Random Mic Question

davidlh

davidlh

Active member
Hey, I know almost NOTHING about sound and I was just wondering...do most films use mics that are attached to the camera or the kind that record to something else all together...also, what are those called and how do you get the sound from the device onto the computer.

Sorry, for sounding like a huge noob, but I am :)

Thanks!
 
There are a couple of excellent primers on the subject of sound that you can get cheap:

One is Jay Rose's Book (recommended many times over on these forums) Producing Great Sound for Film and Video. It was just updated and republished this year and has LOADS of useful information.

The other great primer on sound, that is also highly recommended on these forums, is the DVD "Sound for Film and Television" that was produced by Barry Green, David Jimmerson and Matt Gettimeir (may have spelled those incorrectly).

Buy them! They are about $75 combined. It will be the best $75 you'll spend on your quest to learn more about sound, and will get you up to speed much more quickly than hunting around for scattered info.

They're a great investment! Do it!
 
Hi David,

Generally speaking, to get the best location audio, you will want to stay away from on-camera microphones. It's ideal to have a boom operator and audio mixer. For the films I've made recently, I've had a dedicated audio guy running my Sound Devices 302 mixer with a Senhheiser MKH416 microphone in a shock-mount & zeppelin.

Some bigger productions will typically have the audio person record to a hard disk or flash memory recorder attached to the field mixer, and will then sync the audio back up to the picture in post-production. You'll usually see them using a clapper/slate to make the syncing easier on an assistant editor.

There are times when you may not have enough people helping you on your project, or you might be doing a walk-n-talk type of interview. When in that situation, I will run a wireless lav microphone on my talent, and will have the receiver feeding directly into the camera via XLR.

Audio is definitely a very important part of filmmaking -- one aspect that needs to get more attention. I watched a short film last week at a competition, and it was beautifully filmed, but the audio really sucked -- to the point where I couldn't make out much of the dialogue, and that ruined the experience for me.

Having a boom operator with a solid mic would be key. If you're just shooting on your own, and can't get a boom op, a lav mic and wireless kit would be your next best option, assuming you're not filming narratives (if you were, you could potentially still pull it off but would have to hide the mic).

Senhheiser G2, Audio Technica, and Azden typically make decent wireless gear at a decent price.

The recommended books & Sound for Film and Television DVD by the others are also excellent resources!
 
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Hey guys, sorry it took so long to respond, just got back in town.

Anyway, thanks for all of the responses that I got, I'll definitely be checking out those books!

***EDIT***

@bmowell, I live in O'Fallon
 
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