LOS ANGELES—My company, State Media, specializes in Bolero system rentals and sales that are highly curated to the scripted film and TV, commercial, music video and documentary spaces.
For many years as a cinematographer working in scripted film, television and commercials, I worked in a niche of the entertainment industry dominated by walkies. Yet, I always found the most natural way of communicating with my department heads and sharing information, which is vital to the quality and efficiency of our work, was two-way communication.
Unfortunately, the systems we were using were limited to one, and at best two, party lines with uncomfortable headsets. Those headsets added wires to what they already wore between the walkies, which we still had to carry, and the Comtek receivers for program feed (the audio mix from the sound department, often referred to as “program audio” in other areas of production). I felt terrible having to make them wear these things and listen to lots of voices that they didn’t need to hear on a busy set.
First in North America
Thankfully, I learned about Riedel’s Bolero intercom system shortly after it came out, and I wound up becoming the first person in North American scripted film and TV to buy a system. Our community had no idea Riedel existed—and Bolero solved a number of problems we had with the systems we’d been using. With access to up to seven party lines on a belt pack, it meant that we could divide conversations up in smart ways to keep unnecessary voices out of people’s heads and share information easily when it was relevant.
For example, with a party line dedicated to the “A camera” crew, we can let the camera operator, first AC and dolly grip talk as much as they want, both in rehearsal and during a take if on the fly changes are needed to save the shot—all without anyone else having to listen to them and be distracted from their own work.
However, the biggest game-changer for my crew has been the ability to use lightweight, comfortable, wireless Bluetooth earpieces and the integration of walkie channels into Bolero. Our shoot days are usually at least 12 hours long, and any extra ounce, slight discomfort or extra wire adds up over time to the body.
In addition, the ability to integrate program feed, “voice of god” (a term for the director or AD speaking to the crew over a loudspeaker or intercom) and the ability to integrate the walkie channels into Bolero is a massive relief for the crew. Now they only have to carry one device that can deliver all of their communication needs and it’s completely wireless. My camera, grip and lighting crew heads love being on Bolero. We can’t work without it now.
Many Microinefficiencies
We purchased our first Bolero system purely for me and my crew to use, regardless of whether we would ever turn a profit. It was a tool that would allow us to do our jobs better. And then, by accident, it became a comms rental business in the pandemic.
Since then, as more and more people became aware of the power of the system in our cinema style of production, it’s become very commonplace. Producers who experience a crew on Bolero for the first time love it, too, because they quickly see how hundreds of microefficiencies accumulated throughout the day more than make up for the cost of the system’s rental. Directors love it because the most limiting thing for them is time and Bolero gives them more of that.
For more information, visit www.riedel.net/en/.
