by Bob Gillen
External Microphones
Almost any video camera, no matter how expensive, will not capture high quality sound with its built-in microphone. You need to use an external microphone. This isn’t as difficult as it may sound, and it creates a few more jobs for your crew.
If you’re using a small camcorder, you can buy a hand-held microphone at Radio Shack or at an online retailer. Check your camera. You should see a jack that will take a 1/8” mini plug. Buy a decent microphone with a 1/8” stereo plug. (A stereo plug will have two black bands around the plug. Monaural has one band.) You should be able to do this for about $25. Also buy a longer 1/8” cable so that the mic has a long reach. You may need the reach in situations where the subject is a distance from the camera.
When you’re recording at a distance from the camera, using a long cable, take care not to move the cable while you’re recording. Cable movement can cause “noise” that gets picked up on the camera’s audio. This will ruin your shot. Make sure the person holding the mic stands firmly and holds the mic and cable still.
On higher priced video cameras, you’ll find one or two XLR ports for connecting a professional (XLR) mic cable. The XLR cable simply has an additional wire in it to provide grounding and avoid static and noise. On these cameras, you can mount the external mic on the camera for a short-range shot, or use it at a distance from the camera with a boom arm.
Sennheiser and Azden both make popular and reliable lines of shotgun mikes that will work well in all of your settings. They usually come with a camera mount and a mic wind screen.
With sufficient budget, you can consider purchasing a wireless microphone. The added expense may well be negated by the convenience and ease of use when recording in the field.
Blue Microphone makes a combination USB/XLR microphone, called the Yeti Pro. They also make the Yeti, a USB-only mic. Both connect and record directly to a computer. You can use it in your studio, or in the field with a laptop.
Camera Monitors
The camera operator is responsible for getting the best shot possible. The typical camera has both the eyepiece and the LCD screen that the operator will use to set up the shot. But on a movie or television set/location, directors don’t leave the shot only to the camera operator. They use an external monitor so that director and cinematographer can also see the shot.
You can easily set up your shoot to take advantage of an external monitor. It usually takes an RCA video cable that runs out of the back of the camera and connects to a portable DVD player or a small TV. Don’t worry about the audio cables. You don’t need the sound going into the monitor.
On-camera monitors that mount directly on your camera or tripod are also available. Check out iKan or Marshall for options.
You’d be surprised how effective this can be. Multiple people seeing the setup of the shot will see things that the camera operator may have missed. Perhaps the boom mic is in the shot. Maybe you need to move the shot in a bit to avoid some distracting object to the side of the shot.
And if your camera operator is especially good at the task, the observers will learn from her work by watching on the monitor.
Headphones
When you’re capturing sound, have someone assigned to listen with a pair of headphones. This may be the person with the mic and boom pole, or it could be another crew member. The camera operator, director and cinematographer are busy trying to get the shot and can’t give audio the attention it needs.
You need someone else to concentrate on sound levels. Just watching level indicators on the camera LCD screen isn’t enough. A sound person needs to monitor the levels closely and not be afraid to say the levels aren’t good.
With a limited budget, earbuds will do. If you can afford it, go with a pair of headphones, and if possible, get the covered ear type. You’ll find these headphones very useful in the studio too when it’s time to edit.
Equipment Wishlist
Microphone Boom Pole
If you have the budget, you should get a boom pole for the external mic. This will get the mic close to the speaker, even if the camera is a distance from the speaker. Holding the boom pole is not comfortable for the sound person, but it’s critical to get the mic as close to the actor as possible. The boom person should hold the pole up high with both arms extended straight up. This will aim the mic down at a 90 degree angle to the ground, the best position for picking up optimum sound from the speaker while also avoiding most of the extraneous, ambient sound.
Low-cost alternatives can be put together easily. See Videomaker magazine’s online site for a do-it-yourself mic shock mount. The shock mount can be assembled with a few pieces of PVC pipe and some elastic ponytail holders. The mount can be put on a mike stand arm, or even taped to a broom handle or paint roller arm if necessary. One of your crew might enjoy rigging this gear.
Microphone Wind Screen
You’ll need one of these if you’re shooting outdoors on a windy day. It will prevent wind noise from being picked up by the microphone.
Prompters
Broadcast news anchors typically use a professional prompter that mounts directly to the front of the camera. This allows them to look straight at the camera while also reading their news copy. Prompters are outside most filmmaker budgets. There are some fairly inexpensive products, but they are still not accessible to everyone.
You can also use a laptop or an Apple iPad as a cue card. Type the text into the device’s word processing program, enlarge the font size so that the speaker can see it, and have an assistant scroll the text as the speaker progresses. This takes a bit of coordination, but it allows for immediate corrections that would prove difficult and time consuming with cue cards.
For actors in a movie scene, memorization is of course the way to go. You can make cue cards that will provide an outline or some key words to help keep the actor on track. Be sure your actors are off-book, that is, they’ve got all their lines memorized so they can focus on the acting. You want to be professional. Don’t expect less from them.
Markers
You can purchase an inexpensive marker (clapboard) for your team. This records scene and take to the camera just before the camera rolls. It allows the editor to later find a take quickly. You could easily record five to 10 takes of a difficult scene before you get it right. A crew member can act as script supervisor and take notes on which take was the good one, and then pass that along to the editors.
Recording the snap of the marker before each take allows the editors to synch audio and visual in the studio.
This is a good place to mention smartphone applications (apps) for film and television. Some are very basic marker and storyboard applications. Others are far more sophisticated (and more expensive).
Cables
Proper cables will make your life a whole lot easier. As we said above, you’ll need professional microphone cables, called XLR cables, if you have a pro level camera. These cables have three prongs and are grounded to avoid interference when capturing sound.
RCA or composite cables are the basic yellow, red and white connectors most people are familiar with. The yellow carries the video signal, the red and white carry audio.
Computer cables vary widely. With tape cameras, you’ll probably need a FireWire cable to get your footage from the camera to the computer. Check out the FireWire connector on the camera and on the computer. The camera would typically take a 4-pin connector, while the computer may take a 6-pin or FireWire 800.
Mark all your cables. They’re expensive and you don’t want to lose them. Buy a roll of colored electrical tape and wrap a piece of it around each cable. Leave a tab on each piece, and print your name on every one of them. This also helps your crew keep track of its equipment.
This marking is especially critical with computer cables. Some of your FireWire cables can cost $25 to $40 – expensive to replace.
It’s a smart idea to collect cable adapters as you get involved with different projects. While video and compu
ter cables are fairly standard, there are enough variations that you’ll need on occasion to connect, say, a 1/8” jack to a ¼” port. This will take an adapter. RadioShack and online retailers carry these.
Making the Difference -
Cable Display
If you have a number of crew handling cables regularly, try making a cable display to keep everyone knowledgeable. Attach commonly used cables and adapters to a piece of Foamcore and apply labels. This will keep practical information in front of your crew and perhaps allow your crew to refresh their knowledge without seeming ignorant.
Any RadioShack store will have the cable ends, connectors, and adaptors that you can buy inexpensively without getting all the cable as well. The pricier computer cables may not be sold as connectors only, but if you can get an extra one, or mount a damaged cable, you can complete the display.
Attach the cable connectors to the Foamcore with cable ties mounted through small holes punched in the Foamcore. Label each one and put the card up in a prominent place. This kind of display can also serve as a traveling aid in the field.
Memory cards
If you are using tapeless cameras, you’ll need a few memory cards. The camera will come with one. Have a replacement on hand. Get a secure carrying case for the cards – they’re easy to misplace.
C-Stand
Budget allowing, acquire a multipurpose C-stand. Film crews use them to hold diffusion screens, flags (black cards), reflectors, and scrims. They can also be used to hold a small piece of fabric draped on the set. And in a pinch they can function as mic holders, with a bit of adapting, if you don’t have a boom pole.
Gaffer’s Tape
Gaffer’s tape. Absolutely indispensible. Gaffer’s tape comes in different colors. It is a fabric-based tape meant to hold securely but also remove easily without damaging the surface. It’s also easily torn by hand. You can find it in various film production and theater supply catalogs at about $17 a roll. Expensive, but you won’t use a lot of it. It is indispensible, for example, if you need to tape a piece of fabric panel to a wall to serve as a shot background, or to tape cables to the floor so people don’t trip on them.
Never use duct tape. It leaves a glue residue when removed, and will destroy painted walls, pull surfaces off, and create more problems than it’s worth. Duct tape is meant for permanent applications. Use it to patch together a few panels if you do not intend to remove them again. But better not to have it in your tool box.
Sand Bags
Sand bags provide a safety measure for your set. They are used to weigh down the base of a C-stand, mic stand or light stand that may topple if it’s nudged the wrong way. Safety first.
If you can’t afford the professional bags, you can make a few of your own. Five- pound bags will suffice. Be sure to seal the bag securely, maybe double bag it. Use a tough material. And use sanitized sand if you can. In case of a leak, you won’t risk having fleas or bugs get onto your set.
Making sandbags could be a good task for parents or friends who want to help out.
Foamcore
Keep a few pieces of white and black Foamcore handy. Size can vary – 2’ by 3’ would work for many applications.
White Foamcore comes in handy to set manual white balance on your cameras. The black can act as a flag to block unwanted light or glare in some situations.
Reflectors
Foamcore can also serve as the base for a homemade reflector. At a fabric store get a small piece each of gold and silver lamé, enough to cover a 2’ by 3’ Foamcore panel. Wrap one piece of fabric around the Foamcore and tape it down securely with packaging tape. Then using double-faced tape, attach the other color of lamé to the back side of the Foamcore. The reflectors will add tone to an actor’s face – the gold adds a bit of warmth, the silver brightens a bit.
Tool Box
A basic tool box always helps. You can pick up an inexpensive plastic tool box almost anywhere that sells tools. Stock it with a hammer, a slotted screwdriver, a Phillips screwdriver, some plastic cable ties of varying lengths, gaffer’s tape, electrical tape, a pair of pliers, an adjustable wrench.
For a few dollars more, get some plastic or metal clamps, the kind that you squeeze open by gripping the handles. Also buy a package of wooden clothespins, the kind that pinch open and closed. These come in handy for attaching Foamcore or fabric to a C-stand when you need to hang a backdrop.
If you have a lightweight aluminum frame, the kind used to stretch a green screen, you can use that framework to stretch any kind of backdrop. The clamps will help you keep the fabric taut, important because you don’t want wrinkles or shadows in your backdrop.
Some studio professionals use pieces of cord (18” to 24”) attached to hose (stocking) clips to attach their backdrops to a frame. Loop the cord through the hose clip, then tie the cord to the frame. Attach the clips to the fabric along the top and the sides. Try any large fabric store for the hose clips.
Hanging a good backdrop is easy if you have the right tools: gaffer’s tape, hose clips, clamps, clothes pins. You can’t miss with these simple tools.
To smooth wrinkles from your backdrops, you may want to acquire a small portable steamer. This will ease the wrinkles from your fabric backdrops as well as from costumes and set decorations. The small steamers are handheld, inexpensive and can be purchased through Amazon.com. My Little Steamer is one such product.
As with everything else on your set, stress safety with your crew. The steamers need to be held upright and not tipped, or steaming water will spill out.
RESOURCES
Useful Links
Here are just a few online links you may find helpful.
Apple Applications for Creative Pros – This is a video documentary project done by Andrew Zuckerman. Excellent ideas on how to light your interview subjects.
Apple Creative Pro Profiles – There are dozens of profiles detailing how creative pros use Apple hardware and software products. Profiles date back to October 2002 and include: Danny Elfman’s “Building Music for Movies”; Jeremy Coon on producing and editing “Napoleon Dynamite”; Erykah Badu on creating music.
MakingOf – Behind-the-scenes stories and pictures on current movies.
Make-Up Magazine – For anyone interested in learning about film make-up.
Film Score Magazine – All about composing movie scores.
Film Music Magazine – All about movie music.
The Costume Page – Information on the history and how-to of costume design.
Movie Maker Magazine – The art and business of making movies.
Videomaker Magazine – A great source for how-to articles.
Videography Magazine – For the professional videographer.
Student Filmmakers Magazine – For emerging filmmakers.
DV Magazine – A professional source for digital video.
American Film Institute – Preserving the history of the motion picture.
American Society of Cinematographers – Check out their blogs.
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) – A great source for classic films.
SchoolTube – Share your school videos with other schools.
School Video News – A strong resource for school media staff and crews. Lots of tips and advice for student filmmakers.
Sony Classroom Guide for Video Use – Well-thought out information.
IMDb – The online movie database for information related to individual films and film personnel.
For audio equipment, check out Sweetwater’s online catalog. Contact info:
TJ Bechill, Sales Engineer (800) 222-4700 x1224 [email protected]
thefilmmakerlifestyle.com – Our own site, with helpful articles, interviews and tips.
Film and Video Books
This is a sampling of the excellent books available for the filmmaker:
In the Blink of an Eye, Walter Murch. A short book with excellent ideas on editing.
Digital Filmmaking for Teens, Pete Shaner and Gerald
Everett Jones
Filmmaking for Teens: Pulling Off Your Shorts, Troy Lanier and Clay Nichols
Story, Robert McKee
Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers, Directors, and Videographers, Blair Brown
Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice and Sound Effects in Cinema, David Sonnenschein
The Sound Effects Bible, Ric Viers
Notes on Documentaries and Broadcast Journalism
Documentaries
An effective documentary will balance current topics and enduring interests. For powerful examples of documentary-style filmmaking, check out Brian Storm’s MediaStorm. (Apple’s site has one article on his work as well.) Storm’s site is basically an independent publishing company that offers serious media journalists a voice. His projects incorporate still photos, audio, and video. “We work hard,” Storm says, “to make the seamless transition between the power of a still image and the immediacy of video.”