microphnes

[LAmind]

What are those microphones called that can be put onto the flash port of sound film cameras, say a Super 8, on the top? They stick out and are good for interviews because they point at the subject. I'd like to buy one but don't know the technical term for it so it's hard to search.

Also what's the difference between a shotgun mic and boom mic?

[tom hardwick]

The mics used on Super8 sound cameras were directional mono mikes. Directional so that they wouldn't hear the camera mechanism(as if) and over hanging the front of the camera to be closer to the noise.

A boom mic is any mic that fixed to a boob. It looks like a broom handle and the sound man ensures the mic is out of shot but as close to the noise as possible.

tom.

[rollemfilm]

often a shotgun mic is used on a boom. placement of a mic overhead helps to reduce unwanted sound from behind the talent. but overhead is not always the best way to mic. bass sounds are picked up better from below. overhead placement helps reduce bass but at times sound thin. often you have no choice. shotguns are highly directional. you can get short and long shotguns depending on your needs. they are for the most part condensers too. dynamic mics are a good choice often for lound sounds such as explosions. it's good to have at least one good dynamic mic (like an SM58 or 57) and a shotgun. if you are using a mixer, it's possible to use both. the dynamic will serve for ambient and the shotgun for dialog. although it is best to use them on seperate channels if recording with a stereo recorder. then you can mix the two in post. this is not X-Y stereo. if you have a mic that has a figure 8 option, using this with a directional mic will allow you to more options in post than standard X-Y. the best way to learn
about audio is to experiment with as many mics as you can. rent them from your local music store and find out what sound you like. there are basic rules but like cinematography, rules are ment to be broken. the book: The Filmakers Hanbook has a very good section on audio. both analog and digital formats.