Riedel’s Bolero Streamlines Crew Comms On The Set Of ‘The Expanse’

Riedel’s Bolero facilitates crew communications on the set of the popular Amazon Prime Video series “The Expanse.”
Renowned director of photography Jeremy Benning has adopted Riedel’s industry-standard Bolero wireless intercom to facilitate crew communications on the set of the popular Amazon Prime Video series “The Expanse.”
Bolero provides flexible, clear, and reliable multichannel communications for all members of the production crew, enabling maximum productivity from any on-set location.
Previously, individual teams on “The Expanse” each had their own communications methods, ranging from HME wireless intercoms to walkie-talkies to face-to-face conversations. By combining all of these methods into a single, unified solution, Bolero enables crew members to maximize their time on the set and removes misunderstandings and delays.
“The ability to communicate instantly, clearly, and effectively is a critical requirement to keep any film or episodic series on schedule. We knew we needed more efficient, zero-compromise comms capabilities in today’s new world, and after extensive testing and comparison with other leading systems, Bolero was hands-down the best tool for what we needed,” Benning commented. “Not only does Bolero have excellent audio quality and an ultra-low noise floor, it’s also super-easy to control the entire system through the intuitive user interface.”
A DECT-based intercom that offers optimal functionality and minimal latency in the license-free 1.9 GHz frequency range, the Bolero system on the set of “The Expanse” consists of 26 beltpacks and four antennas. The crew on “The Expanse” has fully embraced the capabilities of Bolero in stand-alone mode; for instance, the audio feed from the sound mixer is patched in to allow all connected departments (camera, grip, lighting, producers, director, assistant directors, script, and video playback) to listen to actors’ dialog whenever they need to. In addition, the production uses Bolero to feed the “voice of God” speaker for delivering announcements to the entire shooting crew, and the director and script supervisor use a wireless talk-back speaker to give notes to the cast.
When the actors are in their prop space helmets (a frequent occurrence), this presents an opportunity for Bolero to facilitate two-way communication with them as well — a capability that previously required a separate sound system. Three walkie-talkie channels are also patched into the Bolero system, enabling the keys (first AD, gaffer, and key grip) to communicate with the rest of the crew without having to wear two systems.
Benning added, “My entire crew has said many times how much they appreciate Bolero’s single-system elegance, the clarity of audio, and the interconnectedness of all our audio streams — particularly since we’re often whispering cues to each other during takes. These are A-team technicians, but they’re mostly first-time Bolero users who are now completely in love with this solution. There is no going back once you have experienced Bolero, the ultimate way of managing a complex team with high-stake demands.”
You might also like...
Monitoring & Compliance In Broadcast: Monitoring Cloud Infrastructure
If we take cloud infrastructures to their extreme, that is, their physical locality is unknown to us, then monitoring them becomes a whole new ball game, especially as dispersed teams use them for production.
Phil Rhodes Image Capture NAB 2025 Show Floor Report
Our resident image capture expert Phil Rhodes offers up his own personal impressions of the technology he encountered walking the halls at the 2025 NAB Show.
Microphones: Part 9 - The Science Of Stereo Capture & Reproduction
Here we look at the science of using a matched pair of microphones positioned as a coincident pair to capture stereo sound images.
Monitoring & Compliance In Broadcast: Monitoring Cloud Networks
Networks, by their very definition are dispersed. But some are more dispersed than others, especially when we look at the challenges multi-site and remote teams face.
Audio At NAB 2025
Key audio themes at NAB 2025 remain persistently familiar – remote workflows, distributed teams, and ultra-efficiency… and of course AI. These themes have been around for a long time now but the audio community always seems to find very new ways of del…