Documentary Filming Tips & Tricks: Audio Equipment - Filmmaking Tutorial 19

[xcalade]

Hey Tom, very nice. I was wondering how the H4 zoom coped with multiple people in the shot, I noticed it did very well with the one, so can u please show how effective it is in a conversation of multiple input. Thanks.

[DieJoeShow]

Hi Tom! Do you recommend to use a picture style such as "CineStyle" and just color correct in post to get a great picutre or do you prefer picture profiles such as "Landscape"?

[10FRANKTV]

Hey Tom, Thank you for your inspiring videos. I recently made a short noir/thriller shot in south east asia using similar techniques. I did the sound using the ZOOM H4 using your video as a guide. Was a great help for my first time doing my own sound. Please put me on any list for any of your tutorials. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[blueplanettravel1]

Not having read all the 102 comments I thought I'd offer up a program that I've just purchase to sync 90 minutes of footage from a fixed camera (single take) and a handheld Nikon D90 multiple takes - I used singular software add the dot com called pluraleyes to sync all the clips - using premiere Pro CS5.5 worked great 5 minutes instead of 3 days and no clap board

[DumbBassSIX]

Hey tom! I am a film make but I am only 14 uhhh yeah but I dont have much money is there a good cheaper microphone in the price range 10 -150$ it doesn't need to be the best microphone ever just something that can record audio better then the canon t2i mic... hopefully u can reply thanks bye XD

[lastkeyblade]

You are my hero, my future youtube videos on my other channel are gonna be awesome coz of your tutorials!

[MrGuilhermeFernandes]

Stop fucking saying: "You know".

[GeekinsteinTutorials]

What are the legal issues when filming like this? Can you get in trouble for filming someone who doesn't want to be filmed?

Privacy issues and all that.

[xxxjohnblaney]

Good information!

[kshathriyaraja]

Hey, Tom. This was simply Great. I am Gourav from India. I have plans to do some documentaries on social interest. I have few questions like: 1. Whom should I approach once I have did a documentary. I mean no one would be interested untill I do Documentary and at the same time no one would be interested to produce untill I show them some thing. Also could you kindly list the audio and video equipment for the best quality. Please help.

[theonlyskinnytex]

Hi Tom, thanks for making these videos. I have a really specific question that you might find a little strange. I want to open up a youtube channel that mirrors that of daveywavey's (or wickedykewl) but i have no idea where to even begin equipment-wise. If you're familiar with his videos, what do you recommend i should invest in? Thanks!

[ghostmomo]

I like your videos! BTW, I bought H4n, it is even better! :)

[sexygm01]

waw this is amazing thanks a lot..:D

[xSoonerxOrxLaterx]

Hey do you know the best way to get permission to access areas that would be considered traspassing any other way?

[khethirada]

I would say I have learned a lot from your video. Super thanks for that !!!! hope you can post more videos so that i could be able to lear more.

Regards,

khemra

[mipentertainment]

sorry what lens did you use?

[vlagamemedia1]

hi Tom. I was wondering what software you used for editing and to sinc the sound with the video. Thank you. By the way thank you for the tips. good work.

[lutchshane]

How did you get the zoom h4 sound to match back with the actually video? Was it match back in editing?

[KYKRSneung]

@lutchshane I also want to know this! tom answer this one! lol

[creatorsdream]

Excellent and informing just how well you can do with lower priced equipment. I'm heading to Cuenca, Ecuador soon and will take all you have said to heart. Simplicity is key and you have made it so clear. Thank you for sharing!

[revengeofbutthead]

why did you stutter so much?

btw, that is a nice knowledge sharing

[lucianoippolito]

Hello Tom, Thanks for the great tutorial. I noticed most of the footage is filmed on overcast weather, did you do this on purpose working at late afternoons in order to get a smooth contrast or is it just a coincidence? I have seen too that sunny shots have a pleasant low contrast. How did you get this effect; working at afternoon or in post? Thanks a lot and keep producing enlightening tutorials !!!

[polcan99]

@lucianoippolito it was coincidence. On a film like this you shoot whenever you can... and u make the best with the light you have... but when shooting in direct sunlight I either set my camera sharpness and contrast settings all the way down or I use a softening glass filter in front of my lens to soften the contrast a bit.

[Ngandjui]

thanks for the tutorial. how did you stabilize the images?

[QueenzFlip]

How do I reach Tom Antos?

[MrMaschingewere]

thank you for great tutorial!!

[whafah]

The colors are wonderful , a tutorial plz , thank you Tom your videos are really helpful

[websterku]

thanks for the awesome tutorial, it really helped me to understand and prepare better for my next project. i do have a qst, when totally agree when you mention the point of not wanting to carry around to many gear if possible, and not changing lenses to many times. does that mean having a good Point and Shoot SLR camera will be helpful?

i was thinking to invest in a SLR like (Nikon l120, olympus sp 600uz or even the kodak Z981.. what do you think?

[Smalskin]

What lens where u using? It looks amazing

[007madigan]

just wondering if the nikon d5000 id any good for doing doco?

[R3APER24]

That monkey was going to kick your ass Tom lol.

Great video.

[olmitan8819]

Really great tutorial. I would like to know how good is the slow motion on the 7d at 24fps in 1080p. I know i can get really good slow motion with the 720p at 60fps, but it looses a lot of quality and definition to the image. Thank you, and i already subcribed

[littleatl]

Your tutorials are greatly appreciated. Another viewer inquired about syncing external sound with the video. Assuming that there's no use of time code, is the process to manually sync the wav file in the editing program by "sliding" the sound file in an audio track until it matches the video? (I've never understood how external sound gets synched to video even though I do understand some basics about time code). PS: The rich color of your video is amazing.

[AngryPolak]

@littleatl Syncing the audio to video is easy if you have someone clap their hands in-front of the camera each time u start recording. Sort of like what's done in films with a clapper board. Simply alight the sound of the clap to the frame of the video where the hands meet and it's in perfect sync. Quick, easy and cheap!

[shushko69]

You are my favorite film producer on YouTube

[DivadWaldoss]

8:54  is that a guy on fire...

[ntchi]

Interesting video! Very instructive. @polcan99 Tell me is this an sRGB or AdobeRGB color space that u used while shooting? What did u use for grading? Thank you!

[Srabbel]

to me it seems like the external audio recording device cuts of a lot of the high frequencies in comparison to the build in microphone of the 7D. does this come from the wind shield or is it just conditioned by the external microphone itself?

[rafaelcrsp07]

Montañita (Ecuador) great place to visit , oh great job guys ,, keep it up >>

[rafaelcrsp07]

Montañita (Ecuador) great place to visit , oh great job guys ,, keep it up >>

[Tobiasfilms]

How do you handle the ISO 1600 at night, without producing grain and a lot of noise. i have got the 550d with 50mm 1.4 and i can't shoot some nice pictures at night. How do you do this? Pleas help me;-)

[Lospaghetto]

Hey Tom, I love your tutorials. They are extremely helpful to an aspiring filmmaker like myself. For your documentary, you used the Canon 7d and they hold 12 minutes of memory. I was wondering how many memory chips did you take with you while filming or did you find a way to work around it? Also, is the 7d better than the 5d when it comes to look and functionality, or is it roughly the same? Thanks again for the videos. Please keep them coming.

[polcan99]

@Lospaghetto In my experience they're both similar, but I prefer the 7D because you can do slow motion and because the image sensor is closer to what an actual 35mmm motion picture film size is . 5D is much bigger so its harder to get a deeper DOF.

[nobudgetkalle]

Btw, Tom, if DoF isn´t Your one and only state of the art, I can highly recommend the Canon HF100!!! You really get high end quality footage and you will look as unobstrusive as "Joe-tourist" ;-). And it´s fantastic to shoot from the hip, which is nearly impossible with the T2i.

Best Wishes from Germany,

[polcan99]

@nobudgetkalle Thnx for the great tip!

[nobudgetkalle]

Nice tutorial,(as usual). thank´s for sharing! I´m a hobbyfilmer since some time, but I still always learn new aspects and tricks from your videos :-). For example: I already have a Zoom-H2, but I can see now, that I used it in a wrong matter,(only together with a lavalier-mic). It´s clever, to use it "naked" and check sound with an earphone.

One question please: Since You use prime-lenses. How could You avoid shakieness with the handheld EOS? I tried older M42´s and it´s horrible jittery! :-(

[polcan99]

@nobudgetkalle I try to rest my elbows on my beer belly :) Or on a table like you see in the interview with the girl. Etc. Anywhere I can lean on to , or rest my hand / elbows I do. This is the cheapest way to steady your shots.

[Boony2000]

The fake fur on microphones is actually called "dead cat"

[RyanFarley000]

This was great. I love these videos. Thanks so much for taking the time to put these together. For someone new to filmmaking (like me) your videos are so helpful.

[Giants544]

hi Tom, i have a question. I have got a cheap compact full HD camcorder. Can I make good movies or clips with this thing?? I know it is a stupid question but pls reply....

[polcan99]

@Giants544 Every camera has it's limitations. Even the expensive ones. Just learn what are your camera's limitations and use that to your advantage when filming

[Giants544]

@polcan99 Thank you ;)

[makenabuchanan]

What adapter do you use for the Nikon lenses? I love these tutorials, very interesting.

[polcan99]

@makenabuchanan i use 3 different ones that I bought on ebay. All are from some chinese companies for about $10 each. and they all work fine. I bought 3 diffrent ones to test them out but turns out they're all pretty much the same.

[amanwithnohands]

Have you tried using Magic Lantern on an T2i?

It's very impressive- even the onboard mic without the AGC sounds great....not to mention you get manual controls over external mic.

Of course-- I STILL want to get a Zoom--

[Tobiasfilms]

Great. Thx for your Tutorials. How did you shot the nice night shoots. With which ISO Setting, Objektive and ouverture? Thx a lot and greets from switzerland

[polcan99]

@Tobiasfilms Thnx! The night shot were shot using ISO 1600 Nikon 50mm f1.8 at 30fps.

[Slayer100]

interesting. I went travelling around southeast asia a couple of years ago and I documented it. check it out, it's in my videos. it's old but i'd love to get feedback from you as i am an aspiring dp :D I realise i used many of the tips you gave here! Also, do you use a custom picture style when using dslrs?

[RoarRibbit]

nice sound video! But what do you use to grade? Even in a documentary your quality has the film look. Crush the blacks manually? Magic bullet?

[polcan99]

@RoarRibbit Nope. I dont use any plugins to grade the shots. Watch my tutorial videos number 6 and 7 where I show exactly how I color corrected some of these and other shots.

[killerwalcom]

Thanks again for your tutorial, as good as always. I would like to use a mic for my shoots to, but need one that I could hold in my hand, as I want to do interviews. I thought the H1 would be a nice investion, as I could hold it just like a "normal" mic. Do you any better ways to do so? Perhaps a t.bone mic?

My main focus is on travel documentaries, cause you inspired me to do create my one video. You could have a look at my first try, just search "Augsburg City - City Impressions" on youtube.

[AmpdEditz]

Thanks for a great video as usual :) I was wondering about recording or photographing random people though... When do you need a consent form signed? Or is it just out of courtesy? Also, I wanted to ask what you think about using table top tripods for getting steady shots like the one at 1:47 for example.

[polcan99]

@AmpdEditz If its for your own personal video you dont need a permit but the second you plan to sell it then you should get as many permits and written consent as you can since you can always get sued but if you have a written contract that proves the person gave you the permisoin to use their image n voice then you're safe.

[MRcrowBLACK]

Thanks for another tutorial! Keep it up!

[FatCatMedia]

thanks for the tips :D i was making the mistake you said about not staying with one intresting thing and deviating off to quickly...won't be doing that again :D

[Wiivified]

Could you put your exportsettings for youtube, in the description please :D

[pedra12]

Great vid. thanks for sharing. I will try to remember these next point when I take my next vacation shots.

[Parrott65]

I have the Zoom H4n and wanted to know what settings do you use on low cut and compression for most audio?

[polcan99]

@Parrott65 I use the factory default standart settings that come with the recorder. I record in 96khz quality.

[Parrott65]

@polcan99 That's impressive with what you've done with the background noise if you're only running the default settings. I did a low cut of 80hz on mine to take out any background hiss type stuff.

[dennisiswatchingyou]

Really awesome tutorials! By the way, is your documentary finished yet? I would love to watch it.

[lbrother88]

Since you use an external audio recorder, I would like to know the process on how you sync the audio with the footage. And how you mange the audio data when you have 30 hours of footage.

[jayispoland]

I love your videos, keep up the good work!

[dcondax]

You. Are. Awesome.

[lowlypawn]

Love your videos, I learn a lot. I try to incorporate what I lean into my own videos but they're not really stories or documentaries so keeping them interesting and not redundant can be a challenge. I would love to hear how you would go about filming an action sport whether it be about motorcycle, cars, skiing ETC. I would also like to hear what you think about the new cameras like the AF100 and the Gh2. Thanks again for the great videos.

[pmagyar1]

Very nice video, what type of all-around lenses would you recommend using?

[DaneMakelafilms]

hey, can you maybe do a video telling us how you started in filmmaking to maybe inspire people just beggining as well?

[KTdemoreel]

This is so sweet, awesome stuff Tom, love this. Question? Would love to see a tutorial on how to get some awesome b roll. Specifically better b roll for interview footage and some sweet b roll of the person you are interviewing while not in an interview and possibly how you would direct them on what to do. That would help me out and many others as I am actually trying to do this professionally now. Thanks and keep it up!

[lwj033]

awesome :D

[CelosTV]

oh you in Ecuador and im from there. thats whatss up

[iUbookz]

Thanks for the tutorial, very informative-appreciated!

[Z0mbieGenocide]

As always, this is a great tutorial. I look forward to the next one.

[ChristianHayes]

Another useful tutorial, thanks. I didn't realise the Zoom's internal audio recording would be so good, I thought you'd surely have to still grab an external Mic.

[Zambiable]

once again gr8 video... do u use avid, tom?

[polcan99]

@Zambiable Thnx! Nope, Adobe Premiere

[onjoFilms]

Thanks for the interesting tut. One question: what kind of hot sauce works better with the H4? :)

[polcan99]

@onjoFilms LOL... can't believe you noticed that.

[cybercab]

Excellent video. Looks like you plugged your H4N directly into your 7D. Is that right? I have both but never tried that. I guess it would save time later syncing it up.

[fishingwithrod]

@cybercab His H4n is not directly plugged into his 7D. It's connected to the ear phone that he's wearing.

[polcan99]

@cybercab Nope, the cable that runs from the H4 is just the headphones that I had on me to monitor. This if the H4 stopps recording for whatever reason I always have backup sound that the camera records. Even though the camera has horrible sound quality it's still better than not having any audio.

[anxs220]

How people react to the camera?

How to shoot random people right?

[polcan99]

@anxs220 These days most people are used to digital cameras everywhere so they don't really care.

[Rhaabjorn]

so helpful, thank you

[EthanGaskill]

So...

I have a Canon 60d...

and i feel like all of my footage... whether it is outside, or inside...

is always grainy...

and cheap looking.

I dont really know how to explain.

but could you help me with this?

[ryomy]

thank you basegod lol.. very informal and useful video.. much appreciated..where were you for this documentary?

[polcan99]

@ryomy Montanita, a little town on the coast of Ecuador, South America.

[ForeverFire]

can you make a tutorial how did you do your DIY deathcat?

[polcan99]

@ForeverFire Hmmm... yup... good idea. I'll post a quick little side video as soon as i can that shows you how I made that.

[ForeverFire]

@polcan99 nice..Thanks (;

[HarryKeightley]

Awesome tutorial as always. I was just curious as to how many hours of footage you filmed and how you managed that data? like, did you ever forget to bring an SD card or spare battery which meant you couldn't film as much as you wanted to? And how do you document everything so that when it comes to editing you know what you're working with?

Thanks

[polcan99]

@HarryKeightley I had with me lots of portable hardrives... about 6 TB of space, and I would make two copies of all the footage I shot at the end of each day. I would number each day's footage and audio recording accordingly so that later on it's easy to find when doing the editing. I got almost 30 hours of footage for this particular film. But in documentary type of work it really depends on the project. Somtimes you'll get 3 or 4 hours and sometimes 50 hours or more.

[TheEyeballstudios]

Thank you so much for the GREAT Tutorial!