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tips for talent when being miked with a boom
With Lavs and handheld mikes the talent makes a huge difference for consistent results during a shoot.
What about a boom? Aside from avoiding sudden changes in levels anything talent can do to help get good results?
MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Panasonic AG-HPX170, Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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7 Replies
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Craig,
Don’t wear a baseball or other brimmed hat.
Don’t look down when you deliver your lines.
If you need to look up and talk, try not to aim it at the mic.
If there are two (or more) people in a scene, try to keep the same volume level.
Act with expression, not with volume changes.
Don’t make extemporaneous quick moves the boom op can’t follow.
Regards,
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum LeaderWant better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Ty Ford Blog: Ty Ford’s Blog -
Of course all of that goes out of the window when wardrobe require a hat, and the director requires everything else.
PeterPost Production Dubbing Mixer
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Yes, if you’re working on a major film and it’s part of the scenery.
However, if you’re working on a film where the director doesn’t really think about audio and you don’t have lavs, and you don’t have ADR it can make a difference to mention to the director that losing the hat will result in better audio.
You can, of course, boom from below if the shot can be set up to give you some space to get close enough.
Regards,
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum LeaderWant better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Ty Ford Blog: Ty Ford’s Blog -
Thanks Ty,
Pretty much what I have experienced – I’ll print your list as a general guide for students.
There is no quiet on the set during classes so its very challenging in terms of sound. But they have a good mixer good headphones and now a very decent mike. The hand held mikes work really well. But they are designed for reporter style pick up in all conditions.
MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Panasonic AG-HPX170, Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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Another great technique – try different booming positions! Don’t always assume that overhead or even under hand is the best way – try from the side from somewhere in front of the talent but off-camera, etc, whatever works. When dealing with a noisy environment, try identifying the source of the most noise and use the polar pattern of the mic to your advantage. For example, we shoot a lot in grocery stores in the produce and dairy aisles. In the produce section, if you’re always booming over the talent – what’s behind the talent? noisy produce cases! Boom from under? You’re aim is at the ceiling away from those noisy cases (but stay away from HVAC!). In the dairy aisle, once I actually boomed all the way over the entire shot and placed the mic IN the dairy shelf, off-camera, pointing out towards the talent. it worked pretty well. Also don’t discount the possibility of asking the director if you can shoot somewhere else, 90% of the time the answer will be no, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
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Jason, I’ve come to pretty much the same conclusion. I explain the pick up pattern of these mikes and then ask them to first reason where the unwanted sound is coming from and then experiment with the boom aiming the mike from different angles. Just listen with headphones, watch the meters for levels and find out what gives the best results. Still the hardest part of production.
MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Panasonic AG-HPX170, Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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Every inch closer or degree of angle makes a difference. If you can’t hear that, maybe you’ll be a shooter. 🙂
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Ty Ford Blog: Ty Ford’s Blog
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