Sound Track: External Miking (page 2)

Boom?

Though not a mike type per se, the boom mike is a staple of video production. A boom is nothing more than a long pole designed to hold a mike near the action but outside the camcorder's view. Good boom poles change length easily, have clips to hold a cable and elastic bands to isolate the mike from shocks. Workable booms may have a fixed length pole, dowel or broom handle, no clips and plenty of gaffer's tape to hold the mike.

In other words, a boom doesn't have to be pretty or expensive to work. It simply needs to allow a boom operator (also called a "volunteer") to hold the mike as close to the subject as possible without ending up on-screen. In addition to the broom handle, functional booms include a mike stand with its base removed, a billiards cue, a heavy fishing pole, a closet hanger rod or dowel and a shower curtain pole to name a few. The list of suitable boom poles is as long as the guerilla videographer's creativity.

In most cases, a directional handheld or instrument mike is the best choice for boom use. You can use a shotgun mike on a boom (more on this later), or even a lavalier taped to the end of the boom. Remember, good miking is not about what you have, it's about where you put…