Stihl’s Reel in the Outdoors with Joe Thomas is a television show that explores America’s fascination with fishing. Those in charge of location sound have to deal with the challenges of working outdoors and a production environment that is literally ‘on the water’.
As a result, the audio equipment must be particularly robust while still delivering broadcast quality performance which is why most of the show’s dialog is captured using EMW Omnidirectional Lavalier microphones from Countryman Associates.
Stihl’s Reel in the Outdoors with Joe Thomas is produced by Reel Outdoors TV LLC and airs on the Outdoor Channel. Jim Kramer serves as the show’s producer and videographer. Being responsible for how the show both looks and sounds, Kramer is passionate about the program’s audio quality. He first started using Countryman EMW microphones in 2002.
“My responsibilities as producer and videographer are to bring to life the stories of the people and places that make angling one of our top leisure time activities,” Kramer explained, “and we encounter all sorts of unusual locales. Our productions take us to all types of remote places—often times, hundreds of miles from the nearest road.”
“One of the most challenging locations we experienced was deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest in search of trophy Peacock Bass,” he continued. “Our base camp was a two-hour float plane flight from the nearest major city of Manaus, Brazil. From there, we traveled by panga to backwater ponds where we would literally have to cut our way into the jungle with machetes, often in torrential downpours.
Initially Kramer notes that he picked up too much ambient noise as the torrents of rain slammed onto the talent’s rain suit. However, moving the EMW and placing it under the brim of his hat, away from the rain suit resolved the problem.
“The Countryman EMW has so many features that make it the perfect lavalier for our field productions,” Kramer explains. “The sturdy design and construction; the incredible water resistance, which is so important when you have to shoot rain or shine and, of course, the amazing audio quality. Even under windy conditions, I can place the EMW under the talent’s clothing and not have to worry about reduced frequency response or the dreaded ‘rubbing’ noises that can just kill a great sequence.
“When you go to the trouble of capturing audio and video in remote locations, you have to have a microphone you can count on—and the Countryman EMW is just that. The mic is dependable, durable, and trouble free. Paired with our Sennheiser EW series wireless systems, the EMWs make a great miking solution.”
