Eavesdropping tales~

[MillburyAuditorium]

Hello everyone,


Okay, don't even tell me that all of you haven't at one point soloed a wireless mic before and listened in on the holders conversations before

Any funny tales of what you heard? :P

The most random thing I heard was two girls and a somewhat girly guy talking about cupcake recipes. xD

[cprted]

I only do it for mic checks at the top of the acts. I really don't care what actors talk about in the dressing rooms. I also think its pretty unprofessional to listen to what actors assume are private conversations.

[DaveySimps]

Originally Posted by cprted

I also think its pretty unprofessional to listen to what actors assume are private conversations.

I couldn't agree more. It also does not contribute to the trust that tech staff should have with actors. It is an issue of respect.

~Dave

[rochem]

Originally Posted by cprted

I also think its pretty unprofessional to listen to what actors assume are private conversations.

I couldn't agree more with both of the above posts. As techs, we are frequently put into positions where other people don't normally find themselves: an actress doing a quick costume change right in front of you, being able to listen in on people's "private" conversations, being personally responsible for not dropping a set piece on your leading actor's head, the list goes on. As soon as we violate the trust actors have in us, we have lost the ability to work as efficiently as we once could. Imagine what would happen if some actors found out you were listening in on their conversations. Do you think they'd just never talk about anything private while wearing mics? No, they'd just turn off their mics briefly so they could talk in private, and then walk on stage 10 minutes later having totally forgotten to turn it back on. Not to mention that it's highly unprofessional and an extreme violation of privacy.

In the course of normal duties (verifying a mic works when I'm getting strange readings, mic check), I have heard some very private and embarrassing things about some of my peers. But rather than laugh about it and tell everyone I know, I simply ignore it and move on. If you're doing sound so you can listen in on people's private conversations, it's time you find another hobby.

[avkid]

Originally Posted by MillburyAuditorium

Okay, don't even tell me that all of you haven't at one point soloed a wireless mic before and listened in on the holders conversations before

I think it's fair to say that almost everyone has done this either by accident or on purpose.

Those of us with ethics respect the privacy of any parties involved and keep what we hear to ourselves.

[NashvilleTechie]

I will admit that on occasion I've listened in on conversations intentionally, but with good reason. I work for a school, and the administration frequently feels the need to just not tell us about important details, so when we're doing an event and the higher-ups have their mics on, I'll pull them up and listen in if I see them talking to each other, just so I know what's actually going on during the event so they don't pull any surprises on us.

Other than that, I'll listen in enough to make sure that the pack has good enough signal strength and quality, but I don't really listen to what I'm hearing.


All that said, I did catch our senior vice president jokingly picking on a student he knew once. That's about it.

[kiwitechgirl]

Listening in on people has one inevitable result: you will hear someone saying things about you - usually, nothing nice. As others have said, occasionally you will hear things not meant for your ears when you're checking mics; if you want to get anywhere in the world, learn to never mention it. And if you ever deliberately listen in on my watch, you can bet that it's a can of worms you don't want to open.

[Eboy87]

Originally Posted by cprted

I only do it for mic checks at the top of the acts. I really don't care what actors talk about in the dressing rooms. I also think its pretty unprofessional to listen to what actors assume are private conversations.

+1

and extraneous comment

[3dB]

Originally Posted by MillburyAuditorium

Any funny tales of what you heard? :P

Hmmmm. I think what Millbury meant was ... "what was the funniest or most embarrassing thing you've ever broadcast to the audience by accident?" Wasn't that what you meant ... Mill?

Regards,
Mark

[lighthouse]

Originally Posted by 3dB

Hmmmm. I think what Millbury meant was ... "what was the funniest or most embarrassing thing you've ever broadcast to the audience by accident?" Was that what you meant, Mill?

Regards,
Mark

You mean like when the bodypack was SUPPOSED to be on the actor who just entered, but it was still on the previous actor who is now flushing the toilet?

That's why I always listen long enough to recognize which actor is wearing a given mic at any time! (But I could care less what they say)