How Does A Camera Boom Mic Work

Even the most beautifully shot, expertly edited video can be sunk past bad sound: as the one-time adage goes, sound is xc% of video. In the era of hands accessible, user friendly camera equipment and post-production software, recording quality sound tin often fall past the wayside – many teams don't realize how of import it is until they don't have it.

The beginning step in securing adept audio is acquiring a proficient microphone and learning how to utilize it. In this postal service, we'll hash out the basics and best practices of employing the most quintessential microphone setup in movie & video production: the ubiquitous boom mic.

What Is a Nail Mic?

A nail mic is whatever kind of microphone attached to a specialized extendable pole (AKA the blast pole), which is so wielded by the boom operator. Typically, the microphone attached to the nail is of the shotgun variety. Shotgun mics are ideal due to their narrower pickup patterns: this ways they are more sensitive to audio emanating from in front end of them, allowing you to betoken the mic at what you want to record while reducing off-axis sound. They are probably the most common blazon of microphone that you volition encounter – for a more in-depth guide to shotgun mics, Sam Mallery at B&H offers an excellent guide on different makes, models, and power solutions.

Click hither to read Sam's A to Z guide on shotgun mics.

one) Proper Form

More often than not, you want to concord your boom pole over and slightly in front of your caput, level to the ground and parallel with your shoulders with a firm overhand grip. Positioning your grip towards the middle of the pole makes it easier to go along it held up, and so feel free to give yourself a niggling extra extension on the pole to accommodate this. Whatever time yous motility your hands on the pole you risk creating vibrations that will be picked upward by the mic in the course of low, unpleasant rumbling, so make sure yous are comfortable earlier the cameras roll. The microphone cable tin can also generate unwanted sound as the boom is moved around, and then using a boom pole with an inline cable is always preferable. If your cable is external, pick upwardly any forwards slack and gently wrap information technology around the fingers on your lead hand and loop whatever remaining slack lightly around the base of operations of the pole. Avoid making things also tight – operating a blast is all about subtle, fluid move.

ii) Where to Put It

The whole bespeak of the boom is getting the microphone as close to the sound equally possible. For recording dialog, you want to position the microphone above and slightly in forepart of the subject's head. Attempt to maintain a abiding distance from the subject field: if the distance changes, and then will the audio levels. As discussed above, you'll about likely be using a shotgun mic with a directional pickup pattern – this means that you demand to keep the tip of the microphone pointed direct at your discipline's mouth.

During any setup, communicate with your camera operator to make up one's mind the frame. This is the line that yous need to keep the microphone above to foreclose it from dipping visibly into the shot. You don't always need to have your feet on the footing either – if in that location's something safe to stand on top of to give yourself some needed clearance, use it.

3) How to Motility It

Smoothly and advisedly. Whatever sharp or jerky movements volition more than likely create unwanted noise on the track. Never overextend yourself when moving the nail – if you're not comfortable or are losing balance, arrange your setup and kickoff again from the tiptop. If y'all demand to tape multiple subjects, say a 2-hander dialog scene, residue the smash pole on the purlicue (the space between your thumb and forefinger) of your lead hand and apply wrist activity with your other hand at the base of the pole to tilt the tip of the mic betwixt subjects. Most importantly, be enlightened of your surroundings: blast poles tin go heavy and some extend well across ten feet – you lot don't want to swing i into a lite stand (or an actor).

four) Knowing Your Scene

This all leads to the most important aspect of operating a boom: blocking and rehearsal. You'll demand to know exactly where the actors and photographic camera are going, and be able to stay close to both while simultaneously staying out of their fashion. This takes conscientious planning and a lot of exercise. Pay close attention every bit the scene is blocked, memorize the positions of everything (marks, lighting setups, the camera, props, cables, ready dressing) and figure out how to avoid interfering with them – even your shadow can ruin a have. Know the script and get in tune with the actors every bit they rehearse and so that you'll know when to tilt the mic and capture the next line of dialog.

The key here is teamwork. Always be engaged with your coiffure and work in tandem. This is a critical channel of communication that goes both ways: when you've got your headphones on, y'all may find yourself aware of things that they are not: a noisy air conditioner, a passing aeroplane, or whatsoever other kind of unwanted interference. Information technology's always improve to address these things before a take than to endeavour and fix them in mail. If you lot're only not able to safely and effectively tape a given setup, let your crew know so they tin can work out a solution.

In Conclusion

Equally with anything else, do makes perfect. Experiment with and fine-tune your equipment and technique earlier you go to ready, go familiar with the capabilities of your mic, and go comfortable with your movements. While it tin be a nervus wracking experience at first, when you lot get the hang of it you'll discover yourself to exist an indispensable part of whatsoever production team. At the very least, information technology'due south a great workout.

Source: https://blog.celtx.com/roll-sound-use-boom-mic/

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