Sound for Film and Video

Often when I am working on a film, whether it is a short or a feature, I come across a certain mentality that has proliferated in the filmmaking business. It’s the standard quote, “Oh, we can just fix that in post”. This statement, though painless when uttered on location, can have very serious ramifications later on. Now I’m not saying perfect sound must be achieved, as it’s hard enough to get the visuals and performance locked down the way your mind’s eye envisioned. But capturing at least dialogue can be worth its weight in gold when it comes time to edit. That combined with a few tips and tricks on location can make the editing process much easier and in turn more cost effective.

Dialogue Is King!

Having dealt with a lot of audio in my time I find there is what I call, “A Priority of Sync”. Plainly put, dialogue with the corresponding talking head has a very tight sync. It must be dead on, while sync of sound effects (depending on which ones) has some room for shuffle. There have been times for instance when a voice over finishes right when a golfer is taking a swing. Well the golf swing slid a few milliseconds later but sounds just as convincing. In other terms there is some leeway, where a “talking head” needs their VO spot on. Part of this reason is we are use to talking to people! We know and expect it to look a certain way. Should this be disturbed even slightly, bam! Something is up. Now let’s pretend we didn’t get clean audio. To overdub, we will need to not only get a great “Read” out of our talent but will also have to be in sync! Also what is commonly overlooked is creating the same audio environment so the overdub sounds in the same place as all the location audio. Can it be done? Of course! Is it a costly expense after finishing what you thought was the heftiest cost of your project? Done correctly, yes it can be costly.

So let’s get cracking! I have a digital video camera, (24p, HD, you name it). I’m shooting a project and want audio on my side! First thing, get a good audio person! Not your cousin Vinny or your uncle Howard. Someone who has a passion for sound and will kick butt to get it! If your sound guy isn’t being a pain about his audio, he isn’t doing his job. A real soundman lives in his headphones. It may cost a few dollars but it’s so worth it in the end. Now if you have a digital camera you also have the advantage of a DAT machine built right into your camera! Most DV cameras are running 48k 16 bit digital sound. Make sure the camera audio settings are correct and consistent from tape to tape. Now, if you can dump your mics cleanly onto your video tape two things get accomplished. One, your audio is already in sync. Just load in your clips for an online edit, and your mixer can work right from your OMF output. (Will talk about OMF files in later articles). Two, your sound is final sound! It can get tricky trying to put your cables into the camera during the shoot, but if it’s an independent, everyone should be working to get the job done right anyway. Of course run yourself either a DAT or MiniDisc backup. Here is a basic audio package for a low budget project.

1. 2 wired lav mics
2. 2 wireless lav mics
3. 1 boom mic
4. 1 mixer (must be able to travel, self powered possibly)
5. 1 DAT machine or MiniDisc
6. 2 pairs of headphones
7. Tape Stock
8. 1 boom pole
9. Tons of cable and connectors for above
10. Power strips and extension cords

This should get you off the ground with some good sound. (Of course someone has to know how to use it all). Next, we will discuss various ways to setup and how to get more for less out of your equipment.

A good audio person should also be a connector junkie.

http://www.abacusaudio.com