In the fall of 2021, I had the opportunity to serve as the production sound mixer for an episode of Bon Appétit’s show “It’s Alive” with Brad Leone. The show features the process of harvesting and preparing seafood, a prized sustainable resource of the Lowcountry. Filming took place in Hilton Head, South Carolina, a popular destination along the southeastern seaboard.
Shooting video on the ocean always presents some challenges, however nice the aesthetics might be. Smaller boats tend to have a lot of movement, and using multiple cameras with different lenses makes the task of keeping the boom just out of frame a bit more troublesome. Moreover, good dialogue can be difficult to achieve with the periodic wind gusts that occur.
There are pros and cons to working in any environment though. It was great to see first-hand how local crab and shrimp make their way to the tables of nearby homes and restaurants.
It’s Alive with Brad Leone was a great cast and crew to work with. For more episodes, the link below is a good place to start.
