ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

12 years, 5 months ago - Mohamed Abdelrahman

Hi Tom,
I think you have to use super direction body radio mics, which could be placed very close to the talking source.I tried that before and it did well.

12 years, 6 months ago - Marlom Tander

I have done silly amounts of this.

Where is the sound coming from? The person on stage or the speakers stageside?

Basically - directional mic, but ensure pointing right way.

If it's "unplugged" you really need the mic up close otherwise room noise will swamp, unless audience is very quiet.

I'[ve filmed unplugged theatre from the back row with XLR mic on camera and made it work, but if you think people will talk in path, be as close to the front as possible.

12 years, 6 months ago - Yen Rickeard

Hi Tom, there are technical solutions, with mics close up to the performers, usually 1 for each source of sound. If you want to do a live performance this is your only real solution.

If you still can't get the sound you want, you could ADR it in a studio or, if you want the atmosphere without the noise you could try getting the venue to allow you in before or after the public, with your own actor crowd, who can mime or low voice the atmosphere and still provide realistic applause. The venue might agree to this for free, as it would work as advertising for them. Your mates might be able to provide the quiet(ish) audience.
Good luck with it,
Yen Rickeard

12 years, 6 months ago - Shoaib Vali

A shot gun mic would probably do, which goes on top of the camera, the noise would be reduced upto some extent and the rest of the noise cancellation can be done in post, sound designers could probably give their 2 cents on the post-production aspect of it, but filming it accordingly would be pretty important too, i.e directing the speaker, or positioning the camera so as to avoid the swath of noise, as the shot gun mic picks up sounds right in front of it.

12 years, 5 months ago - Nathan Cubitt

If the performers are using a PA - get a feed from their sound desk... this will tether you to the desk as it sounds like cable-bashing would be a nightmare. With two cameras one can be tethered to the desk and the other can record atmos/audience. With one camera have the sound desk feed on one channel and camera mic on the other for the atmos.

For a bit extra cash you could hire a radio mic and transmit the sound desk output to the camera, avoiding being tethered by the cable.

12 years, 5 months ago - David Graham Scott

Hi Tom
depends what you're filming but I'd go for a quality directional shotgun mic mounted on the camera for one channel and a good radio mic on the other. Just make sure the sound levels aren't peaking too much.