Discussion
Simpo Two said:
Fitted or not, good sound recording is a consistent weak link in amateur video.
Professional too! In my experience, most pro shoots record sound on a dedicated audio recorder.I only discovered recently that a purpose of the clapper board is to provide a distinct peak on the audio waveform so the sound from the external recorder can be married up with that on the video.
StevieBee said:
I only discovered recently that a purpose of the clapper board is to provide a distinct peak on the audio waveform so the sound from the external recorder can be married up with that on the video.
The clapperboard is hangover from film days and now used mainly for the pose value IMHO (and arguably to ID clips).If you have ears and eyes it's not difficult to synch video and audio.
Simpo Two said:
The clapperboard is hangover from film days and now used mainly for the pose value IMHO (and arguably to ID clips).
If you have ears and eyes it's not difficult to synch video and audio.
It's funny you say that. If I'm watching a film with the audio and video out of synch I find it very difficult to work out whether the audio is ahead of the video or behind it.If you have ears and eyes it's not difficult to synch video and audio.
Dr Jekyll said:
It's funny you say that. If I'm watching a film with the audio and video out of synch I find it very difficult to work out whether the audio is ahead of the video or behind it.
Spend a few dozen hours in an edit suite and you'll know not only which way it's out but by how many frames... Or you can do it empirically - move it one way; if it gets worse, move it the other way 
Tom Scott and Matt Gray (from YouTube) have a good 2nd channel where they talk about technical matters in amateur recording. Mostly in very simple clear terms. Matt is a professional broadcast engineer and knows how stuff. One big thing I took away from watching their videos, is that people will put up with mediocre video if you have good audio, but not the other way around. You can put together a separate audio recording set up together for comparatively little money, and with a modest amount of effort will give really rather good results.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1WqlRx2siQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1WqlRx2siQ
Dr Jekyll said:
How come professional film makers are able to eliminate wind noise when filming outside while amateurs have so much trouble with it?
Because often they'll be a soundman who's job it is, to take care of the audio!Even then, i've edited many projects shot my professionals, that had problem audio for one reason or another. - Especially on smaller projects when the cameraman has to deal with the audio too.
Its easy to tell when a picture doesn't look right, but sound is tricky, especially on location when you are surrounded by other sounds going on - isolating just what you are hearing in the headphones, and knowing just what you are recording, can be difficult.
Some simple rules can help
- Microphones can't zoom. Get the mic as close as you can to the thing you are recording. Closer it is to the subject, the louder it will be compared to the background audio. So when presenters are talking on camera, usually a radio mic with a lapel mounted microphone will be far better than a camera mounted microphone which will be 2 metres away. Ever noticed in live motorsport - they have a reporter style mic, and it'll be millimetres away from their mouth, as thats the only way to hear them in such a noisy environment.
- Lapel mics. They are very susepenpatble to wind noise, and hiding them under clothing can help - but then you get fabric noise. Theres a tonne of advice online about clever ways of avoiding this, and lots of little things that you can buy - like rycote undercovers. Also, where you hide it on a presenter can vary depending on what they are wearing - (for example, inside the collar of a shirt is quite good as theres an airgap). Also, mount the lapel mic the right side of the person - its no use clipping it on their left lapel if they're going to be looking and talking to a person on their right, as they'll be talking away from the mic.
- Use the right microphone for the job. Soundmen I know have an armada of mics at their disposal. A shotgun style mic, which is very directional and a very popular style of mic, is actually rubbish indoors, as it picks up a lot of echo.
- Wind. 'dead cats' 'windjammers' theres a million names for them, and they do help. but past 30mph, theres not a lot you can do. As others have mentioned, they're not on all mics by default, as they're bulky, and do actually deaden the sound a bit.
- Improve the soundscape of where you are filming. That fridge - can it be switched off? Do the builders next door ming breaking for lunch early? Can we switch the air con off? Most of the time, our brains are so good at filtering out sounds we don't want, that we don't realise how noisy an environment is. When filming someone where new, I always stop and really listen for a moment.
- Planning for the audio. So much of sound is constructed afterwards. When I'm filming documentary work, I always try to keep a part of my brain active to think about what sounds the editor might need. If theres some unique sounds that can't be pinched from a sound library, i'll try and get a separate recording with the mic really close, after the main bit of filming has occurred. - a rusty gate squeaking, a pneumatic tool running. Oh, and always try at get wild track - a clean, unbroken recording 20-30 secs, of just the soundscape you are in. Can be very useful in the edit.
- Boom microphone. Might not apply, but if your ever working with a boom mic on a pole, make sure its being held by someone who knows how to do it. A runner, will just point the mic at the top of a persons head, and complain that their arms hurt. Sound doesn't come out of the top of a persons head! - the mic need to be back a bit angled at the mouth. A good boom operator will be attentive, and follow the movements of an actor / presenter as their head moves, and even pull back the mic a bit if they get loud
Hope that helps!
Edited by Fordo on Friday 29th September 09:59
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