Embedded Files
Audio & Video
Audio & Video
Good quality audio will boost any piece of video footage, poor quality audio will reduce the perceived quality of even the most beautifully shot footage.
There are contexts in which video can be produced with the absence of sound such as for certain instillation settings, there may be a conceptual reasoning, for viewing on phones where you expect the audience are watching without sound, etc
The majority of time however sound is not only expected, it forms an integral part of the storytelling.
Audio can consist of many elements such as pre-recorded music, voice or sound elements, live sound captured on the shoot, foley, sound effects or music composed in response to the edited footage.
These elements are usually layered together as part of the video editing process in order to build the audio world or your film.
Using a Pre-recorded Audio Track
Using a Pre-recorded Audio Track
Sometimes a video work is created around a particular piece of music or sound, with the intention to use this audio as the track for the video.
Examples of this would be a music video or choreography for camera work.
It can facilitate clear planning such as storyboarding, etc when there are timing elements pre-established, it can also allow for more freedom with regards to shot types and angles.
A pre-recorded audio track can consist of an existing piece of music, voice or sound, or it can be an element that you record especially for the film.
You may also use pre-recorded audio elements to support your video in other ways, such as for introductory scenes or credits, for narration, for creating mood or tone, to support the flow of your video, placed underneath interview footage, etc.
Recording Live Audio
Recording audio live is essential for the majority of video content. It ensures the audio precisely matches the visuals of the action, dialogue or environment.
It may be necessary to use external microphones or recording devices in order to obtain the highest quality recordings. Please see Audio Recording Equipment for a breakdown of these options and what will be best for your particular recording situation.
Whatever the chosen method, placing your microphone as close as possible to the action or subject will usually generate the best results. Environmental sounds and room tone are fine from a distance.
Monitor live recordings with headphones where possible to optimise settings and to mitigate any audio issues. Unfortunately not all recording devices will have an audio jack.
As well as recording the key action and dialogue for your video, it is worth choosing a few key sounds that you could use to enhance your audioscape, such as footsteps, clothing rustling, doors closing, vocals, etc as well as some key environment sounds such as running water, rustling leaves, creaking doors, etc. Add these sound elements to your shot lists to be sure you capture in each location.
Audio Recording Settings
To assist with audio syncing, it is important to record external audio in the same sample rate as your video.
48kHz is the audio standard sample rate for video in the vast majority of contexts and for the majority of video recording devices.
44.1kHz is the sample rate used by iphones when recording with the native camera app. This can be changed to 48kHz using an external app such as the Blackmagic Camera or Final Cut Camera.
Be sure to check the audio sample rate of your particular video recording device and match the settings with your external audio recorder if using one.
Variations on this can cause audio drifting issues when syncing, sometimes to the point where external audio cannot be used.
Clapperboard / Clap
In order to optimise the audio syncing in your post production editing, a loud clap followed by someone announcing the take number is often utilised.
This is the purpose of the 'clap' of a traditional clapperboard, which would then also display the take number visually instead, alongside other information in reference to the scenes being filmed.
This loud clap is recorded in the audio of all devices during a take, and creates a very clear visual peak in the sound waves. When brought into your editing software, this makes syncing audio and angles much easier, whether this is done automatically by more advanced editing software, or manually in more basic software without this feature.
Is is often not possible to perform the clap in a live performance setting where the audience is present as it can be disruptive, however may be possible if you begin recording before the audience enters the space.
NOTE: This clap can only used to sync up the audio and visuals from a single take, it cannot be used to sync audio or visuals between takes where variations in timing occur. If filming a music video with a pre-recorded track, a 'clap' can be introduced at the beginning of the track to provide consistency.
Music Video
Music videos usually involve a pre-recorded audio track that forms the base for the video.
If you would like to give the impression of the musicians playing this track live there are a couple of thing that will assist.
Ensure the artists have the final track in advance of filming to practice the timing.
On the day artists can either play along or can mine to the track.
A loud speaker will be required to play the track in the space, often on repeat, throughout your shoot.
If possible, build in a 'count in' such as a '5, 6, 7, 8' or claps to match the time signature to prepare the artists for the introduction of the first note and timing. This can be cut out in your edit.
Do you want to layer 'natural' sounds such as foot noises, clothing rustling, etc through the audio or is the audio track enough?
If performers need to be moving in time to the music, and you don't need natural sounds, you can play the audio track in the space using a loud speaker which the camera will record for audio syncing with the track in post. This is the recording format most music videos would take.
If you would like to include natural space or movement sounds, there are a few ways this can be achieved.
1) The performer can wear headphones such as earbuds during filming in order to move in time without the audio being present in the room. Two could utilise this method with an earbud each. This way the natural sounds can be recorded authentically and in time. Even one take done this way, with a microphone placed close to your performer would give you audio that could be used throughout your film, even if you don't use the visuals from this take. This method may not be suitable if there are more than 2 performers, a set up like a 'silent disco' would be needed to transmit the same audio to multiple sources at the same time.
2) Foley - You can create natural sounds in post production. See below.
Foley (Named after sound effects artist Jack Foley)
Sometimes the process of recording live sounds or music is not possible or it's not possible to get good quality. This may be to do with background noise, or the inability to place microphones close enough to the action.
Foley is the process of recording sounds in post-production to match the action of the video footage, usually to give the illusion of having recorded it live. Foley is usually created in a sound proof space with props to mimic environment, costume, etc. The video footage is watched while you generate sounds to match the timing of footsteps, doors closing, glasses clinking, etc.
Music composed in response to the edited footage.
Sometimes the movement or action comes first, then the musical score is created afterwards.
This process is often a back and forth between the composer / musician and the editor.
Musical ideas can be generated in response to edited footage, then adjustments added as needed, or the final piece can be presented to a composer and the score can be created in its entirety.
Free Audio Resources - Editing software, Pixabay, freesound.org, youtube audio library, etc
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