From the course: Video Production: Location Audio Recording

Recording a speaker

From the course: Video Production: Location Audio Recording

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Recording a speaker

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One more element that we want to look out for when it comes to audio and shooting speakers with panels is audience questions. Now in the scenario that I have set up here, I have my speaker with the wireless loud mic on and I have a shotgun mic on the camera. However, if a audience member asks a question chances are that speaker's wireless live and the shocker mic aren't going to pick up that question that well. The shocker mic is pointed to the back of audience member's head. So that means, I would prefer to have a separate microphone just for audience members' questions. This is best done with a handheld wireless microphone that can be easily passed around. If you have a hardwired microphone that works as well, as long as you can get it from one audience member to another, so it's best if you have a helper that's able to get that mic in those people's hands quickly. Now if you don't have a extra mic, it's not that big a deal. What you want to make sure you do though, is tell the speaker or whoever is up front talking to make sure that they clearly repeat the audience members questions so that everyone watching the video knows exactly what was asked and answered. Now, when it come to the presentation itself, there's not a whole heck of a lot I have to do if I've set up everything up properly like I just said. Once I'm actually shooting the main thing I'm looking out for are fluctuations in the speaker's tone. Sometimes speakers get really animated, they start telling a joke and sometimes things get really serious and quiet. So I want to make sure that I'm paying careful attention to the audio levels and adjusting as I go. The other thing I'm looking out for are applause and laugh lines that can often spike your audio quickly. So again, I'm always listening to the content being said so that I can actually anticipate if the audience is about to start bursting out into laughter or break out into a big applause, just so that I don't spike my audio. So, as long as you do those things and prep everything ahead of time, the only thing you should really have to do once the presentation starts is keep your eye on your levels and sit back and enjoy the show.

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