Related to LO1
Sites like youtube can be a great place to find research on tips and tricks on field recording. Therefore i have used a few videos as my research material. This post is about the video below: Film Craft 107: The location Sound mixer- operating a boom. Operating a boom is going to be a big part of this project so i felt i needed to do some research on it.
Notes from the video:
Sound quality will diminish the further away the microphone is, therefore you need to get as close as possible to the actors mic.
Need to keep a constant distance from the subject, otherwise the quality and volume will vary.
Point tip of microphone at the mouth, not in their general direction.
The mic needs to be pointing at the subject before they start speaking otherwise the volume and quality will vary.
To boom properly we need to know exactly who’s going to say what and when, therefore its essential for the boom op to practice during the rehearsals and possibly examining the script. (Therefore i will need to examine the script once i receive it and ensure that i am practicing the position when rehearsing)
Moving boom around silently is also difficult. Running fingers on pole can create audible noise, also if the cable is swinging around it can create noise. Using high quality boom pole with internal cable will help.
If using an external cable, (in my case i am) you need to wrap you fingers round it gently to keep it it place while you record.
Rock it gently as moving the pole, in the crock of your thumb and forefinger. By rocking your hand you can move in from one subject to another without making unwanted moving noise.
This is something that i will need to practice when taking out the equipment before shooting.
Keep mic, boom pole, yourself, shadow out of the shot. You will need to work with the camera to know when you are in shot. Dip mic in as close as possible and back it out until cam op says its okay. Look as a reference on the wall to so you know where to keep the pole. It is also a good idea to hold the boom mic parallel to the floor rather than an angle, as its easier to keep it out of shot.
Where you should stand,- the further away you are the longer you need to extend your pole and the heavier its going to be. An apple box may be useful for shots where i will need to get higher. (especially as i am short.)
May need to boom from below, but need to be careful of picking up unwanted noise from air vents or the sky.
Its not always possible to get great sound on every angle, especially in big wide shots. It could be a good idea to record a wild tape to give the editor additional options.