Recording Sound: An Introduction to the Job

Hello! My name is Diyana and I work as a sound recordist, an integral position in the video production process.

So what does a sound recordist do?

Sound Recordists capture all the audio that is found in a location, like dialogue, singing, and action. They do this by setting up mics and dealing with any issues regarding their placement and the combination of mics they use: such as boom microphones and lavalier microphones.

Sound recordists communicate with all members of the production and crew, especially the camera department and director. They also fit individual microphones to the on-screen talent(s).

How do you do it?

When on set, I will prepare lavalier microphones for the talents’ dialogues and a boom microphone for ambience. Lavalier microphones are usually used as the main audio source while boom microphones are used as back-ups. I will also feed my audio to the camera so the audio syncs with the video, making it easier for the post-production side to edit.

What kind of equipment do you bring to set?

The most commonly used equipment are the Zoom F4 and Zoom H6 as the mixers, the Sennheiser G4 and G3 wireless sets as the talent mics and the Sennheiser MKH 50 condenser mic as the boom mic. These are the usual pieces of equipment that I will normally bring on shoots.

Why do you want to be a sound recordist?

Dialogue and ambiance feel like music to my ears. To me, it is just as important as any other role in video production, without any audio a film is just a silent film. That’s the reason why I want to be recording sound, to bring an extra dimension to the final product.