The Svec Times
Tip Of The Week
Past Topics: Lights, Microphones
Microphone Maddness
Audio….when you hear photogs talk about audio, it’s usually a short discussion. It would sound something like this: How’s your audio? No static. Level? Ok. Good. It may be a little longer than that but the basic point remains the same: If the person on the mic can be heard without static, distortion or over modulation then all is fine. It seems strange that we are taught to “tell stories with pictures and sound” but 50% of what goes on our tapes gets 10% of our attention. To understand what is going to be recorded we must first understand the tools we are given….the mics.

Microphone: An audio transducer that converts sound pressure waves (sound energy) into electrical signals.

In our standard bag of tricks we have a Stick Mic, a Shotgun Mic, and a Lavaliere Mic. Each of these has a different pickup pattern and should be used differently in different situations.
First lets talk about pickup pattern. The diagrams to the right show the pickup patterns, the area within which the microphone can accurately pick up sound. Getting good audio is an extension of three basic steps: (1) selection of the correct microphone; (2) microphone placement; and (3) balance and perspective. We all know that, in a pinch, any one of our mics can get the job done but, choosing the correct tool for the job at hand can sometimes be tricky. Your first step in choosing a mic is to listen to what is going on around you. If you are in somebody’s living room, is the TV on…is there a fan running…listen carefully. Homes, offices, studios and other such places are controlled environments. Take control. Turn off things that make noise and use your lav mic. In an uncontrolled environment like the parking lot of the local grocery store or a sidewalk down town you must decide between your Stick Mic and your Shotgun Mic. If the Stick Mic is used it has to be close to the subject’s noise hole. This will pick up what the subject says and give you some of the ambient noise that is going on around them. The Shotgun Mic has a very directional pickup pattern and can get the same quality of audio without being as close as the Stick Mic. Used correctly the Shotgun should be pointed about three inches in front of the subject’s mouth at about a thirty degree upwards angle. The sound will be clear but you may not get as much of the ambient noise as wanted so when you see the video it may seem like the voice was dubbed in. All mics are designed for a single purpose but they can be used in different ways to add a little spice to your final product. It’s kind of like cowboy boots: Just because you don’t rope cattle doesn’t mean you can’t wear them. Try your mics out in different situations or try them all in the same situation and see what the differences are.
A Quick Guide to Lighting
The picture to the left is from a book * I had lying around. It's a nice diagram of how three point lighting works.
A couple of weeks ago I took an opportunity to get some “Poynter Points” from Al Tompkins. One interesting point was about lighting. I was asked to pass along what was discussed.

First let me state that lighting, in an uncontrolled environment, is an imperfect science. But with a couple of tips, can be close to painless and place you and your video above the standard.

During our discussion we talked about a phrase that some people may have heard of before: “The Reporter Sandwich”. Basically what this means is place a light on each side of the reporter. One light is your Key Light and the other is your Fill Light. If you have two identical lights make one of them half the power of the other one (a smaller bulb) or twice the distance from the subject as the other one. This is your Fill Light. Keep them both at about thirty degrees to the subject and you should be in business. For run and gun situations the light on your camera works fine, but it would work even better if it was pulled off and held out at an arms length from the camera. Usually our subject is one person, seated or standing, directly facing a reporter. If we have more than one subject we should try to light them individually but we don’t always have that luxury of time. We can, however, shoot them one at a time and adjust the Key Light between interviews.
In lighting there are some basic terms that will be repeated during any discussion. They are: Key Light, Fill Light and Back Light. Each has a separate effect on the subject because they all differ in angle and direction, strength of the light, and how focused they are. After practice, or trial and error, whatever you want to call it, you will be able to set and change the texture, reality, mood, and focus of attention in anything you shoot.

The Key Light is the most important source of light on your subject. It is usually a spot light with a narrow beam which exaggerate the difference between light and shadow. It is important to position the Key Light at about a 30 degree angle to where the subject is looking. If the light is pointed directly at the subject it will flatten their features and we like to show three dimensions in a two dimension medium.

The Fill Light is used to “fill in” the dark side of the subject. It should be placed at an angle directly opposite the Key Light. On some of the lights we have there is a lever that allows the light to be a spot light or a flood light. The flood setting is desirable for use as a fill light. One key point is that the Fill Light should NOT compete in creating shadows or counter the shaping effects of the Key Light.

The Back Light is as the name implies, it comes from behind and above the subject. A spot light is the common light for this light so that it can be directed and focused like the Key Light. The Back Light fall upon and, as a result, accentuates the hair and shoulders. The reason we use the Back Light is to separate the subject from the background and add to the illusion of depth within the frame. Back Light intensities will be different depending on the hair color, background, and desired effect. For example, blondes require relatively little back light because their hair color naturally separates them from the back ground. Tight curly hair, on the other hand, needs extra light because it does not reflect light well. More trial and error here.
*Burrows, T.D., Wood, D.N., and Gross, L.S.  (1992).  Television Production.  (5th ed.)  
     Wm. C. Brown publishers.  page 87.