I will be filming some footage of an interview in a rubber raft (with outboard engine) going down a river. With me and one more person in the boat boom is out of question. I doubt the mic on Canon XL2 will be good enough. I don't have experience with lavalier mics so I don't know if they are a best choice. I will not have a chance to test this in advance--not long enough to go buy missing equipment. Any suggestions? Or should I just give up and record the interview in studio as a voice over? I am sorry if this is too elementary question--I appreciate any suggestions.
You could run one end of the mic cable into the camera and have the interviewee hold the mic. If they hold it out of frame you should get good sound and have no problem beyond the engine and water noise.
RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA
RJSchwarz
Thanks for the quick reply. I was hoping not to have the person driving the boat (operating the outboard) also have to hold the mic but it may be the best solution.
You might be able to get a mic stand or something similar. Shorten it as low as it'll go and keep a leg or foot on the base to keep it from tipping over.
RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA
RJSchwarz
You are suggesting shotgun mic, right? I think the standard handheld "journalist" mic would pick up more of the outboard engine sound than the speaker. Thanks.
Do you really need the motor running during the conversation? I'd assumed you'd chug the boat out into position. Record the engine sound for later if you want. Then kill the motor and do the interview. I thought the question was less about sound quality than microphone use in an unusual location.
RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA
RJSchwarz
Sorry about the confussion. The question was how to get quality. I am sitting in the front of the boat filming the person in the back who is operating the outboard and speaking to the camera. If I shot down the engine there is no wake behind the boat. I can't use a shotgun on a pole, shotgun on the camera will get the motor which is directly behind the subject....and I am not experienced with lav mics. Sorry again--I hope this makes more sense.
As far as I can tell you have two choicse. ADR the audio in later or have him stop the engine and hope the wake lasts long enough to get through some questions.
RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA
RJSchwarz
I think I will have to go with stopping the engine then. I will write a scene to make it make sense.?code??/code? Thanks for all your help.
