Jennifer and Mark demonstrate some techniques for getting good sound during an interview.
Hi, I’m Jennifer O’Rourke for Video Maker. In today’s tips and tricks we’re gonna show you great ways to use a lavliere or hand-held mic when you’re gonna be interviewing your subjects.
This is called a lavliere mic or lapel mic. This one has a windscreen on it that comes off and on easily and a tie clip which comes off and on, and you can twist it depending on what side lapel the mic is going to go onto. When you finish with your shoot and you’re wrapping your mic up, wrap it very lightly, loosely around your hand.
Do not wrap it tight because it will break the very delicate elements inside the cable. If for some reason you’ve lost your tie clip or your mic never came with one, most mics will actually fit through buttonholes and if you stick a little bit of it through the button hole you could tape it from behind with gaffer’s tape or surgical tape. It hides the cable pretty well.
Now instinct had me put the mic on this side because I’ve got the lapel clip on this side but as soon as I turn my mouth this way to talk to Mark you’re not going to hear me. I need to have the lapel mic on this side. Always have your mic on the same side as your subject talking.
When using a hand mic hold it right between the breast bone. You don’t want to be up too high in front of the face because you’re gonna obscure their face. You don’t want to be too low because you’re not gonna get that audio. You want to be right under their chin right there.
So remember his voice is more important than your voice but you do want to capture some of it, so as soon as he’s finished talking and you’ve given him enough time to breathe, bring the mic back to yourself, get a couple of the beginning words of your question, and then take it right to him before he starts talking, otherwise you’re gonna have a little bit of the sound dipping out.
Usually you’re gonna have your camera set up so that you have a two-shot here but as soon as I turn to interview the subject he’s gonna turn towards me and you’re gonna get a profile of both of us. So here’s a tip that reporters use when they’re doing live shots out in the field. You step just a little bit in front of the person that you’re interviewing, and then when you turn your back on them they’re actually facing the camera. My back is to the camera but the camera is seeing him which is much more important than seeing my face as they interview.
When setting levels make sure you’re not peaking in the ridge. Try to peak the audio at minus six decibels. Here’s a really good tip. You need to set your levels so while your sound man or your camera operator is setting levels talk to your interview subject a little bit about something that’s really not important to the interview so that he can get his levels and then you just jump right into the interview and your subject isn’t even aware the interview has begun, and he’s less nervous and you have already got your levels set.
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