Archive for December 2008
Audio is as Important as Video
If you’re at all serious about your video projects, you need to get serious about audio too. This is so important that I’ll be covering this topic on a regular basis.
Today we’ll just go over the basics.
Let’s start with your camcorder’s built-in mic. Chances are, it sucks. The built-in mics pick up too much ambient noise. The sounds you WANT recorded, end up getting lost in the mix. Built-in mics are notorious for picking up the mechanical noises of the camera and can’t be directed at the sound source you’re really interested in recording.
Built-in mics are also typically of low quality. They are very small, and are limited in the frequencies they can record accurately.
There are a variety of microphones designed for video work, and in future posts, I’ll describe them and how they’re used.
How to Choose a Consumer Video Camera
It’s always the same question…”Which camcorder should I buy?”
I don’t know. That’s the simple answer. But I can help you with a list of things to consider when selecting a video camera.
The first and foremost factor is deciding how you want to use it. If you hope to make low-budget motion pictures for major market distribution, you’ll want a different camera than you’d want if all you need to do is document the birth of your dog’s new puppies.
Video cameras (not surprisingly) offer greater capability, depending on cost. So what’s you budget? There are three primary budget ranges to consider. $1000 and under. $1000-$4000 and $4000 and up. Most consumers are looking for something that costs less than $1000. Fortunately, there are many cameras that fall into that category.
Next on the list is format. Do you want to record to tape, DVD or hard drive. For consumer-level cameras, I usually recommend against DVD formatted cameras. Tape is the easiest to deal with, but does require that you budget for an ongoing expense.
Another consideration is what features do you need? Some that I suggest you look for include an optical rather than a digital zoom, a miminum of 720p HD quality, HDMI outputs, replacable-rechargable batteries, an easy way to mount the camera to a tripod, manual control over things like aperture and exposure and lastly, the ability to add an external microphone and to monitor the audio as it comes into the camera. The audio features are perhaps the most important to me personally, since I know that without good audio, it doesn’t matter what the video looks like.
Lastly, make sure your camcorder will work with the editing software you prefer. For instance, if you prefer iMovie 08, Apple has provided a complete list of compatible cameras here.
The Biggest Lie In Video Production History
“We’ll fix it in post!”
NO! YOU WON’T!
One of the biggest mistakes made by video shooters is the false belief that they can fix mistakes in post.
If you didn’t get the sound as you recorded the shot – if you were out of focus – if you’re hand-holding technique resulted in poor footage, etc., etc., etc., you will probably be sorry if you think you can fix it after you shoot it.
Even long-standing professionals know that it’s hard to sync dialog, or cut around bad footage. Amateurs have even less chance for success.
It’s always best to get it right in the camera. Besides making it actually possible to get the result you want, getting it right in the camera is less time-consuming, less expensive and less stressful, than trying to fix it later.
Don’t be lazy. Stay on the shot until you get it right. You’ll be happier in the end. And you’ll actually have a realistic chance of getting the results you want. Hoping to fix it in post will most likely mean failure.
