Post-Production : Sounds for a show by Art Sotelo

Single camera boom. Multiple miced. Just my opinion.

ok thanks

It all depends on the location, the outside forces, and the sound you're trying to get. For something like an interview for a doc, a lav + boom on a stand will yield good results and act as a redundancy system. For on-set, a mic on a boompole is the standard go-to for a more natural sounding dialogue. Again: it all depends. Don't forget to collect room tone and factor in some amount of ADR.

Hi Art, I always boom, and mic up the talent, as well as record onboard sound, to ensure that whatever happens I have useable audio. Some may say Its overkill. Better to be safe than sorry. Your sound engineer will love you too!! The sound engineers I've worked with in the past always like to have options. Peace Dave

We shoot without sound then have the actors come back and do voice overs in a quiet room. Its more work and a little more expensive, but you get the absolute best sound quality.

I'm with Dave on this. You can call it overkill... I call it learning from experience ;) Tek... what you're talking about is ADR and I try to avoid that like the pleg. You lose so much emotion when doing ADR, all the energy your actors are feeling right there on the spot is gone. ADR is a last resort!

I've seen some amazing performances destroyed by the use of ADR. As Eyal said, "You lose so much emotion when doing ADR, all the energy your actors are feeling right there on the spot is gone".

Sadly, a lot of film makers don't fully appreciate how important it is to record the best quality sound possible during a shoot. I've seen a lot of beautifully shot productions overshadowed by appalling quality sound. With a little bit of effort It is possible to record good quality audio with very basic outboard recording equipment. If you want to learn more about recording audio there are quite a few really good instructional videos on You Tube.

As a producer, I ALWAYS hire a field audio recordist (at minimum) for productions that require on screen dialogue. It's a must! I think people under-appreciate the power of audio all-together.

How much is a field audio recordist?

If youre losing any value from ADR'ing, your actor is not worth a damn. ADR guarantees me crisp clear audio all the time and a smooth sounding production.. I make sure my actors do not leave until I am satisfied with the results. That is why I pay them and they know before filming starts that voice overs wil be needed when finished.

Hi Tek, Well, if it works for you Tek thats good news. Personally it doesn't suit my style of working/shooting, but hey, each to their own. It would be a very boring world if we did everything the same way!! In my humble opinion actors work hard enough as it is without putting additional pressure on them. Over the years I've worked on a number of major features, and even the most seasoned pro can find it difficult to recreate the nuances of a performance when ADR'ing. Some on the other hand, (mostly old guard) find it very easy, as it's the way they are used to working. Peace Dave

Between $200 - $800/day is what I normally pay (depending on the type of production) But it saves time, energy and money in the long run. I guess I just don't understand why anyone wouldn't want to do it right the first time. An actor is anywhere from $100 - $2,000 a day! Why would you pay them to come back in for ADR when they are trained and skilled to get it done right the first time? All it takes is the right gear and the right operator for the job and you can get crisp and clean audio on the spot... no ADR needed!!!! ADR is a last resort, it's expensive and avoidable with a good audio crew.

Well, as for me, it depends on the specific situation: i never liked much lavalier mics, always prefer boompole and mic. Otherwise you can ADR if it's too bad to direct sound.