As on set recording is not featured in our academic syllabus, we found it entirely necessary to practice the entire process before throwing ourselves in at the deep end. We have previously used ADR (Additional Dialogue Replacement) heavily in our work but we felt it was important to learn the intricacies of live recording. This way we had the best chance of getting clear audio as we would be giving ourselves another option if either technique was not appropriate.
We contacted Alex Faulkner, the camera operator for Novum Productions and agreed to meet on the 20th October to practice filming. Alex hired out a camera (Canon EOS C100) and we booked out a Zoom recorder and a Rode NTG2 Boom Microphone along with headphones and XLR cables.
We set up on the University campus for ease of recording as we did not require a MAP form, and began experimenting with the equipment. We used both the Zoom and the input in the camera to record the audio and we decided that we preferred that which was recorded direct in camera. This was due to the better pre-amps built into the camera and the fact that the audio would already be matched with the video so there would be no sync issues when editing.
We also got to grips with the controls on the camera and Alex provided us with a link to the camera manual so we could read up on everything in preparation for the actual filming.
Camera Manual: http://learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/Simulators/c100.shtml#start-simulator
It was a very successful day and by switching roles we were able to understand the various demands, from monitoring sound input, to boom operator and even seeing things from the camera operator and actors perspective. This way we could empathise with their demands so we understood our role in the process and knew where we fit in.
