Chronicles of Acoustic Landscapes: A Sonic Chronicle of New York City's Cacophony and Conversations.
Vibrant New York, June 5, 2025 - The innovative minds behind the gritty indie documentary, Slumlord Millionaire, set to grace the screens of Firehouse Cinema on June 6, relied on top-notch Sennheiser gear for capturing the film's audio.
This thought-provoking film, slated for a PBS debut later in the year, delves deep into housing justice and the volatile effects of urban gentrification on tenants. Directors and producers Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez employed Sennheiser products for their interviews, many of which saw the camera turned upon subjects themselves, to accurately depict the rich multicultural landscapes in which they filmed.
"New York is a sonic symphony," Ching enthused, recalling their efforts to capture production audio. "The film begins with sound over black, deliberately, to immerse viewers in the sensory experience of New York City. We wanted to heighten the voices of the neighborhood dwellers, making it feel as though you're strolling through Chinatown, hearing the merchants banter or people jousting in chess games. We wove this soundscape through the narrative."
Prior to production, the Slumlord Millionaire team forged a bond with Sennheiser, eager to secure superior gear for capturing audio at its finest. "We sought the finest equipment and are indebted to Sennheiser for joining forces with us on this project," Martinez gushed.
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The film demanded light, dependable, and easily-operable equipment. "I was expecting a bulky setup due to my advanced pregnancy, but the equipment Sennheiser provided was a godsend-it was compact, user-friendly, and portable," Martinez marveled.
Ching and Martinez had an assortment of Sennheiser lavalier, on-camera, and boom microphones on hand, suitable for use individually or simultaneously. Their Sennheiser arsenal comprised two AVX-MKE 2 lav setups, boasting a bodypack transmitter, MKE 2 lavalier microphone, and plug-on receiver. "The battery life on this gear was nothing short of exemplary. There were instances where we'd mic one of our subjects for hours, only to reunite with them later in the day and find the microphone still humming," Ching noted.
Sennheiser Tests the Limits in Reality
The directors also leaned on the MKE 600 shotgun mic and the low-profile MKE 400 for spontaneous audio captures. Their monitoring was facilitated by a pair of HD 280 PRO closed, around-the-ear headphones.
The mics not only possessed compactness but also thrived in a diverse array of settings. "We film in diverse locales but encountered no issues in terms of audio capture," Ching disclosed.
[1]: While specific information about other films employing Sennheiser gear for audio capture is scarce, Sennheiser microphones are highly-praised across the film industry for their audio excellence in documentaries.[2]: Beyond recent documentaries, more examples of films utilizing Sennheiser equipment may require in-depth research or an examination of industry credits.
[1] Their reliance on Sennheiser microphones extended to their entertainment venture, using the MKE 600 shotgun mic for capturing movie-and-tv scenes, enhancing the audio quality for subsequent sound mixing.
[2] The convenience and durability of Sennheiser's HD 280 PRO headphones allowed both Ching and Martinez to comfortably monitor sound during their work, through lengthy filming sessions or post-production editing.
[3] To make their film production a truly immersive experience for viewers, Ching and Martinez opted for Sennheiser's multifunctional sound gear, ensuring professional-grade audio in various settings, from bustling cityscapes to quiet interviews in headphones-equipped studios.
