#indiefilmakers

Sound Operation seems to be the one thing that most indie Filmmakers get wrong. Whether it be Filming an action piece which has the neighbour’s dog barking or Filming a documentary which has traffic in the background. I think we can all agree that bad Audio is an unforgivable sin.

I myself can ALMOST forgive an awful camera shot. However, I cannot forgive bad audio. Why? I heard you ask? Well, bad audio stops the message of the Film from being delivered to the audience. So I have brought some useful tips that I have learned while working on projects.

Use Your Ears and Drop the “We’ll Fix It in Post” Attitude.

Although this might sound obvious, you would be surprised with the amount of Directors and Producers who think about Sound last. I also tend to find that most “Indie Filmmakers” tend to leave things to be fixed in post-production. Directors also tend not to listen to their environment when doing location recces. I have a basic rule of thumb when doing a Location Recce. If you can hear it, then the microphone can pick it up. Granted the noise might be reduced, if you are using a directional microphone, it is still annoying to hear: Cars, Animals, and planes as a viewer.

Use Belt and Braces.

Belt and Braces is an approach to sound that I sometimes use for Interviews and Documentaries. I basically have two microphones (a shotgun microphone and a La Pelle/Radio Microphone) which feed into two different audio channels. I do this because it is always good to have a backup microphone, in case one of them malfunctions during a shoot.

Use a Microphone Stand or Boom Rest.

Sometimes holding boom pole can put a strain on your arms and cause them to shake, which in turn effects the audio. Sometimes I find it easier to use a Microphone stand for Interviews and Documentary Films. However, if you are working on a drama. I would highly recommend getting a Boom Rest attachment (which requires a second Boom pole.) This will then reduce the amount of handling noise or feedback you get from the microphone.