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Audio for shooting a reality show-need advise
Hello,
i intend to shoot a reality game show with about 36 contestants, these contestants will be divided in 6 groups and given different tacks to perform.
Each contestant is meant to have a wireless lav mic,we are also dedicating 2 cameras to each group.
The major problem we have know is that we do not know what method to use to get all the 6 audio from the mics into the camera.
in my opinion i think we can use audio mixers with about 3 to 4 inputs and one output directly into the camera, to me this will make the work a lot easier but am not sure and i do not know the kind of equipment to use and combine also we do not have a very huge budget, that’s why i came to you guys for guidance and real direction.
we are amateurs and only have experience in shooting simple interviews(noting as complex as this)
Please i need specific instructions and lists of equipments to use and how?
Thank you. -
6 Replies
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Well here goes your budget. You have 6 groups of 6 people all wired. You’ll need a professional soundmixer for each group who should have at least a 6 input mixer, at least 7 sets of wireless and wireless feeds to the groups cameras. Figure that will cost you about $800 a day per group so $4800 per day just for sound should cover your needs.
Eric
“I push the RECORD button and hope for the best”
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ok well im confused.
36 people on wireless radio feeds in 6 groups. 6×6=36 so unless youre going to put some of each group onto cam 1 and some on cam 2, then a “3 to 4 input mixer” doesnt cut it.
my suggestion is reach out to the broadcast world in uk or us and find a prod co who has done something similar and find out what they did. maybe the bachelor in the uk?BUT if im honest, if youre having to ask the question at all, then maybe that says it all. This might be just too much for you??
Are you going to put experienced mixers on each group? How will you cope in post. Why not record all mics sep and make it in the mix??I have alarm bells in my head
PeterPost Production Dubbing Mixer
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Hello Segun and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum,
I will echo Peter Groom’s concern. “Warning WIll Robinson!”
If you actually expect each person in a six person crew to talk and make it happen in post, you need to have a separate recorder capable or recording as many tracks as you need at any given point. Preferably with timecode.
If two groups will be active at the same time, then double the figures.
Regards,
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum Leader
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Ty Ford Blog: Ty Ford’s Blog -
Thank you all very much, am glad i got this responses, well am in Nigeria and the truth is over here we do not have a lot of experienced audio professionals, most claim they have skills but without much formal training that’s why i came here to get real directions from the pros i trust.
What i am thinking of doing is to purchase some ok priced field mixers with about 3 inputs and one output into the camera, this mixer will be handled by the boom operator, i want to feed three mics into one camera and another 3 mics into the second camera but not sure if its a good idea. i also want some tips as to the actual brand and model of lav macs to use and the kind of light weight easy to carry mixers to use cos most of the activities will take place outdoors.
Thanks a lot. -
The only way to do this sort of production, (which is becoming quite common these days) is to ISO record each track and post produce later.
There are many recorders that will do the task like the Sound Devices 788, or SD 664, many Tascam models will also record the number of tracks required. There are many other brands that may also work.Ideally you need to record each track as an ISO and also create a ‘HOT’ production mix of those tracks that would be recorded with the video, this gives the editing process a good track to work with, and the ISO tracks to ‘clean up’ with.
I’m actually playing at the moment with a ZOOM R24 as a recorder for exactly this sort of shoot (as yet I have not done any long takes to see how the syncing hold up)
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Just a few other things about the shoot….
Are ALL 36 people being involved in the shoot at the same time? Or is it going to be shot as 6 individual groups of 6?
Setting up a shoot with 36 radio mics in the one localised RF area is a huge challenge.
Is it all on location where it needs to be battery powered or can it be mains powered?
You will need a ‘Mic Wrangler’ for each group of radio mics to keep up with putting them on / taking them off and battery monitoring.How does the Producer / Director wish it to be done, logistically, financially and in what is the production work flow?
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