Boom mic or lapel?

J

J5 squared

Well-known member
I am a film student and currently working on a documentary. I'm going to do a few sit down interviews with some of the key characters. My question is when do you use a boom mic and when should you use a lapel? I will have access to either through my school. Which will generally provide better sound (interviews will be indoors)? The thing i'm worried about is that the interviews are going to be quite long and i'm only using fellow students to help with lighting and booming if i go that route. I am worried that in an hr or so long interview my boom operator will get tired and that could be a problem. What do you suggest i use?
 
I would use a hypercardioid attached to a stand and just outside of the frame. At least if the framing is quite tight this gives the best sound. If you need some wider shots try to hide the mic behind something, or something. If the person does not move and the framing is fairly tight, you do not need a boom(operator).

Lavalier of course works also, but usually they show in the picture. And the quality is not quite as good.
 
J5 squared said:
I am a film student and currently working on a documentary. I'm going to do a few sit down interviews with some of the key characters. My question is when do you use a boom mic and when should you use a lapel? I will have access to either through my school. Which will generally provide better sound (interviews will be indoors)? The thing i'm worried about is that the interviews are going to be quite long and i'm only using fellow students to help with lighting and booming if i go that route. I am worried that in an hr or so long interview my boom operator will get tired and that could be a problem. What do you suggest i use?
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depends on the shot. if its tight you can use a lavier mic. obviously if its wide you would use a boom. if you have two talent interview and only have one lavier mic, then i would just boom the two talent and mic the reporter. heaps of ways.
interview that goes for an hour? man thats long dude.
 
I would use a wired hyper unless you just are forced to use lapels. (If your boom op is a wimp :D use a c-stand with arm if it's a long interview.) The quality will be better and it is more controlled.
 
2 quick things I found while doing this. Boom mics rock, but remember if it's stuck on a stand and your seated interviewee moves around a lot, he will be moving in and out of the potentially tight mic pattern.

Second, depending on the type of interview, the "in your face" sound of a lapel mic could provide the experience of the speaker talking directly to the audience. There have been rooms where I've done interviews where the boom just didn't feel quite right.

For the inexperienced, a wired lav can be a lot better. Best option - do both.

Not that I really know what I'm talking about :)
 
ok, a student using what he has access to...

if you are doing a doc and don't mind the mic showing and if you don't have a lot of experience on your own and/or don't have an experienced crew... go with the lavalier.

position the lav far enough down so if the person moves there head around the sound won't change drastically.

also, last but certainly not least, test.test.test.

have a friend sit there and practice recording them in mock interviews to make sure everything is going to work the way you want it to on the big day(s)

boom mic's are great but require another person, more experience etc.

matthew
 
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