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(Part of Lee Prescott's rough guide to movie sound -
go to page 1.)
Recording Original/Location Sound
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Place/direct your actors/people properly and politely. Listen to any
suggestion they may have. Rehearse for sound more than once. Some voices
undermodulate to the extent they're worse than a whisper. Some voices blow
your head off. |
Some situations cannot be "rehearsed" you say? ALL situations, if you're
serious enough, can be rehearsed:
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Weddings? Go to the couple's "walk-through rehearsal" or if none, pop along
and talk to the folks concerned.
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Down a Coal Mine? Do a pre-visit.
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Holidays? Check the situation before recording and it doesn't have to take
over the holiday at the expense of others in the family, party etc.
Recording a Commentary/Narration.
To get background to the subject do your research. (It's about the only
worthwhile use for a holiday brochure.)
Familiarise yourself with the visuals.
Adjust the flow of words to about three per second.
Speak conversationally, not as if you were reading.
Sometimes it is better to speak across the mic. not directly into it. Try
it.
DO NOT
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· talk over people speaking on screen.
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· state the obvious. e.g. to the visual of a man shoeing a horse: "This
is Fred shoeing a horse". (Oh yes it happens!)
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· record commentary "LIVE" whilst filming.
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· labour a point.
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· give lists of historical dates.
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· be a "politician" - that is talk for talking's sake or because you
think your voice is wonderful.
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· use poetry UNLESS you can get the cadence correct.
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· use verbiage which may be difficult to say or hear: e.g. Use "didn't"
rather than "did not"; "wasn't" rather than "was not" etc.
Human voices have infinite variety, listen to and use them appropriately
if you can.
DO:
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Relate to what's on screen without stating the obvious.
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Be original - try.
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Be interesting.
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Use the odd personal reminiscence if you wish and it's applicable to what's
on screen.
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Try to match the voice to the visuals if you can. That is, use "Old Wurzel"
if your movie is about The Hayloft, Muckspreading etc. "Provid'n 'e cun'
be un'stood loike"! Especially if it's comedy/humorous.
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Time your visuals. (Actually it is sometimes better to write commentary and
fit visuals to it but not at the expense of visual pace).
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Speak your commentary to tape or writeable CD. Don't try to do it directly
unless you have a lot of experience - and even then don't! In audio dubbing
linear recording you could end up with re-starts due to fluffs, squawks and
a lot else.
When you have finished your commentary: listen to it again and again over
several days. It's amazing what improvements will come to mind.
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