After first discovering DPA Microphones in 2011 during pre-production for Now You See Me, Michael's admiration for the company quickly grew. "I was tasked with finding a headset mic to use during the on-stage magic scenes in the movie," he says. "We received a few different samples, but the DPA d:fine stood out as it provided the best sound. Since it was ultimately an artistic decision, I left it to the director to make the final call and, luckily, he also preferred the d:fine. That little mic piqued my interest to try additional DPA products and I've been using the brand ever since."
Within the last year, Michael has also used DPA mics on a variety of productions, including the New York set of Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, directed by Shawn Levy. The third instalment of family-friendly action series revisits Larry Daley, a night-shift museum security guard portrayed by Ben Stiller, who is on duty when the ancient artifacts come to life and bring him along for their adventures. While filming exterior shots with Stiller and Ricky Gervais, who plays Dr. McPhee, outside of the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, Michael relied on DPA's d:dicate 4017B to battle the noise of Central Park West.
"We found that the d:dicate 4017B was very useful for this project since it is small and lightweight, which lends perfectly for use during closer shots on the actors," says Michael. "With other microphones, which tend to be longer, when you come in for a close-up, sometimes it doesn't sound flattering because it adds an odd tube-like sound. The d:dicate doesn't have that discoloration, which is a very positive aspect."
Michael has also started to incorporate the company's d:screet Miniature Microphones into his rig in conjunction with his d:dicate 4017B, as he continues to add to the list of projects in which he sources DPA Microphones. These include This is Where I Leave You, a comedy directed by Levy and starring Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Corey Stroll, Kathryn Hahn and Jane Fonda, set to be released in theatres this fall; and The Intern, directed by Nancy Meyers, starring Anne Hathaway, Nat Wolff and Robert De Niro, which is currently in production.
Michael is an industry veteran who has worked as a sound mixer on other blockbuster films, such as The Departed, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, 8 Mile and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. His work on the film Mississippi Burning earned him a Best Sound BAFTA Award and Oscar Nomination for the same category.
(Jim Evans)
