Sound Advice: Ninja Sound
The black clad ninja sneaks into the compound unseen and is about to rescue the emperor's daughter when a band of thugs appears in his path. One by one, he handily defeats each with a variety of weapons and even his bare hands. He completes his mission and slips mysteriously into the night. It's a bit of a stretch, but we can learn a lesson from the ninja. He is the master of many weapons and skills and instinctively knows which one will serve him best in each situation. The same is true of your microphone choices. When you understand all of their strengths and weaknesses, and how to use them, you will instantly know which choice is best for each audio situation.
Hand-To-Hand Combat
Ask any martial arts instructor and they'll likely tell you hand-to-hand battles are the least desirable. When shooting, the last thing you want to use is the built-in microphone that came with your camcorder. Sure, it's always with you and requires no setup or cables, but the sound is unprofessional and less than inspiring. It's easy to understand why: the camera has several internal motors constantly whirring and grinding away. Distance is another issue. Your camera is 15 feet away from Great Aunt Martha as she recounts her childhood during the Great Depression. You composed the shot nicely and the lighting is great, but you can barely hear her speak. Then, Uncle Elmer, who is sitting near the camera, begins to discuss his wife's selective memory with Grandma Esther. Their conversation takes over and your interview is ruined. The moral of the story? Start with external microphones first.
Nunchucks
You might consider the handheld (stick) microphone as the nunchuck of the audio world. These simple microphones are great for quick audio setups and man-on-the-street interviews. You see them used on local and national news broadcasts every day. Handhelds have two very different pickup patterns. Choosing the right one goes a long way toward creating professional video sound. The oldest and most common pickup pattern is omni-directional. You can probably guess that this type of microphone picks up sound equally from all directions. Some classic examples of omni-directional microphones are the ElectroVoice 635 and RE50. Still manufactured today, these workhorses' on-air presence is a testament to their durability and function. There is a downside to omnis: because they pick up sound from all directions, they cannot isolate the person speaking from other loud sounds. A reporter on a construction site may be overrun by the sound of machinery behind her.
A better alternative is a uni-directional or cardioid microphone. This type picks up sound primarily from the front and it's easy to point the business end at the sound you want to record. The directional nature helps minimize the effects of other sounds and spotlights the recording on your subject. It's not magic: you'll still have to yell "Quiet on the set!" Regardless of the pickup pattern you choose, get the microphone close to the person speaking. Reducing the pickup distance to less than a foot greatly improves the ratio of wanted to unwanted sound.
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