Sound advice

Since your current assignment will no doubt have you out in the world recording audio along with your video, I thought it was a good time to rehash some of the tips for recording usable audio. These come straight from the "textbook" that I handed you during our first meeting.

• Rooms are seldom as quiet as they seem. Even things like a running computer, the air vents and fluorescent lights can turn what you thought was good audio into unusable trash.
• Wear headphones hooked into your camera to make sure everything is working OK with the audio. It would be a bad day indeed if you got back to the office only to learn that you had two hours of video with no usable audio.
• Make small talk with your interview subject while you set up the camera and microphones. Not only does it help put the subject at ease, but it also helps you check the sound levels.
• Be aware of the sounds you make.
• If you're using a clip on microphone, ask your interview subject not to move around too much. The sound of a microphone moving against clothing can ruin an otherwise perfectly good soundtrack.
• Be aware of the different abilities of the microphones you'll be using. Experiment with them to learn what they're capable of.

I want to add one thing to this list (for now). Rooms with hard walls, like most of the cinderblock-built rooms on campus, tend to create an echo when people speak loudly and clearly. We kind of tune it out when we're sitting there having a conversation with a person, but a microphone is not so forgiving -- even a poor quality one like the one built-in to the Flip cameras.

If possible, situate your interview subjects in a room with something on the walls, curtains or fabric or even wood. Just something that won't echo as much.

And remember, always check the quality of your sound on scene, preferably before you even begin or even while recording. That way, you don't shoot great video with awful sound -- without even knowing it.

Related posts:

1. Telling stories with sound
2. Will your story abide video or audio?
3. Practical tips for producing video
4. Origin of the term “B-roll”
5. Tips for recording your voice