Foley Sound

Foley sound is used to add sound effects to a scene. Either the sound was not picked up good enough on location or was not picked up at all. You can add sound from a library but that might not sound as authentic as you need. Not all sound effects found in the library are the exact sound you look for or last the desired duration.

If that is the case then you can record sounds in sync with the actions on the screen. You can run the video on a large movie screen of a TV on a loop or playing straight through the scene.

The above video is almost 20 minutes long and well worth the watch. It is one of the most comprehensive, and entertaining overview of what a Foley artist does and what a sound studio looks like. Hot Nerd Girl is not the best interviewer one could hope for, but Universal Studios Foley artist Dean Minnerly makes the interview work and has some good insight about Foley sound. You can skip from about 5:43 to about 14:16 for the more interesting Q&A of the video. Not only does he show some sound recreation, but also has a truly in-depth knowledge of the industry. Most other videos are just people making sound effects.

  

In the below video you can see the application of Foley artistry. Gary Hecker is the star in this more entertaining video he shows you why Foley is an art. He doesn’t just rattle a horse bridle randomly, he does it in conjunction with what he sees on screen. Camera perspective is all too important when recording sound effects; as the horse gets farther, rattle quieter.

When doing Foley you really have to be aware what is happening on screen, what might happen next, and use your imagination. The more creative you are to get an authentic sounding track, the more you can trick the audience into believing it is authentic and belongs in the scene therefore drawing them into the story subconsciously.

How To Hide A Lav Mic

When using a lavalier mic on film shoots, you probably don’t want them visible by the cameras. In interviews, and on broadcast news shows it is tolerable because it is known that they are miked. In film though, it can take you out of the scene and is not part of the setting or wardrobe and does not help tell the story.

So when you want to use a lav to supplement the shotgun audio there are many issues that can occur such as visibility, clothing rustling against the mic, and talent’s comfort level. There are many ways to approach these issues.

To keep the mic invisible hide it either under the shirt of the actor, under the collar if they have a collared shirt, or running up the back of their shirt and under their hair provided their hair is long enough.

Tackling clothing rustling and talent’s comfort level can be one in the same. In order to combat rustling, use mole skin around the mic and the that to the talent’s wardrobe or skin. Do not be awkard or uncomfortable when miking an actor, but don’t be too comfortable either. Just because you have done this hundreds of times with actors who have also done this hundreds of times, doesn’t mean everyone is used to getting their clothes ripped off just to put a mic on. It helps to get the actor’s name and tell them yours and be professional. If you find out they have shot with a lav before and it is not their first production then maybe you both can move on to getting the mic on and shooting the scene.

Lav Snake by Remote Audio

Every production has a different set of wardrobe that the actors may wear. From dresses to suits to t-shirts to armor, there are many ways to place a lav mic. However, what if the actor is wearing extremely tight fitting clothing and you have to run the lav cable down to an ankle pack, and fast?

Not a problem for the Lav Snake from Remote Audio. The Lav Snake is a 4-foot wire with a rounded tip on one end and lav mic connector holder at the other end. It is flexible but stiff enough for even the tightest clothing, light-weight, and coils up small enough to fit into your pocket or provided pouch.

Simply run the red tip down the talent’s shirt, pants, or unitard until you see the red tip on the other end of the clothing. Attach the lav connector to the Lav Snake by Remote Audio, pull the red tip to feed the rest of the Lav Snake and mic cable through the item of clothing until the lav connector pops out on the other side. Attach lav connector to body pack and you are ready to roll sound.

Benefits for the Lav Snake by Remote Audio:

• Works in clothing too tight for traditional lav weights
• Highly polished for low drag
• Rolls compact for storage but always straightens for use
• Safe for clothing too delicate for the traditional rigid stick tool
• Easy to carry in your pocket or ENG audio bag
• Bright red tip for high visibility, polished smooth for easy routing
• Rounded connector back is easy on actor’s skin and won’t scratch
• Compact zippered carry pouch

Priced at around $60, it is worth every penny. Just ask any actor you are awkwardly laving up without the Lav Snake next time you are on a shoot.

Headphone Comparison

In the above video, SonicSenseProAudio Reviews three of the top headphones under $100. There are varying frequency ranges/responses and sounds that each pair has, and which one is right for you, your production, and your application is purely subjective.

When doing location or post sound, recordists and engineers may look for fidelity in their headphones to hear what is closest to the actual sound with no audio coloration. The following are three options that audio crews may look at purchasing if on a budget.

Audio-Technica A TH-M40x:

Driver	1.5" (40 mm)
Magnet	Neodymium
Voice Coil	CCAW (copper-clad aluminum wire)
Frequency Response	15 Hz to 24 kHz
Maximum Input Power	1600 mW @ 1 kHz
Sensitivity	98 dB
Impedance	35 Ω
Weight	8.5 oz (240 g) without cable

Sony MDR-7506:

Type	Circumaural, closed-back
Frequency Range	10 Hz - 20 kHz
Impedance	63 Ohms
Sensitivity	104dB SPL/mW
Maximum Input Power	1000 mW
Connectors	1/8" stereo mini-jack, with 1/8" to 1/4" TRS phono adapter
Cable Length	10' (3 m)
Weight	7.8 oz (221 g)

Sennheiser HD 280:

Type	Circumaural, closed-back
Frequency Range	8Hz - 25kHz
Impedance	64 Ohms
Sensitivity	102dB SPL/mW
Maximum Input Power	500mW
Connectors	3.5mm stereo mini plug with screw-type 1/4" adapter
Cable Length	10' (3 m) (coiled)
Weight	7.8 oz (220g) (without cable)

Specs are only part of the picture, they are a good guide, but ultimately it is what your ears hear and what it likes or is true to the natural sound of the source that is what is most important. There are less expensive headphones (not recommended), there are more expensive headphones that offer durability, wireless options, and greater attenuation of external sources, but for around $100, any of these three pairs of headphones should do the trick.

Ambient QRT Quicklock Quick Release Mic Adapter

So you have a mixer/recorder of your choosing, a mixing bag and harness to shoot with convenience and comfort, quality mics, and a boom pole to connect it to. Of course you may want to change mics depending on the location. Indoor, outdoor, crowded room, empty and highly reflective environment, whatever the reason you have to change mics like a DP changes lenses. Time is of the essence and the whole crew is dependent on each other. Do not be the one everyone is waiting on simply because you have to change mics. Quick and easy is what Ambient recording had in mind when designing the Ambient QRT Quicklock.

It is the first snap connection, noise-free, quick release tip for any 3/8”threaded connections. This standard connection can be found on mic and boom poles and allows the QRT Quicklock to be attached with ease. Whether it be a boom pole, or a music studio mic stand or antenna you will quickly realize that once you use the Quicklock system you will use on all your mic attachments.

It is secured by a grub screw and allows the Quicklock to be locked into place. You attach a tapered screw into the threaded connection on the mic’s shock mount and lock that into place with the Allen wrench. Simply slide the tapered connection that is attached to the mic into the pink Quicklock attached to the pole, connect the XLR cable and you are ready to record. No fussing with constantly screwing and unscrewing connections. It is fast, easy, and Quick.

Ambient's QX5130 Quickpole Boom Pole

The Sound Devices 633 mixer. The Stingray mixer bag with awesome harness. The Ambient Tiny Mike ATM 216 mini shotgun mic. The Schoeps Super CMIT 2U shotgun mic. Any other shotgun mic you prefer to use to capture sound is up to you. All this great gear to record with, but what do we actually attach the mic to? There is a really slick video above showing how they manufacture their Quickpole that is almost hypnotizing you to buy one. Being lightweight and having a minimal arc at full extension, I may just buy one myself. What to look for in a boom pole is clearly up to the user, but here is Ambient’s take on the boom pole with their QX5130 Quickpole:

High-Quality Construction

The Quickpole Boom is made from the industry's strongest, stiffest carbon-fiber tubing.

Extends up to 213"

Model QP4140 offers an extension between 61-213" (154-540 cm).

Low Transmission Noise

The high-quality design offers minimal noise and disturbance to audio when handling the boom.

3/8" Threaded Tip

Boom tip meets industry standards with a machined, stainless-steel 3/8" thread.

It is made of a carbon-fiber tubing and is lightweight for those long takes or shooting days to help keep your 

arms and shoulders from feeling like they are going to fall off.

There are 4 sections to extend for a total of 18 feet 4 inches in length so you can get those tight sound capturing capabilities when the camera frame might not be so tight. Last thing we want is a boom in a shot or someone saying the lame joke, “Boom in the shot!”.

Never Stop Improving. Knowledge is power.

In this video, legendary sound designer Ben Burtt (Star Wars film series, Indiana Jones film series, Lincoln, E.T.) gives some advice to aspiring sound designers. He states that even if you're going to school for film and you want to study sound don't limit yourself to strictly that. He emphasizes the importance of a well rounded education. Studying writing, art, science, history, engineering can only benefit you in whatever profession you pursue.

Personally I can't agree more. The more you know, the more you can apply to your work/life.

Legendary film director Martin Scorsese made a similar point in an interview saying that he is inspired by everything he reads. He will study art history and architecture not only as research and authenticity for his films, but he will be inspired as an artist by the in the tone and movement of the art and apply that to the music or camera movement.

Then there is the obvious point that it can give you topics to base your work on. If Martin Scorsese didn't study the history of New York or read books outside of film making he never would have come out with the film "Gangs of New York" or one of his best works "Kundun". And if Ben Burtt limited himself to sound design and did not learn music theory and how to play the piano to manipulate pitch and intensity for emotional impact, he may never would have come up with the wonderfully creative sound design for WALL-E (you can see why here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eySh8FOUphM).

You will also become a better human being. The more you know the more you appreciate other things other than just the field of work you're in. One of my professors Andy Alton says to never stop learning about everything you can. You can apply everything in life to something else and it will make you more creative. Also, he teaches us to learn more also simply for the fact that you don't want to be the boring person who  everyone knows always talks about just the one topic every time you see them and lives a predictable, uninteresting, one-dimensional life.

Always strive to become better at everything, never limit yourself, and always become more than you ever thought you could be.

Schoeps Super CMIT 2U Shotgun Mic

In the previous post I talked about the Tiny Mike mini shotgun mic for small to medium productions. It is great to have such large sound capturing capabilities in such a small package. It attaches to DSLR cameras for flexibility when recording your footage and need to be mobile or in a cramped space.

For those who need a larger mic to handle larger productions and who happen to have a larger budget to spend on equipment, check out the Schoeps SuperCMIT 2U shotgun microphone. Based on the amazingly high quality Schoeps CMIT5, the Super CMIT 2U has increased directivity, suppresses the diffuse sound field so you can film in noisy environments and with one flip of a switch the mic supresses  the background noise significantly.

Here are the specs:

Transducer	Condenser
Polar Pattern	Supercardioid
Frequency Response	Not Specified By Manufacturer
Signal-to-Noise Ratio	Channel 1: 14dB-A, RMS, 26dB CCIR Channel 2: 16dB-A, RMS, 28dB CCIR
Maximum Input Sound Level	125dB
Power Requirements	10V Digital Phantom Power Includes PSD 2 U Power Supply
Output Connectors	3-pin XLR
Low Frequency Roll-Off	80Hz with 18dB/oct 5dB Lift @ 10kHz (Shelving)
Dimensions (LxDiameter)	11 x 0.83" (280 x 21mm)
Weight	4 oz (112g)

The digital signal processing algorithms from Illusonic help with suppression of unwanted noise in the filming location, but some users say this can make the vocals slightly thin. If you find that to be true simply turn off the DSP to utilize the direct, single-transducer and change it to the analogue mic based on the original Schoeps CMIT 5.

Priced around $5,000 this mic is for serious sound professionals and for years has been the standard for high-quality sound capturing on film and television productions.

Ambient Recording's TinyMike ATM 216 Mini Shotgun Mic

Ambient Recording's video of their TinyMike mini shotgun. Big-sound pick up from such a little guy.

The specs:

Polar pattern: hyper cardoid (mini shotgun) Axial-adressed

Frequency response: +- 2 dB: 20- 18 kHz

Sensitivity: 17mV/Pa

Equivalent SPL rated at CCIR: 33dB

Max. SPL 1kOhm: 128dB

Dimensions: Ø 12/8 x 140 mm

Weight: 30 g

The kit comes with a shock mount and a windscreen so you don’t have to purchase the most essential accessories and wait for them in the mail individually. You do not need extra batteries to power the mic. It can run off even the small amount of voltage from small HD and DSLR cameras. There are two cables that come with the TinyMike. One that is padded (internally, measured in dB) for cameras that do not need that strong of a signal and one that runs a hotter signal for cameras such as the Cannon 5D. The mic is hyper-cardioid polar pattern as any typical shotgun mic would be with a tiny diaphragm that still picks up all the sound needed for smaller and slightly larger productions.

Weighing in at only 30g the mic can be mounted to the top of the DSLR to capture high quality sound for run and gun documentary filmmaking or other independent features. The TinyMike also comes with a boom pole adapter so it can by connected to a boom pole if you want a sound recordist handling this extremely light, powerful mic to capture all the sounds, of your interior and exterior productions.

http://www.ambient.de/en.html

Tips For Recording Voice-Overs

Recording voice-overs of good quality can be attained by just a few basic considerations to keep in mind before and during recording. In the above video, Videomaker shows us some tips on how to achieve good sound provided that your talent has… well, talent.

Some tips to consider:

1. Minimize noises in the environment such as appliances or climate vents.
2. Acoustically prep the recording area. Depending on the desired sound you are going for, a clean dry signal free of specific characteristics gives you more freedom when manipulating the voice later. It may be easier to add environment later than try to take it out of the recording.
3. Cover hard, reflective surfaces to control sound better or any other items in the room that may resonate when the talent raises their voice.
4. Be sure to light the area well. If the talent can’t read the script they can’t say the lines.
5. Make sure the area is well ventilated. We do not want the talent to be uncomfortable or stuffy while recording.
6. Talent should dress in layers so they can adapt to hot or cold they get during the process. They might be there a while.
7. Choose the right mic. Basically, you get what you pay for, but always read spec sheets and most importantly use your ears. That $1,000 mic might not sound so good for that person’s voice, and that $30 mic might not sound good for anyone’s voice.
8. Use a good shock mount to reduce handling noise or any floor vibrations.
9. Do not stand too close of far from the mic. About 4 to 6 inches away is ok. Trust your ears.
10. Use a pop filter for plosives and sibilance reduction.
11. Use closed-back headphones.
12. Roll off around 100 Hz with around an 18 dB slope for clarity and pop reduction.
13. Pay with compressors and other dynamic processors for you desired sound.

All of these tips are universal whether recording musical vocals or voices for visual media. Music can get slightly more complex but as far as voice-overs go these are good starting points.

Visit Videomaker here:
http://www.videomaker.com/video

K-Tek Stingray Audio Bag and Harness

The previous post was about the Sound Devices 633 mixer and recorder. A lot of great reviews on this device and a lot of great feedback was given. The conclusion was the 633 is everything you could want in a compact design, for a great price. But what do you carry it around in while on production?

Look no further than the K-Tek Stingray Audio Bag.  The Stingray features aluminum internal frame to protect electronics from exterior force as well as exterior aluminum frame to help protect the device from impacts. The aluminum interior also keeps the bag upright and from tipping over due to heavy loads inside.

The Stingray has sides that unzip completely for easy access to inputs and outputs with adjustable straps so the device won’t slide around. When K-Tek designed this bag, they kept the Sound Devices 633 at the forefront of their minds. The bottom of the bag opens up as well to accommodate extended battery packs and for access to the device.

The bag comes with two Velcro pouches for wireless receivers to clip on the device.

Retractable handles make it easy to carry around while tucking them away keeps them from interfering with the controls of the device.

The K-Tek Stingray also hooks up to the K-Tek audio harness to help relieve the fatigue one feels from mixing or booming all day. Instead of putting pressure on your neck like most simple audio straps, the harness distributes the weight to the hips and lower back to keep you comfortable during production.

Search around for a good price and add this to your locations sound kit as soon as possible.