Fine. So
you’ve got the whole video thing going until some snot-nosed
kid crits you on your “bad” sound. It may seem simple
but sound is actually a very complex thing and plays a major
part in your film. Just like video, it too can be extremely
frustrating to work with, especially if you don’t have
the best equipment. This tutorial is a crash course for Independent
Filmmakers with a low, or zero, budget, in recording sound on-set
as well as basic audio editing. It will not cover XLR connectors
or more advanced forms of recording audio, but many of these
principles will still be relevant.
I
DON’T UNDERSTAND (JARGON):
Jack: No, not your neighbour. In audio this is the component the plug
goes into. Also often referred to as “Female”. Mini 3.5mm Stereo: The jack and plugs used
on most camcorders supporting external microphones. Also known
as “Phono”. XLR: High quality audio connectors providing
higher quality sound than the conventional 3.5mm mini jacks
(this will not be covered in this tutorial). Minidisc: A small digital recording device
manufactured by Sony.
WHAT
YOU’LL NEED:
If
you don’t yet have any of the following then try purchasing,
hiring or borrowing them:
A microphone
designed to be used with a camcorder and your input (in this
case mini 3.5mm jack).
A nice
set of headphones.
An extension
(plug-wire-jack). I wouldn’t recommend going over 5m and
try and get one that is “Shielded”.
Tripod
or boom pole to hold your microphone (See heading: “Boom
Poles & Tripods”).
Free software
known as “Audacity” (See heading: “Cleaning
in Audacity”)
A slate-board
for when recording with more than one camera (See topic: “Audio
Sync”)
GETTING STARTED:
First
off you need to make sure your camcorder is capable of supporting
an external microphone. A simple “Mic-In” jack will
confirm this. This would usually be a Mini 3.5mm stereo jack
on the side, looking very similar to a headphone jack. On that
note, a headphone jack is also required to monitor the sound,
just keep in mind that many manufacturers share their A/V outputs
with the Headphone jack.
If
you don’t have a camcorder with a microphone input then
an external recorder (such as a flash recorder or “MiniDisc”)
is also a possibility. I wouldn’t recommend it though,
as it will extend your editing time considerably (one will need
to sync all the audio)
Another
thing to remember is that there are mono microphones. If this
is your case then you’ll find that audio is only being
captured through one channel (Left or Right). It is possible
during editing to remove the empty channel and edit in Mono,
but if this fails then attempt to purchase a mono to stereo
converter. Alternately only purchase (or loan) a stereo microphone
and don’t be afraid to ask to test the microphone before
purchasing.
If
you don’t yet have any of the following then try purchasing,
hiring or borrowing them: 
