Veteran Film Sound Mixer Tony Johnson Relies On DPA Microphones

Veteran New Zealand Production Sound Mixer Tony Johnson has highlighted the critical role DPA Microphones play in his work on major international film productions, emphasising their reliability, durability and audio performance across some of the most demanding sound environments in modern cinema.

With more than 40 years in the industry, Johnson has worked on globally recognised titles including The Piano, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit trilogy and Crazy Rich Asians, earning multiple BAFTA and Academy Award nominations. More recently, his work on Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar: Fire and Ash has pushed audio capture to new extremes, requiring microphones capable of handling unconventional setups, high sound pressure levels and extensive movement without compromising clarity.

Johnson said his long-term decision to rely on DPA lavalier microphones has been central to achieving consistent results. "I've been using DPA lavs for about 15 to 20 years exclusively," Johnson says. "They just tick all the boxes: size, audio quality, dynamic range and the ability to handle any SPL. There’s virtually no other lav I use now. They're rock-solid, and I can rely on them in any condition without worrying about them letting me down."

Work on the Avatar sequels required particularly innovative microphone placement solutions due to character wardrobe and visual effects requirements. Johnson explains how DPA 6061 lavaliers were integrated directly into oxygen masks worn by characters, allowing clean audio without interfering with post-production effects. "We ran DPA 6061 lavaliers up through the masks’ airtubes, placing them perfectly to capture dialogue without obstructing the effects work," he explained. "The mics were small and easy to hide, and the VFX team had no trouble painting them out if needed. We had 10 or 20 masks pre-rigged with lavs, ready to go; threading them on shoot day would’ve been impossible."

For the character Spider, whose appearance left no clothing for concealment, Johnson again turned to DPA for a lightweight and unobtrusive solution. "With no clothing to conceal the mic, we secured the 6061 inside the wig so it sat naturally among the locks without shifting. The cable was carefully run along the wig's interior and down to a Zaxcom transmitter tucked under the hairline. The placement kept the mic stable through stunts, avoided any body-rustle and delivered pristine, consistent sound all day."

Johnson also depends on DPA for boom work, selecting the DPA 4017 Shotgun for its sensitivity, noise performance and compact handling. "The 4017 has an incredibly transparent off-axis response and low self-noise, so dialogue sounds clean and uncolored,” he says. “Its compact, lightweight design reduces operator fatigue, and the RF immunity is rock solid — I’ve never had interference issues, even on crowded RF sets."

On the Jason Momoa action film The Wrecking Crew, Johnson used DPA 4097 Miniature Shotguns as plant microphones to capture interior car dialogue and wide scenes where boom placement was restricted. "The 4097s were brilliant," he said. "I mounted them on sun visors, behind seats, even clipped to a laptop using DPA’s instrument clips. I planted mics everywhere. They’re so fast to reposition and the accessories make them incredibly versatile. They proved invaluable for wide scenes in the film, where boom placement was tricky. Once I started using the 4097s, I got hooked; they’re just so adaptable."

Even in extreme vocal performance scenarios, Johnson reports the same reliability, noting their performance while working with Jack Black. “We had a 4063 [Omnidirectional Lavalier] in his costume, and he could scream and sing without distorting the mic. The mic is nearly indestructible — the high SPL handling and dynamic range meant I didn’t have to pad it down or worry about clipping. What came through was clean and consistent; exactly what I needed in the mix.”

For Johnson, the reason for sticking with DPA is as much about practicality as it is about audio fidelity. "You can have the best-sounding mic in the world, but if it's temperamental with wind or RF interference, or hard to rig, it’s useless on set. DPA gives me great sound and the confidence it will work every time. Whether it’s in a sweaty costume, outdoors in the wind, or tucked into a wig, I know it's going to perform; and the mounting options make it simple to get it exactly where it needs to be."

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