Why can't sound be fixed in post?

Some things can. A line buried under a passing vehicle usually cannot, and the fix is ADR — which costs money, schedule and typically some performance quality. Capturing it correctly on the day is far cheaper.

Do I need a sound mixer if I am using radio mics only?

Yes. Radio mics need rigging, monitoring and mixing, and they fail in ways that are audible only to someone listening. Unmonitored radio mics are how productions discover an unusable scene weeks later.

All Roles

Sound

Production Sound Mixer

Heads sound on set. Captures the dialogue the whole film depends on, once, while it happens.

The Production Sound Mixer Role

The Production Sound Mixer heads the sound department on set and is responsible for recording usable dialogue and atmosphere during the shoot. They choose and place microphones, mix levels live, manage radio mics, and flag problems that will cost money in post. Unlike almost every other on-set discipline, their work cannot be fixed later without significant expense — a compromised take means ADR, which costs money, time and usually a slightly worse performance.

What Does a Production Sound Mixer Do?The production sound mixer runs the sound department on set: they record the audio the film is actually cut with, and they are the only person on the floor whose job is to hear the take rather than watch it.Read the full explainer · 6 min read

Key Responsibilities

Record production dialogue and atmosphere on set
Select and position microphones for each setup
Manage radio mics, timecode and recording equipment
Mix levels live and monitor for problems
Capture room tone and wild lines at every location
Maintain sound reports and reconcile with camera

When to Hire a Production Sound Mixer

On every production with dialogue, from the first shoot day. Production sound is the one discipline whose failures cannot be cheaply repaired — a compromised take means ADR, which costs money, time and usually a slightly worse performance. This is the last place to economise.

What to Look For

A kit list appropriate to your shoot, including enough radio mics
Experience with your shooting environment — locations differ enormously
Willingness to flag problems in the moment rather than after
Discipline about room tone and wild lines
Clean, reconciled sound reports

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