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Types of Microphones

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Omni-Directional

Omni directional mics

pick up sound in a

spherical pattern,

equally in all directions.

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Because of this they are not particularly useful in digital

film production.

They are suited to picking up general sound, theambience, of a location.

When held close to the mouth, they can also be used

for voice in a reporting or interview situation.

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Cardioid mics are often

called uni-directional

mics because they pickup sound in a heart

shaped pattern.

That is they pick up

sources in front of themicrophone, excluding

sources behind.

Cardioid

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Super Cardioid

The super cardioid, or

shotgun, mic isprimarily used in digital

film production

because of its much

narrower heart shapedpattern.

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These microphones are used because they exclude the

majority of ambient sound while picking up sound (eg

dialogue) from some distance directly in front.

They are the microphone of choice for the majority of

film/video production and are the type of microphone

used on a boompole.

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Lav mics are small clip

on mics that are

frequently used for

interviews, and a wide

variety of digital film

applications.

Lavaliere (Lav)

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Microphone HeirarchyThere are four basic ways to approach miking asubject: boom; plant; lavaliere; or radio mic.

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Boom

In most instances, the

best dialogue will be

achieved by employing

a fishpole or boom

overhead of the

subject.

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Talent can move around, walk, sit, etc.with the micfollowing overhead. Multiple performers can interact

with each other, both verbally and physically, without

affecting the quality of the recording.

In a pinch, the fishpole can be held at knee level with

the mic pointing up.

Be aware though that holding the boom at differentlevels will reproduce different sound qualities. Why?

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Fixed microphones,

also known as plant

mics, can be

strategically deployed

around the set to cover

isolated characters that

would be impractical toreach with the boom.

Plant Mics

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Plant mics can consist of either regular condensers orsuitable lavalieres.

The new mini-lavalieres, with their great sensitivity and

transparency, make excellent plants. They are so tiny

that they can be hidden right in the middle of the scene

and not show up on camera.

Plants can be hidden in doorways, on executive pen

sets, on the edge of dressing mirrors, bed headboards,automobile sun visors, even in floral arrangements!

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Lavalieres are the nextoption. Worn on the

body, they tend to go

(or stay) where the

actor is.

Lavalieres

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The same benefits asnormal lavs, however

they transmit a signal

via radio frequency -

bonus - no wires!

Wireless Lavs

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Elements of the Soundtrack

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There are four elements of any soundtrack.

Particular attention needs to be paid to each element

to ensure an even and well-balanced soundtrack.

The elements are; Narration, Music, Sound Effects &

Dialogue.

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Many films rely heavilyon narration to hold the

visuals together or to

provide explanation.

#1 Narration

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All of us, Im sure, are familiar with documentaries,travelogues, and educational films that employ

Narration as the primary element of the soundtrack.

Dont forget, however, that many theatrical films alsouse Narration as a story device.

Sometimes in the role of an anonymous storyteller

(also known as the voice of god), sometimes as theinner thoughts of a principal character.

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Narration can be recorded in two different ways.

The first way, or style, is to have the narrator view thefilm and record live commentary while it is projected.

The lines may be from a script or totally improvised,

depending on the film in question. This style is referredto as "sync to picture".

How is it created?

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The other approach, which is usually the preferred way

of doing it, involves recording the narration "wild" froma script, instead of from watching the picture.

The talent reads the lines from a prepared script, which

are recorded as isolated takes. (Note, while it is truethat some narrators may view the film in preparation of

the recording session, the picture does not play a role

during the session itself.)

An editor then cuts the desired lines in place opposite

the appropriate footage.

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This method gives the filmmaker maximum creative

control over the relationship between picture and

narration, and allows greater flexibility should editorial

changes be desired later on.

It also frees the narrator to concentrate on enunciation

and delivery of the lines, rather than worrying about

matching whatever is up on screen that moment.

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Even the earliest silentfilms depended heavily

on music to add

emotion to moving

images.

#2 Music

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The presence of a musical score tells the audience

what feelings they are supposed to have: joy, sorrow,

tension, exhilaration, impending fear, etc.

In fact, many pre-recorded musical scores in music

libraries are titled and catalogued by their suggested

emotional effect.

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If this explanation of musics role is new for you, then

experiment a little.

As an exercise I have taken a scene from the movie

Halloween V - The first run through retains the original

score, the second time it features alternate music.

Notice how the different music selection appears the

change the feeling of the scene!

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Original & Alternate Music

Halloween V

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As you can see, the presence of music always has

some effect on what the audience will perceive about a

scene.

Depending on the musical selection, this effect may

reinforce, contradict, or completely alter the original

intent of the picture.

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The dramatic source of music under a scene can beeither "extraneous" or "practical".

Extraneous means that the score is simply there on the

soundtrack because the filmmaker put it there to

accompany the picture.

The people in the movie theatre hear it, but the

characters in the film do not.

Most music in soundtracks falls under this category.

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In contrast to this, some music is initially explained ormotivated by some source on screen, such as a radio

playing, a nightclub band, or a character musician.

In these instances, the music that the audience hears isalso being heard by the characters on screen!

Sometimes, music can creatively overlap both of these

categories, by starting off as extraneous and then

being revealed as practical, or vice versa.

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Music for a soundtrack can originate one of two ways:

canned or original score.

"Canned" music refers to having come from a

prerecorded music library. For a fee, a producer can

purchase the rights to use selections of existing music

in his or her production.

How is it created?

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A large number of companies produce volumes of high

quality, generic purpose music tracks intended

exclusively for this purpose.

The music is composed and recorded so as to facilitate

"modular" editing to accommodate scene length orclimax.

The following is an example of modular genre based

music - Drama (20sec - also available as 10, 30, 60secand full track).

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Drama - 20 seconds

Stock Music

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Producers can pay for the music on a "needle drop",

screen minute, or blanket basis.

Needle drop refers to buying music based on a per

selection, per use, basis.

Blanket arrangements permit unlimited usage of the

entire library either per entire production or per entireyear.

How is it paid for?

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In determining their fees, music libraries will also want

to know the intended purpose and scope of distribution

of the film (theatrical, educational, home video,

nationwide broadcast, industrial in-house, etc.).

If you feel it is absolutely imperative to use a "real" song

instead of one from a music library, make certain to

obtain permissionin writing, in advancefrom the

recording company in question!

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As to which form of music is better, it all depends on

the situation, budget, and talent pool available.

A good canned library will sound better than the results

obtained from most "aspiring" young composer/

musicians and from many "hack" orchestralcomposers.

On the other hand, there are many talented composers

whose quality and brilliance far surpass the genericaccompaniment of even the best music libraries.

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The third of our

soundtrack elements,in addition to narration

and music, is the

category of "Sound

Effects".

#3 Sound Effects

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Sound Effects (commonly abbreviated as "FX") refer to

the soundsother than dialoguethat objects or

people make, along with those sounds that occur

naturally in the background.

All of these sounds are defined as "natural"necessarily only within the creative context of the movie

and the filmmakers imagination.

What they may or may not sound like in real life is notalways in question.

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Sound effects can refer to events happening on or offscreen.

Footsteps of an actor may be an on screen event if we

see the actor.

Footsteps of the killer, coming down the hallway,

outside of the closed door are an off screen event if all

the audience sees is a shot of the closed door (from

inside of the heroines room).

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Similarly, background ambience often refers to off

screen activity that the audience may never see, suchas a passing siren, birds & crickets, a thunderstorm,

and so on.

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Sound effects may be either frame-accurate orwild. If the effect is dependent on synchronizing

exactly, frame-to-frame, with an on screen event -- it is

known as a frame-accurate effector more commonly, a

"hard" effect.

Examples include matching the sound of a gunshot

with the firing of a gun, matching up door slams, whip

cracks, sword clashes, punches, silverware being put

on a plate, and so on.

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If the sound of the effect only needs to be placed in the

vicinity of an on screen event, but specific frame-to-

frame synchronization is not important, then it is

referred to as a wild or "soft" effect.

Examples include environmental backgrounds (birds &

crickets, rain, wind, ocean surf, traffic), engine noise,

cafeteria ambience, crowd noises, applause, laughter,

even music and narration.

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The sound effects themselves can originate from a

number of different sources. Many effects are lifted

from special sound effects libraries that operatesimilarly to music libraries.

Most sound editors and studios maintain and compile

their own elaborate libraries of sound effects, built up

over the years from all of the films they have worked onas well as by swapping with fellow editors.

Where do they come from?

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Library effects include both "hard" effects as well as

"wild" or "soft" backgrounds.

Sound effects dont always come from a library. Quite

often, they are recorded right on the set during actual

production.

Effects may be recorded in "sync" with picture during a

take. This might include footsteps, door slams,

explosions, car crashes, virtually anything that takesplace in front of the camera.

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Imagine yourself as an editor trying to match the sound

of an arthritic woman slamming the car door of a 88

Commodore... from an effects library.

There might be a dozen or so car door slams, but

probably none with the right speed, intensity, delivery

not to mention car model.

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In some situations, exact matching of details may be

very critical, such as in a sales film or commercial,where it is illegal to substitute the sound of another car

for the one being featured.

Some effects dont readily lend themselves to liverecording.

Ever try to get the footsteps of a giant dinosaur?

Editors and sound mixers will often conspire to create a

sound effect that doesnt exist in real life (or does exist

but doesnt lend itself to be easily recorded).

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Effects may be completely synthesized on electronicinstruments, or may be based on taking real sounds

and electronically modifying them.

Finally, many sound effects are dubbed in, by meansof a process known as "Foley".

Briefly, the Foley process consists of recording the

sounds of an artist while he mimics the actions of an

actor on the screen.

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A short section of the film is projected over and overagain for the Foley artist (also known as the "Foley

walker").

The artist watches every movement of the actor verycarefully, and mimics both the action and rhythm.

The artist performs those same actions using a variety

of props, and these actions are recorded in sync with

the picture.

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For instance, the Foley walker may imitate the actor

taking out a gun from a holster, or sitting down in a

squeaky chair, or shuffling some papers in his hand.

In addition to mimicking simple actions, the Foley artist

will also dub fight punches, hugs, kisses, swordplay,

head scratching, and anything else that emotes sound

no matter how subtle.

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Then there are the footsteps, which are what Foleypeople are best known for.

Every actor walks. Sometimes we see his feet moving,

other times we only sense the movement because thecamera is in close.

The Foley artist will recreate all of the footsteps of each

actor, regardless of whether or not the steps are seen

or implied.

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To assist in making the Foley footsteps match theenvironment on screen, the inside of the Foley

recording stage is equipped with a multitude of small

troughs known as Foley pits.

Each Foley pit is a small rectangular area filled or

covered with a different texture, such as concrete, dirt,

linoleum, carpet, hardwood flooring, marble, grass,

brush & twigs, sand, cobblestone, steel plate, and so

on.

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In addition, there is a small wading pool of water for

creating aquatic sound effects.

The Foley walker also has access to a wide array of

footwear, ranging from mens combat boots to

womens high heels (irregardless of whether the Foleyartist is male or female!) in order to accurately recreate

all of the footsteps as well as mere body shuffles.

The following are some examples from my own SoundEffects Library.

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Sound Effects: Beast Growls

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Sound Effects: Clothes

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Sound Effects: Rope Creaks

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Sound Effects: Traffic

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Sound Effects: Wind

#4 Dialogue

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The fourth and final

major element of the

soundtrack is dialogue,or speech.

Audiences want to

hear what the actors

are saying!

#4 Dialogue

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Dialogue in a film takes on, ultimately, one of two forms.

Either the words are spoken by an actor on screen,with the lips visible to the audience; or, the words are

spoken by an actor off screen, or by an actor on screen

whose face is not visible.

Dialogue from an actor whose face we see is termed

"lipsync", because the words must match the

movement of the lips.

All other dialogue is considered "wild", since it doesnot have to sync with any on screen source.

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The recording of dialogue usually occurs on the set

during filming, and this is referred to as "production

dialogue".

Sometimes, while actors are on the set, but without

cameras rollingthe company will record additional

lines of dialogue to be used later as "wild lines".

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Examples of wild lines that would be recorded on theset for future use include other halves of phone

conversations, shouts or greetings from afar,

background ambience, alternate dialogue (to cover

profanity in event of television broadcast), narration, or

any dialogue that talent tends to stumble over.

Next we are going to look at a small excerpt from

Fearless, try to listen out for all the elements, and how

complex a soundtrack can be.

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Fearless

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