Anyone with experience shooting dialogue in a warehouse location?

[T Sanders]

Hi,

 

I was wondering if anyone here has any experience shooting dialogue on a warehouse location shoot? And if so, can you point out the challenges you had and how you solved them...

 

It isn't set in stone but the most affordable and accessible option for us right now is to rent a warehouse space and build the sets inside of it. I'm filming a 1940s film noir and building some basic interior sets. I'm assuming a warehouse will be a challenge for audio and I'm wondering if putting ceilings on the sets instead of leaving the sets with no ceilings would help. We'll also have a good supply of sound blankets.

[Brian Drysdale]

I've filmed in a warehouse. You want quiet neighbours (no trucks moving and engineering work) and I would tend to put ceilings (of some sort) on sets where dialogue takes place.

[T Sanders]

Hi There Brian,

 

Thank you for the input it's very helpful. So you've been able to get good quality audio in a warehouse?

I'm thinking of a removable, light weight ceiling covered in sound blankets for the dialogue areas.

[Brian Drysdale]

We had sets with more or less compete walls, but a removable ceiling sounds fine. Quiet neighbours and not having a metal roof that rattles in the rain are also key.

[T Sanders]

I gotcha. Our sets will have 3 walls (2 removable) and the removable ceiling.

[Matthew W. Phillips]

Yes, echo will be a pain. I recommend using a Hypercardioid instead of shotgun mic as well since the pickup pattern will be more forgiving. I, personally, use an AT4053b and it cuts a lot of echo. I am shooting some stuff in my garage which echoes (9 foot ceilings but probably not a bad as a warehouse) and the mic is fine.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Another thing to have on hand is sound blankets you can throw up when and where possible.

[T Sanders]

Thanks guys. I'll have about 100 sound blankets available for the sets. Thanks for the info about the microphones.