Riedel Bolero intercom keeps crew connected on Amazon’s The Expanse

To ensure that the crew of Amazon Prime Video’s “The Expanse” has reliable multichannel communications, the show’s director of photography Jeremy Benning opted to go with Riedel’s Bolero wireless intercom platform.

Prior to the addition of Bolero, individual teams on “The Expanse” crew had their own communications methods. Bolero offers a single, unified system that helps to remove miscommunications and potential delays.

Bolero is a DECT-based intercom that operates in the license-free 1.9 GHz frequency range. There are 26 beltpacks and four antennas on the set of “The Expanse.” On the set, the audio feed from the sound mixer is patched in to allow all connected departments to listen to actors’ dialog when needed. The crew also uses it to deliver announcements to the entire crew.

Bolero is also used to communicate with actors when they are in their prop space helmets. In addition, three walkie-talkie channels are patched into the Bolero system, enabling the keys to communicate with the rest of the crew.

“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.” Biquad Broadcast