Coming from the Screenwriting program and having had experience in writer, director and producer roles (and continuing to do so for web-series projects I’m a part of), I decided that I would take on the challenge of being a part of the technical team for our production group. I definitely feel like I’m a bit out of my depth, but I know that if I work hard and put in the extra time and effort, I can be a great asset to my group.

That’s why I decided to examine the sound readings this week and do further research in the area by collating definitions of sound terminology. The reading that really stood out for me and will be one that I definitely refer back to is ‘Sound Recording’.

An important point I took from it is that in order to ensure sound recording is at it’s optimum, doing a lot of planning and tests well before shoot day is a must. Being comfortable with the equipment and understanding how to fix potential problems on the day, means that practice and doing tests before shooting is important. Doing site checks before the shoot will ensure that you plan to have enough cable length and that you recognize any potential noise disruptions so that you can plan for a slightly different location or shooting at a different time of day to prevent interruptions.

On shooting day, recording a test and listening to playback to hear if sound quality is being affected before recording a take is important. It is too difficult to try to fix sound in post-production, so ensuring that playback is of high quality on the day is the best way to go. Another tip is to test the actor’s speech beforehand so that you can adjust the levels for when they are performing the scene (and ask them to perform at the same volume).

Another important point is to have a fantastic understanding of the equipment you are using. This means ensuring that the audio limiter is switched off whilst testing and setting record levels, then switching the audio limiter on during recording. If the audio limiter is kept on whilst setting the levels, it won’t give a proper indication of whether sound will be distorted, as it will never go into the ‘red’ zone. Making sure that you aren’t being confused by the volume levels of your headphones is also integral as you may think that the sound coming through is loud enough, however your levels may show that they are too low (or vice versa). Trusting your levels and recognizing that your headphone volume may be a problem is important as if you don’t fix it, you will end up with bad sound that can’t be fixed in post.

Overall, the knowledge I’ve gained from all of the sound readings have been very helpful in helping me to understand the problems that you can be faced with and how to go about avoiding them. Performing tests, and understanding how to use your equipment and how to negotiate potential problems are important in ensuring that the best sound is recorded for your film.