Many camcorder enthusiasts dream of making a movie that captures the popular imagination. From the nauseating Blair Witch Project to the impressive auto-biopic Tarnation, low-budget DV filmmaking has taken mainstream cinema by storm. Here's a ten-step guide to making your footage shine.
Page 5 of 10
Go to page
Make a boom
A boom mic is a microphone attached to a long pole. The boom operator is one of the many unsung heroes on a film set. Like most film professionals, one of their main priorities is to remain invisible to the audience. The boom mic is dangled over the actors, out of frame, and it captures sound without the need for clip-on microphones.
You can make your own boom mic using a broom handle or a fishing
pole. Wind the microphone cable around the length of the pole and
gaffer-tape the microphone to the end. Typically, booms use a shotgun
(also known as lomar) microphone to pick up the voices of several
actors. Shotgun mics are 'condenser' microphones. This type of
microphone requires a power source -- usually a small internal battery.
Because condenser microphones are powered they're more sensitive and
responsive than the common dynamic type. They also tend to pick up
sound on set in a more 'realistic' way.
The main thing to worry about here is keeping the microphone out of
frame. As the camera operator, you should establish the boundaries of
the current frame with whoever's holding the boom.
Page 5 of 10
Go to page
Quick Links
