Sound for Video Session: Short Film Sound 18 July 2016
What is the difference between documentary and narrative films in terms of production sound approach? Great question from Kevin Snyman.
I also talked about my experience as the sound mixer and boom operator for a short documentary film I shot with my friend Levi from Uphill Cinema over the weekend.
Sound for Video Session: Practical Timecode 13 July 2016
In this session we ran through a demo of how timecode works at a practical level. I'm not suggesting that we all need to drop $500 USD on a Tentacle Sync Timecode kit for our no-budget passion projects. But some day when you're the sound guy on a production with a budget and they are willing to pay for timecode, you'll look like a sound ninja because you'll know exactly how to do it.
Get out and make some great recordings!
Sound for Video Session: Syncing Sound and Timecode
This week we did a high-level overview of syncing audio to video and timecode. I've recently learned some basic lessons since jumping in to timecode. You can hopefully learn from my mistakes and bad assumptions. :)
Sync Tutorials:
The general idea with timecode is that it will simplify the process of syncing sound to video by recording precise clock information to both the camera and sound recorder. Then in post, your video editing app (NLE - non-linear editor) can sync each audio clip to its corresponding video clip very quickly and easily. That's an oversimplification, of course, but we talk through a few of the practical issues in this episode just in case your find yourself in the sound recordist role on a project which requires timecode some day.
Sound for Video Session: Setting up Zoom F8
Several have requested a tutorial on how to set things up in the menus for the Zoom F8. In this piece, we run through some of the most critical settings for most small or one-man-band productions.
Leave any questions you have in the comments and thanks for watching!
Sound for Video Session: Sync, Tascam or Zoom, Microphones, Post, EQ, and Ice Flows
In this week's session we cover several questions:
- How do I sync 5 video clips with a single audio clip?
- Should I get a Tascam DR-60DmkII or a Zoom H5?
- In what order should I apply effects when editing my audio clips?
- How do I learn when to use which microphone?
- When I shoot a piece with multiple mics for the same project in different rooms, how do I ensure they sound similar?
- Somebody recorded a world-class pianist on an ice flow in the arctic. How did they do that?!
Reduce Echo & Reverb with Sound Blankets
Is your sound for your video projects plagued with annoying echo and reverb? One way you can reduce that issue is by using sound blankets on set. Here we talk about some of the practical ways to use sound blankets to improve the sound of your videos!
I bought Producer's Choice sound blankets about a year ago and after I washed them about 3 to 4 times each, found them to work quite nicely. I generally throw the blankets on hard floors, tables, and counters and hang them on Century Stands behind the camera. I attach the blankets to the stands with these basic spring clips. You'd be surprised at what a difference it can make for your recordings.
**Update August 2016: VocalBoothToGo contacted me and explained that they did have an issue with one of their suppliers in China delivering smelly cotton but have since worked that out. They said that they would send me one of the newer blankets. I'm looking forward to the new blanket and to confirm it ain't so stinky!
Tech Down Over
Rick and Geoff of the Tech Down Over show were kind enough to invite me on to their show to talk tech for about an hour. Good time.
My audio is distorted. I apologize in advance for that - the Skype meter indicated that I had plenty of headroom. Evidently not.
Sound for Video Session: Hiding Lavalier Microphones
** Apologies - the audio is absent until 2:03 - I'm considering moving away from Google Hangouts on Air for the future **
Here are a bunch of ideas on where and how to hide lavalier microphones. I still find boom microphones to be my first choice, but when that's not an option, I resort to these methods for micing.
Here are some of the products we cover in the video:
Moleskin - Adhesive on one side, fine felt on the other. Something you'll definitely want in your kit if you're hiding lavalier microphones.
Gaffer Tape - A must have tape that can be used for almost anything. Don't confuse this with duct tape. Gaffer tape's adhesive is much better quality and much less likely to leave a nasty residue on the things you tape.
Toupee Tape - great two sided tape for mounting a mic under a hat or even under clothing.
Surgical Tape - Usefule for adhering to skin
Hush Lav - Foam cylinder which envelops the lavalier mic and helps reduce clothing noise. Best suited for mics shaped like the Sanken COS-11D or RODE Lavalier/smartLav+
Rycote Undercovers - Another option which includes the two-sided adhesive dot plus some felt to place over the mic.
Sound for Video Session: What to Bring to a Shoot and Lessons Learned
Over the weekend, I did a small location sound job for a friend for a short film. In this episode we'll cover some lessons learned from that experience as my goal is to do more sound jobs like this. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes and successes.
Make a checklist of gear you'll need so that when you're getting ready for each production day, you can reduce the likelihood that you forget anything you'll need. Here's a sample production day field checklist.
Some additional thoughts on things to include in your kit from my friend Scott Vanderbilt:
- If any possibility of doing exteriors, you can't be without a blimp/windjammer or other type of wind protection. Even for interiors, you at least need foam wind screens. Many sensitive mics without any windscreen will register noise when you swing them even just a couple of feet.
- Headphones - two pairs, my main ones (Sennheiser HD 25-II and a backup set (Sony MDR 7506) in case director or someone else wants to listen to playbacks.
- Slate. If client is paying extra, my Ambient time code slate. But I always have a dumb slate, just in case.
- Time code case (including Ambient LockIt boxes and/or Tentacle Sync boxes).
- Gaff tape (useful for all kinds of things, including on slate) and paper tape.
- Apple box. I use it to stand on (probably less useful for you :-) ) and also as a place to rest my mixer bag both during and between shots.
- Ball point pens, sharpies, and dry-erase markers (for slate).
- Harness for mixer bag, when job requires me to go mobile.
- Backup media (cards do fail). Always have spares.
- Media card reader (to hand off media to DIT at end of shoot).
- clipboard and blank sound report sheets. You really ought to do a session on sound reports. Very, very important, especially for narrative work.
- Script sides (for narrative only). Essential to study script in advance of shoot, especially if you're also booming.
- Business cards - I get asked for cards all the time on set!
- Boom pole - you mentioned this, but I would also point out not to forget at least one shock mount (I've done it!) and a coiled XLR cable for connecting boom pole to mixer.
- Water bottle and snacks, when working with a client for first time or one that doesn't provide crafty. Staying hydrated very important, especially when on location.
beachtek DXA-MICRO PRO Audio Adapter Review: Better Sound for Your Camera
If you don’t have time to record your sound separate from your camera, the beachtek DXA-Micro Pro is a new audio adapter which allows you to record your lavalier and XLR based microphones into your camera with much better sound quality. In this episode we have a look at the features of the DXA-MICRO Pro audio adapter.
Many of you know I'm not usually a fan of recording dialogue sound to non-pro video cameras. But if you have to turn around a project quickly, the DXA-MICRO PRO does a nice job of adapting your professional microphones for use with a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a 3.5mm microphone input.
In my testing I used two RODELink wireless kits and also recorded with the good old RODE NTG2 shotgun microphone. Good results with both and the 3.5mm microphone inputs are especially impressive.
You get 1 XLR input and 3 3.5mm inputs and you can record any two of them simultaneously. I also really like that you can record the two as a stereo mix or send each mic do a different channel so that you can edit individual mic channels separately in post.
Lots of goodness in this little sound tool.
