adaml Posted April 4, 2006 Report Share Posted April 4, 2006 Any advice on recording in a moving car, or possibly van (mics, setup, etc)? It will be an improvised conversation between the front seat passengers. Part of it may take place on a gravel road. Hoping to avoid the need for any ADR. Thanks, Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted April 4, 2006 Report Share Posted April 4, 2006 You could also use a wireless lav mic mounted on the sun visor between the driver & passenger. Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted April 4, 2006 Report Share Posted April 4, 2006 You could also use a wireless lav mic mounted on the sun visor between the driver & passenger. Eric Windows up: Sanken CUB-1s. Windows down, Lav mics, try to clip the seatbelts out of the way. Convertable: lavs w/ the new Rycote furry things (and prayer). Philip Perkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarL Posted April 5, 2006 Report Share Posted April 5, 2006 Sanken CUB-1 has worked great for me, I have a bunch of pins and nail them and the cables to the roof and down the side that doesn't show in that take. Run them wireless to a car behind or in front, workes like a charm and no more trunk travelling! I also use a Neumann with a colette cable from time to time. /Oscar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisnewton Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 Sanken CUB-1 has worked great for me, I have a bunch of pins and nail them and the cables to the roof and down the side that doesn't show in that take. Run them wireless to a car behind or in front, workes like a charm and no more trunk travelling! I also use a Neumann with a colette cable from time to time. /Oscar EMW lavs on the headliner or on the sun visors. One for each person. Alternately Neumann KM150 either from above or sometimes from below. Sometimes lavs directly on actors. i usually try to use hardwires fed to vehicle towing car. RF if no other choice. If I'm in the tow vehicle I can feed comtek or hardwire IFB to director/script. if I'm along for the ride it's more practical to make adjustments between takes. I've also ridden inside picture vehicle often, just me and cameraman if actor-driven car. I usually clap the slate as well. Chris Newton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Paine Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 I Remember one time i was riging a lav mic to the sun visor in a car trying to get the best possible position without getting it in the shot, when it dawned on me, that the closest thing to the actor was the lense. We were using a Betacam, so i took out the crappy onboard Sony video camera mic, and placed my MKH-60 in the holder and moved it as far forward as possible, just skirting the edge of frame. I recorded both the lav and the shotgun split tracks. Turned out post used the shotgun, saying it sounded better. I agreed. If you can't beat 'em.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 I Remember one time i was riging a lav mic to the sun visor in a car trying to get the best possible position... That's a cool idea but what I thought you were about to say was something that happened to me: after very carefully placing a visor mounted mic (in this case Schoeps MK41 collette), getting it in the perfect position, I got out of the car, the actress got in and then proceeded to rehearse her character's action: pull down the visor while driving to check her makeup! Fortunatly we hadn't pulled out yet and I could re-do the mic (or re-write the script). Regards, Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarL Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 Got to remember one of the tightest cartakes I have done, luckely a big american car with automatic shifting, but the actor was actually driving the car during the take. This was a number of years ago, and I would solve it another way now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarL Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 I found this while looking for the other pic, this is not that long ago (last summer...), but now when I look at it I wonder a little about what I get myself into... Guess it would look different in the US, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 Oscar --- terrific pictures! I don't know about anyone else but I personally love seeing this stuff. One of the reasons for going with a forum-style group here with jwsound.net as opposed to a usenet group or maillist, was the ability to post images. I hope everyone else appreciates and enjoys these shots of us working. I know I have probably posted the majority of the images here (but hey, it's MY group, right?) but I think it is terrific that others are getting a kick out of this too. Regards, Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Paine Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 Hey Oscar, love that last picture. How good was the audio ? how fast was the trailor traveling ? Was the truck towing the rig, very loud ? I guess they would have been adding a lot of motorcycle FX sound in the background. Nice job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarL Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 The audio worked quite well, most of the dialog was shouted anyway and there was motorcycle sounds to be added later (did a day of recording that mc and an old Trabant for fx) I think we went from 50-70km/h mostly on a gravel road with little traffic. Some parts on asphalt as well. We used the same trailer for insert car work... camera on the inside, super16 wide lenses. And a lot of shooting with actors driving, so most of the time I would be in the sound car before or after to be out of frame. First 60 days with a team of 11 incl. 2 actors, then more normal sized team. Really nice roadtrip kind of shoot. Oscar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t.elder Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Nothing wrong with the all over, cover your bases approach: mic the car and the actors if you have enough wireless units / phantom power supplies, etc. I generally use plant mics, either on a gooseneck from the floor or clipped to the visor, but will usually go with the floor as the camera might want to see above the actor's heads but will rarely see below their waist / between their legs. It's good to have the actors lav-ed in case you can't have a plant for whatever reason, if the director and DP decide to have the windows open at the last minute, etc., but I feel like a plant mic sounds more natural. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Terry Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 That's a cool idea but what I thought you were about to say was something that happened to me: after very carefully placing a visor mounted mic (in this case Schoeps MK41 collette), getting it in the perfect position, I got out of the car, the actress got in and then proceeded to rehearse her character's action: pull down the visor while driving to check her makeup! Fortunatly we hadn't pulled out yet and I could re-do the mic (or re-write the script). Regards, Jeff Wexler The MK41 on a GVC swivel mounts easily on most sunvisors. After experiencing the makeup mirror happen /mic mount dispute a couple of times, I finally learned to mention it to the actors. To a sound person, it is sooo obviously a two thousand mic under all that tape, but not to an actor. (Why life is so interesting!) A friend gives high marks to the larger Schoeps PZM (BLM 3g) taped to the headliner. I have always wanted to try it, but feared spending $1,000 for the PZM and not liking it as well as two schoeps on the sunvisors. It seems that when several people are in a car the PZM might work well. A few jobs back I had 5 golfers in a car singing (http://www.footjoy.com/signboy/)(Birthday spot) I went with a Schoeps in the front seat and one in back, instead of the 5 RF lavs they wore. Does anyone have experience with this PZM in a car rig? David Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 I have never had much luck or good snd. with a PZM, and have never used one in a car/truck. In such a rig 99 out of 100 times a schoeps splitting the 2 actors is my 1st choice. I;ve had some luck with lavs, but I'm not wild about them. Once Jim Webb and I used a u87 in a porsche and it sounded great, but I wouldn't recomend it 4 most shots. old school Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 I have never had much luck or good snd. with a PZM, and have never used one in a car/truck. In such a rig 99 out of 100 times a schoeps splitting the 2 actors is my 1st choice. I;ve had some luck with lavs, but I'm not wild about them. Once Jim Webb and I used a u87 in a porsche and it sounded great, but I wouldn't recomend it 4 most shots. old school Was he the one who did a 2 person shot @ the beach w/ big breakers by digging a hole between the actors and putting a U87 in it in figure-8 mode, with the null towards the water? Genius. Philip Perkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 Jim never told me that story, but a number of mixers and I have planted mics on the sand with good results. Regards, old school Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Barker Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 I've had good luck with Sanken COS-11's on both visors. I usually go RF with the transmitters up there too. That should get easier with the new Lectro SMs. Coming from the doc world, I have often had to follow subjects wearing lavs into cars. If I see this coming I am careful to position them so they aren't under the seat belts. Alan Barker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoundHound Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 Maybe you don't want to hear/read this but no one wants to stop shooting after the insert car rolls. So put the lavs on them and your favorite mics as close to their mouths as possible-prepare for what ever comes. I had good success with either/or coletted hypercariods in the visors and large diaphram studio mics (U87/414s) anywhere else. The large capsule of these mics tends to hold the BG noise and reflections down. For the best of conditions such as a poor man's process (the car sits in the studio while the lamp operators pan lights by) one hyper collette in the near camera visor is pointed to the other character. This works because the proximity tends to overcome the off axis on the near talent while the on axis overcomes the extra distance to the far talent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 Maybe you don't want to hear/read this but no one wants to stop shooting after the insert car rolls. So put the lavs on them and your favorite mics as close to their mouths as possible-prepare for what ever comes. I had good success with either/or coletted hypercariods in the visors and large diaphram studio mics (U87/414s) anywhere else. The large capsule of these mics tends to hold the BG noise and reflections down. For the best of conditions such as a poor man's process (the car sits in the studio while the lamp operators pan lights by) one hyper collette in the near camera visor is pointed to the other character. This works because the proximity tends to overcome the off axis on the near talent while the on axis overcomes the extra distance to the far talent. Oh they don't mind cutting to fix a camera or lighting issue, but no one wants to hear about a sound problem, despite the fact that we are entirely reactive to everything everyone else does. Insert car shoots are very stressful, expecially since HMIs came in. I've had so many problems with cable routing around all the HMI ballasts that lately I've been going wireless between the mics in the car and me on the rig even though we're only 25 ft away. Philip Perkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael P Clark Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 Sanken CUB-1 has worked great for me, I have a bunch of pins and nail them and the cables to the roof and down the side that doesn't show in that take. Run them wireless to a car behind or in front, workes like a charm and no more trunk travelling! I also use a Neumann with a colette cable from time to time. /Oscar Ok...I've seen this 3 times now.....was there a time when the sound person was stuffed in the trunk??? I took it as jest on the first 2 indications to "watch out for", but now I'm wondering? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 At this point it must be said that this is an extremely dangerous situation and you must speak with the A.D. to set up a system to check on you, in the trunk. I know many mixers who refuse to go into the trunk, and they just do the best they can with wireless rigs. At this point, I am going to say DO NOT RIDE IN THE TRUNK, EVER if an actor is driving a picture car on a real street (even if "controlled"). There is only one thing to say here and that is NEVER DO IT!! We all have stories from the past (like when I was in High School I used to get drunk and then DRIVE to a party to get more drunk) but it troubles me a bit that RVDMIXER has "professional" riding-in-the-trunk stories that are so CURRENT. Cut it out... don't do it! - Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry long Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 Last time I got in a trunk , Glen Trew came on the show after I did and gave me "what for" on RAMPS for setting the precedence and doing it in the first place. Yea prolly not a good idea. LL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
engaudio Posted May 28, 2006 Report Share Posted May 28, 2006 I did a feature at xmass that had one take shots that lasted up to 5 mins in a car with the windows DOWN while talent was driving! After thinking about it for a few days I ended up rigging a cub01 above the rear vision mirror and lavs on the body "just in case" , I heard the dailies and was amazed how well the cub sounded , several people asked me how I got it sounding so clean with little engine noise etc. I'd been to a meeting earlier in the month where Mike Westgate (worlds fastest indian) explained how he did the in car shots and after seeing the movie decided yep, do what he did as it sounded great. So, I suppose i'm saying go for a cub01 for the in car! Grant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim apter Posted May 29, 2006 Report Share Posted May 29, 2006 Id just like to second Jeff's comment about the photo's - to those of you that are able to put up the odd photo, thank you very much. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and all that... I really enjoy seeing how people have approached various scenes and shots, and other than being there, pictures are the only way.. Re this thread, has anybody seen a show called Top Gear Xtra (BBC)? - the entire show is basically interviews and reviews from INSIDE moving cars (often convertibles), shot on film, and the sound is awesome.. if anyone knows it, or who does it, Id love to know how they pull off the sound. Thanks, Tim Apter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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