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The Do’s and Don’ts of Recording Audio for Video on Location

  • MatthewWatts
  • February 6, 2019
  • One Comment
The Do's and Don'ts of Recording Audio for Video on Location

In 2018, 85% of internet users in the United States watched video content. Video marketing is an excellent way to reach more people when growing your business.

 

Reading is not only informed by what’s going on with us at that moment, but also governed by how our eyes and brains work to process information. What you see and what you’re experiencing as you read these words is quite different.
Jason Maria
A guy pressing a laptop on a couch

V

ideo production is the process of planning, filming, and finalizing a video. Producing videos is a great way to tell stories or implement a new marketing strategy. If you understand the basics of video production, you will know that it can take a while to create a video. However, when done well, a video can be an amazing piece of content. Whether you want to tell a story or market your next product, you should consider the stages of video production. Of course, no two videos will take the same length of time to produce. Some may move through the steps quickly, while others may take longer. One video might get stuck in one stage, while a different video will get stuck in a different part of the process. Still, you should know the different video production stages so that you can plan for them when creating a video.

Almost every video goes through the same basic steps, from coming up with an idea to premiering the video. It doesn’t matter if you’re making a short marketing clip or a full-length movie.

You need to take your video through the following stages:

  • Pre-production
  • Production
  • Post-production

While you might be able to breeze through these steps, take them seriously. You want to put out the best video that you can, and that can take time. Of course, you might be able to create a marketing video within a week or two. However, a longer movie could take months to complete. Before you begin making your first video, you should know what each stage entails. Then, you can account for the different stages when planning and scheduling everything.

Two colleagues, male and female sharing ideas
There is no sincerer love than the love of food.

One essential part of pre-production is finalizing the script. You don’t want to start shooting if you don’t know what you’re going to talk about. You should also list out all of the shots you want to get and what order they will go in. Creating a storyboard will help you visualize what your video will look like. Next, you should consider your budget. A music video will probably have a bigger budget than a customer testimonial. However, you need to know how much money you can spend for the rest of this stage. If you’ll have other people in the video, you should look for your cast. Of course, you can’t film your video if you don’t have all of the necessary people. Because of this, you should also look for any crew members, especially if you have a longer video to shoot. At this point, you’ll need to make sure you have all of the necessary equipment. You’ll need cameras, lights, sound equipment and a filming location. Depending on your video, you may need someone to manage hair and makeup. Make sure you have everything ironed out before you move onto the next stage

The production stage is probably the most exciting part of the process. You’ve done all of the planning, you have a great idea and you have a cast and crew to help.

Now, you need to film all of the shots and scenes for your video. Depending on how long the video will be, this could take a few hours. On the other hand, it could take weeks to get all of the footage that you need.

During this stage, don’t be afraid to get multiple takes of the same scene. While you might like the first take, you want to have options so that you can include the best footage.

Even if you’re making a short video for a marketing campaign, you want to get every possible shot now. If you realize later that you forgot something, it can be a pain to set up all of the equipment and film it again.

Make sure that you use the best equipment that you can. Set up lighting so that it looks good on the people in your video.

Use external microphones to capture voices more easily.

The more you do now to improve the quality of the video, the easier it will be in the final stage of video production.

Post-Production

Possibly the hardest step in video production is the post-production stage. It is where you take all of the footage you have and combine it into a high-quality video.

If you’ve never worked with video, this step can be intimidating. Luckily, a video production company can help you out.

You can edit the video by splicing the footage like you would with film. Then, you can cut out awkward pauses so that you only keep the footage that you want.

You’ll also need to make sure that the audio syncs up with the video. If you haven’t already, you should also get the rights to any music that you want to use.

Adding music can add more depth and interest to the video, which can make people want to watch it and share it.

If you have other sounds besides music, you may need to do foley. Foley involves creating sounds for a video but those sounds may not be music. One example would be using wood blocks to replicate the sound of horse hooves.

After you add everything in, you can review the video. Once you’re happy with the product, you can release it to the public.

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Herman Miller
Herman Miller

Video production can seem intimidating if you don’t have experience. However, if you know the three stages of creating a video, it can be less daunting. You can break everything into smaller steps to make it easier to do.

Still need help? Contact us to get a quote for your video project!

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The Do's and Don'ts of Recording Audio for Video on Location

There are 4.2 billion people using the internet today. For your organization, each of them represents the opportunity to make a sale or create a brand evangelist.

The only thing keeping you from achieving those ends is the amount of competition that’s out there.

Reading is not only informed by what’s going on with us at that moment, but also governed by how our eyes and brains work to process information. What you see and what you’re experiencing as you read these words is quite different.
Jason Maria
cameraman recording with camera in a room

Given the increased presence of consumers, more than 2 billion websites have cropped up to try and cash in. Your ability to market yourself in a way that cuts through that clutter is imperative to your success.

Therein lies the value of video.

Filmmaker recording from a low angle
There is no sincerer love than the love of food.

The excellent video has proven itself to be the most effective means of marketing in the last half-decade. Given that you can’t have an excellent video without superb audio, this article is going to be focusing in on the dos and don’ts of recording audio for video.

Each of these tips has the potential to save your life in post-production so listen closely…

DO Assess The Kind of Mic You Need

Not all microphones are created equal in the world of video production. There are shotgun mics, lav mics, bidirectional mics, unidirectional mics, and more.

Picking the right kind of microphone for the scene you’re shooting is imperative for scoring awesome sound quality while on set.

Be sure to work with an audio expert so they can advise on the kind of mic you should pick up for your particular shoot.

DO Make Sure Your Boom Operator Isn’t Shifting Their Hands on Their Poll

It can get exhausting holding a boom pole over a scene for an extended period of time. This exhaustion has led many boom operators to adjust their grip while scenes are shooting.

While seemingly harmless, those grip shifts will pick up on your mic and give your post-production team a huge headache.

If you notice grip shifting while rolling, be sure to grab an additional take.

DO Use a Windscreen

Wind noise in audio for video recordings is the scourge of most sound professionals’ jobs. Wind can be extremely distracting, is near impossible to fully remove from audio, and can render recordings unusable.

To help prevent wind pick-up, use a windscreen or plan on shooting in an area that isn’t susceptible to high winds.

The more you can get ahead of the possibility of wind during your shoot, the less stressed you’ll be when it comes time to deal with it.

DO Keep an Ear Out for Ambient Noises

Airplanes, car screeches, screaming… These are all noises that are out of your control and could ruin your audio for video.

To make sure that you’re not surprised in post-production by a jet engine that’s making your actors hard to hear, keep an ear out while you’re shooting. If you think that an ambient noise might have ruined a take’s audio, shoot another take.

You’re always better safe than sorry.

DO Focus on Dialogue

The most important “sounds” going on in your scene are what your actors are saying. Because of that, make capturing clean dialogue your number 1 priority when filming.

Don’t worry about getting the actor’s footsteps loud enough or catching an epic “high-five” sound. All of that stuff can easily be laid in post-production.

DON’T Rely on Onboard Mics

The mic that’s built into your camera is almost certainly not going to give you the sound quality you need for professional video. Don’t rely on it.

Always have an external mic ready to go for your shoots.

DON’T Assume You Can Fix it In Post

When a jet flies overhead and ruins the audio for your take, don’t assume your sound engineer can fix it in post-production. Removing noises that have been baked together in audio for video recording is very difficult and never perfect.

Always take the time to try and grab clean audio for video taking.

DON’T Ignore Your Sound Person

Your sound person is your expert when it comes to getting clean audio for video. If they’re concerned about the acoustics in a location, listen. If they’re concerned about an ambient sound, listen. If they think you need to do another take to get clean audio, do it.

Many directors have forgone the advice of their sound person to their demise. Don’t be that director.

DON’T Forget to Record a “Wild” or “Ambient Track”

When you’re cutting dialogue together in an editing room or laying in lines via ADR, the jumpiness of the scene’s ambient noises can be obvious and jarring to viewers. 

To make sure that everything seems natural, be sure to capture a wild track while you’re on set. 

To do this, simply record 30 seconds of background noise at your location. This will give your editor a lot more leeway when it comes to cutting something truly special together! 

Wrapping Up The Do’s and Don’ts of Recording Audio for Video on Location

From picking the right mic to listening to your sound guy, there is no shortage of do’s and don’ts when it comes to capturing the perfect audio for video.

While it can be a pain, if you take the time to really pay attention to best practices when capturing audio, we promise that you’ll notice the difference ten-fold when it comes to the quality of your final project! 

Are you looking for a premier video production partner to help you create a world-class piece of media? If so, let our team at Viva Media help. 

We’ve been helping businesses, not-for-profits, and government agencies create stunning marketing and internal communication videos for years. Let us provide you with the same exceptional value! 

Check out our previous work and contact us today to get your production quote!

PrevPrevious
NextNext
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on pinterest
Share on linkedin
Share on tumblr
Herman Miller
Herman Miller

Video production can seem intimidating if you don’t have experience. However, if you know the three stages of creating a video, it can be less daunting. You can break everything into smaller steps to make it easier to do.

Still need help? Contact us to get a quote for your video project!

All Author Posts

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« Previous Next »
About Me
A man smiling at his computer
Hello, my name is caitlyn vine jony. my job is to do lovely things to fill my little house in my free time.

Let’s Socialize

Facebook-f Twitter Pinterest-p Linkedin-in
Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated to our offers and deals!

We are committed to protecting your privacy

Popular Post
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June 30, 2022
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June 23, 2022
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July 1, 2021
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Viva Media Inc.

777 The Queensway
Unit 1
Toronto, ON
Canada

Facebook Linkedin Youtube
ABOUT
  • About Us
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  • Blog
INDUSTRIES
  • Startups
  • Technology
  • Financial services
  • Healthcare services
  • Nonprofit
  • Educational services
  • Agency video partners
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  • Promo video
  • Internal communications video
  • Social media video
  • Tutorial video
  • Educational video
  • Explainer video
  • Food video
  • Customer testimonial video
  • Event video
  • Product video
  • Branded video
  • Corporate video
  • Commercial video
WORK
  • Our Work
  • Live-Action Videos
  • Mixed-Media Videos
  • Animation & Motion Graphics
  • Pricing
Capabilities
  • Concept & Creative Development
  • Pre-Production
  • Live-Action Production
  • VFX & Animation
  • Post-Production
  • Sound Design
Contact
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of service
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