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What do you do if your interviewee is in another country? Or is in Covid19 quarantine?
Below you will find some tips and tricks for remote sound recording.
The skype interview
The skype interview
Skype and zoom are fabulous interview tools and you can use them anywhere. Common in news and doco. Now, with Covid-19, we're using it more than ever.
Incase you think this is dodgy (it is kinda...), I have just set up a large-scale Skype production for a big client and they were EXCITED about how authentic it was going to look.
These techniques can save your bacon (and your income down the road when your entire livelihood dries up overnight because there is a pandemic - trust me - these are important skills.)
Rule 1: Avoid reverb/echo
Rule 1: Avoid reverb/echo
Your interviewee NEEDS to be in a non-echoey space.
Your interviewee NEEDS to be in a non-echoey space.
This is more important than ever. Echo will ruin your recordings (particularly because the mics aren't as good). Whether that means they record in a bedroom or lounge room or outdoors, do whatever you can to avoid echoey spaces. If they are outdoors, watch out for wind noise because they won't have any wind protection.
Rule 2: Best mic
Rule 2: Best mic
Use the best microphone they have access to.
Use the best microphone they have access to.
This may be the inbuilt mic on the computer, or a set of high quality headphones with a built-in mic. Get them to do a test recording beforehand so you can check.
Rule 3: Wear headphones
Rule 3: Wear headphones
You need to wear headphones to avoid echo and feedback.
You need to wear headphones to avoid echo and feedback.
If you don't want to see your interviewee wearing headphones, that should be fine (test it), but you definitely need to. Don't play their audio out of your computer speakers because they will hear an echo of themselves speaking and it will drive them crazy.
Rule 4: Avoid cross-talk and noise
Rule 4: Avoid cross-talk and noise
You still need to avoid any overlapping cross-talk (from you over their audio), or from noise in their environment (eg. a mower, the dog, or their family). Re-record anything that gets ruined.
Rule 5: Record Local (VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!!!)
Rule 5: Record Local (VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!!!)
To avoid compression, drop-outs and artefacts, have the interviewee record locally on their own computer (and also record a backup on yours through Skype/Zoom incase they stuff it up.)
To avoid compression, drop-outs and artefacts, have the interviewee record locally on their own computer (and also record a backup on yours through Skype/Zoom incase they stuff it up.)
I cannot stress this enough. Skype/zoom suck for audio quality over the internet - they add a lot of compression and artefacts. It is essential to get your interviewee to record locally on their own computer. How do you do this?
Test your workflow with the interviewee before the interview - run through the process and make sure it works before you conduct your interview.
Mac:
Mac:
On a mac, your interviewee (not you) can use Quicktime or an app called Voice Memos (I recommend Quicktime).
Quicktime (recommended for mac): Open quicktime. Click File, New Audio Recording. Click the little dropdown arrow next to the record button and select Quality, Maximum. Click Record. When the interview is over, stop the recording, save the file and email/google drive it to you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufSqZnIdnEg
Voice Memos (on iPhone): Open Voice Memos. Click record. When finished, press stop, and then click and drag the recording from the left-hand window onto the desktop to save it (mac) or use the share icon (iPhone) to email the file to you.
Windows:
Windows:
On windows, your interviewee (not you) can use Voice Recorder.
Voice Recorder: Open the start menu and type in 'voice', open Voice Recorder. Click record. When finished, stop the recording, right click on the recording in the left hand window and email it you.
Android:
Android:
This trickier because all android phones vary which apps are installed. Have the interviewee look for a voice recording app on their device by searching for 'recorder', 'memo', 'voice recorder', etc. If your interviewee isn't familiar with any, they can use the one below.
Download 'Voice Recorder' by Quality apps from the app store. Open the app and allow permissions. Click record. When finished, stop the recording, click the 'list' menu (bottom left), click the file and share via email or google drive.
This video goes through some of the other settings if your interviewee is technology literate... Otherwise, keep it simple.
Finally, I want to encourage you to press into your creativity and flexibility in times like these.
Finally, I want to encourage you to press into your creativity and flexibility in times like these.
It is incredibly frustrating when you can't go ahead with a shoot as planned, or when your entire income stream disappears because of a virus, or when you're working remotely and your mixer craps out. But shit happens. All the time. Your ability to be flexible, positive and creative is the difference between keeping your job and defaulting on your mortgage. These skills are important - excel here and you stand a good chance of surviving a highly volatile and difficult industry.
Good luck and I am always here if you need some advice! Thinking of you guys - stay safe and don't shake hands.
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