This is a fast tutorial on how to get basic sound for your videos.
Juts remember it's always best to hire an experienced sound technician. But for those of you working with what you have, I hope this helps.
Equipment
For the most basic indoor shoot, you'll need the following (no exceptions)
-Boom mic
-Shock mount
-Indoor windscreen
-Boom pole
-XLR cable
-SD card
-Headphones
-Recorder
Total cost = $773 cheapest
Boom
The boom mic should be as close as it can get to the source without getting too much low-end presence and while being able to remain a consistent distance between shots. Remember, shotgun mics are directional so think of them as having a laser sight attached and make that laser hit the subjects mouth or slightly in front of it.
Levels
Levels should be set by having someone deliver the loudest dialogue that will happen and adjust the gain control to where it's high but not clipping. If the talent is shouting and then talking at a normal level have them shout as a test and make sure the meter hits about 90 percent high. Try not to adjust levels while filming, if you have to, do so gradually.
Acoustics
It's best to record in a room with soft surfaces. If you're filming in a kitchen put rugs down and hang blackout curtains or furniture pads/sound blankets close by. This will make the room have less reverb and echo and will reduce the proximity effect your boom has. It makes a lot of difference.
Noise
Also, make sure you turn off the fridge and AC! The boom hears these things much better than your ears and it will sound bad when you play it back later. If your boom isn't stationary and it changes distances to the unwanted sound, or if your fridge turns on and off, it will be very distracting once the video is cut together.
Sync
-It's easy to use "plural eyes" that syncs sound to video by automatically matching the waveform of your sound to the waveform of the camera audio that's linked to the video already. Different programs call it different things like "sync by waveform" but most editing programs have it in some aspect.
-You might ask, "Why not run a cable directly to the camera so it's synced already?". This method will not sound as clean due to the technical audio components of camera versus sound equipment.
-It's good to use a slate or to simply have someone clapping in the frame to line up the claps.
Lav mics - When to use them
Lavs are not the answer to all your problems, they create more! They're valuable tools but require delicate precision to work right and are expensive. The boom is primary for a number of reasons.
In narrative filmmaking, lavs are used for camera angles where the boom can't cover everything perfectly.
In reality filming they are used because you never know who is going to speak next so there's no way to have a boom over the talent who's speaking next.
In social media, instructional videos, or news settings, lavs can be used as a cheap and easy way of getting good sound that can be recorded straight into the camera by clipping the mic to the outside of talents clothes. This mic will be visible in the footage. The best reason for this method is if you are recording your own video and can't be monitoring sound for problems. Here you can trust the sound is likely very good because the mic shouldn't be touching anything.
Lav Mics - How to hide them
This is not a full-proof method for hiding mics without cloth noise because there is none. Hidden lavs should never be solely relied on without a boom option.
The main principals of mic hiding are:
1. Keep things from rubbing on or near the mic
-Holding clothes in place
-or creating an air pocket around the mic
2. Keep minimum layers of clothing between the mic and talents mouth
3. Getting the right distance from the talents mouth
4. Strain relief
1. The idea is to have separation from the mic and anything that could rub against it. You could use special mounts, paperclips, or fur to keep clothes away from the mic, or you could hold clothes in place by wrapping the mic in Joes Sticky Stuff (thick tape) and pinching it between two layers of cloth. With the Joe's method, those two layers cannot rub on the mic or even move at all. But be careful that nothing is moving against those layers because cloth noise will travel through the cloth from up to a foot away.
2. Be careful the talent doesn't put a coat on after you've perfectly mic'd them without a coat. You'll hear the huge difference between the two. In the past I've had to mic an actors coat and under her shirt using two mics and two transmitters because she was putting the coat on in the scene with dialogue before and after her coat was on. I've also mic'd an actors hair for this same purpose.
3. For distance, make a 90 degree "L" with your thumb and fingers placing your fingertips near the talents chin. That's your middle point for micing. It's often much easier for costumes to mic a little lower (center of a bra) or higher (tie knot), but keep this "L" in mind as a basis for how much gain the mic will need and how much presence it will have with respect to proximity from that middle point.
4. People often overlook strain relief but it's important. Strain relief is a simple piece of tape holding the wire to the clothes or skin about a foot below the mic capsule to A. keep cloth noise and vibrations from travelling up the wire from below, B. if the mic falls it wont drop below the strain point and you can find it easily, and C. it keeps a clean look that's easier to hide the wire under clothes if your strain is on the side instead of running down the middle.
Popular hidden mic techniques
Butyl Wrap - Take an inch of butyl (Joes Sticky Stuff), wrap it around the capsule of the mic or over a rubber mount, and pinch that firmly between two layers of cloth. Works on button down shirts and polos.
Moleskin sandwich - Take two small rectangles of moleskin and sandwich the mic between. Keep the moleskin close to the capsule. Tape to chest or shirt if not too thin. If more separation is needed from the chest or shirt use molefoam padding or fur ("piece-of-fur" by Bubblebee Industries) overtop.
Vampire clip - No tape needed, sweat-proof. Pin to a thick bra or shirt. Air gap is needed here. Make sure nothing is touching it and the cloth is thick enough for the pins to go through and not hurt anyone.
V-neck collar - Using the smallest mic possible (Countryman B6), apply butyl ("Joes") to an LMC rubber mount and stick on bottom point of the V-neck facing the skin. Also works with small moleskin sandwiches.
Hair mic - Best with a B6. Get help from hair dept. Use toupee clips to pin wire down to hair and down the back. Capsule should be centered near the forehead. Hair dept. will help fold hair over it to cover the wire and capsule.
B6 Button - Wrap the smallest amount of butyl possible around the B6 capsule (not covering the diaphragm hole) and lightly pinch it between a button and the cloth behind the button. Use lots of strain relief. Careful of wind. This is almost fully exposed but sounds great and is not very noticeable.
On all of these, make sure that not only is nothing rubbing the mic itself, but that nothing is rubbing against the shirt that the mic is attached to or the wire leading to it. You can use fur or moleskin to keep separation between chest hair and a shirt. You can also use butyl to keep an open jacket from closing over the mic or to keep two layers of clothing from rubbing near the mic by sticking them together. Butyl comes off easy with no mess.
As for hiding the packs, remember to keep the antenna away from a sweaty body by using straws or hush lavs. Clipping packs to the back only works when talent isnt bending over or moving much. Invest in ankle, thigh and waist straps. It's great to hide the pack in a pocket by cutting a small hole in the inside of the pocket for the wire to feed through.
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Thats all for now. I'll have a lot more content coming out very soon that elaborates on each of these topics with links and pictures. Feel free to message me anytime with questions and I'll answer as soon as I can.
Thanks!
Chris Polczinski
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