iCrap
(Originally posted December 31, 2013)
It's happened more than once. Some poor aspiring videographer spent hours putting together a short film or Year in Review video and they bring it to me to play. It looks great on the screen. Resolution is high, lighting looks good, the opening music sounds good through the PA and then it happens - the dialogue starts. It sounds like the audio was recorded with an old tape recorder from another room and that other room was the bathroom.
It’s the most overlooked aspect when it comes to entry level videos (and some so called professional videos!) Without good audio, videos just are not enjoyable. Unless you watch silent films all the time, audio is adding the unseen juice to what you are seeing. Without the juice its just moving pictures. iPads and iPhones produce good looking videos with one push of a button; what they don't do is capture audio well enough to be amplified through a sound system. It may sound OK in headphones or through computer speakers but when played at a loud level for an audience all of that crap in the background gets amplified too. So how do you make good sounding videos with your iDevice? If you have the money and the video is going to be something viewed by a large audience or will be on your website you really should hire someone to do it for you. If you want to do it yourself:
First: ALWAYS, ALWAYS ALWAYS monitor what you are recording with some quality headphones. If it sounds like crap while you are on set, it will sound like crap later.
Second: Unless you are making a phone call do not use the on-board microphone. It just isn't made for the application of capturing good audio for a video that will be seen outside of your device. There are options out there for adding a microphone to your device. Media Core listed some options in there post HERE. You can also record audio separately and sync them in your editing software. Zoom and Tascam both make very good quality recorders that you can use with a microphone to get better audio.
Lastly: Be prepared and practice! If you are asked to make a video for someone or you are making a video for yourself, do a little research on what other people have been able to produce with your same iDevice. Being prepared before your shoot and know what your device is capable of. Knowing is half the battle as G.I. Joe said. If you are stuck using your iDevice's on-board microphone, here is a great video on getting good audio without an external microphone. Look at it!
Cheers!