Filming the crime thriller Now You See Me gave artistic director and sound mixer the chance to cast DPA’s d:fine headset mics alongside Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fischer and Dave Franco, as they frustrate the FBI in a series of dramatic heists. Playing a touring team of illusionists, ‘The Four Horsemen’ needed modern microphones that could be seen but not held – and the d:fines gave both art director and sound mixer the results they sought.

‘The director asked the production designer and me to find a few solutions to meet his needs,’ says production sound mixer, Danny Michael. ‘We received a few different samples, but I made sure to include the d:fine as it was the one that I felt would provide the best sound. Since it was an artistic decision, I left it to the director to make the final call. It was very fortunate for me that he selected the one I wanted most.’

Chosen primarily for the aesthetic appeal to the art director, the mics were used without their usual foam windscreens, leaving the grilles exposed. With several close-ups on the actor’s faces during these scenes, the microphones are prominently found in film and in the movie trailer.

Michael had not previously worked with DPA Microphones, but became familiar with the brand’s sound quality during his search for mics for the film. ‘In the case of a microphone, the main focus is always whether the sound is ideal for the purpose for which you’re trying to use it,’ he explains. ‘Since I rely on it to do good work for me, I certainly want a microphone that has a good voice quality. In the case of DPA, the answer is always simply, yes.‘

In addition to its aesthetic and sound qualities, the d:fine microphones provided Michael with the durability required by long movie shoots. The level of comfort found with the microphones also meant the actors could wear them all day without realising they had them on.

‘The d:fines really held up for what we were doing, which is ideal,’ Michael says. ‘I never had to replace a head and the cables were of good strength. The microphones were certainly being used quite a bit and they interfaced quite nicely with the transmitter that I used, so it was all great. The actors all wore the mics for hours at a time – Dave [Franco] seemed to wear his all day – and I didn’t get any complaints that they provided any discomfort. Sometimes, the best thing you can say is that you never had a problem.’

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