Do you bother with stereo set sound?

[stayingawhile]

We (Last Boat Productions) are trying to complete a 90minute MiniDV movie this summer. Amongst our many problems is sound.
The plan is to capture as much dialogue on set as possilbe.

Currently the idea is give a shotgun condenser mike, a minidisc recorder and some closed back headphones to a crew member and give them a book on how to do it.

This is not ideal, but we would welcome any suggestions or comments. Otherwise the big question is. All this sound will be mono. Should we bother with stereo? If so why?

(It has been suggested that stereo sound encourages the listener to filter out background sounds.)

Lastly, does anyone know a good resource for learning about basic sound recording on set?

[marti-c]

I would try and record the sound directly to the mini dv rather having to synch everything up later. Also you should always be trying to get all the dialogue recorded to save a lot of time in post production sound dubbing which in a 90 minute feature would take a long time. The seinheiser shotgun mic is a good choice and also use a four track SQN mixer. This would be operated by the sound recordist whilst leaving the actual holding of the mic to a boom operator.

marti

[miker]

sounds like good advice to me.

you can always add a stereo verb to the dialogue in post if that's what you want.

cos remember, sound is 50% of your movie, so give it as much attention as the visuals

ideally you just want to record dialogue on set, that's all - then add ambience and spot fx later

always record at least 30 seconds of each location's ambient sound - wildtrack

keep appropriate spare bits for your sound kit (like batteries)

recording sync will save you a lot of time - miniDV records at 48KHz in stereo mode which is good enough I would think - since you are recording mono, this means you have a free second channel for those tricky bits where you need two mics ...

sennheiser, yes, use it

GOOD LUCK!

[Red House Painter]

I am a musician so i use mics all the time and have found that the most versitlie is the industry standard SM58, or the instrument version, SM57. You can use them to record sounds with or hammer nails with cause they are so solid. Having said that, ask in shops as to what you should use.
A useful little mic is known as a limpet mic (i can't remember it's real name) which you mount on a wall, or large flay surface. It uses the surface area on which it sits and pics up any sound directed towards it so is very good for ambient sound.

You can buy Stereo mics that will give you stereo sound without the problem of using two mics and placement problems, but they are very expensive and you have to know what you are doing

I think that no matter what mic you use, GET A COMPRESSOR as it will make everything sound so much better. As the the signal gain increases (gets louder) the output signal decreases accordingly. this will stop some dialogue fading as the actor moves his head away from the mic. Rule number one of using a compressor: Do not over compress, never compress a whole film soundtrack (or song, only individual tracks.

[Curtin-Parloe]

Ever get that syncing feeling?

I went the minidisc way (DV? How much?!), and the syncing is a problem. The main problem, however, is the inexperience of the sound recordist. Make sure that whoever it is has had some practice, and the chance to listen to their own mistakes. The guy I used (for a 1 day pals shoot) had never seen a MD before, and I had to reshoot a couple of scenes after he recorded the sound between shoots! The other thing was the vibration of the mic lead, but that was minimal. I did it with a stereo mic, but there wasn't much point, really, as I could have done that in post much easier, not having to worry about the mic angle etc.

It does give your extras something to do, though

Cheers

Paul

[Gwailofilms]

Is there a goos reason why you're not juts plugging the mic straight into the DV cam? (If it's "square peg, round hole", I'll shut my gob"!)

DV can record CD-quality stereo sound, so the MD will just be another piece of kit to forget to bring. Plus, as just about everyone else here has pointed out, syncing afterward will be a complete pain in the nips, especially for a ninety minute flick. (I've got a ten minute Super8 movie to sync up this summer and I ain't lookin' forward to it...)

My twopenn'orth: record in stereo wherever you can. It can make stuff sound so much better and more (I'm probably gonna get jumped on for using this word, but knickers to ya) professional. Pretty much all amateur/semi-pro stuff I've seen (yes, even my own stuff) has been let down by having a cack mono soundtrack with everything too bass-y and muddled. I'm having great fun mixing a stereo soundtrack at the moment, making all the sounds come from the correct sides of the screen and it sounds great!

Anyhoo, that's my bit, I'm off...

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The future is here:-
www.gwailofilms.co.uk

[Curtin-Parloe]

Gwailo, if you mean stayingawhile, then it seems the best idea. If you mean me then it's square peg, oops, sorry, can't afford a hole!

Cheers

Paul<IMG SRC=http://www.hostboard.com/ubb/icons/icon16.gif>

[Gwailofilms]

Whoops, my words land me in trouble yet again. I think we've got our pegs and holes confused (see, there I go again! )

By "peg", I meant the plug on the end of the mic cable and "hole" was referring to where you plug it in on the camera.

What I meant was: is the plug the right type to fit in the hole? It's a bit daft trying to plug one of them big knobbly jobbies into the 3.5mm minijack socket! (Or vice-versa)

So, to answer your question, C-P, I guess I meant Stayingawhile (if that is his/her real name ).

Out of interest, C-P, if you're recording on MD, what are you shooting on?

------------------
The future is here:-
www.gwailofilms.co.uk

[Curtin-Parloe]

Sony Handycam Hi-8. Can't afford a DV, and subsequently a mic socket6 is probably out of my price range too.

One day I hope to be able to upgrade to flipbooks and biro!

The idea is to get directing/ editing/ screenwriting/ Cinematographic(kind of) experience before I spend spend spend. At the very least the cast and I will have some showreel stuff.

Cheers

Paul