DSLR and TASCAM Workshop

-

Digital Single Lens Reflex
What we did:

During the DSLR workshop we looked at how the DSLR's work and how we can record sound and optimise the DSLR's features.  I own a DSLR which I use very often however I did not know even half of the features that Ferg taught us existed.  There are many benefits of using a DSLR:
-You can change the lens.
-You can use the image stabiliser switch.
-You can get cinematic lenses that give you more control; for example being able to control the aperture.
-They are brilliant for documentaries as they are small and light. 

Furthermore I learned something very important about the DSLR, and that's that when recording sound it has to be recorded using a separate audio device, such as a TASCAM DR-70D.  I always assumed that the audio could just be recorded on the DSLR but due to not being able to view the audio levels it is much easier to use the TASCAM box. This is placed in the bag that the sound person can hold and is attached to a boom to help to get the best and clearest audio possible. 

We then looked at sound and how to get the best quality audio possible from the boom pole. Before this workshop I did not realise that the closer you hold the boom to the sound the better it sounds whereas if the boom is held back and is quite far from the action then the sound will sound thin and will need some work done to it during post production. Therefore I now try to hold the boom as close to the action as I possible can (without it being in shot). When recording sound on the Sony EX Ferg told us some of his top tips:
-The sensitivity trim should be around -41db.
-The audio level should always be around -12db.
-The audio gain should be off.
-If I press the status button then it is clear to see the audio channels and their levels.
-Make sure the capsule on the boom is recording the sound at the right angle (think of it as a laser beam point towards their mouth)
-Adjust the gain levels on the wheels on the side of the camera-  turn them up to reduce the hiss sound.

We then recorded a shot with a very simple narrative using the DSLR and the TASCAM and it was a great chance to try out the new sound techniques we had been taught. 

What Was Successful:
One of the most successful parts of the workshop was understanding the benefits of using the DSLR as I had always just assumed that the Sony EX was better for filming but when we went through the DSLR's benefits I realised the major benefits of using one. 

Using the TASCAM was also really successful once I got the hang of it as it recorded a really good quality sound that will be great in my future projects. 

What went wrong:
I found it really hard to understand how to set up the TASCAM as it was different to anything that I have ever used before so I asked Ferg to explain how it works twice to me and I took pictures of the settings too in case I use it in the future. 

I struggled with linking up the audio for the first shot that we did as we forget to use the clapper board but with the next few shots we took we had used it so it was a lot easier to sync the sound. In future I would always use the clapper board when using different devices to match the audio with the video as it made it really easy during the edit.

Conclusion:

In conclusion I really enjoyed this workshop and enjoyed filming the short sequence below. We all had a go at holding the TASCAM and listening to the sound which was useful and going through the benefits of using the DSLR has made me want to use it in my future projects as it is very light as well as being portable. If we had more time we could have made it slightly longer and added more shots to test out blending the audio but this is something to try in the future with the TASCAM.








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Project evaluation

-
Image
Introduction:  This unit, has by far been the most rewarding experience that I have ever undergone. When starting it 13 weeks ago I could have never imaged the creative journey that we were about to undergo, and the amount of skills that I would develop. Admittedly, there were a multitude of moments in which we faced challenges, yet finding solutions and overcoming these hurdles in order to gain knowledge on how to do something better next time, is all part of the production process.  Being a Producer:  Being a Producer has always been my ambition, hence I feel very proud of myself that we get commissioned and got to take on the role. Despite this, it was not at all how I expected it to be. I do feel that before this unit I was under the misconception that Producing was mainly focussed around being organised, yet there is so much more to it than this (Benioff, 2016). It is about being supportive to the team (Kellison, 2008:14), and making sure that everything is explained clearly. As w
Read more

Test shoots

-
Image
As Producers when undergoing test shots our main focus was with health and safety and how we can have a production space that looks great, but that also is practical and safe due to us having multiple people at all shoots. "A Producers job is to overcome obstacles" ( Brown et al , 2016:13) and that is exactly what we had to do with test shots; hence our solution was something rather creative.  We decided to create a miniature version of our set design, as this way we were able to be "good problem solvers" ( Brown et al , 2016:13) as that is essential when producing and by having a model set we were able to mark out any health and safety risks that could occur when shooting with the shots that had been planned. It was vital for us to plan out the health and safety dangers of the set as we have a duty of care ( Brown et al , 2016:64) and we need to make sure that we adhere to it, hence being able to see visually what the risks around the set may be, enabled us to then
Read more

Workshop films/output

-
Image
Being in a Television Studio:  For this unit one of the most important aspects to research was actually creating an As Live show and working in a Television Studio environment. It is vital to know what the purpose of each space is in the studio, as well as each role and what they consist of. I also wanted to understand how communication worked around the studio and between the gallery and the studio. Jonathan was really good at explaining clearly to us how the studio space worked, and the purpose of everything in there. He began by walking us around and talking through it all, this was incredibly useful as when being in a studio it is important to know how it all works as well as the studio terminology (Brown et al , 2016:39) I was surprised by the amount elements in the studio that served a specific purpose that I have seen multiple times but never known what they do. For example the is a red line on the floor surrounding the studio space called the 'fire line' thus if the fir
Read more