Recording Cinematic Audio on a Budget
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- Опубліковано 3 чер 2024
- Getting clean cinematic audio in your film doesn't have to cost a fortune. Here's my best tips and tricks for recording great audio as a low budget filmmaker.
One thing I forgot to mention - get some decent over the ear headphones (not earbuds) to monitor your sound on set. This topic was too big for one video!
Disclaimer: 7RYMS sent me their mics for free, but had no say over my review or how I featured them. The noise floor was higher than the DJI Mics, but they were reliable and I think they're a good value.
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Sound gear mentioned:
7RYMS Wireless mic kit - amzn.to/3FNgUvf
DJI Mic kit - amzn.to/3NfSKMt
Shotgun Mic - amzn.to/3evKfhJ
Rode shotgun mic grip (updated version) - amzn.to/3wzpLN8
Boom pole - amzn.to/3wnCGl0
Tascam Sound Recorder - amzn.to/436TI62
Takstar On-Camera mic - amzn.to/39Q1af0
Lav mic (cheap-o one) - amzn.to/3LiNGFE
Over-ear headphones - amzn.to/3l8GWj5
Boom mic stand (heavy duty, big) - amzn.to/3sD2qZz
Boom mic stand (cheap, smaller) - amzn.to/3LjMphE
How to wire up a lav mic properly - • Free Tutorial - How to...
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Microphone - amzn.to/3evKfhJ
Sound Recorder - amzn.to/3AdVuWu
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I've been making short films for 20 years, starting at age 11. I directed my first feature film, Bad is Bad, in 2010. Made for only $6,000, the film went on to reach over 7 million views and garner critical acclaim. More recently, my short film, Will "The Machine", screened and won awards at film festivals around the world. Released online in 2019, it reached over 1 million views in just a month. I also work as a video editor, cutting ads for clients such as Apple, Netflix, and Beats by Dre.
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Another quick tip I learned the hard way: triple-check that your lavs, boom, etc are all recording on their own track. We had one wrong option checked deep in the menu on our audio recorder and it mixed all the sources into one audio file. Reintroduced a lot of audio cleanup work in post that the lavs were supposed to remedy.
Oh boy! That had to suck?!
7RYMS is sounding way better than DJI! Much more clear sound, the DJI sounds very muffled :)
Ye
What we’re you listening through?
I felt that too but I think it's because the video itself was made with the 7RYMS
Shh he's trying to get a freebie off DJi
I was listening with earbuds, and the dji’s sounded warmer to my ears, and a little cleaner. The others sounded a little thin imo… I have no dog in the fight, I don’t own anything from either company just fyi.
As an Audio Guy, I loved this. All good advice. Especially how good audio gear holds its value better than cameras do. Good sound today will be good sound tomorrow!
One thing I learned about shotgun mic placement, is that you don't have to shoot down from above. I got some great audio, stayed out of the shot, and saved my shoulders (holding the boom) by going low, and angling up at the actors. Obviously, if there's something noisy above them, or if the shot won't allow it, then don't. But, don't be afraid to be creative. Sometimes the best place to be is outside the box... :)
Well said. Double entendre. 😀
This can be especially true when your subject(s) is walking. From above, footsteps can be very loud, but from below, they often sound more balanced and natural.
Dude, i can’t tell you how much I appreciate your videos! So clear and concise with dry humor that doesn’t muddy up the information, LOVE IT! And these videos inspire the hell outta me!
Great stuff man. Answered all my questions, my teams been so discouraged about filmmaking after a handful of shorts because audio has been so tricky. Def gonna try the masking out the mic and hiding it in frame. Thanks so much!
Bruh your videos are always so helpful, this info doesn’t feel like it should be free🤞🏾🙌🏾. Looking forward to your movie 🍿 too. Your videos and movies really are a blessing my guy.
Clear and Cinematic. Laid back, Grounded, and Professional. Your a good teacher and I like your style Kent. Thanks for your time and effort with sharing. All the Best from South Australia!
thanks for this, as a new filmmaker these videos, with actually useful, to the point information, are crucial. Also, someone having a good sense of humour makes it so much easier.
1:05 Keep a eye on lighting and shadows here especially outside any major changes and you will need a new plate recording
Good stuff, man. I’m a cinematographer and always stress how important sound is in making the images look better. Solid tips and comedy bits? That’s my kind of content!
Great, practical tips on improving audio quality! Definitely a well-planned video. Clear and concise explanations, too!
Usually these videos are really boring but you made it so much fun. Thanks! You rock!
I've had and used my takstar mic for over 5 years now and it's been a life saver for a bunch of interviews and on the moment b-roll and more, best budget mic i've had!
one of the most helpful videos on film making I've ever watched
this is simply the best video i watched for audio! Thx for sharing! Love the comedic aspect as well.
MY GOODNESS!! The gems this guy drops!!
Love your channel man, so happy I’ve found it.
Essential viewing for audio! I loved this. Thanks so much!
came here looking for sound recorders and ended up watching this whole video i didnt really need cuz it was so entertaining lol. great work man loved this vid
Broo!! this video is awesome! Thank you for bringing awesome videos about process and not noise!
love your videos! The tip about the key in the fridge is gold!
Your editing skills keep your videos entertaining. Great job!
Awesome Tips! I’m setting up everything, including audio, for my first feature length film, and I’m doing it on a BEYOND STRAPPED BUDGET. These tips and tricks are going to help me save money and still make my film. 🎥
Thanks!
Great comprehensive video! Adding this to my sound playlist for sure! 👍
That mice eraser tip is genius. Keys in the fidge, awesome.
Those wireless mic kits look like a great find. I'll be sure to check them out for my next film. Love the videos man! Excited to see your new film on Thursday
Please invest in one with removable batteries. The built-in ones are short-lived and ruin a perfectly otherwise great product.
(pro tip: you can get high-end rechargeable AAs/AAAs from Panasonic)
Don't go for those wireless he mentioned! As if someone can't afford pro level wireless (i.e. a receiver such as the Wisycom MCR54 / Lectrosonics DSR4 / Sony DWR-S03D / Sound Devices A20-RX / Shure ADX5D / etc plus the appropriate matching receivers) then going instead with the fourth generation Sony UWP-D is no brainer decision! (although, I'd recommend 2x UWP-D21 over 1x UWP-D27) This choice is so easy it isn't even close, as the 2nd best choice comes a long long way behind Sony.
Sony gives you:
True diversity receiver (no other prosumer UHF wireless has this)
Has a digital compander (avoiding the issues that say for instance the Sennheisers have with their analogue compander, giving you better quality audio from the Sonys. Essentially, the Sony wireless transmission behave more comparably to how Lectrosonics Digital Hybrids do, using the same mix of digital + analogue for transmission)
A slot receiver (again, no other prosumer wireless does this! Although, sadly not unislot, you'd need to get the Sony DWR-S03D instead. Hopefully Sony will bring out a UWP-D receiver one day in the future with unislot compatibility)
An option of using the smart shoe on Sony cameras to feed it audio directly, skipping doing another D/A conversion, along with numerous other benefits such as being able to add more audio channels than otherwise or being able to go cableless with the receiver or not needing to do battery changes either for the receiver (these are all features entirely unique to the Sony wireless)
Sony UTX-P40 Wireless Plug-On Transmitter supplies phantom power. (the Sennheiser EW100 G4 plug-on transmitter does not)
Headphone output (but yet again, the standard Sennheiser G4 doesn't have this)
An option for a dual receiver (again, the Sennheiser G4 doesn't have this)
An option for getting it in the 941 to 960 MHz frequency range (again, the Sennheiser G4 doesn't have this, Usually only pro wireless offers products in this frequency range)
Backwards compatible with all past UWP products.
Just a few of these reasons would be enough to make a strongly compelling case to buy the Sony UWP-D21! (especially as Sony is priced similar to or cheaper than the Sennheiser competition) But add them all up together? Sony blows away all the competition.
There are literally hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of options for lav mics for the Sony wireless just merely listed on the one B&H website alone:
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/products/mini-microphones/ci/3779?filters=fct_compatible-with_744%3Asony%2Cfct_connector-type_745%3A3.5mm-mini-plug|3.5mm-mini-plug-locking
There are zillions of accessories for the Sony UWP-D system, such as these (would you like for instance a battery pack for your Sony transmitter so that you can run it for over 24 hours? You can do that!!): www.hlaudio.de/sony-pro-audio/wireless-zubehoer/
Unfortunately when people hear "Sony" they think of "cameras", not audio. What most people don't realize is that Sony's name itself comes from the latin word for audio: "sonus"! Sony originally started out as purely an audio company, and has been making wireless since the 1950's.
If the acoustics are terrible on location you could try recording ADR in the car after the shoot simply using a mic and the playback function on the camera, Some clever editing can resolve your audio woes as a vehicle makes a great portable makeshift recording studio for run n' gun filmmakers and you don't have to worry about getting your actors together again later. Don't forget to record some clean ambient noise for the audio mix.
Thanks man. Excellent common sense tips I completely forgot. Great job.
GREAT VIDEO. I literally have always assumed that I have to suffer through information videos such as these... but you somehow found a way to make it really entertaining :)
I thought the same thing. Also I don’t know who you are but damn your profile pic got me questioning things about my sexuality
@@TheTripWhip mayb we shud meet up
@@HarmonyLeighThomas I’m down
@@HarmonyLeighThomas 😘
This is a very good channel. Glad I found it as a newbie.
I love all your work. I can’t believe you only have 22k subs, keep it up and you’ll blow up in no time!
2 weeks later he's almost doubled!
Great Inputs Man! Thank you so much for the ideas!🙂
Hey Kent, the video is interesting and the tips shared are worth trying, looking forward to your movie!😍
the fact that at the beginning of the video it gave me alot of ideas
no no no, don't point the mic at the mouth. It will catch all the unnecessary mouth sound that will destroy the quality. A better way to do it, is pointing the mic at the tip of the nose up to the point where the eyebrows would meet on unibrows
Another method if your close is the chest, it makes the sound deeper and much more seriouse.
@@choobofyouofficialwhat? Pls elaborate
@@nobad6843 when you take the sound close to the chest, you'll have more low frequencies, and if you take it colser to the nose, you'll get more high frquencies. So if you have more low frequencies from the chest, you'll have a voice more serious, profound. (sorry if my english isn't good)
@nobad6843 the sound of your voice is more than just your vocal cords vibrating, it's all the other fleshy parts of your respiratory system resonating, as well as the space in those cavities, and what frequencies travel through those various mediums better, the chest tends to create more bass in the voice, so if you're focusing a mic towards that area, you'll get that low frequency more.
If you want a good example, when you plug your ears, you'll notice that when you talk tour voice sounds lower to your own ears, that's because the higher frequencies aren't being captured from outside your ears, and you're only getting the low frequencies that are vibrating through the tissue and bone of your head.
This is gold! Appreciate all the information.
Excellent vid and tips brother! Thanks for sharing!
the keys in the fridge part bro i love it
Sound is more important than the cinematography. I haven't heard that in a long time.
But you are exactly right. If people can't hear it they aren't going to watch it, at least not for very long.
This was a great video with some good tips as I shoot my first feature film
Thanks for this! Great summery 💪🏻
So glad I found your channel. Sound advice (uh, no pun intended) ... if I may suggest another idea: Before you start the shoot - double-check every sound gear component to be sure that the signal you want is going to the place that you want it (as Newfangled notes below - each to it's own Track/File) and to verify that you have no interference along any pathway. I'll subscribe now - I like your style and look forward to more of your content. Cheers!
Heh, and don't rush when you do - I've had the "check" step be the cause of having to shoot a scene over (didn't have the gear to dub the video - long time ago on VHS)
The information I was looking for. Thanks for sharing.
I love this video so much I havnt even finished it before commenting… 😆 dope keep ‘em coming you got a sub dude
Ok I'm only 2min31 in and I've already liked, subbed, and now commented. Love it! Thanks for the keys in the fridge tip, that's geeeenius!
Thank you for this very educational and entertaining video!
Damn! Wish I had watched this before this month's short. Would have saved me the trouble of planning a dub session next week. But truth be told, our 2 person crew couldn't have done much to avoid external sounds.
i also started with the tascam 70d and in some ways i enjoyed it more then my zoom f4. Good vid with good tips!
The DJI mics are preety great, althouhg the new Rode with 32 bit float looks tempting. I just bought the Sennheiser MKE600 and its really impressed me. Great vid btw
Good stuff! Thanks for sharing!
I love your content , great teacher .
I've had my Tascam 70D for just about the same amount of time. It's a stellar piece of gear for the price. Side-note: if anyone needs help with audio-post for their next film please let me know!
Hi sean I need you. How much do you charge? Im doing a short film pro
Mic placement is everything. I think you could have gone into the inverse square law but other than that, perfect.
Thank you. Keep sharing more content 🎉
Great video! Quick questions:
with the idea of filming a short on a budget using an Iphone and recording audio straight into the Iphone with the DJI mic (soon to be bought):
-can I place one of the dji trasmitter on a boom and avoid getting a shotgun mic?
-can I record on the Iphone two mono conversations from the two lav trasmitters at once, think two dialogue sources.
-is the wireless audio quality enough for budget feature films?
-can I use the lav transmitter not paired, as a separate recorder when needed?
ps I’m planning to film on my own without an audio tecnician and boom operator and love your tips about creatively hiding mics or running clean plates and splitscreens when needed. Thanks!
I’m not sure why Al Gorithm suggested this video, but I’m glad I watched. I make clunky videos and I think part of the problem is the audio. The hidden mic idea was enlightening, something I hadn’t considered or saw mentioned elsewhere. Thank you for that nugget!
Really helpful advice. Thanks!
Great video, concise and humourous, thanks. Subbed
You're the best man. Love from Africa Malawi
Great video and learnt a lot. Thanks
Needed this
You rock brother! Very generous! Thank you! 😊❤🎉
That's so good, I am learning so much from ur video's
Very Excellent, Thanks my Brother!! Instant subscribe. 😎
Excellent video. Thanks.
Lol! 0:28 the cereal box! Wow I never thought of mic placement like that🔥I would watch movies and wonder how they got good sound in a wide shot🔥
Any opinions on recording directly into the Black Magic Pocket 4K? I usually record external, but after purchasing a mini xlr, I was amazed.
another helpful vid.. thanks bro...
Perfect video.
I like the idea that sound gear is worth investing in since it typically lasts for years without being outdated. That made me think…would you recommend any sound gear that came out 5-10 years ago that might be a bit cheaper now but still holds up to contemporary quality?
great video, I am a new film student and this information is so valuable I keep coming back to this. The Lav that you recommend is not available on Amazon. Got another brand you recommend?
one more question, if you only had 300 dollars what recorder would you get first?
Thank youu so much sir.. 🔥😍
Tones of love from kerala 🔥🔥🔥
Muy buenos consejos!! A mi me ha funcionado conectar un lavalier al celular. Hay aplicaciones que graban a 48/24
I just want to say that I love the way you edited your video.
I have experienced a bad noise floor of the Zoom H4 pro recorder. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE people who can see this comment should pay good money for the recorder that has a good pre-amp. "Good" I mean really good. Your mic may not need to be that expensive, but your recorder may ruin everything.
Great video! I love this stuff, always giving me solid advice on how to move forward. You are amazing, thank you!
Of course, thanks for watching!
Whats the point of the lav mic if you have the mic already ? I wanna hear ya point
I currently have the "Rode Videomic Go II" as my shotgun mic for budget reasons.. but I am going to buy the "Rode Wirless Pro" very soon. should I pull the trigger on those? and will I be able to get 32 bit float if I connect my videomig go ii into the wireless pro?
might sound stupid but I'm new to audio and still have much to learn.. thanks in advance.
Helpful and entertaining. 👏
thank you for making this video. I'm planning for a film i wanna do, but im on a budget, can i use a cheap sound recorder with a XLR to USB c adapeter
Great video
Thanks!
Wow thank you Nahom!! This and your comment made my day :)
Aww that’s so kind
Great video!!! Does the I Ray DW 20 wireless mic pack work with s shotgun mic? I was thinking about buying I Ray DW 30 wireless microphone kit and I already have a H4N Zoom Pro handy recorder and mogami xlr cable and I wanted to connect 7 Ryms I Ray DW 30 wireless microphone kit to Zoom H4N Pro and monitor levels? Any feedback would be great. Incredible video ans good advice! I saw you using IRay Dw 30 and DJI kits and any advice or feedback would be great!
Great Videos Bro !
i have a question: i would like to create videos, short films, indoor interviews and also makeup/speaking content, a rode lavalier is really cheap and it can be plugged into the camera thats good but for the short films it could be harder to hide unless i have wireless, should i get a boom mic instead? it can work for both short film and studio content
Fridge tip scene ------ some of the best shit I've seen on UA-cam!!!
Love your videos. Keep up the informative content! I just found out you work with Jeff Galfer (It's a small small world.)
I showed up to direct a shoot in Brooklyn with a crew of 10 and the neighbors were CUTTING STONE outside throughout the day. Screeching sound is still in my head a year later 🙉
Nice video and information! One detail, the microphone is a ME66 + K6.
10:30 - I never thought about that, but I 100% agree. I use dt990 pro headphones (almost 20yr old) and Koss Porta Pro (over 40yr old). And guess what? They are still great and pricey.
Be careful masking shots outside. The sun will be in different places between your dialogue take and your clean plate if the shot takes a while to get. Great tips though.
great video!!
Superb vid- subbed
THE HAND SCOOP OF COTTAGE CHEESE BROOOOOOO. LEGEND
Ahahahaha! The shot in the fridge, eating yogourt with your hand killed me!
I love your video.
I also like my
H4n Zoom Pro recorder
This is hilarious! I love the mic taped to the back of the cereal box haha!
Is it viable to replace boom mic with lav wireless mics clipped on the subjects for a professional indie film? Like a DJI Mic or the new Rode Wireless Pro? I’m usually by myself and want to record clean dialogue minimizing environmental noise.
Whatever mics, lavs, etc., that you use throughout this video sound as through you're placing them quite directly towards your mouth, introducing tons of mouth clicks.
Awesome content!!!
hi, so, I don’t have any external recording equipments but have two cameras and one sony on camera shotgun, what if I just throw one set on a monopod, will that work similarly as a boom?