Dylan Harmon
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Ways to Help You Control the Sound at Your Place
People will watch if the audio is clear, but great pictures will lure them in. You safeguard the most crucial aspect of the story, the words, when you regulate the sound in a real place. That’s why we prepare audio as soon as we plan the camera, especially for Tampa Bay shootings where the sound can alter in minutes because of wind, traffic, crowds, and reflective spaces.
Our purpose at Two Stories Media is simple. We get crystal clear audio wherever by preparing for noise, picking the correct mic approach, and developing a procedure that stops problems before they happen instead of trying to “fix it in post.” This lesson shows you how to regulate audio in real life so that your speech stays clear, your editing stays quick, and your finished film looks professional.
Before you even get to the set, you can control the sound.
Before production day, the greatest method to regulate sound is to think about how the environment will sound. A place can seem great on camera but be challenging to talk in because of persistent hums, noise that comes and goes, or echoes that are impossible to hear until you listen back.
We think of sound as its own checklist when we undertake a site recce. The BBC’s production guidelines say that you should check out the area at the same time of day that you will be filming and listen for background noise that you can expect, including traffic, road maintenance, planes, schools, or other activities nearby. It’s not a technological problem if the environment is loud at lunch but quiet in the morning. That’s a choice on when to do things.
This is also where people put their expectations. If excellent dialogue is the most important thing, the choice of place and schedule must support that.
Pick the best way to use a microphone in the room
Most considerations about location audio boil down to one thing. Do you want the microphone to be close to the voice or out of the frame?
When we require the clearest sound in uncertain noise, we put distance first. The room and background will be less noticeable the closer the mic is to the speaker. This is one reason why lavalier mics are so popular for interviews, testimonials, and walk-and-talk videos. This is also why boom placement is so important if you want a more realistic sound without seeing a mic.
The most important thing is not to choose one sort of mic as a rule. Choosing the right strategy for the space, the wardrobe, and the movement is the most important thing.
Cut down on background noise at the source
To control the sound, you need to treat the place like an audio environment, not just a background. Small changes can frequently have a bigger effect than pricey equipment.
When an HVAC unit is running, it can make the difference between clear speech and a persistent low rumbling. When the refrigerator is humming, it will be heard at every quiet time. A squeaky door will be the one thing the client can’t stop hearing.
We listen first when we get there, and then we make wise modifications. We might move the scene so that it doesn’t face windows that look out onto the street. To cut down on reflections, we could close doors, rearrange furniture, or put soft things down. We could plan the loudest parts of the shoot around times when we know there would be noise. The idea is to fix as much as we can in the room so the editor doesn’t have to fight the environment later.
Shure’s advice on how to reduce background noise also stresses the need of improving the room itself, such as by adding materials that absorb sound and lowering the amount of sound that bounces off of walls. That idea works on set, even if you aren’t in a studio.
Before it ruins a take, control the noise from the wind and your clothes.
Wind and friction are the two biggest problems for outdoor sound. Wind can quickly overload a mic, and clothes can make noise that is hard to ignore.
When working outside, you need to protect yourself from the wind. Even on days when the wind isn’t too strong, a fast gust can come at the worst time. We choose the proper wind solutions for the mic and keep a close eye on things so we can make changes quickly when the weather changes.
For lavalier microphones, clothes are important. Placement is important. Movement is important. A good rule of thumb for where to put the mic is to keep it in a stable spot on the chest and minimize points of friction. This is because clothing rustle is often the real problem when talent moves. Always try to prevent clothing noise, because once it’s in the speech, there aren’t many options left.
Keep an eye on audio as if it were the major deliverable.
You don’t find out about clean audio later. You check it all the time.
Listening for little problems that the camera crew would not see, including a slight buzz, interference, plosives, or a mic brushing against fabric, is what monitoring entails. It also means finding problems early enough to fix one thing and save the whole configuration.
A lot of this is how we keep production timelines safe. You may prevent the costly predicament where the video looks amazing but the audio is useless by keeping a tight eye on it.
Make a simple method on set to get the same results every time.
When everyone thinks someone else is observing, audio problems happen a lot. The fix is a process that may be done again and again.
We prefer to make sure that we do a few things the same way every time we shoot. We obtain a quick recording of the room tone for each place. Before we make a decision, we record a short test. We check for clipping and levels. After changing clothes, moving the mic, or moving to a new position, we check again. These steps are quick, but they stop the most typical problems that get in the way of revisions.
What you can repair later and what you shouldn’t count on
Tools for post-production can help, but they aren’t magic. The clearer your production audio is, the more real your final mix will sound.
Selective noise reduction can help with background noise that can’t be avoided, especially if you utilize it wisely. The Premiere help from Adobe offers a useful way to use the DeNoise controls to get rid of background noise. That being stated, the purpose of post tools should be to improve, not save. Heavy noise reduction can make voices sound thin or fake by adding artifacts.
The easiest way to do this is to record clean audio first and then utilize post tools to finish.
How Two Stories Media helps you manage audio on set
If you’ve ever seen a wonderful video that felt “cheap,” the sound was probably to blame. When you manage the sound, your production seems more real, your message comes through more clearly, and your viewer stays focused on the tale instead of the distractions.
Two Stories Media works closely with businesses on every part of the filming process, from designing the sound to choosing the right locations and capturing technologies to get clear conversation. If you’re going to shoot in Tampa Bay and want audio that sounds good on your website, social media, and sponsored ads, check out our video portfolio and get in touch with us through our contact page. We will assist you pick the best place to shoot, the best way to record the footage, and make sure it sounds as good as it looks.