Its no secret one of the biggest problems in independent (or any other type) film is bad sound. People will forgive a blurry picture, but if they can’t hear the dialog, they won’t watch the movie. It doesn’t have to be that way. With a little planning and attention, your film can have great sound. Here are some tips for getting started toward great sound on your next film:
1. Use a real location sound mixer and boom op. Yes, they cost money but they are going to do a lot better job than your room-mate who keeps ogling the actresses. If you absolutely cannot get a pro, get whomever is booming / mixing to read up on production sound techniques so they have some idea of what to do. There is a wealth of information on the web about the basics of production sound.
2. Pay attention to potential noise problems when you scout for locations. Is it really crucial to film that scene beside the subway entrance?
3. Record both boom and lav microphones. If there is a problem with one, the other may save you adr in post.
4. Listen to what’s being recorded on set with closed-ear headphones. You’ll hear a lot more potential problems (buzz/hum/planes/cell phones) this way.
5. Record about a minute of ambient tone at each location. It’s easiest to do this right before the first take and it will help a lot in post to have this. If you wait until the end, everyone will be so noisy packing up, you’ll never get them to be quiet.
6. If you suspect problems on a take get the talent to wild track the lines on set after the shoot. They’ll still be in character and the acoustic environment will be a much better match than ADR. Plus, it’s always easier not to have to schedule actors later for ADR sessions.
7. Make sure the audio isn’t being recorded distorted or so low that the pre-amp noise is louder than your dialog.
7. Slate every take. It’ll save tons of time in post.
8. Hold off on yelling cut or laughing right after the last syllable of dialog, many eager directors have walked over the end of a good take this way.
9. Test the sound recording equipment prior to the first take to make sure everything is working.
10. Use good equipment. Rent it if your have to. It will sound better (if used properly) and will have fewer problems like breaking down in the middle of that magic take.
11. If you must record to your camera, instead of using a dedicated recorder, turn off the gain compensation (compression)! This little puppy will try to turn everything quiet up and everything loud down and it never gets it tight. Let you mixer do that for you…they will do a much better job. (I highly recommend the Zoom H4N recorder for low budget productions. Record your real audio to this and a guide track on your camera to help syncing later and you will not regret it.)
With a little foresight and preparation you’ll be on your way to great sound for your film. Now get out there and make great sounding films!