Sound Design - Post - Music

Tip 1: Sound Team

 

Hire your sound designer or supervisor during the planning stages of your production. They will be able to give you advice for budgeting, setup times, and offer helpful tips to allow you to be fully prepared for recording good, clean audio on the day of shooting. Having a person who is knowledgeable about the post-production sound process can be invaluable when using an inexperienced (or volunteer) sound recordist. They can also visit the set to record different sound effects and ambiences to be used later in the post-production process.

 

Tip 2: Location Recording

 

The sound mixer should be set up as early as possible. With wireless microphones, there can be strange buzzing noises or other interference that may cause problems with the recorded audio. These problems should be solved well before the camera rolls. Also, air-conditioning, fridges, and other noisy things we take for granted should be turned off or unplugged. The less noise on set the better.

 

In an outside environment, avoid recording audio when the background sound is overpowering the actors, or use well placed wireless mics. Sirens, airplanes and other random sound cause terrible headaches for the dialogue editors in post production so WAIT until the sound stops before rolling.

 

Tip 3: Multiple Sources

 

Record as many tracks as possible. If wireless mics are used, have one for each actor with a speaking part. These are great as backups to a boom mic. Record each to a separate track, or, if only using a stereo DAT or Nagra, have the sound mixer combine the wireless to one track, and the boom to the other. If only using a boom, make sure the boom operator has advanced knowledge of the script and who will be speaking at what time, so they can move the microphone into position before each line.

 

Tip 4: Room Tone

 

Always record at least one minute of quiet room tone through each mic, at each location.This means everyone must hold their breath and not make a sound. Even better, record at the beginning of shooting, before and after every break (room tones can change over time-even on the same day) and at the end of the day. This will greatly help the dialogue editors by supplying them with clean "air" to edit between lines or use to remove unwanted noises.

 

This is difficult to do for exterior locations, but rolling sound early and offering a brief few seconds of silence before rolling camera and calling "action" will help.

 

For exterior scenes, the sound mixer should record 3-5 minutes of ambient sound (preferably in stereo) that can be used by the sound effects editor. This will add a real-life component to the sound effects track.

 

Tip 5: Props

 

Actors should be told to try and avoid speaking while interacting with noisy objects. Sounds like doors, sinks, phones, and other objects are usually added or replaced by the sound effects editor later. They also cause problems with the dialogue track if a door slams in the background on a very quiet line of dialogue. The location sound recordist can advise what to do in each situation.

 

If there is a rare or unique item that has been borrowed or rented for the scene, record the noises it makes in order to use these sounds later. It will save the sound effects editor the time and expense of finding something to mimic the object that was easily on hand the day of shooting.

 

Tip 6: Recording Levels

 

Most audio problems can be fixed (or at least improved) in the audio-post process. The most important thing to avoid is over-modulation (or distortion) of the audio being recorded. This cannot be undone. If in doubt, record at a lower level. The sound can be turned up later. Get the actors to perform their loudest lines so the level can be set accordingly.

 

Also, if the location is very noisy (like in a factory or at a waterfall) use a wireless mic and position it as close as possible to the actors mouth.