8. Personal Microphones Removed Throughout The Entire Movie - Les Miserables
Tom Hooper directed the Hell out of Les Miserables, and one of the biggest reasons for its success was the decision for the actors to sing live rather than dub their performances in post-production. The result was a more visceral array of performances that were affected by the environments around them and seemed more naturalistic, if perhaps slightly at the expense of the singing itself. Nevertheless, this required each actor to be fitted out with a radio microphone which could not be concealed within the costumes, and for this sort of assignment, a boom mic towering overhead wasn't really an option either. As such, CGI was cleverly used to paint out the mikes, and though this sort of practise has been done for years with wires during action scenes, it's rarely been employed in this way, and naturally, is totally freaking seamless.
Shaun Munro
Contributor
Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.
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