10.5: Get good Audio

One part of the equation that is easy to overlook when shooting video has nothing to do with the picture. The quality of the audio is critical to producing good video, even more so for online video since the size of the video picture will be relatively small.

Natural sound and environmental pictures are also important. Remember to record “blank” shots of a story’s location or setting. Think of the standard “60 Minutes” piece: It shows the outside of a building where the subject works, then cuts to a shot of the subject walking up the street or answering phone calls in the office.

The best way to ensure the quality of the audio will enhance, not sabotage, your video project is to choose the best microphone for the assignment. Here are the options:

Built-in mike: All digital cameras have built-in microphones that will capture the audio sufficiently if you are shooting video and want “natural” or “environmental” sound. Think sporting events, fairs and festivals, and the like.

Wireless mike: A lavalier, or wireless, microphone is an additional accessory that is essential to purchase if you want to capture interviews on video. Here’s how to use one:

1. A tiny mike on a clip is clipped onto the lapel of the subject. This mike is wired to a transmitter that can be clipped on the subject’s belt or placed in a pocket.
2. The receiver is then connected to the camera by plugging the cord into the jack marked “mike” (or it might have a small icon that looks like a microphone).
3. Turn both units on — the transmitter and the receiver — and test the signal strength by using headphones and asking the subject a couple of “small talk” questions. If the signal isn’t strong, turn up the levels on both devices. If that doesn’t work, look for a better place to put the mike, one that’s closer to the subject’s mouth.

Note

Remind the subject that the mike is sensitive and to avoid adjusting clothing during the interview or there will be loud scratches.

Shotgun mike: Another accessory, a shotgun mike, is the best choice when you are hoping to capture a conversation among several people. To place wireless mikes on more than one or two people will make the sound unrealistic and too “out front.” (Plus, you may not have access to a half dozen wireless mikes.)

There are two types of shotgun mikes: Smaller ones that attach directly to the camera and larger ones that attach to a boom. If you have the on-camera version, slide the mike into the “shoe” on the top of the camera. The camera will recognize the accessory and automatically switch from its built-in mike to the shotgun mike.

A shotgun mike on a camera.

A larger shotgun mike will probably be wireless and have a transmitter and receiver. You will need a boom — an extendable pole with a microphone clip to hold the mike — and someone to hold it near the subjects (you have a sound crew, right?). But not too close, or you’ll end up with a video that has shots of the mike poking in from the edges.

A shotgun mike on a boom.