Audio
When producing a video, audio is a key variable that can have a major impact on the overall quality of a video.
The initial question that needs to be addressed is whether or not you are going to record the audio onto the camera or onto an external device like a hard drive or laptop (Vincent, 2008). There are pros and cons for each option, which means that different circumstances may call for a different method. For example, when you record the audio directly onto the camera, the audio is in sync with the video. This option saves you time and money; however, the microphone amps on cameras are not the best quality. Therefore, videos that demand the highest quality should go with an external device, whereas videos that are time sensitive and on a strict budget should opt for recording audio on the camera.
Secondly, to ensure your video has high quality audio, a microphone will be essential to capture the sound with as little interference as possible. Since even the best cameras have lackluster microphones it is vital to purchase a microphone like a shotgun condenser. A shotgun condenser is a type of microphone that is most commonly used on television, film sets, and recording wildlife (Eargle. 2002). Once you acquire a microphone, the next step is to either buy or build a pole to attach your microphone to. No matter the quality of your pole, the most important part is the mounting and suspension system for your microphone. This stops physical knocks and jolts from ending up as rumbles on your recordings. The last step regarding the microphone is getting a fluffy cover for your microphone to simply stop wind from interfering with your recordings. Once again, you can either buy or make one depending on your budget. The internet provides many how to videos that can instruct you how to build one.
Last of all, a good set of headphones will be needed to ensure you can hear the recordings in immense detail.
Overall, to ensure your video has high quality audio you will need to decide how your audio will be recorded, the right type of microphone is used, and lastly headphones to listen to your recordings without distractions. Some tips when recording are listed below (Vincent, 2008).
1. Make sure the director and crew know not to shout “cut” or anything else until the scene is properly over. You need a little gap after the last line to make the edit easier.
2. Make everyone on set turn their mobile phone off.
3. Check the set for squeaky chairs and floorboards - deal with them before you start shooting.
4. Capture at least one minute of room tone before or after you’ve finished the scene. Room tone is the noise of the set without any dialogue. It comes in really handy during the edit for patching takes together.
5. Do a site visit to any outdoor sets. Traffic noise, building sites and other odd noises can make a set unusable.
Lights
Lighting is another aspect of making a video that can affect the outcome. There are multiple techniques, types of light, and effects that can be used to make a high quality video. One of the most popular techniques in film making is lighting from the front and the back. The first light, positioned in front of the object being recorded is considered a soft light while the light in the back is called the hot backlight (Kaminski, n.d.). The backlight is a stronger and more directional light which gives your subject a nice edge and definition. Other techniques include arranging lights in different ways in order to leave darkness between areas of illumination; this gives the video more emotional appeal.
Setting up lights is a time-consuming task that many individuals forget about when planning for a shoot. Therefore a good rule is shooting in the order of the lighting set-ups (Kaminski, n.d.).
Every video uses light, whether its natural or artificial, therefore the goal is to decide which type of lighting is best for your video. You need to be aware of clashing light sources, for example