Recording dialogue

[benj09]

Hello, in the summer I am making my first short film on a really small budget, but i have a half decent camera a great location and some great actors, my only problem is that im not sure my camera is up to the challenge of capuring all the dialogue nicely.

I can get a mic of a friend, but how will i use the mic, what do i record onto, do i plug the mic into the camera or do i do something else.

Help me please

 

[wheatgrinder]

The technical, "what to connect where" cant be answered without knowing:
What Camera
What Microphone


Are you dialogue shots STATIC or is the camera (or actors) moving around?
If static you can use a mic stand
If moving around, you need someone to work the mic attached to a very long pole, called a boom.

 

[Tinalera]

If the mic is even decent, use your friends mic, using the camera mic won't get the best results.

Wheatgrinder is right about what type of camera and what type of mic-for example.

I have a Canon 930 camcorder, my mic jack is on the inside of the flip screen casing, the same place as my firewire connection, and it is a phono connection (the same type of plug that is on mp3 headphones).

Also, as Wheatgrinder said, a boom pole for walking around (just make sure you keep the boom mic out of the shot!). Or mic stand if no one is moving, OR, you can buy a camera mount to mount the mic on the camera (often mics come with one, your friend may have one).

 

[Thom 98]

Normally it's ok to just plug the mic into the camera via a 35mm jack. That's for sure going to sound a lot better than the internal mic.
If you want more control over levels ect., you might want to look at something like the Zoom H4 (not cheap!) or even use a laptop on set to record the audio. However, then you will need to sync the audio during postproduction which can take a long time. If you decide to do it that way, make sure you use a slate or at least clap your hands once when recording.

 

[Gonzo_Entertainment]

You'll want high quality headphones attached to whatever you use to record and somebody with audio experience listening at all times as well to confirm you are getting the dialogue, listening for sounds you don't want, etc... you'll want to get "room tones" and "wild sounds" also.

 

[Alcove Audio]

You may want to check out my blogs regarding production sound here on IndieTalk.

"Sound is half of the experience."

Sound seems to be a huge problem for most indie filmmakers. It seems to be an impatience with something that cannot be seen as most filmmakers are visually oriented. They will spend thousands on a camera and then complain about spending $100 on sound. They will spend weeks searching for a DP, yet hand the boom - if they even bother with one - to whichever PA isn't busy.

you might want to look at something like the Zoom H4 (not cheap!)

Actually, at around US$300 the H4n is incredibly inexpensive when compared to what professionals use, such as the Sound Devices 744T at over $4k, or the Zaxcom Deva at over $10k.

or even use a laptop on set to record the audio.

Yes, professionals do this, but it is part of an complete system that includes field recorders among a huge number of other things. Also, laptops are not very convenient when doing run-and-gun.

However, then you will need to sync the audio during postproduction which can take a long time.

That's they way it was done for decades before the digital age. It is still a lot easier than it was; you can use the camera sound as a guide track for sync.

 

[Utopia]

To sync audio to picture, just clap your hands on screen before your takes and sync up the clap in whatever program you are using. Works like a charm.

 

[sdog]

As others have indicated, there are a bunch of different ways to capture dialog depending on your existing equipment and budget.

If you can post back with more specific details about what you have so far (camera model, mic model, personnel) and how much additional you might be willing to put into your project (budget), I think you will get much more useful and specific answers from this forum, tailored to your situation and budget. There are some really cheap things that you can do that are "better than nothing" and there are more "industry standard" ways to do things, but those are likely to cost you a bit more money.

For example, when you say you have a friend with a mic, does he also have a boom pole? a mixer? secondary recorder? Does your friend have any experience and is he willing to help with the process? Will you be trying to direct, photograph, and capture sound all by yourself or do you plan to pull together a larger crew?

The approach you take toward dialog capture will depend quite a bit on your answer to these questions.