Most locations are just not big enough to put sound blankets around, without them being seen by the camera. For close ups you can, but not at all for mastershots. But I don't want to have all close ups for every scene, that is too small for blankets which is most locations. Any thought on this? Thanks.
Most locations do not have room for sound blankets. What do I do?
- Thread starter ironpony
- Start date
Justin Kuhn
Veteran
Don't use the sound blankets and make it work in post. Look at your script and decide where you want to use a wide. Chances are you can use clean sound from the close up right there. Or plan a obliquely-angled wide where you can't see the character saying the line. Or make it wide enough you can't tell the sound is from a different take.
Rick R
Veteran
Sound blankets will not help much if the mic(s) are not in close proximity to the talent. This is where hidden lavs or plant mics are needed, or as Justin suggested, using the dialog from a close-up take, which is SOP. Attempting to 'fix' acoustical or mic placement issues in post is a recipe for ADR or a re-shoot, both of which.. ain't cheap. Hiring a professional sound mixer in the first place, can often cost much less than fixing it later. (what they don't tell you in most film schools)
Noiz2
Sound Ninja
My first reaction was like some of the posts "he's saying fix it in thew mix"! But actually he's saying plan it out ahead so you can cut with out having to use much if any of the long shot sound. It's really a "fix it before you shoot" suggestion.
And a good one. Experienced directors on big budgets do this all the time, it's only new filmmakers who think they have to shoot what they want to see on the screen AS they want it to be on screen.
This is mostly for folks stumbling onto the thread because as someone else mentioned this thread is likely to go on and on with no real conclusion.
Zak Forsman
Major Contributor
...in other words, fix it in pre.
j1clark@ucsd.edu
Veteran
Isn't that what they call 'planning'?
Zak Forsman
Major Contributor
indeed. my wife, a film editor, has a t-shirt with this slogan on it.
hscully
Veteran
Use blankets in a location? Is that a thing? I've never done it. I have seen blankets used to "close" an entrance or quiet a hall, but it's usually a boundry (like makeup or holding) and not in the location. Is that what we're talking about?
Inside I lav the actors and use a hyper cardioid boom mic. Close is your friend. Granted on most wides that boom isn't that useful although sometimes from underneath at a desk or table. I will often, as Justin suggested, steal it from a closeup if I can get them to match. Usually the lav is OK.
Inside I lav the actors and use a hyper cardioid boom mic. Close is your friend. Granted on most wides that boom isn't that useful although sometimes from underneath at a desk or table. I will often, as Justin suggested, steal it from a closeup if I can get them to match. Usually the lav is OK.
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Zak Forsman
Major Contributor
to get the boom(s) in nice and close you can do what we did in many situations, shoot a plate and matte them out in post. pics here >>> http://thesabicompany.com/blog/2012/01/get-good-sound/
Well that will take months of work and I just don't have the time for that much post work. I would also have to hire a specialist to take them out, which is more money than is on the budget. I want to shoot a movie with a lot of wide shots though, kind of like a lot of movies before the 60s. Their are close ups too but only in key moments. I lalso do not like using other takes from close ups as the actors just say the lines too differently and the chances of it sounding natural from matching up the syllables I find to be slim most of the time. Is it possible to shoot wide shots on a low budget, or not possible since the locations are smaller. The camera does move around as the characters do as well. I can put blankets behind the camera with the lights, but the blankets have to be probably at least 10 feet away from the actors or more, if that's okay.
I will be hiring a sound person for it later, but I would like to know if it's possible to shoot a low budget movie, with not so big locations, pre-60s style?
I will be hiring a sound person for it later, but I would like to know if it's possible to shoot a low budget movie, with not so big locations, pre-60s style?
keylight
Veteran
ironpony, I think you've already got your answer on the audio..... Several of them:
Since you're asking a totally unrelated question now, I'd suggest a new thread not related to audio, so others can see it.
Oh, and if anyone else is playing the game of 20 questions, this is question #2 - only 18 left to go!
Since you're asking a totally unrelated question now, I'd suggest a new thread not related to audio, so others can see it.
Oh, and if anyone else is playing the game of 20 questions, this is question #2 - only 18 left to go!
Zak Forsman
Major Contributor
it takes about 2 minutes to create the matte. this is not an expensive or time consuming solution.
hscully
Veteran
If you're using Premiere Pro, it is really easy to matte a boom especially on a locked off shot. Photoshop has a feature for that where it "figures out" how to fill in where the mic was. As Zak suggests, it's really not that time consuming. Here's a video on how to do it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXQVHpCidko
Steve House
Veteran
If your location doesn't allow for proper sound setups, choose a different location.
Spartacus
Veteran
Can´t be stated enough.
Everyone is all about "this old abandoned house". But often it is abandoned, because it is next to a loud highway. The audience won´t notice the slightly worse looks of the "2nd best location", but it will notice the trucks rumbling on the highway next to your No.1 dream location...
It's not at all impossible to get good sound on wide shots, you can do it with lavs and plant mics. The issue is to take the time and experimentation with wardrobe and placement to find the best, least problematic way to attach them. The good news is that on wides, you can get away with more as it's harder to see the mic and any replaced dialogue.
As the saying goes; cheap, fast or good - pick the two you want.
As the saying goes; cheap, fast or good - pick the two you want.
j1clark@ucsd.edu
Veteran
I've developed an attitude about ironpony... namely using their postings as fodder for what can come up when the Wife and I return to giving seminars on photography, with the expansion into 'moving picture' photography... and apropos this dept... moving pictures with sound...
Many of IP's questions are often heard in such venues... and sometimes even a train of such questions from the same person...
So it's good practice...