The Location Sound Bible 1615931201, 9781615931200

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$26.95 US/$29.95 CAN

PERFORMING ARTS/FILM AND VIDEO/REFERENCE

''Sound is half the experience.'' -George Lucas

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SOUND CAN MAKE OR BREAK ANY PRODUCTION.

Ric Viers, author of The Sound Effects Bible, explains how to achieve Hollywood"

quality sound that will make your productions stand out from the rest. From audio basics and microphone selection to the business side of show biz, this book takes you behind the scenes of Viers' work on feature films, television shows, .broadcast news, courtroom dramas, and music videos. •

'The Location Sound Bible is the first truly comprehensive guide to the acquisition of on-set production sound. I .will recommend it to all of my students.''

-Peter Damski C.A.S., production sound mixer, Will & Grace, Hannah Montana ''Ric Viers takes an in-depth look into the world of location recording

the theory,

the techniques, and the technology. Once you finish this book, you'll starl listening to the world around you a whole lot differently.''

-Scott Martin Gershin, sound designer/supervisor/mixer, Braveheart, Gladiator

''As a post-production professional and dialog editor, I know how critical it is to get beautiful sound when the camera rolls. Viers' professional-level guidance fills in the knowledge gap for sound made far from Hollywood.''

-David Stone, l.ATSE, supervising sou.nd editor; Academy Award® recipient, Best Sound Effects Editing, Bram $:foker's Dracula

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the world's largest independent producer of sound effects libraries,

is known as the ''Rock and Roll Professor of Sound.'' He has worked in the film and television inqustry for more than fifteen years. His location sound credits include hundreds of productions for nearly every major television network, Universal Studios,

Dateline, Good Morning America, Disney, and many others.

ISBN-13: 978-1615931200

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The Location Sound Bible is the first truly comprehensive guide to the acquisition of on-set production sound. I will recommend it to all of my students. -Peter Damski C.A.S., Production Sound Mixer, Mad About Ybu, Will & Grace, Hannah Montana Ric Viers takes an in-depth look into the world of location recording. A must-read for those wanting to learn about dialog and FX recording or recording in general. He covers the theory, the techniques, and the technology. Once you finish this book, you'll start listening to the world around you a whole lot differently. -Scott Martin Gershin, Sound Designer/Sound Supervisor/ Mixer, Braveheart, Gladiator, Star Trek Ric Viers unveils the mysteries of location recording for film and Electronic News Gathering, using technical detail seasoned with humor. As a post-production professional and dialog editor, I know how critical it is to get beautiful sound when the camera rolls. Students and indie filmmakers should be agnostic about the myth of ''Fixing It in Post," and now Viers' professional-level guidance should fill in the knowledge gap for sound made far from Hollywood. He even spells out the importance of a very simple production tool that is sadly lacking in too many independent productions: Sound Reports. -David Stone, IATSE, Supervising Sound Editor; Academy Award recipient, Best Sound Effects Editing, Bram Stoker's Dracula Ric Viers is Master of the Universe for location sound, offering engaging wisdom stories based on decades of experience in the trenches. An accessible encyclopedia of gear essentials and recording techniques, his book is the perfect bible for developing a successful career in location recording. -David Sonnenschein, Author, Sound Design Ric Viers has done it again. He has assembled an excellent guide for recording location sound for film and television. Anyone from film student to working professional will benefit from his expertise and advice. The chapter exercises are wonderful and can be used in the classroom as well as for individual practice. Viers really knows how to make the process uncomplicated and logical. -Vanessa Ament-Gjenvick, Author, The Foley Grail •

Ric has found a nice balance between the technical academic stuff and how it applies in the context of the real world, while os:casionally regaling us with funny stories on how this knowledge (or lack thereof) affected him while on jobs. Aspiring production sound folks should find this book both informative and entertaining. -Jamie Scarpuzza C.A.S.

Ric's book is a detailed and informative wealth of information. Well written and supported by images, it is a winner for novice and veteran production personnel. -Mark Adler, Author, Production Algebra Have a question about production sound? This book is packed with everything you need to know. I wish there was a book like this when I was getting started. -Scott Clements, C.A.S.

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Production sound is the cornerstone of the audio s,9 undtrack for fihns. The quality of what is captured on the set will determine everything else that will be put around it. Up until now, we haven't had a go-to resource that could serve as a jumping off point in achieving the goal of getting the best sound possible on location, regardless of time or budget. Ric Viers has changed that. This book not only provides a wealth of knowledge about the equipment and resources needed to do the job properly, but also teaches the fundamental techniques required to captt1re great tracks from day one. Finally, a guide that will raise the quality of anyone's ftlm, independent or big budget. On top of all that, it's easy and fun to read, and should be required reading not only for location sound crews, but directors, cinematographers, producers, and anyone else interested in elevating their art. ;

-Marc Fishman, Re-Recording Mixer, Crash, Baby Mama, Get

Him to the Greek Don't discount sound. After the screenplayI story it is THE most important part of ftlmmaking. The Location Sound Bible gives you all the information you need to succeed. -Matthew Terry, Filmmaker, Screenwriter, and Teacher; Reviewer for www. microfilmmaker. con1 It's no longer enough to be 'just'' a writer, producer, or director. In the age ofDN filmmaking, you need to be your own DP, sound guy, gaffer, and grip. Fortunately, there's no one better than Ric Viers to teach practical ftlmmaking skills, and The Location Sound Bible is a requirement for anyone taking his or her ftlmmaking career seriously. -Chad Gervich, Writer/Producer, Dog With a Blog, Afte·r Lately,

Cupcake Vt:izrs Ifyou're interested in creating films or videos, great-sounding dialog is integral to the success of your production. The Location Sound Bible is a terrific resource for learning the best techniques for capturing quality audio. Study it with a pen in hand and even read it more than once. Rating: Five out of five. .. ·' ·

-Tom Farr, Filmmaker; Blogger, A Journey of Faith and Creativity •

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How To Record Professional Dialog for Film and TV

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Published by Michael Wiese Productions 12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111 Studio City, CA 91604 . tel. 818.379.8799 fax 818.986.3408 [email protected] , www.mwp.com

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Cover design: Johnny Ink www.johnnyink.com Interior book design: Gina Mansfield Design Editor: Gary Sunshine

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Printed by McNaughton & Gunn, Inc., Saline, Michigan Manufactured in the United States of America

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© 2012 by Ric Viers

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Viers, Ric. The location sound bible : how to record professional dialog for film and TV I Ric Viers. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-61593-120-0 (pbk.) 1. Sound--Recording and reproducing. 2. Television broadcasting--Sound effects. 3. Sound in motion pictures. 4. Dialog in motion pictures. I. Title. TK7881.4. V539 2012 777'.53--dc23 2012016109

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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FOREWORD

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PREFACE

CHAPTER 1

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WHAT IS LOCATION SOUND?

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CHAPTER 2

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SOUND BASICS

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SOUND WAV·ES

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FREQUENCY

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AMPLITUDE

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DECIBELS

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SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL

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SIGNAL MEASUREMENT

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AMPLITUDE VERSUS VOLUME

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PHASE

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ECHOES AND REVERBERATION

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CHAPTER 3

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MICROPHONE BASICS

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DYNAMIC MICROPHONES

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CONDENSER MICROPHONES

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FREQUENCY RESPONSE

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MICROPHONE POLAR PATTERNS

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ON-AXIS/OFF-AXIS RESPONSE

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INVERSE SQUARE LAW

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MICROPHONE ACCESSORIES

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SHOCK MOUNTS

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WIND PROTECTION

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RAIN PROTECTION

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MICROPHONES FOR LOCATION SOUND

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BOOM MICROPHONES LAVALIER MICROPHONES

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BOUNDARY MICROPHONES

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PLANT MIGS

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Sound isn't rocket science, but it is a science. There are mathematical equations involved and most of them include fractions. But, don't sweat it. The • science 1n this book will only be used when necessary. You'll never find a

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sound mixer on location using a calculator to figure out reverb or phasing problems. Once you understand the basics of how sound works, the rest of the craft will be technique. The important thing is to understand the animal called sound, for this is what you are essentially hunting in the field.

SOUND WAVES

Sound

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the air or other mediums such as water. These vibrations arrive at the ear and are interpreted as sound. A sound event, such as a handclap, disturbs the air molecules. Like the effect of dropping a rock lS vibrations

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in a pond, the air molecules create waves of movement in the air that radiate from the point of the disturbance. There are two parts to a sound wave: a compression and a rarefaction. A compression occurs when the air molecules are forced together and a rarefaction occurs when the air molecules move away from each other. When there is neither a compression nor a rarefaction, the air molecules are at rest. This is known as silence. Silence is like a still pond. There are no waves. When a rock is dropped in the pond, the water molecules are forced to displace. The ., ""..

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The human ear has a dynamic range of140d.B. Dynamic range refers to the difference between the quietest sound and the loudest possible sound before noticeable distortion. After 140d.B, the human ear experiences pain and can become permanently damaged. Longterm exposure to high SPL can and will damage your ears. According to generally-accepted practice, you should only expose yourself to SPL of 85dB for less than eight hours each day. This is the recommended highest level of SPL for studio monitors.

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For the human ear, OdB represents the threshold of hearing. On audio equipment, OdB represents the maximum amount of amplitude that can be . . received without distortion. The measurements on this scale are relative to., .

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*Sorry to be the adult in the situation, but if you plan on having a long career in. audio engineering, you should never attend a rock concert without earplugs. .

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this level and, therefore, the ...... ....... ..:·::····· scale is reversed. .,......... ::·.....:.:. ........ In analog equipment, ..............·... . ...... a VU meter typically be- 1>: :: vu .J ... ..l...1 ..... ......... ........ -20-10 .. 7 .. s . . 3 ... ... . gins at -20dB and increases r::··.:·..... .. ·.. .. to as high as +6dB. A peak .."... /Yi·..: VU Meter ... ....... meter may begin at -60dB ........".... ......... .. and increase to as high as .:::.;.: ...... ....... L ...._____. ___ ..... ....... ... --~....._...__,D .... + 12dB in some equipment. ........ 0060 42 30 12 6 4 2 0 OL .... .. _.....__......__ D This overage is permitted ........ 1-< .. " because most analog equipDigital Full Scale Meter n1ent can function above OdB without noticeable distortion. Digital equipment, however, has an absolute ceiling for the amount of amplitude it can receive without a type of digital distortion known as clipping. Digital equipn1ent will have a scale th~_t begins at infinity and measures amplitude up to OdBFS (FS stands for ''full scale''). OdBFS is the maximum amount of measurable amplitude in a digital sound wave. Digital audio is further e:&'Plained in Chapter 11. In signal measurement, sounds read differently than SPL levels. Here are some common sounds and their relative signal measurement: .:·::.. : ... .. "

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light spectrum, different frequencies of light waves appear as colors. Lowerlight frequencies like reds and oranges are described as warm. Higher-light frequencies like blues and greens are known to be cold. Similarly, lowerfrequency sounds are described as warmer and higher-frequency ones are described as colder. The frequency response of most professional microphones is intended to mirror the hearing range of the hu1nan ear: 20Hz - 20KHz. In general, a fiat frequency response is prefe1·red for professional dialog recording. In a flat frequency response, all of the frequencies are faithfully reproduced without any colorization. None of the frequencies are artificially amplified or attenuated; rather, they are reproduced just as they were heard. Some models of microphones deliberately color their frequency response to highlight a specific band of frequencies that the sound source will produce or to correct certain frequencies that will be missing from the source. An example of this would be the TRAM TRSO lavalier microphone. Common . applications for this microphone often require it to be buried under clothing to hide it from the cameras eye. In doing this, the higher frequencies are lost in the transmission through the clothing. To compensate for this loss of frequencies, the TRSO has an increase in its frequency response around 8KHz.

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Several kinds of microphones are used in film and television production: Boom Mies Lavaliers Boundary Microphones Plant Mies Handhelds Lip Mies Camera Mies Each of these microphones has a unique way of capturing sound and each can have multiple polar patterns to choose from. It should be noted that microphones designed for production dialog are always mono. Stereo microphones have a wider field of sound that negates the isolation of dialog we fought so hard to achieve with cardioid microphones. A production's stereo image isn't created on location, but rather in postproduction where. the re-recording mixer can work objectively with all of the production's sound ele·m ents as a whole. Nat sound can be recorded on a video camera using the on-board stereo mic. This sound is passable for B-roll shots, but should never be used for dialog or room tone (see page 180). Let's take a look at different kinds of production microphones.

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the pole or rig to which the microphone is attached. The types of mies that are used on the end of the boom pole are shotguns and cardioids. While shotguns and cardioids produce the most natural-sounding dialog tracks, they both have advantages and disadvantages. The go-to mic for ENG production is the shotgun. Its directionality makes it perfect for the often unplanned shooting style and various environments that

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THE LOCATION SOUND BIBLE

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