow the films progress on the link below.

“Vera” – TV Drama

Production sound mixer Reg Mills AMPS kindly invited me over to spend the day with his team on Vera in Newcastle this month, they are well into production of series two of this gritty Northumbria based detective drama for ITV. It was a great day with the crew and hopefully I will go back again before the end of this season.

http://www.itv.com/dramapremieres/vera/

First Aid

I have just re-qualified as a first aider.

HSE First aid at work with good old St Johns Ambulance with a bursary from the  Skillset TV Health and Safety fund.

Thanks Skillset!

http://www.skillset.org/

Crew North

I have paid my subs for the year, good old BECTU have put me in the Crew North directory which will be sent out to all the production companies in the North of England.

http://www.crewnorth.co.uk/

Boom Operators Network

I have just been welcomed into the Boom Op network, which is nice. I applied via the chap who runs it, Steve Fish, a very experienced boom op.  I am told by a friend the network hosts some of the best boom swingers in the world! If your a Boom Op or a Sound assistant, go have a look. Cheers