cinematography Audio and camera syncing

[Audioslave74]

Hey,

I will be recording audio for a low budget documentary film that will be shot in the jungle. I will be using a Sound Devices 788 and need to sync to an Red Epic camera. Any suggestions on how to do this? I prefer not to be connected to the camera via a cable, since I will be the boom operator as well, and since the whole rig has to be fully mobile.

Have anyone any experience from digital clappers, the kind you have in your iPhone? Would using a clapper suffice, or do I need tc as well?

Thanks!

Best,
Max

 

[Audioslave74]

Thanks everyone for great feedback and very useful info!

 

[Audioslave74]

Now, this is my next thing to look into. Where do I buy this?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ng_ACD301RF_ACD_301RF_Master_Radio_Slate.html




Make sure that you have a very large supply of those acrylic drying packets for when you pack up the mic and lavs; the humid atmosphere of the jungle will corrode them to junk in a hurry.

 

[escher]

I read in Ric Viers book that you should avoid syncing audio to the camera audio, since there will be a time difference between the boom and the camera?

Again, this will only be a problem if the camera is very distant from the subjects. Think about it -- when was the last time you shot video where the on-camera audio was noticeably out-of-sync from the video due to the camera's distance and the speed of sound? That's the only case where a manual syncing to the visual of a slate closing would be necessary.

 

[Audioslave74]

I made that reflection too. On the other hand, I have recorded hundreds of vehicles on board, with microphones by exhausts, intakes, engine, cockpit etc. With other words, not long distances in between the microphones. But the improvement in sound that you get when you correct for the distances are big.

Same thing recording big orchestras. We always measure the distance between the main stereo pair and the microphones by each section, and then make corrections for the distances. Makes a huge improvement in the overall sound.

Again, this will only be a problem if the camera is very distant from the subjects. Think about it -- when was the last time you shot video where the on-camera audio was noticeably out-of-sync from the video due to the camera's distance and the speed of sound? That's the only case where a manual syncing to the visual of a slate closing would be necessary.