A pair of idiots let loose in the studio
By Sophie Andersen · · 14 min read
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A pair of idiots let loose in the studio - with VIDEO!
A short video showing how not to behave in the studio. This pair of idiots even find what they do funny.
By David Mellor, Course Director of Audio Masterclass
A pair of idiots let loose in the studio - with VIDEO!
A short video showing how not to behave in the studio. This pair of idiots even find what they do funny.
It would be a sensible precaution if the door to every studio had a large sign on it saying, “No Drinks Allowed!”
Well in the practical world that just isn’t going to happen. But to keep your studio in good working condition it would be best to keep drinks away from the equipment. Or at least put your cup or can down on a surface that is lower in level than the surface on which the equipment stands.
Yes I know, we all break this rule all the time. How close is your drink to your expensive laptop right now?
But to spill your drink right next to the equipment, see drops of liquid fly everywhere, and then laugh about it, well you would have to be an idiot.
So here we have it, a pair of idiots in the studio…
P.S. This commercial is for a bank. Like many banks around the world, they gambled their depositors’ money and lost it all. They had to be bailed out by money provided by UK taxpayers.
P.P.S. I’ve been reading the comments for this article and apparently some people think I don’t realize the whole thing is acted. Yes indeed, two very competent actresses are playing the roles of idiots, and playing them well. The real idiots are the people in the advertising agency, and presumably the people from the bank who deal with advertising, who think this kind of thing is funny. It isn’t.
Publication date: Thursday March 03, 2011
Author: David Mellor, Course Director of Audio Masterclass
Discussion on this topic…
Piijei, Lagos, Nigeria
This article confuses me. Is David actually thinking these ‘actresses’ did all that on purpose or is he just using the advert as an example of what could happen in a studio? I think they were just acting out what they were told to. Yet,there is a lesson in it. I don’t allow any form of drink in my studio control room but I do have an outer room where people can relax, watch tv and drink whatever they want. If they must be in the same room as my workstation,then they must sit away from the desk till they finish their drinks. It’s worked for me so far.
Wednesday June 15, 2011
Henry, Atlanta, USA
You should see what a mobile DJ has to put up with when people come up and ask for requests with drinks in their hands sloshing all over the place, and they get upset when you politely ask them to step back or put the drink down before coming up front. I actually had one drunk lady try to put her drink down on a spinning turntable (the old days)
Monday May 09, 2011
Christopher , Sydney, Australia
The advertisers are the idiots. The actors are being paid. I’d do the same for free if it was a Behringer desk! This ain’t the first time. There was a Coke tv commercial shot in Sydney in the early 80s and the entire cast were musicians in a studio played by real musicians except for a couple of models who played the producer and his dumb girlfriend. The dumb GF is dumb because she walks in to the control room with a open bucket filled to overflowing with cans of Coke in ice and she pulls out the cans one by one handing to each person in the control room and even hands one from the back of the desk where the monitors sit across the desk to the actor producer dripping ice and melted ice everywhere across the channel strips. That’s why a recording studio is NO PLACE FOR ADVERTISERS.
Saturday April 30, 2011
Jack Ketch, Anytown Usa, UK
Hey Jeff from LA…center of American culture…it is implied that the actresses are portraying idiots, not the other way around. I realize such commercials are your bread and butter out there in LaLa land, but you missed the point of the article
Thursday March 17, 2011
Michael Akam, Abuja, Nigeria
I think this is pretty interesting and more like an advice. I’d take it as one of the precautions in my studio about to take off here in Abuja. David please more of that. Hope i’d registar for the next audio class cuz its gonna be fun
Thursday March 17, 2011
Jeff, Los Angeles, United States Of America
These two women are not idiots, they are actresses. They are in a commercial. It’s not real. They were doing what they were told to do by the director, and they did it well. This article is unfair, and I find it a bit offensive that you hold actors responsible for the actions of their characters. Would you send James Gandolfini to jail for being in the mafia?! Get a life, David! You’re the IDIOT.
Tuesday March 15, 2011
Atomic Studios London, London, United Kingdom
Come on guys! Don’t you see the Jack and XLR leads plugged into the desk?! The console is not that big but still!
Tuesday March 15, 2011
Bob E Burnham, Boulder, USA
A studio I managed in the eighties had the latest and greatest MCI 528 package at that time. A client spilled a full cup of coffee with sugar and cream on the console. The studio was out of biz for two weeks while the console was disassembled and cleaned. Who paid the bill?
Monday March 14, 2011
Doug S., Findlay, Ohio, USA
As a first-year university student in the mid-1970s, I recall well my radio broadcast instructor coming down hard on us regarding beverages in the studio. To make his point very clear…he said that he would rather us spill beer on the in-table reel-to-reel tape recorder than soda, because there was no sugar in the alcoholic drink. He then went on to the next policy…anyone caught with a beer in the studio would be physically thrown out!!
Monday March 14, 2011
Alex, Stockholm, Sweden
Also thats the case which explains why those newcomers in studio must not be near to equipment and why so rough attitude towards tea/coffe persons! — Its to their own good. I would say “No idiots allowed near to desk” instead of “no drinks allowed”. — they have to be quiet and just sit there, then they dont do any harm to equipment. 3 things more to newbies: *No liquids in the studio, but but, its ok to have in experienced hands. *You should not keep microphone in the hand, but but, its ok if you have enough money to pay in case if you drop it. *You should be totally quiet, unless you have only to offer more tea/coffee.
Monday March 14, 2011
Alex, Stockholm, Sweden
Haahaa, fake like it can be. Could they choose even sexyer? They dont belong there and have no slightest idea what are they doing there. Their place is in the makeup rooms instead. Its ok to have a liquids in the desk, but only if you are alone in the studio. I have no problem to have a tea cup even on the very small dangerous area, but others will spill it who are passing by too close to it.
Monday March 14, 2011
D, Italy
Oh, I’ve seen worse… Top of the Pops Italy… Skunk Anansie in the studio. Playback of their single My Ugly Boy. No microphones whatsoever in front of the amps or drumkit. C’mon, it’s going on national tv!! Make the effort at least!
Monday March 14, 2011
John Wesley-barker, Wimborne Minster, Great Britain
There’s nothing plugged in to the desk!
Monday March 14, 2011
Jeremy Stephens, Hereford, UK
And it all seems to work perfectly well with nothing whatsoever being plugged into the desk. If I had been the sound recordist I would have gone to my van and pulled out a couple of XLR leads in a vain attempt to make it look slightly real. Still some people have no couth at all do they?
Monday March 14, 2011
Atomic Studios London, London, United Kingdom
I’m wondering why they don’t use a ducker for the backing track? They probably spilt tea on it during the previous radio show!
Friday March 11, 2011
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