Interviews …
updated 10 years, 1 month ago 7 Members · 19
Posts 
Boom pool is fine if you have a sound person with you. Keep in mind you’re also hanging a cable unless you go wireless there as well. There’s nothing like one of you yanking the other’s gear because someone is outrunning someone else. If you’re a one person band then a hand held with wireless base is easier.
I’m doing interviews single handed all the time. I prefer not to rely on radio mics because of the danger of interference, particularly by mobile phones that have not been switched off. If you’re in control of the environment I suggest either a lapel mic connected to the camera with a cable easily routed inside the shirt. Provided the shot is waist level and above there’s no problem. If you prefer not to see a mic in shot then I place either my camera mic (removed from camera) on a stand close to the speaker or my Sennheiser M66 also on a tripod or stand directed towards the speaker which need not be quite so close if you want a wider shot. Placing both mics would be preferable (using both input channels) then you have a choice of tracks when editing. As to lighting, here again it depends on the control that you have but I often use daylight from a window with a small fill light set to 5600 Kelvin.
One thing not mentioned is the desirability of having a shallow DoF thereby isolating the subject from the background. I prefer using a long focal length and an open iris which means getting well back if there is space to do so. Otherwise really close and placing the subject as far from the background as possible. Still with a wide open iris, which may mean using the built in ND filter on the EX1. All elementary photographic principles which seem to be a mystery to the modern day videographer.
Michael Slowe
I’m doing interviews single handed all the time. I prefer not to rely on radio mics because of the danger of interference, particularly by mobile phones that have not been switched off. If you’re in control of the environment I suggest either a lapel mic connected to the camera with a cable easily routed inside the shirt. Provided the shot is waist level and above there’s no problem. If you prefer not to see a mic in shot then I place either my camera mic (removed from camera) on a stand close to the speaker or my Sennheiser M66 also on a tripod or stand directed towards the speaker which need not be quite so close if you want a wider shot. Placing both mics would be preferable (using both input channels) then you have a choice of tracks when editing. As to lighting, here again it depends on the control that you have but I often use daylight from a window with a small fill light set to 5600 Kelvin.
One thing not mentioned is the desirability of having a shallow DoF thereby isolating the subject from the background. I prefer using a long focal length and an open iris which means getting well back if there is space to do so. Otherwise really close and placing the subject as far from the background as possible. Still with a wide open iris, which may mean using the built in ND filter on the EX1. All elementary photographic principles which seem to be a mystery to the modern day videographer.
Michael Slowe
Rode NTG2/3 vs Sennheiser Me66/67 ???
AM
The Røde® NTG3 seems to have a narrower polar pattern than the Sennheiser® but the NTG3 is much pricier than the Senn 66. The NTG3 is also not as sensitive as the higher end Audio Technica® in the same comparable price range. More latitude, however, can be a good thing when you’re dealing with soft and loud vocals during the same (interview) take. My AT4073a is a nicer sounding shotgun than my NTG3, which sounds almost muffled by comparison. I can’t speak to the sensitivity of the Senn 66 but I know it’s considered a ‘hot’ mic.
– Don
Don Greening
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.comThanks again for all the help… I have spent a lot of time researching audio online and I really think the RODE lavalier or maybe the RODE Pin mic, hard wired into my EX1 is a great starter. There are plenty of reviews and tests and they sound pretty awesome and best of all, Cheaper …
Now for lights 🙂
AM
I have the Lowel Riffa soft box which soften’s the HD wrinkles on your subject’s face.
I have a light kit, but one day I decided to use my inexensive LED on camera lights that I purchased from lcd4video.com (R-3 for $100)
It has a built in warm filter on the light.
https://www.lcd4video.com/categories/LED-Video-Lights/I used 3 of these for a shoot, spot, fill, hair light and they looked better than my $3,000 light kit. They’ve also come out with a new LED on camera light for $200 with more lumens.
Now I still show up with my big softbox kit for my bigger corporate clients, more for show than anything. But I’m using these LED lights more and more, because the final result is still good.
I have 2 cheap tripods or light stands to hold the on camera lights in position.
I use the Sony wireless Lav. I recently purchased a lav mic shield so I can hide the mic inside a shirt while still picking up the interviews. The Sony has never had any problems with interference. I did a seminar shoot with 12 cameras and 24 wireless systems going in multiple conference rooms with no interference problems.
Brent Dunn
Owner / Director / Editor
DunnRight Films
DunnRight Video.com
Video Marketing Toolbox.netSony EX-1,
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 7D
Mac Pro Tower, Quad Core,
with Final Cut StudioHP i7 Quad laptop
Adobe CS-5 Production Suite
Brent, which lav mic shield did you buy? I’m looking for something like that right now.
Cf
I just saw this one, it looks better than the one I purchased.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/258089-REG/Tram_MC1_Mic_Cage_1.htmlHere is the one I purchased. DPA Microphone Concealer. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. It comes with round tape to mount inside of clothing and protects the edge of the mic from the rubbing noise.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/309938-REG/DPA_Microphones_DMM0009_DMM0009_Miniature_Concealer.htmlBrent
Brent Dunn
Owner / Director / Editor
DunnRight Films
DunnRight Video.com
Video Marketing Toolbox.netSony EX-1,
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 7D
Mac Pro Tower, Quad Core,
with Final Cut StudioHP i7 Quad laptop
Adobe CS-5 Production Suite
Log in to reply.
