Audio

 

We’ve been around enough to recognize that one of the last things most people consider when creating a video, is audio. Background noise is exaggerated by microphones.The human ear is a wonderful instrument. It picks up sound and sends it to the brain. The brain filters noise out and let's you concentrate on meaning. The camcorder doesn't have that kind of a brain.

Sounds to Pay Attention to When Picking a Location

You're never in a sound vacuum- well almost if you are in a recording studio. You can minimize low constant noise, like pedestrian foot traffic or mechanical hum by microphone placement.

Exterior Sounds

• Airplanes
• Gardeners with lawn equipment- most prevalent in suburban neighborhoods in good weather
• Garbage Trucks on pickup day- try to find out when that is.
• Crowds of onlookers- "Hey Can I be on Camera?"

 Interior Sounds

• Crowds, as above such as inside convention centers, malls etc.
• Generators and Fans
• Overhead Fluorescent Light Hum in an otherwise quiet room

  

Using an On-Camera Mic

If you have a microphone on the camera, place the camera as close as possible to the subject without crossing the forbidden wide angle closeup zone of distorted faces with long noses and big chins.

Using a Separate Lavalier Mic

You can clip a small mic on the subject, giving intimate close-up cound. You may not mind seeing the mic, or you may hate seeing it in the shot. Just remember if you hide it under a tie or clothing you invariably will get clothing noise. The pros have special materials to wrap the mic in to help with this, but you probably won't be carrying them.  If you run the cable to the camera, it is something that people could trip on. There are wireless transmitter/receivers you could use, but now you have a new possibility of wireless interference noise to minitor.  Make sure you coach your subject no to tap their chest, or it will sound like a huge explosion. If this happens try to repeat the question.

Using Directional/Boom Mics Over a Subject

This is more in the domain of the pros- don't consider this if you don't have a helper. It is a definite possible saftey hazard for tripping. I've also seen sitting subjects suddenly stand up and hit themselves on it! Remember the "bloopers" where you see the mic in the shot.  This happened more in the olden film days with "rackover" cameras (no full time viewing of the exact frame). Definitely not for run and gun shooting. In a controlled environment, it's another way to get the mic close to the subject without necessarily having the camera close.

Using Headphones

Pros often use the earmuff style that cancels everything except the "track". If you have someone else asking the questions, you could do this.  If not, use some headphones with silver dollar sized foam pads. This doesn't shut you completely off from the outside world.

Using Music and Sound Effects

 Music sets the tone for your video.  Choose the wrong music, and your video will be cheesy. Make the wrong selection with a sound effect can ruin your video. The pace of the music needs to play in harmony with the feel of the video. For example, you don’t want fast-paced music under an heart-wrenching interview. This is why it takes a lot of time selecting music for our projects. Sometimes, it feels like the most difficult part of the process.

It takes a keen understanding of how you want the viewer to feel when watching the video. What works right for the tone of the footage or interviews. How you can edit in concert with the music. All of these things go a long way towards finding the right music track.

And then there is (the often overlooked) use of sound effects. I’m not talking about the sound of a shot gun, or a starting a lawnmower. I’m referring to swooshes, hits, drones, etc. that accompany cuts, transitions or camera movements. Most of the times, the viewer isn’t even aware of them. That’s a good thing. Sound effects should be used to enhance motion graphics, or complement an editing style. They should never call attention to themselves. If they do they’ve failed.

Audio Recording, Editing and Music Production

 Free Software

 

 

• Zynewave Podium: A professional music production software solution for Windows PCs.

• Audacity: A free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds.

• WavePad: Audio Editing Software,that you can fully have control of your music, voice recordings, and other audio files. Compatible with Windows and Mac, this professional editor turns your computer into a full-featured recording and editing machine.

• PowerSound Editor: A Windows based visual audio editing and recording software solution, which supports many advanced and powerful operations with audio data. 

• Music Editor Free (MEF): Is a multi-award winning music editor software tool. MEF helps you to record and edit music and sounds. It lets you make and edit music, voice and other audio recordings. When editing audio files you can cut, copy and paste parts of recordings and, if required, add effects like echo, amplification and noise reduction.

• Wavosaur: Wavosaur is a free sound editor, audio editor, wav editor software for editing, processing and recording sounds, wav and mp3 files.