microphone for film

  • Thread starter Thread starter timtimtim
  • Start date Start date
T

timtimtim

Member
Most of the discussion here is about microphones for recording music. I want a microphone thats good for recording high quality sound when filming. Presumably it needs to be omnidirectional. I want flat response. I'm guessing small-diaphragm condensor? Am I right? Any recommendations?
 
Last edited:
Film sound is usually a combination of multiple sources; shotgun mics above the actors, perhaps lapels hidden on the actors, and added mics for ambient sound.
 
timtimtim said:
Most of the discussion here is about microphones for recording music. I want a microphone thats good for recording high quality sound when filming. Presumably it needs to be omnidirictional. I want flat response. I'm guessing small-diaphragm condensor? Am I right? Any recommendations?
Click to expand...

Hey timx3............ what type of filming are you concentrating on?
mini-movie,lectures,nature,etc. and probably most important...how many different camera angle shots of each scene?





:cool:
 
It'll be mini movie - short films with actors so I want a mic to record the actors voices and any other ambient sound which is required. I've only one camera so close-ups, different camera angles etc will have to be done with different takes, so the mic will simply plug into the camera. The mic will probably be above the actors. Definitely not lapel mics.
 
Then a shot gun microphone on a hand held boom would be the way to go.
And it doesn't have to be new........ check out used ones on fleabay, craigs list etc. I'm sure you'll find plenty there to choose from.





:cool:
 
Thanks. Would they be sdc? Can you recommend any ones to look for?
 
OMNI is good outdoors with NO walls or NO ceilings around. With film stuff you want to be able to pick and choose your sounds a bit more. OMNI is a safe bet since you pick up everything and would be hard pressed to aim it poorly. But it's equally problematic in that it will pick up sounds you might not want. The buzz of lights, the fan on the camera, the stage hands coughing, people half a mile away slamming their car doors.

You're probably looking at a directional mic on a boom above the action to isolate the action. And a directional mic on the camcorder to give the camcorders perspective. And probably an OMNI pair for ambience and mix to taste. Maybe some lavaliers on the actors to better balance their levels, or shift focus towards the voice of interest in the story. It depends on the content and how you want to tell the story.
 
Shotgun mics are only good in reverberant free zones, not for most regular interiors. Here's a simple tutorial I recorded years ago. Listen on good speakers or really good headphones, not on lap top speakers.

http://gallery.me.com/tyreeford#100038

Regards,

Ty Ford
 
I've never used a shotgun for that, but I have used a mid-side stereo mic up on a boom. You can then tighten the pickup in post as desired. For the most part, you just need to remember that the closer you can get the mic to the people speaking, the better your sound will get. Keep it just out of the shot.

Also, have some lavs (preferably wireless) as backups for when you just can't deal with the boom. Case in point, on one shoot, I was out standing in a field with a car battery to power halogen driving lights (with diffusion paper in front of them in a homemade wooden holder mounted to my tripod) and wireless microphone receivers so that we could get footage of actors riding horses at dusk. Those wireless lavs, in spite of only being able to use one at a time because the receivers interfered with each other when in close proximity, were a lifesaver.

Also, test any wireless lavs out of the field before you go into the field. Lesson learned.
 
dgatwood said:
I've never used a shotgun for that, but I have used a mid-side stereo mic up on a boom. You can then tighten the pickup in post as desired. For the most part, you just need to remember that the closer you can get the mic to the people speaking, the better your sound will get. Keep it just out of the shot.

Also, have some lavs (preferably wireless) as backups for when you just can't deal with the boom. Case in point, on one shoot, I was out standing in a field with a car battery to power halogen driving lights (with diffusion paper in front of them in a homemade wooden holder mounted to my tripod) and wireless microphone receivers so that we could get footage of actors riding horses at dusk. Those wireless lavs, in spite of only being able to use one at a time because the receivers interfered with each other when in close proximity, were a lifesaver.

Also, test any wireless lavs out of the field before you go into the field. Lesson learned.
Click to expand...

You can take the microphone out of the field but you can't take the field out of the microphone. :p





:cool:
 
Ty Ford said:
Shotgun mics are only good in reverberant free zones, not for most regular interiors. Here's a simple tutorial I recorded years ago. Listen on good speakers or really good headphones, not on lap top speakers.

http://gallery.me.com/tyreeford#100038

Regards,

Ty Ford
Click to expand...

Interesting tutorial. The sennheiser sounds the best to me. The schoeps sounds a bit "shallower" maybe? and the lav and the tiny mic sound pretty bad.
Thanks to everyone for your good advice. Tim
 
Last edited:
moresound said:
You can take the microphone out of the field but you can't take the field out of the microphone. :p
Click to expand...

Particularly after you drop them a few times in the grass and dirt. The field tends to get ground in. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top