The Beginner Basics

Part 1: Capturing Good Audio on Set

Good audio starts on the day you shoot — you can’t fully “fix” bad sound later. Here’s what matters most:

1. Quiet is King
   - Turn off fans, air conditioners, fridges, phones, etc.  
   - Shoot when traffic or planes are quiet if possible.  
   - Use the “room tone” trick: after every scene, have everyone stand silent for 30–60 seconds while recording. This blank audio helps the editor later.

2. Get the Microphone Close 
   - Built-in camera mics are almost always terrible.  
   - Best beginner option: a shotgun microphone on a boom pole held just outside the frame (above or below the actor’s head).  
   - Second-best cheap option: a lavalier (tiny clip-on) mic hidden on the actor’s clothes, wired or wireless.

3. Monitor with Headphones
   - Always plug headphones into your recorder or camera.  
   - If you hear clothing rustle, wind, echo, or background noise — stop and fix it right away.

4. Record Audio Separately (if you can)
   - Use a small audio recorder (Zoom H1n, H4n, Tascam DR-10L, etc.) instead of the camera’s mic.  
   - Start recording 5 seconds before “action” and stop 5 seconds after “cut” — this gives clean starts and ends.

5. Wind Protection
   - Outdoors = always use a furry “deadcat” windshield on your mic.  
   - Even light breeze ruins audio without it.

6. Check Levels
   - When someone speaks normally, the meter should peak around -12 dB (not red/0 dB).  
   - Too quiet = noisy when you turn it up later. Too loud = distorted forever.

Quick beginner gear list under $300:  
- Shotgun mic (Deity D4 Duo or Rode VideoMic GO II) + boom pole  
OR  
- Wireless lav mic kit (Rode Wireless GO II or DJI Mic 2)

 Part 2: Working with a Post-Production Audio Mixer (What to Give Them)

You finished shooting — now hand everything to the mixer cleanly:

1. Deliver Clean, Separate Tracks
   - One audio file per microphone (boom track, lav track, etc.).  
   - All files at the same frame rate as your video (usually 24fps or 23.976).  
   - Include the 30–60 seconds of room tone for every location.

2. Sync Everything First
   - Use a clapperboard (“slate”) at the start of each take, or  
   - In your editing software (DaVinci Resolve free, Premiere, Final Cut), sync by waveform or use PluralEyes/ Syncaila if you have many tracks.

3. Give a Rough Picture-Lock Edit
   - Lock your edit (no more big changes).  
   - Export an OMF or AAF file + a reference video with your temporary music/dialogue.

4. Tell the Mixer What You Want (simple notes)
   Example:  
   - “Make dialogue clear and even level”  
   - “Remove that car horn at 5:20”  
   - “I want a warm, intimate feel” or “big cinematic feel”  
   - Send reference clips (a scene from another movie that sounds like what you want).

5. Budget-Friendly Option  
   If you can’t hire a pro mixer yet, learn the free software DaVinci Resolve Fairlight page — it’s powerful enough for most short films and YouTube-level projects.

One-Sentence Summary for Beginners
Record clean, close, quiet dialogue on set with headphones on — everything else (music, effects, polish) is 10× easier and cheaper in post. Do the hard work while shooting, and the mixer will love you!