Filming a Scene in a Crowd with Lots of Clapping — Advice for Protecting My Hearing?

Hello,

I am two weeks in with low level tinnitus.

I am an actress and I have just seen I have to film a scene tomorrow with clapping. I will be in a group of people clapping over and over many many times as we film the take from many angles.

This fills me with anxiety.

I have foam earplugs. I also have the silicone earplugs that cover the outer ear. Which is best? Or both?

I will ask to be put at the end of the group and not in the middle.

What else can I do?
Clapping is loud, isn't it?

Any advice welcome.

Best,

B

 

Hi @Bette1969,

In my opinion, foam plugs (32 dB NRR) is more than enough for clapping. How large is the crowd?

Thanks,
Peter

 

Thank you, Peter.

I spoke to a friend last night and he said the same.
I’ve watched a video on how to insert them and they are in now.

70 people in the crowd in a largish hall type theatre.

 

Hand clapping is bad for tinnitus. Foam earplugs will be almost overkill, but better overkill than underkill. I would have thought that the cheaper type of musician's earplugs would do the trick quite well, but I do understand the anxiety factor, and it is always better to be safe than sorry. My audiologist tells me to use appropriate protection. In other words, if it is not really that loud (I don't consider a crowd clapping to be loud, it is probably louder in the middle of the crowd than on stage), to use lesser protection, and as the loudness goes up, use more protection. So my levels of protection are Bose QC25, musician's protectors, Bose + musician's protectors, foam earplugs, Bose + foam earplugs, over the ear professional protection + foam earplugs.

I was doing work with a saw five days ago, it is a power tool, so I used the over the ear professional protection and foam earplugs, same as the protection they should be giving you if you are at the shooting range (firearms).