Creature Shop relies on DPA

To handle the ever-changing filming needs of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge, the sound crew selected a combination of DPA Microphones’ d:screet 4063 Omnidirectional Miniature Microphones for ENG, as well as the d:dicate 4017 and 4018 Microphones for booming, to provide dynamic audio and a low profile.

“We had a really solid audio crew that could go back and forth from web interviews, to a stage screen test,” explains Daniel McCoy, sound supervisor. “We filmed at the Creature Shop where the contestants develop their creations, which is not on the Jim Henson lot, and on the Jim Henson stage, where there would be a new set every week to coincide with the theme of the week. There was a lot of behind-the-camera magic that happened seamlessly, a lot of versatility and multi-tasking, and all of the DPA mics handled the job beautifully. Even in the shop, where we had a lot of noise, or in some instances during screen tests when the judges wanted to hear the puppeteers perform in real-time, both the d:screet and d:dicate mics were able to give us live sound reinforcement without any feedback.

“I was really excited to use the same DPA mics that I’ve been using on film sets in a reality setting,” says McCoy, who has been an avid DPA user for many years. “Most reality TV shows don’t invest in high-quality mics, so it felt good being able to give cinematic tools to a reality show with a cinematic legacy. DPA mics help me be a better mixer and the d:screet 4063s were especially crucial as they are able to offer a higher resolution to the experience, which gives a more even response and a better dynamic range.

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