Sound For The Independent Documentary
The film industry has always been associated with expensive projects — Hollywood and the latest developments in special effects have created the perception that, in order for someone to work in this motley industry, he or she will require a lot of money. And although this is particularly true in some cases, there are other fields within the film industry that allows film and picture enthusiasts to carry out other kinds of audiovisual projects.
Since the emergence of the myriad of affordable camera recorders and mobile phones that come equipped with HD video cameras, too many people have harnessed the power of social media to share their projects, regardless of whether they went to film school or not. In fact, the nature of this low-budget projects also originated other forms of films, ranging from homemade documentaries to interviews.
When it comes to documentaries, it has never been this easy to produce and share a documentary audiovisual project. Of course, documentary projects can be as technical and expensive as any other film; however, for those who cannot afford studios and a whole production and post-production crew, the homemade documentary project has become a niche that involves the whole production and post-production chain.
Now, speaking about independent and low-budget documentaries, if one were to take a much closer look at the nature of these projects, one would find they have a common denominator: the vast majority lack good sound. As an avid film enthusiast, it is quite easy to shoot and record with a camera; however, the art of placing a microphone, monitoring and minding volume levels, is foreign to the directors’ basic knowledge.
So, the question still remains unanswered: how to produce high-quality documentary videos without poor sound? Fortunately, there are several techniques and tools that allow the people in charge of these projects make the most out of their budget in the editing and mixing stages, regardless of whether they’re using a mobile phone, a cheap video camera, a prosumer or even a professional camcorder to shoot the project. Above all things: sound will always be pivotal for the project’s storytelling.
Irrespective of what gear is being used to shoot the project, there are plenty of ways in which independent and low-budget films producers can achieve good results when it comes to sound and audio. Here are some key concepts that need to be taken into account before production starts.
The Sound is the conveyor of emotions
Think of any film with a particular sound in a particular sequence of moving images. Think of Jaws, for instance. Remember the music every time the shark appeared on screen? Of course, the genius of John Williams created such tension in the viewers that they totally felt immersed in the action taking place, creating a whole new experience for them, which ultimately contributed to the project is one of the most famous films by director Steven Spielberg.
The sound is the conveyor of emotions in an audiovisual project, whereas pictures and moving images embody the conveyor of information. The sound is practically the soul of any audiovisual project, which is why, no matter how film-savvy you might be, educating yourself on sound best practices is key, regardless of whether your project includes several lines of dialogue or a very compelling score.
The art of placing a microphone
Even within the independent and low-budget film category, it is possible to differentiate an amateur project from a more professional project. The key to spotting the difference is the amount of ambient and environmental noise from different sources present in the project, and a subsequent low sound level relative to the aforementioned environmental noise.
When shooting a documentary, the key to attaining and crafting a compelling story all comes down to getting the microphone as close as possible to the intended sound, and obviously as far as possible from all the environmental noise that always ends up in the final tracks. Since documentaries often take place outdoors, it is important to get acquainted with the tools that allow you to get rid of unwanted noise, especially if you’re an amateur looking forward to producing your first project. With a little bit of research, you can come up with a really compelling soundtrack, making your storytelling more enticing.
Learn how to set your recording levels, learn what types of microphones are used in documentaries, and allocate a great part of your budget for audio post-production. When recording, always monitor the sound you’re receiving in order to avoid possible setbacks in the editing process. If you’re using a digital recording device, remember it’s impossible to record anything beyond full scale, so don’t try to get past this limit, or otherwise your recording will sound horrible, unless, of course, you set a gain control before to adjust proper and ideal recording levels.