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Audio 101:
Intro to Film Audio

by Kyle van Tonder

Download this Article in .PDF format

Fine. So you’ve got the whole video thing going until some snot-nosed kid crits you on your “bad” sound. It may seem simple but sound is actually a very complex thing and plays a major part in your film. Just like video, it too can be extremely frustrating to work with, especially if you don’t have the best equipment. This tutorial is a crash course for Independent Filmmakers with a low, or zero, budget, in recording sound on-set as well as basic audio editing. It will not cover XLR connectors or more advanced forms of recording audio, but many of these principles will still be relevant.

I DON’T UNDERSTAND (JARGON):

Jack: No, not your neighbour. In audio this is the component the plug goes into. Also often referred to as “Female”.
Mini 3.5mm Stereo: The jack and plugs used on most camcorders supporting external microphones. Also known as “Phono”.
XLR: High quality audio connectors providing higher quality sound than the conventional 3.5mm mini jacks (this will not be covered in this tutorial).
Minidisc: A small digital recording device manufactured by Sony.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Audio PictureIf you don’t yet have any of the following then try purchasing, hiring or borrowing them:

  • A microphone designed to be used with a camcorder and your input (in this case mini 3.5mm jack).
  • A nice set of headphones.
  • An extension (plug-wire-jack). I wouldn’t recommend going over 5m and try and get one that is “Shielded”.
  • Tripod or boom pole to hold your microphone (See heading: “Boom Poles & Tripods”).
  • Free software known as “Audacity” (See heading: “Cleaning in Audacity”)
  • A slate-board for when recording with more than one camera (See topic: “Audio Sync”)

GETTING STARTED:

First off you need to make sure your camcorder is capable of supporting an external microphone. A simple “Mic-In” jack will confirm this. This would usually be a Mini 3.5mm stereo jack on the side, looking very similar to a headphone jack. On that note, a headphone jack is also required to monitor the sound, just keep in mind that many manufacturers share their A/V outputs with the Headphone jack.

If you don’t have a camcorder with a microphone input then an external recorder (such as a flash recorder or “MiniDisc”) is also a possibility. I wouldn’t recommend it though, as it will extend your editing time considerably (one will need to sync all the audio)

Another thing to remember is that there are mono microphones. If this is your case then you’ll find that audio is only being captured through one channel (Left or Right). It is possible during editing to remove the empty channel and edit in Mono, but if this fails then attempt to purchase a mono to stereo converter. Alternately only purchase (or loan) a stereo microphone and don’t be afraid to ask to test the microphone before purchasing.

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