Bobbsy Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 At first reading of THIS article I didn't take it seriously but, then a second thought. If one politician has been killed by a bomb in a microphone, how long until anyone doing news or even corporate stuff has to jump through hoops with security in order to put mics in front of anyone potentially a target? Even ten years ago when I was involved in a couple of things with the US President, we were not allowed to place any mics or gear on the podium--that was done by "White House Radio" who (at that time) used a couple of battered SM57s via an even more battered Shure portable mixer, an M267 if I recall correctly. It was an antique even then. However, maybe I'm paranoid but I don't think the Taliban have done the sound community any favours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisky-zulu Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 I carried 9 Sm 57s, 6 SM 58s and a Beta 52A through US customs, in a Gator case without them even batting an eyelid back in 2009. Back then I was expecting to be stopped and at least asked to open the case to show them the contents. I think it was only a matter of time before someone did actually use a mic as a delivery method for an explosive device... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shez Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 When I did some filming in NYC earlier this year, I took the camera as hand luggage. Security at Heathrow were rather suspicious and took some time to examine it, swabbing it for traces of explosives. At the Empire State building, they let me take the camera up but not its microphone. No explanation - they just didn't like the look of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted October 15, 2013 Author Share Posted October 15, 2013 I've had the opposite a couple of times. Once in the Middle East and once in Bosnia we found ourselves surrounded by armed me pointing rifles at us because they thought the camera looked like a rocket launcher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 (is there a link missing from the original post?) We did an event a few years ago, when the Prime Minister was keynote speaker. The building was locked down early on in the day, searched with dogs etc, after which any people and/or kit entering were scutinised in great detail. Nothing unusual there. They insisted that we had to use "their" lectern, which arrived in a sealed shrink-wrapped flight case. It was unboxed, and a couple of XLRs plugged into the house PA. After the event, it was put back in the flight case, padlocked, and shrink-wrapped again, ready for shipping to the next venue on the tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alistermorton Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 (is there a link missing from the original post?) This: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24530600 ? Moderation: Thank Ali - I've made the link work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryNattrass Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Major events tend to be fed to the media via pressboxes but even in the 80's you were instructed by the security guys not to point shotgun mics at members of the royal family.Most events are screened and locked down and security is always vigilant and they can always tell if media personnel are genuine and know where they should be!I can't say much more but it is unlikely that a media operative will encounter any problems unless they look or act suspiciously! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 We have had PM several times at the old job and nothing more than dogs checking early morning. Hell I arrived with the kit a bit late and no one ever queried it. Lots of people none of us had ever seen before who suddenly appeared and then went. So many that the crowd suddenly thinned out just after he left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryNattrass Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Don't mess or argue with any guys that have red or green dot badges on their lapels that are around 1cm across either as they are the big boys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musht Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Apart from that Mrs Lincoln, what did you think of the show? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Basson Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 "Are you close with the microphones?" "I've got a bit of plugging up to do, then I can point the rifles at The President's podium" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted October 16, 2013 Author Share Posted October 16, 2013 We have had PM several times at the old job and nothing more than dogs checking early morning. Hell I arrived with the kit a bit late and no one ever queried it. Lots of people none of us had ever seen before who suddenly appeared and then went. So many that the crowd suddenly thinned out just after he left. Even having the dogs check the area is relatively new for the British PM. I couldn't tell you exactly when it started but it was sometime after the early/mid 80s. Something I enjoyed once was watching the way they looked after the dogs that checked things for the US President. The last one of these things I did was in 2000 and we were allowed in from the early morning to complete our set up, then thrown out of the venue for a couple of hours while the dogs did their thing--our cameras were all there feeding the OB truck and it was fun to see the dogs given food and water breaks where the secret service guys had to keep going! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazz339 Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 At first reading of THIS article I didn't take it seriously but, then a second thought. If one politician has been killed by a bomb in a microphone, how long until anyone doing news or even corporate stuff has to jump through hoops with security in order to put mics in front of anyone potentially a target? Even ten years ago when I was involved in a couple of things with the US President, we were not allowed to place any mics or gear on the podium--that was done by "White House Radio" who (at that time) used a couple of battered SM57s via an even more battered Shure portable mixer, an M267 if I recall correctly. It was an antique even then. However, maybe I'm paranoid but I don't think the Taliban have done the sound community any favours. I think you are probably right in your last thought. If someone wanted to plant a device it seemed to be a logical place, close to the target with wires legitimately attached to it. When I was doing party political conferences the police would send the dogs in, but I remember one officer saying to me "You'd better check that lot because we don't have a clue what we are looking at". Wasn't there an occasion where the sound engineer found a suspicious device attached to a lectern? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Slightly OT, but I overheard a client the other day referring to 'The Prime Minister's Aides'. I did a double take until I clicked what she actually meant.... :) David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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