In the 1980s, i.e. in the last century, I was lucky enough to be connected by a video cable to a great cameraman with whom I covered almost all the wars of that fertile decade for an American channel.
My role as a VCR carrier, which was often what a sound engineer was in those days, suited me perfectly. Sondier in French. This naughty word made me think of a sort of anteater, probably because of the pole that seemed to sniff around the frame in search of the best sound.
This back position allowed me to see the whole scene rather than cutting it out in a viewfinder like the cameraman because my other role was to keep both eyes open when he had only one, glued to the viewfinder. In intense moments it was up to me to warn my partner of a development that he could not see in his viewfinder, but also to protect us by foreseeing the dangers. This staggered and mute position still inspires some of my work. It is what I call a side step.
Christophe Planchais
