The boom operator employs the technique of suspending a microphone above a subject allowing for versatility and movement of the talent and operator while retaining excellent audio quality.
The #1 rule to recording professional dialogue on location is getting the microphone as close to the talent’s mouth as possible while maintaining good frequency response. To get optical microphone placement, one needs to block the set before shooting begins. With the help of the cinematographer and director, the boom operator should know exactly what camera and actor movements are taking place. The process of blocking the set eliminates the boom entering the camera frame, boom pole shadows, and uncoordinated movements.
Boom Operator Equipment
The boom pole allows you to place the microphone above any given subject while staying out of the camera frame. Usually made out of a lightweight carbon fiber or aluminum, there are varying lengths of boom poles. Professional boom poles will extend to a maximum of 12 to 20 feet.
The shock mount consisting of elastic bands or dense rubber attaches the microphone at the end of the boom pole. This reduces low-frequency rumble from the boom operator’s hands and fingers, sudden movements in position, or the XLR cable against the outside of the pole (if you do not have an interior-cabled pole, see above for example).
The microphone, obviously the most important aspect in location shooting. Depending on where you’re shooting (indoors or outdoors), there are usually two types of hyper-cardioid microphones used by professional boom operators: Shotgun mics and short hyper-cardioid mics.
Shotgun mics are commonly used outdoors where there is a considerable amount of ambient background noise. The long slits in the barrel help reject mid and high frequencies, though not all low frequencies are rejected (use a low-cut filter). One drawback to longer shotguns is that they are so directional in their narrow pickup pattern, natural qualities of a source such as the human voice are lost due to the lack of exterior background reflections from the source. They are the ideal microphone for noisy, outdoor situations. Right image is a typical shotgun frequency pickup pattern.
Small diaphragm hyper-cardioid microphones are less dramatic in their rear and side frequency attenuations and rejections, delivering a natural quality from a sound source. The drawback being the lack of rejection; considerable background noise is audible. A short shotgun wouldn’t be ideal in an environment with loud traffic, winds, crowds, etc. When indoors and in quieter environments, they are the ideal choice.
6 Boom Pole Positions That You Should Know About
If you're new to operating a boom, here are some essential tips on how to hold them.
Operating a boom may seem like a simple job, but ask any pro that's been carrying one around for a while and they'll say it takes a little bit of finesse, especially when it comes to how to hold one. Operators have to take several things into account, like lighting and fatigue, before deciding on how to hold a boom, and in this video by Aputure, Stephen Harrod shares 6 common ways to hold a boom, including 3 "active" positions in which you're recording sound and 3 "resting" positions in which you're not. Check it out below:
One thing new boom operators tend to find out after their first day on the job is how tiring and uncomfortable holding a boom can be. Even though they're not the heaviest piece of equipment on set, having to carefully hold a boom for hours and precisely point them at the source of audio requires operators to find positions that makes those tasks easier. Here are the positions, both active and resting, that Harrod mentions in the video.
The "H" position: This is a pretty standard way to hold a boom. It gets the mic close to the subject's mouth and out of the view of the camera.
Bench press: This position takes the "H" position down to the chest in order to give your arms and back a little bit of a break.
Scooping: When booming from overhead won't work, like when a light from above casts a boom shadow on your subject, scooping is a great way to get the boom close to your source without casting shadows.
Shoulder rest: Resting the boom along your shoulders is a comfortable way to give yourself a rest without having to put your gear on the ground.
Vertical rest: If you hold your boom vertically between takes, just make sure to rest it on your shoe instead of the ground.
Boom box: This little invention lets you set your boom pole aside without having to lean it up against a wall or lie it on the ground.
These Are the Things You Should Look out for when Operating a Boom Mic
How do you avoid the pitfalls of being "that boom operator?"
Operating a boom isn't as simple as it looks; it actually requires a lot of expertise, finesse and physical strength. Not only do you have to know where to place the boom in order to get the best possible sound, but you also have to ensure that it doesn't ruin the shot by bobbing into the frame. Luckily in this video from Aputure, boom operator Stephen Harrod serves up six tips that will help you take your boom game to the next level.
So here are six things to keep in mind the next time you operate a boom:
1. Make sure you are out of the way
You, not just your boom, need to keep as low a profile as possible. Sets are busy and people are usually packed like sardines in the small space around the camera, so make sure that you don't get in the way of others trying to do their job. Be mindful of where you are and whose sight you might be obstructing. Harrod even suggests wearing clothes that minimize distraction, like black stuff that doesn't have big prints, text, or graphics.
2. Go to rehearsals and understand the blocking
Being aware of how the day's shots are going to unfold as far as blocking goes will help you not only put your boom in the right place at the right time, but it'll help you avoid sticking it where it shouldn't go. This is especially important if there is a lot of camera/character movement, as well as dialog in the shot, because not only will you have to move with the camera/characters, but you'll have to know who is delivering their lines and when in order to point your boom at the right person.
3. Be aware of lighting
You've done a good job of keeping your boom out of the camera's view, but what about shadows? If you put your boom in front of a light, it's going to cast a shadow and potentially ruin the shot, so take note of where lights are placed and where the light is in the scene—this goes for windows and mirrors as well. If you're finding it difficult to avoid casting a harsh shadow, talk to someone in the camera or light department (the DP, 1st AC, or gaffer) to try to work out a solution.
4. Pay attention to the camera
Cameras move a lot these days, especially thanks to the ubiquity of handheld gimbals. This means that you have to be more aware of where the camera is going to be throughout the duration of the shot. And wherever the camera is, that is precisely where you should not be. As the shot changes, so should your position. And again, being there for rehearsals will help you plan your path more effectively, but Harrod suggest always positioning yourself facing the camera in case it moves somewhere you didn't anticipate.
5. Know which lens is being used
Even though you're working in the sound department, knowing which lenses are being used for the shot, as well as what those lenses do, will help you put your boom in the right place. Because wide lens will capture more of the scene than a telephoto lens, you'll have to change where you stand based on which lens is being used. The rule of thumb: the shorter the lens, the further away you need to boom; the longer the lens the closer you can boom.
6. Make sure you and other departments are on the same page
Cohesion is crucial in filmmaking, so make sure you're working together with everyone on set to get the job done the right way. Harrod explains that his work is more than simply getting good audio, it's also about quality control. So, make sure you're communicating clearly with other departments to ensure that obtaining that quality is possible. If your boom is obstructing the lighting, if a costume has noisy fabric, or if props are in the way, talk to their respective departments.
Do you have any good tips for boom operators? Let us know in the comments below!
3 Ways to Capture Audio in a Long Shot Without Your Boom Making a Cameo
I don't care whose kid that boom mic is! They're not getting in the picture.
Despite having a cool name like Fonzie, boom mics are not as cool and confident as the ol' greaser. They're shy and timid and don't like to be on camera (at least not in a way that is detectable before you're in post). Luckily, booms are pretty easy to hide just beyond the frame most of the time, but what if you want to record dialogue during a wide shot? What the hell do you do then? Unless you're prepared to dress your boom operator up as a human-shaped bush, you'll want to learn some clever tricks for getting that boom mic out of the shot, and the team over at The Film Look has a few really good ones on deck in the video below:
When it comes to mic-ing your subject for dialogue, the name of the game is "get as close as possible without being in the frame." That's pretty easy most of the time if you're shooting tight shots, but if you're shooting a wide, that's when it gets a little hairy.
How do you get your boom mic close to your subject when there is easily 6' or more on either side of them? What if you have nothing within the frame to hide your boom mic behind? What if there is literally no possible way to get your boom mic anywhere near your subject's mouth and now you're going to have shit audio? Hey, cálmate. Here's what you do.
Use a lav mic: If you have a decent lav mic that you can easily hide under your subject's shirt, that might be a good option. However, if you don't have a decent lav mic but you do have a really good boom mic, you might want to try these other tricks.
Find a different angle: If you can, try repositioning your camera until you can't see your boom in your frame, like, for instance, putting your subject near the edge of the frame so you can boom from that side. If that doesn't work, try putting your camera in a position that obscures your subject's mouth, like behind them or very far away from them. You can also have your subject obscure their own mouth by talking on a phone, looking in a magazine, rifling through junk, whatever. Doing these things will allow you to add dialogue in post with audio captured in a different shot or with ADR.
Hide the mic: If there's a large object in your shot, you can try using it to hide your boom. In the video, a mic was hidden behind a car door, but you can use pretty much anything, like trees, buildings, partitions, anything that is at least a little bigger than a boom pole. You can even intentionally stage some objects on your set that may not serve any other purpose than to hide your boom.
Mask it out: If there's just no feasible way to hide your boom, you can try masking it out in post. You can plop your boom operator right smack dab in the middle of your scene, boom mic hanging out and all, as long as they, and their equipment, steer clear of your subject. The video does a decent job of explaining this process.
There you go! Hopefully, you learned some cleverly useful ways to capture great audio while shooting wides.
Source: https://nofilmschool.com/
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