Pro Moviemaker Autumn 2019

GET THE BEST OUT OF YOURMIC

2. BE PREPARED Knowing the task and the potential problems will help you avoid them

A lavmic is often the best option if you have an interviewee who’s moving about more than you can cover with a shotgun mic, or further than its range will allow. It’s not always possible to hide lav mics completely, but they’re so much part of the language of TV news and documentary, in those spheres, they go unnoticed in plain sight. Movement of the mic’s lead and any friction against the subject’s clothing will be picked up on the recording, but there are ways to mitigate that. To cut down cable noise, try using clips or tape to stop its movement. You can also make a loop in the lead near the mic to lessen the effect. And if there’s noise being picked up from the subject’s clothing, try adding foam or fur separators around it to keep fabric clear. You’ll also find that, even with most lavmics’ omnidirectional pickup, sound levels can vary if the subject turns their head when talking. There’s not much you can do about this, apart from trying to coach them not to. USING YOUR LAV MIC

By talking to the client or your crew, you can plan in detail the best way to record your subject, but also how youmight be able to adapt your sound recording using different mics if something does fail. For example, having the subject hold a shotgun mic out of shot instead of using lapel mics. Or the opposite. You’ll want to eye your stock of batteries, too, especially if you’re running condenser mics or wireless mics and receivers that need to draw power, either from their own cells or those of your camera.

In the words of the British Army, ‘Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Pretty Poor Performance’. That’s a polite version of the seven Ps. How does it apply to sound? Let’s start with kit. You wouldn’t embark on a shoot without a backup camera and lenses, so why do it with your audio kit? If a mic or recorder fails on site, it’s going to be difficult to replace. Taking spares of everything you’ll use is the best route, and mics are usually pretty light. But you need to be sure you’ll use it all – there’s no point packing extra stuff just to have it.

3. USE A DEDICATED SOUND RECORDIST Many hands make light work

COUNTING IN

One of the things that really helps in editing both sound and video is having plenty of intro and outro length in your clips. Even a few seconds can help enormously, especially if you’re fading between clips. If you’re recording a

The number of crew your project needs depends on the subject as well as the budget, but if the shoot is complex, and money allows, you’ll definitely feel the benefit a dedicated sound recordist. The main advantage of that extra pair of hands is that if you’re running the camera and directing, you can concentrate on the finer points, rather than worrying about sound. And a sound specialist provides better quality audio, leading to less time in the edit for you. Splitting the task helps to eliminate the chance of mistakes in both the sound and the video, because two dedicated people doing their jobs are more likely to spot problems – things youmay not notice until the edit, and which are then too late to fix. Typically, a sound recordist will let you operate a mic on a boom. This then means they can follow a moving subject, and you don’t need to use lapel mics, which youmay not want to be visible in the shot.

A sound recordist will also be able to mix sound on site, and even in seemingly simple set-ups, a dedicatedmix can be vital. Say, for example, you’re shooting a discussion panel or documentary with four or five people involved – you can mic them all up individually, but they may be talking at different levels of volume at different times, so you need to adjust the levels on the fly for the best quality. Imagine trying to do that when you’re also running a camera. subject who’s inexperienced, they’ll quite often charge into their delivery, leaving you with little room for manoeuvre, so make a point of starting the recording, then counting them in with “five, four…”, followed by three, two and one silently.

ABOVE With the help of a dedicated sound recordist, you can concentrate on the camera and direction

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AUTUMN 2019 PRO MOVIEMAKER

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