Set in South Boston and produced by Powderhouse Productions and Magilla Entertainment for A&E, Southie Rules debuted , January 29th, at 10:00 PM ET on A&E.
Southie Rules follows the lives of one of the few remaining multi-generational Southie clans living together under the same roof in what is a swiftly gentrifying neighborhood. It’s an environment where anything can happen and so required a highly flexible production package to capture all the action without fail, says Patrick McMahill, who co-directs Southie Rules with Terrence Hayes. I can’t tell you how many order changes we made to keep up with the technical demands of the show, but, if we needed something, Talamas took care of it inside of a day.
In addition to Talamas ability to provide a production package tailored specifically to meet their demands, Powderhouse also valued the efforts Talamas took to help achieve the show’s signature look, and meet the ever-evolving needs of production. Talamas has been with us from the start on Southie Rules and has worked closely with us to define the show’s look and achieve the best production value possible, says Luke Gasbarro, VP of Production at Powderhouse. The relationship has been more of a collaboration in terms of defining what the show needed technologically, and making sure the production value is the best it can be.
Over the past few years weíve has developed a very strong relationship with Powderhouse, says Ted Driscoll, Talamasí Senior Account Manager, Digital Cinema and Video; a relationship based as much on Talamas ability to deal with the volume of productions Powderhouse produces and the attention to detail they apply to every client’s project.
The production package Talamas provided included Sony PDW-F800 XDCAM HD Camcorders, double system audio bag packages, built around Sound Devicesí 788T audio recorders with CL-8 mixing control surfaces, Lectrosonics wireless mics, Motorola two way radios, wireless video system and remote internet service.
Beyond the Sony F800 HDCAMs high quality broadcast image the F800ís Blue Laser disc storage offers up all the archiving capabilities of tape, as well as the efficiency, flexibility and time saving aspects of a tapeless, file-based workflow. Additionally, the Sound Devices audio gear provided both flexibility and rock solid redundancy, regardless of what happens on set.
Reality TV is so run and gun, McMahill says. The characters we’re following could do something we had no idea they were going to at any moment. With the 788T the audio mixer can follow right behind the camera, even while mixing multiple scenes.
The shoot presented other challenges, McMahill adds, among them, the fact that the location’s proximity to Boston’s Logan Airport made accurate frequency coordination particularly important in a service Talamas has long been known for providing swiftly and effectively. Talamas took care of all our needs, McMahill says. From a customer service standpoint, theyíre light years ahead of everybody else.
Founded in 1994 by Joel Olicker and Tug Yourgrau, Powderhouse Productions, www.powderhouse.net, has produced a variety of shows for the Discovery Channel, Science Channel, Animal Planet, HGTV, Travel Channel and others, and now, A&E.
Talamas Sales and Rentals has been serving the broadcast and production industries for over 30 years. Over that time the Newton, MA-based, company has earned a reputation for technical know-how and unparalleled customer service. Founded in 1979 by Dave Talamas, the company has responded to innovations in audio and video technology by bringing state-of-the-art gear to professionals in the Boston area and across the United States. For more information, visit the Talamas Broadcast website, www.talamas.com.
