Polarman
Joined: 24 Jun 2005
Posts: 55
Location: Barbados |
| Week 4 - Acquisition |
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1. Describe the problems of shooting sound on location.
2. What polar patterns are best for location shooting?
3. What is an 'interference tube' microphone?
4. Comment on the sound quality of interference tube microphones.
5. Why is a longer interference tube microphone better?
6. What is the problem caused by a longer interference tube microphone?
7. What is a boom?
8. What is a fishpole?
9. What three rules must a fishpole operator keep in mind at all times?
10. Describe the effect of distance on the ratio between direct and reverberant sound.
11. What is the 'proximity effect'?
12. If a microphone isn't mounted on a boom or fishpole, where would it be mounted?
13. What is the normal pattern of a miniature microphone?
14. Why are miniature microphones sometimes clipped onto clothing upside down?
15. Describe the problems found in fitting miniature microphones.
16. Why are cabled microphone generally preferable to radio microphones?
17. Why are radio mics used, despite their problems?
18. Comment on the differences between microphones and the human hearing system.
19. What is the 'cocktail party effect'?
20. Describe the way in which master shots are combined with close ups.
21. Comment on the problem this causes for sound perspective.
22. How is this problem solved, or at least lessened?
23. Describe the use of multiple microphones to cover actors moving about the set or location.
24. Describe the interference effects this might produce.
25. Narration or voice-over, comment on the following:
a. Purpose-built studio
b. Low reverberation time
c. Background noise
d. Standing wave effects
e. Potential problems
26. ADR, comment on the following:
a. Why is ADR necessary?
b. Comment on film looping
c. Why should ADR be done in a dry acoustic?
d. Why do actors often wear headphones during ADR sessions?
e. Describe looping in modern practice.
f. Describe cue beeps.
g. Comment on the selection of takes.
h. Comment on dialogue editing.
27. Foley, comment on the following:
a. What is foley/footsteps?
b. Why is foley necessary when sound effects are available on CD?
c. Why does a foley stage (studio) have to be quieter than other types of recording studio?
d. Why are large-diaphragm microphones suitable for foley? Why are their undesirable characteristics not such a problem as in other types of recording?
e. Why does a foley stage have a very short RT60? |
Mon Mar 27, 2006 2:37 am |
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JakoBee
Newbie
Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 4
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1. Describe the problems of shooting sound on location.
Background noise is often the biggest problem, however there’s also a huge problem recording dialogue. It’s very difficult getting the mic in a perfect position without getting in front of the camera.
2. What polar patterns are best for location shooting?
Definitely Shotgun microphones. - Super Cardioid
3. What is an 'interference tube' microphone?
A Super Cardioid mic. AKA Long Gun. Often used for field recording.
They provide very directional recordings.
4. Comment on the sound quality of interference tube microphones.
When the mic is in the right setting, the quality is superb.
Some of the cheaper interference tube microphones has a poor frequency response in the lower octaves, which can give a tinny or hollow sound. It can also lack presence.
They are very sensitive to the front so placement is very important. interference tube microphones record what you point them at. Also be sure to place the mic, where the sound is most present.
5. Why is a longer interference tube microphone better?
The longer it is the more noise gets filtered off.
6. What is the problem caused by a longer interference tube microphone?
Shotgun microphones with interference tubes tend to exhibit loss of definition when used in confined, hard-walled interiors. This phenomenon is caused by reflected sound waves interfering with the acoustic noise canceling principles employed with the interference tube.
7. What is a boom?
A boom is a special microphone stand that allows the mic to be hung over the subject(s) on camera.
To keep the microphone out of the shot, these stands can be adjusted for height and angle. In addition, the microphone can be swiveled 300+ degrees to pick up sound from any subject. The size can vary from smaller stands to large platforms, cranes used to record fast moving objects. Etc.
8. What is a fishpole?
Basically it’s the portable version of the boom.
It’s an extension of your arm, usually a tube telescope, used to get the microphone closer to the desired sound source.
9. What three rules must a fishpole operator keep in mind at all times?
1) The mic and the pole must stay out of the frame. 2) avoid tapping on the pole. 3) Hold your arms close to your head like a capital H so your musclels don't fatique.
10. Describe the effect of distance on the ratio between direct and reverberant sound.
I simply can’t find answers for this one.
11. What is the 'proximity effect'?
It’s a change in the frequency response of a directional microphone as the sound source is brought within close proximity of the microphone. The result of the change is a disproportionate increase in the bass response of the microphone.
12. If a microphone isn't mounted on a boom or fishpole, where would it be mounted?
In different out of sight objects like plants, pencil cups etc. Or directly on the actors clothing. This type of mic. Is called a lavaliere.
13. What is the normal pattern of a miniature microphone?
The majority of lavaliers are omni directional (they pick up sound in all directions)
14. Why are miniature microphones sometimes clipped onto clothing upside down?
Because they will then receive less noise from surroundings, chest cavity etc.
Also to avoid "pop" or nasal sounds, when you have no windshield available.
15. Describe the problems found in fitting miniature microphones.
The problem is often to avoid noise from clothing etc. And to avoid being seen.
16. Why are cabled microphone generally preferable to radio microphones?
wireless microphone's most serious problem is radio interference from other services and devices.
17. Why are radio mics used, despite their problems?
Since the microphone and transmitter are battery powered, the user is free to move around while speaking or singing into the mic.
Besides that some shot from long distance require radio mics in order to get the mics close enough for close up dialogs.
18. Comment on the differences between microphones and the human hearing system.
While the mic has only one stage, the mic shell, the human ear has three stages before the the sound reaches the brain. The outer ear is like the mic shell. It catches the sound and carry it further to the middle ear. In the middle ear the signal is converted to bone vibrations via the ear drum. The inner ear hair cells connected to nerve endings reacts on these vibrations and send it to the brain.
19. What is the 'cocktail party effect'?
The cocktail party effect is the ability to focus your listening attention on a single talker among a mixture of conversations and background noises, ignoring other conversations.
20. Describe the way in which master shots are combined with close ups.
I simply cannot find any “rules” for this. In modern filmmaking there’s no rules for these things- The director to combine these as he/she wishes.
21. Comment on the problem this causes for sound perspective.
Well the sound perspective has to follow the shoots relatively precise, so that could pose a problem.
The recordings on the master shot may sound differently from the close up especially if they are shot different times of the day.
22. How is this problem solved, or at least lessened?
By use of multiple microphones. Keeping the same distance of the mics when recording sound on both master shots and close ups. Otherwise make sure that the two shots are made simultanously or at least close to each other
23. Describe the use of multiple microphones to cover actors moving about the set or location.
It can be done by placing hidden mics throughout the scene/location.
24. Describe the interference effects this might produce.
Phase cancellation is a problem when multiple mic are recording the same sound source. To avoid this there is a rule called The "Three to one" rule. It says that the distance between mics must be three times the distance to the sound source and gained at same level. Several variations of the frequency respons can also occur when mulitple microphones pick up sound from a single source. This can result in a hollow sound - The so-called Comb Filtering. Another interference effect is when you have delayed versions of the same sound source. So place the mics in this way: as close as practical to the wanted sound source and pointed towards it and as far as possible from unwanted sound source pointed away from it.
25. Narration or voice-over, comment on the following:
a. Purpose-built studio
is very important to get a dead room without ANY reverb. The voice-over "Box" therefore has to be small in dimensions with floor, walls and ceiling covered with sound absorbing material.
b. Low reverberation time
this refers to the amount of time it takes for sound energy to bounce around a room before being absorbed by the materials and air. (For the sound to reduce into one millionth of its original power) Low RT Is also needed to avoid affecting the voice in any undesired way.
c. Background noise
Is NOT desirable.
d. Standing wave effects.
Two sine waves travelling in opposite directions create a standing wave.
e. Potential problems
Eliminating some frequencies and boosting other
26. ADR, comment on the following:
a. Why is ADR necessary?
Alternate (alternative) Dialogue Replacement
Is used as a postproduction tool. When on location recording is messy or unclear.
But also some directors uses ADR to change the emotional bent on specific scenes.
b. Comment on film looping
An actor is shown a continual film loop of the scene he/she was recording so that they would be able to synchronize their voice with the performance that was shot at an earlier date.
b. Why should ADR be done in a dry acoustic?
If there’s too much “room” sound (noise) when recording ADR or Foley it will be too hard, if not impossible, to emulate the surroundings from the screen afterwards.
c. Why do actors often wear headphones during ADR sessions?
They have to listen to the originally recorded dialogue, and Cue Beeps, to perfectly match the replacing dialogue mimics, emotions, excitement and energy entirely
to the film.
e. Describe looping in modern practice.
Now a days, it’s all recorded in software programs, so editing is much easier, cheaper and faster. The actor has a monitor displaying the scene that requires ADR. And along with the location sound in the headphones he is well guided. Often the director and engineer/editor also has "their" monitor to make corrections as easy as possible during the ADR session.
f. Describe cue beeps.
A sequence of three rhythmic beeps, Where the fourth beep should sound, the actors begins their lines.
g. Comment on the selection of takes.
sometimes many takes a made to select the best or to rebuild new sentences from the takes.
h. Comment on dialogue editing.
The two main jobs of a dialog editor is to 1) clean up production sound, 2) Split spoken lines on different tracks, such as spoken lines from different microphones.
27. Foley, comment on the following:
a. What is foley/footsteps?
Foley is named after Jack Foley, who was the first one to actually recreate sounds in a designated studio.
Foley is the art of recreating the natural sounds, each scene of film requires to seem convincing. On a Film set almost nothing is reel. For instance swords are made of plastic. Thats an obviously reason for foleys to be made. Foley is recreation of all the sounds, the loctaion mics don't record properly. Foley is often used to make overlaps in the sound making bridges between gaps in the sound. The location sound recordist is focused on the dialog only, trying to eliminate all other sounds. Another reason why foley is so important.
b. Why is foley necessary when sound effects are available on CD?
The human ear is able to tell if there’s even a slight imbalance between the visual action and the sounds those actions create, therefore one has to put a lot of effort in making the right sound for the picture. A footstep can sound in a million different ways, so chances are that the one footstep you need for your picture isn’t prerecorded in any SFX CD’s.
Most directors even take pride in having their own Foley done for their film.
c. Why does a foley stage (studio) have to be quieter than other types of recording studio?
If theres too much “room” sound (noise) when recording ADR or Foley it will be too hard, if not impossible, to emulate the surroundings from the screen afterwards, also because of the mics. Usually mics for Foley are extremely sensitive.
d. Why are large-diaphragm microphones suitable for foley? Why are their undesirable characteristics not such a problem as in other types of recording?
Foley tends to be rather quiet, which is why extremely sensitive mics are preferred (paired with high-end preamplifiers and A-D converters).
d. Why does a foley stage have a very short RT60?
I must refer to the following answer again:
If theres too much “room” sound (noise) when recording ADR or Foley it will be too hard, if not impossible, to emulate the surroundings from the screen afterwards. |
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Fri May 11, 2007 8:23 pm |
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AUdIoCoUrSeS
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 2014
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very impressive answers, well thought out and clear, greta work!
Just this one
10. Describe the effect of distance on the ratio between direct and reverberant sound.
I simply can’t find answers for this one.
I think you can work this out though yourself, based on your knowlege of how sound behaves when bounced off surfaces. Think about the concept of moving the microphone closer to the sound source and thus raises the level of direct sound.
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It's all in the ears. - Learn the concepts not the software.
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Tue May 15, 2007 11:08 am |
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