Boom shadow

N

Nasser

Well-known member
I wonder why the overhead mic boom shadow doesn't appear on the scene frame ?
how they avoid such thing :shocked:
 
Last edited:
sorry for being VERY retarded and not answering Nasser's question at all (while hijacking is thread title):
just had a funny idea for film-sound freaks inside joke music video :
recording a spoof of Cat Stevens "moon shadow"/ "boom shadow"
(Chadfish- maybe this ball is in your hands? ;) )
 
By making sure the shadow doesn[t fall in the frame, or keeping the boom out of the path of light hitting the talent. It's fairly simple. If you see it in the frame before you start rolling, adjust.

Adjust:
Move the boom.
Move the talent.
move the light
flag the light.
 
Used to say that all the time... I'm being followed by a boom shadow, boom shadow, boom shadow... Chad should do a song about it that's for sure.



roei z said:
sorry for being VERY retarded and not answering Nasser's question at all (while hijacking is thread title):
just had a funny idea for film-sound freaks inside joke music video :
recording a spoof of Cat Stevens "moon shadow"/ "boom shadow"
(Chadfish- maybe this ball is in your hands? ;) )
Click to expand...
 
Or when I stop the take for an airliner it becomes b b b bernie and the jets.



roei z said:
sorry for being VERY retarded and not answering Nasser's question at all (while hijacking is thread title):
just had a funny idea for film-sound freaks inside joke music video :
recording a spoof of Cat Stevens "moon shadow"/ "boom shadow"
(Chadfish- maybe this ball is in your hands? ;) )
Click to expand...
 
Nasser said:
I wonder why the overhead mic boom shadow doesn't appear on the scene frame ?
how they avoid such thing :shocked:
Click to expand...

Easy. The camera op and the boom op talk to each other. The camera op gives the boom op a frame line so he/she can keep the mic (and the boom shadow) out of the shot. This might require moving the various pieces of the puzzle (camera location, talent, lighting, boom op) to alternate locations, or lighting the shadow to neutralize it.

But the point is, the camera op is responsible for the framing of the shot, and should let people know if things aren't blocking out properly. Because it's much better (and cheaper) to take a good capture into post than a lousy capture. Just sayin'.
 
Boomshadows: the biggest enemy of everyone...

- in stead of going up, there's also going back a little, or to the left or right, but then you have to re-adjust the aiming.

- look which light is making shadow. If it's a "fill" then lower that one, shadow will go higher then. or a flag may help also.

- try to boom as much as possible from the "fill"
 
They use a topper in the shot to mask out the shadow. All it is a c-stand with a full flag set at a horizontal position and is set close to the light to block out the shadow. Sometimes it takes two of them. Ask a Lighting grip or best boy to show you how it works.
 
roei z said:
sorry for being VERY retarded and not answering Nasser's question at all (while hijacking is thread title):
just had a funny idea for film-sound freaks inside joke music video :
recording a spoof of Cat Stevens "moon shadow"/ "boom shadow"
(Chadfish- maybe this ball is in your hands? ;) )
Click to expand...

Ha ha! I may just have to do something here - for the betterment of film in general. "And if I ever lose my hands, lose my pole, lose my stand"
 
i can't believe you're going through with it... :)
but this must be followed by a really really stupid video..
 
Well, I probably won't. I have a Folgers Coffee jingle contest for 25,000.00 I may have to get on ASAP. Song & Video due by the first.

Sorry to hijack. I was just complaining about that to a bunch of jerks at JWsound who refused to say anything about my Shootout thread I started, but instead posted other shootouts and said my mics weren't good enough for their blessed ears. But I think solutions to the shadow problem have been addressed.
 
Pete@twenty7pix said:
Glad to see you still roamin' around here Bernie. Now back to the thread...
Click to expand...

Hello Pete,
I never pass up a chance to make a bad joke. Indeed back to the thread. Sometimes in a run and gun situation the only option is to come from underneath. Usually bad available lighting is the culprit and there is no time to do anything about it. Working in the sun can also necessitate coming from underneath.
Bernie
 
Chadfish said:
Well, I probably won't. I have a Folgers Coffee jingle contest for 25,000.00 I may have to get on ASAP. Song & Video due by the first.

Sorry to hijack. I was just complaining about that to a bunch of jerks at JWsound who refused to say anything about my Shootout thread I started, but instead posted other shootouts and said my mics weren't good enough for their blessed ears. But I think solutions to the shadow problem have been addressed.
Click to expand...

what's the link to that jwsound thread?
 
smithy said:
They use a topper in the shot to mask out the shadow. All it is a c-stand with a full flag set at a horizontal position and is set close to the light to block out the shadow. Sometimes it takes two of them. Ask a Lighting grip or best boy to show you how it works.
Click to expand...

Do you place the flag (on the C-Stand) directly above the light causing the shadow, moving up and down until the shadow disappears?
 
Pete@twenty7pix said:
Do you place the flag (on the C-Stand) directly above the light causing the shadow, moving up and down until the shadow disappears?
Click to expand...

Imagine a light thats hitting the talents face and the wall behind them. Take the Flag and put it in front of that light and move it downwards till the light is still totally on the person
but it blocks the light from hitting the wall where the boom shadow is. In this dark area on the wall is where you can now "hide" your mic while you're booming.

If they want they can then add a 2nd light in a different spot to fill in that dark area on the wall, or just "cut" with the flag in a way that looks attractive.

If the boom shadow is falling on the person, a cutter wont work for obvious reasons.
Thats when you try to come in from a different angle with the boom to get around it.
 
lights are mostly put in "angles, so switching position (left in stead of right) can help also.

The best thing is to wait for the light untill they're finished, then just boom as it's best for you (how to easy catch dialogues, be in front of mouths.....)
and then see where the problems are and try to boom different way (or stand the other side) or ask light department if they can fix something.

But always try to fix it yourself also because light doesn't care (in a way) about sound, so they like it when you also try to solve shadow problems.
You know what I mean :p

Ow yes, mostly they put also a light or flag just where you want to boom...
 
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