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Production Recording Technique


Rob Gordon

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I have had excellent results indoors with a Rode NT4 stereo mic. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2550...oid_Studio.html It does need to be as close to the actors mouths as you can possibly get it, I think this is the answer to most sound problems I experienced, once the voices aren't the loudest clearest sound coming in, it is hard to separate them from the background with levels. I've seen incredibly long sound boom poles on sets and I think those with enough money have methods of always reaching the actors with a mic but for the rest its requires creativity. I also have had success recording a sound track of dialogue while the camera isn't running. This way you have clean audio on the lines for any shot not showing the actors mouths.

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I have had excellent results indoors with a Rode NT4 stereo mic. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2550...oid_Studio.html It does need to be as close to the actors mouths as you can possibly get it, I think this is the answer to most sound problems I experienced, once the voices aren't the loudest clearest sound coming in, it is hard to separate them from the background with levels. I've seen incredibly long sound boom poles on sets and I think those with enough money have methods of always reaching the actors with a mic but for the rest its requires creativity. I also have had success recording a sound track of dialogue while the camera isn't running. This way you have clean audio on the lines for any shot not showing the actors mouths.

 

The NT4 is great for recording ambiences (birds, wind, ocean, ect...) but there's no reason to use a stereo mic on a boom pole. In post it ends up as a single channel, and I feel very sorry for whatever boom op has to have that much weight on the end of a boom all day.

 

And recording lines a couple times after a take is a great technique when you're uncertain of how it sounds for ANY reason. This is generally called "wild line readings" and your post audio team with thank you greatly (and it'll save you money from ADR in many cases). On Dark Knight, Richard King actually mentioned how they did nearly ZERO ADR because of all the wild lines the production sound team got when they weren't 100% certain of a take.

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Treating the room, as suggested, is always a good idea, but almost never practical. I don't usually bother with it. Mostly it's about choosing the right mic -- a good hypercardiod as already suggested, and getting the mic close, within a foot and a half when possible. If it's a very bright space and you can't get close enough, you pretty much have to use wireless. If you are going to treat the room, you need to cover two perpendicular walls. This is usually not possible though, because of the lighting. You also have to be able to duplicate it on the reversals. Again, usually not possible.

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I'm about to acquire an AT4053b. Yeah, I know the Schoeps, the Senn... - but I'm on a tight budget and have already spent my lunch money for the next five years on gear. I'll let you know how it works on the next lively set. Thanks for all the advice.

 

- Rob

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  • 3 months later...

Hey Rob,

 

I was just reading this post and wondered how it all worked out?

 

Tom

 

I did get the AT 4053b and it is quite a bit more appropriate for indoor use. I only use the sound blankets when the reflections are really bad. I have a dozen eight-pound blankets and eight stands, so I can cover quite a bit of wall and floor. But as a previous poster suggested, it does slow the setup time down for shots, so I only use blankets mainly for covering vents, windows with noise outside, and other trouble hotspots. An old Tibetan sage once said that you cannot cover the earth with soft leather, but you can cover your feet. Does that make sense?

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  • 7 months later...
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