Best way to record sound during a shoot

[Aseesl8er]

Hi,

Since super8 doesn't support sound recording anymore, what are some of the best ways to record sound. I'm running on a tight budget so any economical way of recording dialogue between 2 people would be much appreciated. If not, I'll probably have to go with the dreaded ADR track during post production. Thanks.

Anh

[gianni1]

Please advise what does ADR stand for...

Maybe I knew, but I forgot... and wish to prevent embarrassment by a wrong guess...


Gianni

[Aseesl8er]

Please advise what does ADR stand for...

Maybe I knew, but I forgot... and wish to prevent embarrassment by a wrong guess...


Gianni

ADR stands for Additional Dialogue Recording...I think. It's used mostly in anime when the shows are being dubbed in english. Also, it's used for parts of film that didn't capture the audio well. Or even for scenes that are almost impossible to record dialogue without background noise interruption. Like loud action scenes. The actors will go back into the studio to record the dialogue over...or even sounds like grunting, panting, etc. Anyway, if you guys know of good audio recording devices that are affordable for a budget filmmaker, that would be awesome.

[richard p. t.]

Use a clapper board and ...

a DAT tape recorder or
a minidisk recorder or
a video camera with manual audio controll or
an old cassette recorder ...

probably in that order of preference.

You probably won't need a crystal controlled camera if your takes aren't too long, or you a prepared to jiggle a little in post on a computer. Really that is no great problem.

If you do have a crystal controlled camera, any of the top three recomendation there will give you exactly sychronised sound as they are all completely stable recording methods. But just do it and don't fuss too much.

When you come to building the soundtrack in post, you will probably find that sync sound (when the camera is running) isn't necesarily your best option anyway (except perhaps for dialogue - but even then).
Richard

[Actor]

Hi,

Since super8 doesn't support sound recording anymore, what are some of the best ways to record sound. I'm running on a tight budget so any economical way of recording dialogue between 2 people would be much appreciated. If not, I'll probably have to go with the dreaded ADR track during post production. Thanks.

Anh

Moviestuff has written an excellent article on ADR that is in the current issue of Super 8 Today. Instead of dreading ADR perhaps you should embrace it as a means of gaining more control over your work. Robert Rodriguez' El Mariachi and Sergio Leone's entire filmography were 100% ADR.

[mattias]

rodriguez recorded wild sync tracks on location. in many ways a preferrable method to adr. you get the correct room tone and the actors are (hopefully) in the moment. i've used in on all my films, partly on entirely, even the ones where i used sync cameras and had a professional sound crew.

/matt

[zaefod]

ADR stands for Additional Dialogue Recording...I think. It's used mostly in anime when the shows are being dubbed in english. Also, it's used for parts of film that didn't capture the audio well. Or even for scenes that are almost impossible to record dialogue without background noise interruption. Like loud action scenes. The actors will go back into the studio to record the dialogue over...or even sounds like grunting, panting, etc. Anyway, if you guys know of good audio recording devices that are affordable for a budget filmmaker, that would be awesome.

ADR is done far more frequently in Hollywood than you might think. If you watch the credits on most films, there they are, ADR credits. Many actors in Hollywood, who are not of a huge amount of celebrity, make quite a living doing what is called in the industry as "looping". Often, the audio is no good at some crazy location, so sound a like actors are hired, if the principal is not available, to rerecord the dialogue. I guess that they have it down pat, but if you can avoid having to do it, I would recommend that. It is really hard trying to match the delivery of the line you did six months ago on some mountain side in VAncouver, six months later in an audio suite in Burbank.

Also, don't rule out the new crop of flash based recorders. Tascams is almost too good to be true. Plus you can get the media into your computer easier than a DAT or mini Disc. the later of which suffers a generation loss. Good luck

Chris

[BigBeaner]

Watch the older, Connery Bond movies for lessons on ADR and editing. You'll be annoyed to no end that you can't get it to look right, or some sort of problems but they are heavily present in those movies and boy, does it make you feel good.

[Mitch Perkins]

Hi,

Since super8 doesn't support sound recording anymore, what are some of the best ways to record sound. I'm running on a tight budget so any economical way of recording dialogue between 2 people would be much appreciated. If not, I'll probably have to go with the dreaded ADR track during post production. Thanks.

Anh

If you decide to go the ADR route, make sure you record location sound anyway, no matter how imperfect. This way, you retain inflection and certain "noises" actors make. The videocam-as-sound-recorder approach has the benefit of providing visual reference.

As so many people like to point out, sound is at least half, if not more, of the final viewing experience. This accounts for why it's such a pain in the ass; anything worth doing and all that...

Mitch

[flatwood]

I see I waited too long to send my room tone message but thats extremely important. Forget it once and you will never do it again, thats all I can say now.

[Scotness]

Absolutely all of Goldfinger's part (the character not the whole film) is ADR - I think the actor was German and had really bad English so he was adr'd - and done brilliantly on old analogue equipment.

There's actually alot on this board about sound and recording devices/methods - I'd do a search in the archives for audio or sound and you will get heaps.

Scot

[Evan Kubota]

I always ADR, and have been meaning to get location sound with a DV camera, but somehow always forget. Usually I even bring the camera but it gets left in the car in the rush of shooting :roll: I suppose I could start getting location audio for my current 16mm project, but that will have such a sur/un-realistic mix that it wouldn't be worthwhile. Definitely on some future projects, though, especially outdoor ones so I can use the Scoopic or R10 (relatively quiet) and get the camera 75' away.

[etimh]

If you decide to go the ADR route, make sure you record location sound anyway, no matter how imperfect. This way, you retain inflection and certain "noises" actors make.

Just a small clarification on this point--are you saying that you should do a recording of an actual dialogue performance, recording the scene with no camera running? I understand the need to get ambient location sound but are you actually trying to capture some usable dialogue with this recording?

Tim

[audadvnc]

ADR = "Automatic Dialog Replacement"
http://www.filmsound.org/terminology/adr.htm

An interesting discussion:
http://www.filmsound.org/QA/ADR-Discussion.htm

[Mitch Perkins]

If you decide to go the ADR route, make sure you record location sound anyway, no matter how imperfect. This way, you retain inflection and certain "noises" actors make.

Just a small clarification on this point--are you saying that you should do a recording of an actual dialogue performance, recording the scene with no camera running? I understand the need to get ambient location sound but are you actually trying to capture some usable dialogue with this recording?

Tim

I'm talking about recording the dialogue as you film the scene, cam noise and all, so that any un-scripted "ahem", or "hunh" the actor emits will not be an impossible mystery later on. Not for final soudtrack use.

Mitch