6. Record the Full Audio Narrative
When recording the audio, record the entire script. If you only record the b-roll sections of the audio, the a-roll and b-roll audio might not match very well. If you record the entire script, the ranger will be more likely to end a sentence with the beginning of the next sentance in mind, making for smoother more natural transitions between segments.
Rather than using an indoor studio to record our full audio, we use an outdoor location that is quiet. Most natural sounds don't bother us in the background but we do our best to eliminate all traffic noises and extraneous voices. Of course if the a-roll is shot indoors, it makes sense to record the full audio indoors too. Indoor recordings, that are not done in a recording studio, tend to sound a little more like they are recorded in a tunnel due to the audio bouncing off walls and coming back into the microphone. Recording outside gives a cleaner, less echoey, audio track.
Whether you record the segment with the ranger on-camera first, or the full audio first, depends on your ranger-writer. Beth Taylor worked better by recording the full audio off-camera version first as this helped her decide the inflection needed for the sentences she delivered on-camera. George Heinz seems to work better delivering his on-camera segments first as this helps him get in the mood for proper delivery of the off-camera full audio recording. Generally speaking, I think you should record the on-camera bits first and then do the full audio recording.
It occurs to me that I haven’t explained exactly what is involved with recording the full audio version of the presentation. Rather than carrying two recorders, I recommend you use your video recorder as your audio recorder.
You will need a full audio recording that matches, in terms of volume and ambient noise, the ranger-on-camera audio as closely as possible. To accomplish this, you should record the audio under circumstances very similar, or identical, to those under which you record the ranger-on-camera segments. That’s why I recommend doing this in the field at one of the ranger-on-camera locations. If there is running water in the a-roll, it's a good idea to have running water in the full audio too.
It’s really very simple. Point the camera at the ground to remove any on-stage anxiety that the ranger might be inclined to experience and record the entire presentation as the ranger reads it. That’s the wonderful thing about this procedure. The ranger can actually read much of their presentation. There are far fewer takes that way and when an error is made it can always be handled easily.
While recording the full audio, ask your ranger-writer to read their script as if they were on-camera. Tell the ranger-writer that they should start over at the beginning of any sentence they mess up. They should never go back to the beginning of the paragraph or to the beginning of the entire piece. Believe me, when you hit the editing stage of the project, you will thank me for this advice.
As they read the script, listen carefully for any slurred words, or other minor errors. They might not catch it themselves, but you must catch it for them. The most common complaints I get about the early Inside Yellowstone videos are related to the speed of delivery and slurred words. Please don’t repeat my error.
You must be comfortable enough with your ranger-writer to be able to tell them when you heard a slurred word or an incomprehensible sentence. If you don’t straighten it out while you’re filming, you’ll be left with footage that must be edited out in the end. It will lead to reduced quality in the overall production and should be avoided by setting up a proper director-talent relationship at the onset of production.
If your ranger-writer is a superior, let them know that you will do everything you can to make them look good in the end, including correcting them repeatedly during production if necessary. Most supervisors will accept apparent criticisms to look good to the larger audience. Some of them will actually thank you for it. Just know, you must do it.
(Please review the technical audio section for advice on using today’s cameras as audio recorders. It is also critical that you use a professional microphone as you primary microphone. The technical audio section can help with this too. – THIS SECTION IS NOT READY FOR PUBLICATION AT THIS TIME.)
Back to Chapter 4 | Chapter Index | On to Chapter 7
Tom Cawley
Online Roving Ranger Video Production
tom@rovingranger.com
© 2007 - 2010 Tom Cawley
