Hi,
After weeks of being driven nuts using google-fu trying to figure out a setup I've got to ask for help! I'm doing a series of fishing videos, basically I have 2 canoes on a river with 2 guys a canoe during the day, and then 4 guys setting up camp/on dry land at night. My camera setup is 1 Panasonic GH2, 1 GoPro 960 (more to come), 2 Kodak Playsports. This is a amateur endeavor, as in, I'm paying for stuff out of pocket, and will be actively fishing while also filming, so cheap and simple rules. As far as experience I am an AV pro but I do mostly post production and I have a music studio but I'm new to shooting/live sound for the most part.
So, the main goal is to pick up stuff people are saying. Birds chirping, water splashing etc would be cool but could be cheated in post. A big problem is, all this gear is subjected to weather and possible canoe dumps. The waterproof cases and bags on the cameras muffle the audio to the point of it being completely unusable, even for PluralEyes. The cheapo Kodak Playsport actually has the most usable audio because the cam is waterproof without a sealed case around it.
So far my possible solutions:
Rode Video Mic Pro on GH2:
Pro: Everyone loves this mic. Very simple to edit because all the audio is in camera. Probably is the simplest solution I've come up with.
Con: It's not waterproof and would compromise my waterproof bag on the GH2. I read you can roll a condom over a shotgun mic for waterproofing but that will probably effect sound. Not the greatest if the boat I'm filming is 20 feet away...
Zoom h1 (or similar) field recorder using built in mics on each boat.
Pros: Good coverage and will pick up ambient sound.
Cons: Not waterproof. Complicates editing assuming PluralEyes cant synch with bad cam audio. Requires drunken fishermen to remember to press yet another button and check another battery. Probably will pick up noise through canoe unless carefully shock mounted.
Zoom h1 (or similar)+ lav mic
Pros: Best guarantee of clear voice recording.
Cons: Most expensive. Doesn't account for additional fishermen. May make wearers shy or uncomfortable. Still not waterproof.
So far I think the VideoMic Pro is my best option, though it's risky. We're already loaded up with camping, fishing and camera gear and something that attaches directly to the cam is easiest to deal with. Also easier to edit, which is nice when I'm not getting paid...But punching a hole in a perfectly good waterproof camera case to accommodate the cable kinda bothers me....
I know Kodaks earlier non waterproof version of the Playsport had a mic in. A playsport with a mic in might have been a perfect solution, but alas...
Anyways, thanks for reading my rant and please if you have any suggestions feel free to chime in! Also any ideas for my camera setup for this type of shooting would be appreciated, thank you!
Jacy
After weeks of being driven nuts using google-fu trying to figure out a setup I've got to ask for help! I'm doing a series of fishing videos, basically I have 2 canoes on a river with 2 guys a canoe during the day, and then 4 guys setting up camp/on dry land at night. My camera setup is 1 Panasonic GH2, 1 GoPro 960 (more to come), 2 Kodak Playsports. This is a amateur endeavor, as in, I'm paying for stuff out of pocket, and will be actively fishing while also filming, so cheap and simple rules. As far as experience I am an AV pro but I do mostly post production and I have a music studio but I'm new to shooting/live sound for the most part.
So, the main goal is to pick up stuff people are saying. Birds chirping, water splashing etc would be cool but could be cheated in post. A big problem is, all this gear is subjected to weather and possible canoe dumps. The waterproof cases and bags on the cameras muffle the audio to the point of it being completely unusable, even for PluralEyes. The cheapo Kodak Playsport actually has the most usable audio because the cam is waterproof without a sealed case around it.
So far my possible solutions:
Rode Video Mic Pro on GH2:
Pro: Everyone loves this mic. Very simple to edit because all the audio is in camera. Probably is the simplest solution I've come up with.
Con: It's not waterproof and would compromise my waterproof bag on the GH2. I read you can roll a condom over a shotgun mic for waterproofing but that will probably effect sound. Not the greatest if the boat I'm filming is 20 feet away...
Zoom h1 (or similar) field recorder using built in mics on each boat.
Pros: Good coverage and will pick up ambient sound.
Cons: Not waterproof. Complicates editing assuming PluralEyes cant synch with bad cam audio. Requires drunken fishermen to remember to press yet another button and check another battery. Probably will pick up noise through canoe unless carefully shock mounted.
Zoom h1 (or similar)+ lav mic
Pros: Best guarantee of clear voice recording.
Cons: Most expensive. Doesn't account for additional fishermen. May make wearers shy or uncomfortable. Still not waterproof.
So far I think the VideoMic Pro is my best option, though it's risky. We're already loaded up with camping, fishing and camera gear and something that attaches directly to the cam is easiest to deal with. Also easier to edit, which is nice when I'm not getting paid...But punching a hole in a perfectly good waterproof camera case to accommodate the cable kinda bothers me....
I know Kodaks earlier non waterproof version of the Playsport had a mic in. A playsport with a mic in might have been a perfect solution, but alas...
Anyways, thanks for reading my rant and please if you have any suggestions feel free to chime in! Also any ideas for my camera setup for this type of shooting would be appreciated, thank you!
Jacy