When F&V caught up with Mark Ulano, he was sitting in the back of a stake-bed truck, waiting for the crew on Terminator 4 (working title: Terminator Salvation) to blow up a car in the middle of the New Mexico desert. "It'll be a brief moment," Ulano said into the telephone. "But if we get interrupted, don't take it personally."
As a Hollywood production sound mixer, Ulano has a lot of experience at recording loud noises. He's so good at it that he won an Oscar for his work on Titanic. He's been doing movie sound since the early 1980s, and his recent resume remains vital, with titles like Iron Man, Disturbia, and the Kill Bill movies to his credit. F&V asked him about the latest in audio gear — like Aviom's Pro64 line-up, which networks location audio via CAT-5 — and got his thoughts on the potential of the coming digital broadcast transition to wreak havoc on diversity wireless-mic systems.
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Comments (7) for "Production Sound Mixer Mark Ulano Talks Tech"
1.
I, too, have worked for the curmudgeonly, wonderful Jim Webb. It was really good experience and I learned a lot. It has made me a better mixer. I find it interesting how you have wrapped yourself around new technology but still long for a Nagra. I've got two of them collecting dust and have actually found a new outlet for tape. I think of using the Nagra as a pre-amp to warm up digital and have only piddled around with it. I miss being able to do a job on a set of D cels.
Posted by Mike barnitt on Thursday, June 26, 2008 @ 11:08 PM
2.
MARK! Here I thought you were only hired because you are so sweet! I never knew you did all this other stuff too ;)
Great article. Well deserved.
Posted by Heba on Friday, June 27, 2008 @ 11:43 PM
3.
and I thought you were just a match-maker. Glad to read that you are so BIG TIME!/p
Posted by Patsy on Sunday, June 29, 2008 @ 03:41 AM
4.
Great article, thanks enjoyed it much
Posted by russell gibson on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 @ 02:42 PM
5.
It amazes me that it is so common now to wire everybody on the set. Used to be that the lead actors would have nothing to do with a wireless mic and would ask "Aren't you booming this?" Must be a real effort to keep all the radio mics working properly all the time.
Posted by Jim Mansen on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 @ 03:36 PM
6.
I love the comparison to you and the drummer of a band. That comment is a gem. I am proud you are my big brother.
Love You Always,
Susan
Posted by Susan Ulano on Thursday, August 14, 2008 @ 05:15 PM
7.
hi Mark,
So interesting to run into you in this article. Have been researching shift from old technologies to new in film and was knocked over by the photo, how much you look like my favorite Uncle Sam!!!! and your technical/historical know-how.
Your Ulano family pariah long lost first cousin, nee Billie Meisner, daughter of Hal and Mollie
Posted by Billie Luisi-Potts on Thursday, January 29, 2009 @ 12:02 PM
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