KCMG Channel

[Zeized]

Hey everybody. I've been working on some sketch comedies lately. It's a series of videos about a father and son who don't like each other. The father has anger issues and the son is in the closet gay. The characters are still developing acting wise. Here is a video that I hope you guys will enjoy. It's a pretty simple set up.


Another one here


Find more on my youtube channel here www.youtube.com/zeized

[HueyNRolf]

That's a decent job. The actors delivered reasonable performances. If you want to improve your production, I'd start with the sound. It sounds like the mic is on the camera. Look into booming the mic or using lavs.

[Zeized]

Thanks for the reply . Yes that's correct. I've got a RODE VideoMic on the camera. I have a couple of shotguns and a boom pole, but I am waiting on a JuicedLink so I can run the mics XLR.

[HueyNRolf]

You don't need a Juicedlink. An inexpensive impedance-matching transformer will adapt the connector and maintain the balanced signal. The Juicedlink offers other benefits, so if you've ordered one, just carry on.

[Zeized]

Not a bad idea. But yes, I've ordered the JuicedLink.

[Zeized]

Alright, I just uploaded a new video with boomed audio. It sounds a lot better, but I was still using a relatively cheap mic. Check it out for yourself

[HueyNRolf]

That's better but still very roomy. I think the gain is little low too, did you normalize? How close did you boom the mic? It needs to be as close as possible. They say a good boom op is one you have to keep telling to get the mic out of the shot.

Mind you, the echo kind works with this scene. Maybe that's what you were going for?

[drapeama]

[...] it needs to be as close as possible. They say a good boom op is one you have to keep telling to get the mic out of the shot.
Mind you, the echo kind works with this scene.

Maybe it was a shotgun, indoor, which isn't the best solution. Not bad at all, as you pointed, the echo works with the scene and serves it well.
If you'll be using a JuicedLink, and booming your audio, maybe you'd like the setup i'm using : Audio-Technica ATM-650, JuicedLink CX211 and ZoomH2. In your case, just replace the zoom by the camcorder, you'll get decent audio by lowering the camcorder levels, and boosting the microphone signal with the JuicedLink, as my HV40's preamp is noisy and the JuicedLink gives better results.
Might check for that microphone, i've done a test here, you'll hear it. I've done another test with a DIY boom pole : i'm using a Mr. LongArm painter pole, a microphone gooseneck base on top of it and a shockmount from ebay: total cost ~40$ everything included.
Hope it helps.

[HueyNRolf]

It could be the mic, more likely an unidirectional type than a shotgun. Or a combination of the mic and positioning.

[Zeized]

The booming was done roughly 3 feet above the talents head. It was filmed in a small garage with bare walls (reverb...) but I chose the location with that in mind because I figured it would help with the setting. The normalization was a nice catch. I lowered the High gain about -5 throughout. It may have been a little too much. It was about 10 degrees in that garage so we probably rushed a little. I would have liked to lower the mic another foot or too. I didn't have a grip so it was mounted and stationary as I dollied.

[HueyNRolf]

The booming was done roughly 3 feet above the talents head. It was filmed in a small garage with bare walls (reverb...) but I chose the location with that in mind because I figured it would help with the setting. The normalization was a nice catch. I lowered the High gain about -5 throughout. It may have been a little too much. It was about 10 degrees in that garage so we probably rushed a little. I would have liked to lower the mic another foot or too. I didn't have a grip so it was mounted and stationary as I dollied.

Three feet is a little far and you should set your gain to peak at -12db, then in post, normalize for a comfortable listening level.

You're going the right way, but no cigar yet.

Which mic did use?

[Zeized]

I used my RODE VideoMic once again as I am still waiting to upgrade. It would have been so easy to get it lower. I had plenty of room before the framing... a good two more feet. As we wrapped the last shot that was the first thing I wished I would have done. I dialed down the HV30 "preamp" during shooting and then reduced some high end hum in post (-5 high gain). The more videos I make the better they will get because I think about what I could have done differently and try to make those changes in the next video. Plus, it's kind of difficult when it's just me behind the camera. I rig the lights, cameras, etc.. You all know how that is.

[Zeized]

Alright. Here is my latest video. The Life Coach. Let me know what you all think.

[Zeized]

I boomed the mic about a foot from his face. The three on the couch... not so much. Mic was about 4 feet from them. But the video is really funny so I'm satisfied haha.

[HueyNRolf]

I boomed the mic about a foot from his face. The three on the couch...

Good job, but when he starts shouting it blows out. Best to set your gain for loud speech parts, separately and cut them in during post.

not so much. Mic was about 4 feet from them

That's too far and so they sound very roomy.

Also, the overall post gain is far too low. I had to use full system gain and even then some of it was difficult to hear. It's good to record at a low gain, -12db peak, is common practice. But you need to boost it in post, to make the listening level more comfortable. Normalizing is common practice, give it a go next time.

Keep up the good work, your sound is definitely getting better.

[Zeized]

Thanks. I love the trial and error process. It always helps me learn for the next video. As long as each video is better than the last I am happy. I think my next project I will focus all my effort into clean, quality audio and not stop until I have it. My actors will just have to deal with it. Ha. Retake after retake, I don't care.

[HueyNRolf]

I'm no expert, but I do quite a lot of booming for people like yourself. My method is to lower my boom into the shot and ask the camera op to tell me when (it appears in his frame). When he calls 'when' I back it up an inch or two and ask 'is that OK?' I try to get a visual reference by lining the position up with a reference in the background. A tiled surface is great. It's easier to keep out when things are static, but when you're tracking the talents on the move, you'll often end up intruding in the shot. Of course, if this occurs, the camera op can call 'cut' and we can just go again.

Some camera ops don't understand sound and think I'm F'n with them. I got into a fist fight with a camera op once.

[Zeized]

Wow, that sounds intense. Yeah for me I am the writer, director, camera op, gaffer, key grip, and sometimes actor. It can get tough on set when you are the only one who knows anything about film making. Luckily I love all my actors as they are very understanding and patient. In "The Life Coach" I am the guy on the far left sitting on the couch. So for that shot I wasn't able to boom. I had to mount it the best I could and just couldn't quite get the mic close enough. Also, it was filmed at about 10:00 p.m. but I lit it so it appeared to be day time. I had a 2k outside the big window going through the blinds giving the window a day time look. Just a fun fact I guess.

[HueyNRolf]

Wow, that sounds intense.

Oh yes, but it's all good. There's often disagreements, but the crew will, most often, let it go after the shoot with a few drinks of course.

There was the case of the girl friend of a director who nagged her way in as 'continuity advisor,' Just a hanger on really. Anyways, she got into a huge cat fight with the hair and makeup girl. . . Nasty! The camera was still rolling, so that vid did the rounds.

I can't share it here, but it's a classic.

[Zeized]

Oh wow. Sometimes I get so annoyed when people walk onto sets because they know someone and pretty much just get in the way. One guy knocked over a C stand mounted with a light well over 5 grand. It was damaged pretty bad. I gotta check that video out though. Is it online somewhere?

[Zeized]

Also, I just did a major redesign on my channel. Let me know how it looks. www.youtube.com/zeized

[Zeized]

Here is the latest video from KCMGtv. Mic is just out of frame. Normalization applied in post. We did this video because we were getting thousands of views and youtube friend requests but not that many subscriptions. Thought it would be a funny way to try and get more subscriptions.

[Jim E]

Pretty funny.

[HueyNRolf]

Oh yeah! Good job. The guy on the left is louder. But with a bit of practice with the boompole, the tracking will improve.
But that's a hell of an improvement over the video mic on the camera, isn't it?

[Zeized]

Yeah for sure. It sounds a lot better. The mic was about 4 inches closer to Travis. Plus he talks louder. Glad you liked it :P