28April2008
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
April has been a weird month for me. To start off April I released my first short called “Voices” in the first (annual I hope) Terminal Cinema Film Festival. And to my surprise people liked it. Not that it was bad or anything, I just didn’t realize that it was that good. More on that soon.
Did a bunch of day calls for various people and had a lot of fun doing that as well. I like to work and I like to be given the opportunity to do my job well and be appreciated for it. It is a nice warm fuzzy feeling that I think that we should all experience on a daily basis. I then took it easy as well and did some retrospective thinking about what to do next. Like I said a weird month.
23March2008
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
Just when you thought that it was safe to go out and record … stuffis, for your own library, along comes work, the nerve!
Got together with the talented people at RETHINK and Dean Ekstrom to do a whole lot of spots for the very humorous “Julie” on the Coast Capital Savings . At first I just didn’t know what to think as I entered into Bear Studios on East 6th Ave to discover that Dean had locked the camera down and was trying to match , quite successfully, the previous session that they did a while back. Andrew Pepper helped Dean with the lights (or was it the other way around) and it matched! Really good job. The shoot was a challenge for me as the material “Julie” was wearing was of a high thread count and quite noisy. The advantage was that I could experiment a little because not only were we using the wireless but a boom mic as well. So I got to play a little.
Next up was a call from my good friend Lindsay Bucknel. He wanted to know if I wanted to help out on a video game for Electronic Arts. Since this was the first time that I was able to actually work with Lindsay, what the heck. So we trundled off to EA on Saint Paddys day to meet the fabulous people from Electronic Arts. Very intense work sessions and in the end - I was exhausted. My arms where aching and my back was sore. Then I got word from Lindsay that we had put down about 2.5 days worth of data in a single 9 hour day, and we had three more to go!!!! All in all it was a good experience, especially to see all the toys that they get to play with.
26February2008
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
Every once in a while I will get a phone call from someone that goes like this…
“Hi Peter? We’re doing a no-budget Indie and we’re wondering…
Now I’m sure that the eyes roll and smirks abound yet, I still like to help out once in a while for two reasons.
The first , it is where we all started and I don’t like to forget “my roots”. Not knowing much about the film industry and working out mistakes on low budget projects to get to where we are now, doing it for a living. I think of it a Karmic payback for all those little mistakes that I let slip by on the day because I didn’t know any better. When I started I got great results (no really I did!) and every once in a while I was either limited by my gear and/or (more to the point) my knowledge of what was required, so we learn.
Second reason , now that I have all this wonderful gear (well the bank 
) and if I’m not busy, why not go out for the day and make someones project better. Give a little bit back. Now I do try and cover my expenses, yet what is received in return seems to be worth it. “They” get a better project, I get to meet new people and be put into some really “different” situations and I learn from it. Sounds fair to me.
24February2008
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
Drama. I think that I can live without it. And just when you thought that it was safe to go and do something nice.
Let me explain.
A lot of times I do flats for people, to help them out with their finances. For those that don’t know what flats are: flats are when you work for a maximum of “x” number of hours with no minimum. It may seem a bit one sided on the onset , till you recognize that most flats are 60% or less of your normal rate. This is how it works:
Your days are set, anywhere from 8 to 12 hours as a maximum- there is no minimum. Now lets say go over 12 hours, you put that in the old memory bank and wait for a rainy day, so to speak. Then some days , if you are lucky, you’ll do an hour or two and that’ll be it. So it all works out - most of the time. Now all of this , so far, is pretty much drama free. Unless you are constantly going over 12 hour days, then it just starts to suck. But you stick to your rate and hope that they recognize that you are going over a lot and compensate you for it - doesn’t happen often though. Hey I can dream ok?
Now enter the assumption of time. Some producers think that they own you and your works for the entire day, flat or not, we are talking 24/7 people - cause they “paid” for it. I have run into this attitude a few times now and I am battling this once again. The assumption that every thing you do, be it on their time or not, belongs to them (them being the person that hired you). This is called a “Work for Hire” and usually is accompanied by a lengthy Deal Memo or contract. Now most Producers on Indies don’t have a problem with you using stuff recorded on their time - as long as you aren’t making heaps of money off of it. Because it is their stuff that they have contracted you to make. I don’t have a problem with this. Now if you do stuff on your own time, and you include it with your package to them, it is a bonus that you have given the producers - they don’t own it though, still no problem there. This is stuff that I share. They don’t know that I even did it sometimes they are just glad they have it .
So let’s break it down. One day you work 12 hours, the next 2 and so on so forth. You’re working away and then something catches your attention that you would like to do personally. The location that you are in is “wrapped” ( finished). The Producers would like to move on to a different part of the story. So you ask the powers that be if you are needed in this new segment. You make sure, you do your due diligence. So you ask the Director/Cameraman “Do you need me at all?” and he says - “No, it is just simple interviews for “B” roll (”B” role is filler material), so we don’t need you, we’re covered.” You ask the other camera guy “Do you need me or anything from me?” and he replies “No, like the Director said , it is just “B” roll”. So next you ask the Producer. You say “I am personally interested in doing this , do you need me to go with you? ” The producer replies that “you’re time is your own. We will see you back at the Hotel, so you make your own way back, you’re on your own, ok?” and I reply “Yes, thanks.”
Then you go do what you want and then later (much later) the Producer lays claim to all that you have done, through the entire shoot, even on your own time.
So now the drama starts.
So in comes the legal beagles and the price tag attached with that little necessity. But is it a necessity? Let me know what you think. Oh, my intentions with this little project - to help out some people in need. The Producer wants to use it to recoup some costs. Both valid - still…tell me what you think.
3February2008
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
So after my busy Dec. it was nice to have most of January to relax. Did a few days but nothing strenuous at all. I enjoyed the time that I could spend at home. Lots of little projects to finish up. I just wish that I could finish them a little quicker.
Have some new “toys to play with - another TimeCode Slate, 3 - B3 mics (by Countryman - boy are they ever tiny!!!), almost finished designing my new cart and boxes (now I just have to build them), have a new Stereo Mic from Ambient (the Emesser) and looking to get some accessories for my Schoeps mics (some MK4 capsules and GVC ’s the 90 degree flex attachment) and some a new length of multi cable (snake) for the boom.
Now I know that most people are going to wireless for the boom and I do use it on occasion. I just like the sound of the hard wire and the dependability of it. It may be slower to work with, wrapping and running the cable can be time consuming, but the results are better in the long run. Least in my opinion.
What I am not looking forward to is the loss of most of the bandwidth that comprises a large chunk of the wireless band that we now use - it is going to Digital TV. So a lot of people will be losing their wireless when these bands come in and interfere with our beloved systems. So the monetary outlay tends to be unrecoverable if we can’t use them, funny how that works. Not so much fun.
So lots of changes coming and , by the way, I’m looking for a new Boom Op. So if you want drop me a line.
30December2007
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
It is the end of the year and time to reflect, or at least that is what most people seem to be doing. As for me I am eagerly anticipating 2008 and all that it has to offer me and the others that surround me. Doing my job and having the opportunity to do it well, makes this “job” the best hobby in the world. I love what I do it is as simple as that. And yes sometimes I get lazy - who doesn’t. After doing a 21 day stretch of travel and work who wouldn’t want to take a little time to ones self.
And yet I still find myself working on little projects that surround my business of “working in the movies”. Little inventions or ideas that make “work” better or simpler. It never seems to stop. I look forward to helping my Malawian friends James (and his family) and Judith (who showed me a slice of her Malawian life in Muzuzu), and promoting some projects that will help others in Muzuzu as well. To change someone’s life for the better, that to me is what living is all about, not the 52 inch LCD big screen that we want to plunk ourselves down in front of to watch the big game. Change the TV to a mirror and watch the really big game - and it is a touch bigger than 52 inches!
Take care one and all and enjoy.
Peter Kepkay
15December2007
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
I’ve had a stellar year meeting new people and being very busy for the entire year. I just wanted to say thank you to all that contributed to my success and to wish each and everyone of you a great holiday season and be safe.
As for me, I am currently in Malawi (Africa) and enjoying the heat - sorry about that !!! The people here are fantastic, the business system is a bit crazy and bureaucratic but it works…eventually. It is nice to know what to expect this time and to be able to help even just a little. It really means a lot to the people here - even a few dollars goes a very long long way. Imagine buying a house for only $5000 dollars. Now it might not be a dream home but it is a house that you can call your own.Best to all and see you in the New Year!!!
Regards
Peter Kepkay
18October2007
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
Been doing a fair number of shorts recently and meeting a lot of interesting and talented people. Amongst the group is Nicholas Campbell, Peter Deluise, Simone Bailly and a host of others. My most recent surprise came in the form of a boom op - Pietro Sammarco that I met for a Kick Start short called “A Season to Wither”. It is hard to get people out sometimes on lo/no budget shorts but he was willing, ready and to my surprise quite able. The fun part for this shoot was, well, two fold. -1- Transport for my gear ran a foul and I ended up driving up to Kamloops, with gear in tow. Not so bad really with the exception that - 2- I was having problems with my back. (Found out later that it was a pinched nerve, oh yes it was.) And yet Pietro came to my house, loaded the gear, unloaded and loaded for the next three days, was diligent, very helpful and looked after this poor soul til it was time to leave. And for that I thank you Pietro Sammarco, very much indeed.
24August2007
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
In January this year I went to Africa with a small troop of talented individuals to do a documentary on Aids. In doing so we encountered so many warm and amazing people. Amoungst all the wonderful people, one group in particular stood out, a small grassroots organization called the Muumodzi Interfaith Group. The Muumodzi is based in Lilongwe (Malawi) and is made up of both Christians and Muslims.
[A very personal note here: I'm not a religious person at all, and I think that any organization that can actually get two different religious groups talking to each other is worth a second look.]
Working together, they create cost effective, community based solutions. To the point - they don’t waste the money on outragious salaries and office furniture - they spend the money where it is needed and where it will do the most good.
We spent near a month in Africa and saw a lot of waste and over spending along with simple problems that at this stage , seem to be un-fixable. Simple thing like clean water, a real problem in Southern Uganda. Sex Ed and Education in Malawi. Rampant poverty in the largest slum in Africa - Kibera in Nairobi (http://affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/us/2005/07/kibera_africas.html )
It is hard to figure out in your head how to describe and relate what I have seen. It has taken me 6 months to be able to even put it into words for you here. Lets just say that “staggering” is a great word to use here.
So out of all of this we have chosen Muumodzi as they promote dialogue amoungst all peoples, not just religions, with education and projects focused primarily on HIV/AIDS prevention and the care of widows and orphans - to which there are thousands.
The point of all this is to get you to donate - virtually any amount that you want. From $5 to you decide. Go to this link and give away a couple of caffe lattes or a couple of packs of smokes. You know you won’t miss $20 - it is gone in an instant - plus it is a Tax deductible. Plus 100% of your donation goes right into their coffers - nothing is taken out. Please click and give.
Thanks
Peter Kepkay ======> or … Click Here!!!! Malawi_Interfaith
24August2007
Posted by PK under: OMG (Oh My God or ^%$#@* things).
Was working on a Legacy Project recently, “Impulse”, the subject of this article. After the first day of shooting we handed in our “stuff” to camera and called it a day - till 0315 Tuesday morn. That is when my phone rang with the discomforting question of
“Where is the Sound package?”
At the time I really didn’t think much about the phone call timing issue, but really, what was I going to do about it at 0315 in the morning? So I told the tech that we handed it in and tried to go back to sleep for a couple of hours. Now I was working with Ray Collins (new to me) who was booming for me and he handed in the package. I actually didn’t hand it off - lesson one. So I got to worrying.
Next morn got up and went to work on “Impulse”, called Rays cell and tried to figure things out. Ray , of course, handed it in but camera unfortunately forgot to bundle it. No biggy. Now this is where the fun started. Several hours later i got a call from post saying that all the Time Code (TC) was way out and that Post had to manually conform all the shots. Now when Post said TC was out they meant from the Slate to the Audio recorder to the Camera TC. It was all out. So day 2 starts and I’m very tired and a little worried. So I make sure that Ray and I check the slate every two hours along with the camera. I also talk to Rick Patton at Trew Audio and go over what is going on and he can’t find fault in what I am doing and what is going on. So, end of day 2.
Day 3 starts with a phone call from Post saying that again all the TC is out - up to 4 hours in some cases. That the slate and both my HHB DAT and Sound Devices 744T are all out to each other. So now I’m getting worried, The producers are looking at me like I’m a total idiot, Post is saying that my stuff, TC wise, is garbage and I’m starting to doubt myself and my gear - which I take great pride in making sure that it is all functional. So the producers bring in a Clock-It box and a new TC Slate. So I swapped out slates (just in case) and send back the Clock-it box - I don’t think that it is necessary.
So day 3 begins and both Camera and Sound are really puzzled by this as we kept an eagle eye on it on day 2. Day 3 begins and everyone is more than diligent in keeping track of TC. TC usually just works and this complete and utter lose of TC between all pieces is …weird. SO…the slate gets jammed every 2 hours, every take the TC is counted off and I run the HHB clocked to the Sound Devices 744T. At the end of day 3, everyone is convinced that tomorrow will be a better day. At the end of day 3, I got a copy of the Dallies for Day 1&2. So, being convinced as I am that all my gear is fine, the slate is fine I decide to do my due diligence and check into the dailies after our early morning finish on day 3.
So I start with the Camera TC that is burned into the frame and compare it to the slate. After about 4 hours of shooting the TC on the camera resets and does so three more times during the day. Battery change or something like that , I don’t know. Then I dump all the SD 744T files into a handy little program called Broadcast Widget Pro. It reads all the Metadata in the files and lines everything up . I compare that to the slate - every single file matches within a frame. I do this for Day 1 and 2 and it all matches -2 hours after an already long 3 days.
I now know that it is something in Post- Camera to Audio matches.
Day 4 begins with a phone call from Post - the TC is out again and we have to figure out how to make this work, or modify the workflow. So I mention it to Rick in Post that all these files have been checked and they are bang on - with the exception of camera on the first day all files are fine. Questions are asked and answered and Rick says that he will get back to me, which he does in about 45 minutes.
First words that I hear on the phone are:
“Peter I owe you a huge apology. Everything on your end is fine. We are having an issue with the Avid.”
It was like someone lifted two tons of brick off my shoulders and placed them soundly beside me saying - look, you took all this pressure and didn’t crack. So by the time I got back to set, late morn on day 4, no one looks at me sideways - Rick has phoned (most) everyone and let them know. He also wrote a letter of apology to me for all the grief that I was put through. I have to admit that , although it was Hell, it was worth the trip. To find out that there are people out there that take their craft seriously and aren’t afraid to stand up and say - -
“Hey, I screwed up, lets fix it.”
The biggest lesson of all - Keep reading and learnig - you never know when it will come in handy.
11August2007
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
Been working a lot with some little projects here and there, enjoying myself and just doing the best that I can. When I first started this adventure I though to myself “Self, what the heck are you doing????? You’re not a spring chicken and this is a really weird job choice.”
Yet I went for it anyway. Then I found out that I was actually pretty good at it. Yes , yes I’ve made mistakes, yet I stand up and let people know that I %^%$ed up. That is what the Indie Films are great for. You work for food (and a kit fee if you can get it), learn your craft and give people much better audio than just a camera mic….no make that great audio in comparison.
So you learn, don’t repeat the same mistakes twice and you get better at what you do. Then something weird really starts to happen. Other people notice. And even though my gear wasn’t really top drawer in the location world, it was still broadcast quality, and it did present many challenges in the field that I don’t have to contend with today (like lugging a 40lb. mixing board with 50lbs of batteries around).
My first year I worked , the DGC Kick Start Film “Dark Room” , received a Leo Nomination. That put me on top of the world - well in my own mind at least. Yet people noticed in the Industry and I went from working for food to working(although I really don’t see this as work, yes, I really do enjoy what I do - what a concept) at making a living. Then in my second year while working a split between Indies (which are freebies) to getting paid for my work I worked on this little film called “the Saddest Boy in the World” which went on to grace me with a Leo Award. And here I am. Full Production Kit for Features, full ENG/EPK kit for Indies, all Industry standard and a smile on my face. I’m glad that I’m here and the choices that I’ve made. The point of all this, nothing really, just me smiling at myself.
4June2007
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
I’m just tickled over this one. Three years(full time) in the biz with ,2007 being my third year. With a Leo nomination in my 2006 for “Dark Room” for “Best Overall Sound in a Dramatic Short” and this year …well as you can guess!
“Best Overall Sound in a Short Drama 2007, and the winners are
Miguel Nunes, Peter Kepkay, Greg Hannas for The Saddest Boy in the World.”
http://www.leoawards.com/winners_2007.html
Congratulations to Miguel and Greg as well in this fine achievement. As for me I just want to thank everyone on set for letting me do my job to the best of my ability. Now I’m really out to get a series this year!! Stoked!
27May2007
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
Ah the sweet air of Vancouver. That is something of China that I will not miss - its massive pollution problem. The air there is so thick that it is like smoking a couple of packs of cigarettes a day (but how would I know , I don’t smoke!). What I do know is that I’m breathing much easier. I will try and post some photos soon and let you in on some mudane moments in China. So that is up and coming. Stay tuned….
23May2007
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
I can hardly wait…really. From May ‘06 to May ‘07 I’ve traveled 7 months of it. And all I really want to do is get home and just kick back and enjoy my wife, family and friends, clean air and my own mess that I made and that I will have to clean up. Because no I don’t have to answer the door for maid service after we just got off nights. Yes I know it is not their fault that I forgot to put up the DO NOT DISTURB sign….no wait ….I did put it up. Ah life on the road. So jobs in town for awhile, please oh pretty please.
So as for China, I will miss parts of it and others of course I will not. Great people for the most part. Always friendly and almost always willing to try to make sense out of what you are trying to communicate. I’ll miss Sun (pronounced Soon) our third on the show who has been great while I had a few down days. And I’ll also miss most of the crew - both Chinese and Canadian. Of course I do have the possibility to work with the both sides again, you just never know what will come up next…
29April2007
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
This should be under random notes from the road…but it’s not. Right now I’m in Hengdian, China and yes my language skills are feeling pretty inadequate right now. Which is really frustrating for me. I’m usually pretty good at picking up the basics. Yet there is nothing in this Latin based world of ours that will prepare you for China. There is no recognition of symbols, as the character base is entirely different. You don’t know by looking at the sign above the shop what it is you are either brave enough to enter, as it could be a sex shop (yes it was!), or foolish enough to enter (yes it was the ladies restroom….). And what we would consider as common hand signs sometimes aren’t. Everything is just different. So next time someone of Oriental persuasion comes up to you and delivers a grammatically poor sentence, cut them some slack. At the very least they are leaps and bounds ahead of you, because at the very least, they have a very bad sentence. Where as you and me, don’t even know where to begin.
16April2007
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
I’m back in China again in less than a year doing “Iron Road”. It is my first ACFC show - even though I have been a permittee for over a year. Never thought that this would happen but it has. So here I sit, writing, still a bit jet lagged and we start shooting in two days. Nervous, yes. The gear has yet to arrive so all we can do is wait. But once it does, testing the gear is the order of the day.
On this adventure I’m booming for Sebastian Salm and that is fine by me. Hopefully we will get some love from the Locations and Genny op (which was a problem on the last show), so that we can really do our job to the nth degree. I’m sure that there will be some frustrations but that is with any show.
The Producer , Raymond Massey is a very likable down to earth guy and is very easy to talk to if things go astray. The Director, David Wu, whom I met briefly the other day, also seem to be a very amiable person. So at least the keys are for us.
Coming over early, definitely has its advantages - like getting your clock wound right, getting use to the food (so you don’t have to do mad rushes to the WC), being a bit of a tourist, learning (or relearning as the case may be) a little of the language. More on China to come as I am here for a while this time.
4April2007
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
Sometimes it’s not where you are, it’s how you see it.
Victoria, Canada June 2007
Though I’m not far from home I just have to comment on the importance of goos transportation planning - which I almost goofed in. Making sure that you know the when and where of your transport so that you can get home safely and in a timely manner is in the realm of somewhat important..
China - May 2007
It’s the culture, that’s just the way it is…
I hear that a lot here, especially when I see some crazy driving(more to the point what I would consider as crazy) , when I see garbage burning, farmland being paved over and made into a Shopping Mall , that a very large percentage of the population are heavy smokers and the attitude that boys are better than girls leads to a incredible population imbalance. Yet I worry about the end result, for China’s sake. With 1.3 Billion people in the balance , what will happen when they can no longer feed themselves, or at the very least sustain themselves locally? How will the hospitals cope with all the problems associated with cigarettes? I know I can’t change the world as I think that the world really changes us instead. Yet we are a product of what we do on this planet and I think that we should be looking ahead considering the planets future instead of our own pockets.
China - April 2007
For some reason, this trip to China is a difficult one. The reasons are many. Communication is probably the key reason right now. Just asking for a simple apple box on set is not as easy as it seems. Don’t get me wrong, the crew is really good on this show, it is just that the Chinese do movies differently than we are use to. Some people say we are spoiled in Canada, and I would have to agree with that statement- we really are. Yet issues of personal safety are not given enough weight here and that concerns me. As we slog through the rain at night, is is not without hesitation that we put one foot in front of the other in case I land in a ditch, as happened the other night. It was a shallow one , but as my body thudded into the step that wasn’t there, my bones rattled at the impact. IF the ditch was higher, I probably would have broken my leg. Not my idea of fun, breaking ones leg. It is on my wish list to change the world and see what we can all do to make personal safety something that we don’t have to worry about. So letting people know that “Hey this path should be lit” and “This cord should be flagged it is dangerous” or “There should be a sheet of plywood here.” is , in China, not so easy as I would like it.
2April2007
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
It was a bit surreal, the phone call came early last Thursday from Blair Dykes;
“Hey Pete…You heard Location Sound is going out of business?”
“Really? I was just there the other day and Rick (Patton) said nothing.”
“Ya, this is Ricks last day!” Blair retorted.
I was in shock. I haven’t known Rick long, the last 5 years really, and he has offered up all sorts of suggestions and help in those years to me as well as some good deals. It was no biggy to wander down first thing in the morning and pick his brain or to just ask for some simple advice. His replies where gauged on how busy he was. Got to respect a mans time when he is making a living. Many of our conversations lasted 30 minutes or more with eager ears and sage advice being delivered as well as some sharp antidotes. Since I was working Blood: A Butcher’s Tale which was/is shooting down on Cambie St., at lunch I took off down to visit Rick.
He sat calmly at his computer inputting names and numbers as the world was a whirlwind around him. I went up to him, shook his hand and asked if he was alright. He replied that he was fine and that he would talk to me in a bit. So I did a bit of my final shopping, picked up a new blimp since one just got crushed, then had a brief chat with Rick.
Trew Audio, out of Toronto, had bought Rick out and he was happy with the deal. He is looking forward to seeing all four walls to his place after so many years.
“Once everything is out of here I think I ‘m just going to leave it for a while. Just so that I can see what I have been missing all these years.”
The good news to all, is that Rick will be heading up the Location Sound department of Trew for the next couple of years. It will be interesting to see how Trew Audio treats Rick and the Vancouver crowd.
31March2007
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
Much like the credit card commercials of “what’s in your wallet?” , what’s in your kit, accessory wise, is just as important as your gear it self. Along with the plethora of back-ups, some other useful bits are:
Latex gloves , Soldering Iron and solder, multi-tool, Silver Marker, tweezers, elastic bands and hair bands, velcro (2 inch) with sticky back and scissors, flashlight, GOOP (a must for repairing blimps , waterproofing stuff etc), adaptors of all shapes and sizes, zip lock bags (large and small), lip balm, work gloves (back alley gloves I call them ), hotshots (small one shot heating pads for you and your gear), small screwdrivers, spring loaded clips and ….? Got something that I’m missing or something that is invaluable as well. Let me know.
22March2007
Posted by PK under: The Daily.
The world is a very big place when it comes to power. Different voltages (for powering chargers), varying voltages (190v from a 240v plug) or no voltages at all. Solar panels are a great devices to have (they saved me in China), local chargers are best to purchase on site in case of trouble and with all the different plugs that you have to carry, I found the Samsonite World Plug, a very elegant and Portable idea (available at Staples).
Power issues for me first crept up when I went to China in September of 2006 with “Heart of a Dragon. I figured that most everything that we have these days is powered by batteries and where else would I be able to get inexpensive and reliable power but in China. I was wrong, to a degree. Regular Duracells are available but expensive. There are a few really good batteries (picture to come) that did as well as the Duracell in China, in my opinion, with a good voltage and a reliable and consistent discharge rate . Rechargeable lead acid batteries where available but I found that initial charge times and discharge rates where variable until the battery got cycled a few times. Then all was good.
By the time that Africa rolled around, I was more prepared and went for two small battery belts. This enabled all day wireless with mixer and if I wanted my Sound Devices 744T, I could do it if I wanted. BUT if I hadn’t taken 9v batteries with me to Africa it would have been a disaster. Batteries are available but not in quantities and I can’t comment on reliability. Most of what I saw was regular batteries and not alkaline. You don’t want to tell the director on a doc, that in the middle of a one time interview, your wireless battery failed.
Whistler Mountain proved to be another challenge as one might imagine -when batteries get cold they fail even faster. At a balmy -8C, Hot Shots on/in the battery packs worked great and made the batteries last to almost the same extent as if the temp was normal.
I haven’t found any issues with heat as of yet , with the exception that when there is heat there is usually moisture (sweat or rain) that can fall on the mixer which could possible cause a short.
In conclusion knowing where you are going is good, being prepared for the weirdness of the world is even better.
