Brian Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Hey everyone, I have a commercial spot coming up where their is a possibility that I have to capture audio in a car that is traveling thru an obstacle course. The windows will be open. 2 cameras. don't know the frames yet. I suspect they may do a closeup on the driver and a two shot. I will wire the talent for sure but you know how it goes with seat belts and wind. I would like to put mics in the visors if I can. Might be a cub. Trying to stay away with lavs in the visors because they usually don't sound very good. Easier to hide for sure and I have adequate wind protection. The Cub-01 I can get wind protection for also but I may have to wire 3 cars so that would be 6 in total if I wire both passenger and driver side, and that's if the shot allows it. other useful suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Woodcock Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Funny I have had good success with lavs in the sun visors. Last feature I was on we had a car rigged with camera through an open window. We had sound blankets covering around the camera and window to reduce the outside noise. Actors were wired and we had mkh 50's rigged inside the car. Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afewmoreyears Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Sadly, you can have many ideas and ways to mount mics that have worked in the past... but, that being said it is still a world where you must look at your puzzle in front of you, and solve THAT puzzle as it is presented to you... Many times one of your prior methods will work, many times they will not. Many times you must think out of the box and invent new ways... All in all... get there, see what options you have and how you are being bent over and go from there... Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Where was the MKH 50 positioned Chris? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Thanks a few more years.. I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Woodcock Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 We had two 50's on flexi arms clamped to the center unit by the gear stick with the mics positioned below the actors diaphragms. Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 I think AFMY is telling you to have a range of options with you and be open minded about how to solve the problem as it exists in fact, on that car with that camera position. Shots like these always demand some on-your-feet thinking and flexibility. philp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 I understand Philip, he's trying to help me keep an open mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Mills Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Bubble Bee for the Cub has helped me in the past.. so has building a high wind rig around the lavs, and placing them where the seatbelts or harnesses do not cross the passenger and driver. Are they wearing helmets, BTW? you may have to deal with that issue as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate C Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Just wrapped a film with bunch of heavy dialogue scenes in cars driven by actors and I can not agree more with afewmoreyears. Sadly, you can have many ideas and ways to mount mics that have worked in the past... but, that being said it is still a world where you must look at your puzzle in front of you, and solve THAT puzzle as it is presented to you... Many times one of your prior methods will work, many times they will not. Many times you must think out of the box and invent new ways... All in all... get there, see what options you have and how you are being bent over and go from there... Good luck. In some scenes or with certain actors a Schoeps 41 capsule sounded great in other circumstances a DPA 6043 sounded better, other times I tried everything time permitted, hairs got greyer, gnashed my teeth at mumbling actors over rough roads. Successes were had and sadly sometimes I should of committed to choice C instead of choice D. Time to effectively set up and finesse is often the hindrance to good sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taylormadeaudio Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 My favorites are visor planted CMC6/mk41 or mk4 w/ GVC swivel, followed by COS-11 (also visor plant), followed by COS-11's on talent - seatbelts are always a pain, as are open windows... especially with talent-worn mics. As stated above though, every situation has it's own unique parameters / possible solutions. In any case, good luck with your gig : ) ~tt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadoStefanov Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Whatever method you use, in addition always lav the talent away from the seatbelt. If you have 2 people in the car mic the driver on the right side and the passenger on the left side People look at each other when they talk. Especially the passenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taylormadeaudio Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 ^ great advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Spaeth Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 open windows... rycote overcovers come in handy when you need to use lavs for plants because of the size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 As AFMY's said, all shots are different and need to be analyzed for what they are. If there was one way of doing it there would be an app for driving shots/open windows and we'd all be out of a job. You seem to be on the right path Brian. CrewC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 All great suggestions and I have all those mics except the DPA's. Great feedback by all, just what i was looking for. I'm going to speak with the DP/Director in the next couple of days. As we all know it's nice to have a plan A,B and C. I've pretty much have done everything mentioned so we'll see. Thanks for all your help. Always much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 Yep. As we all know, there is no magic in sound recording, unless you can convince someone that there is and they pay you more than the next guy.... CrewC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McL Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 Yep. As we all know, there is no magic in sound recording, unless you can convince someone that there is and they pay you more than the next guy.... CrewC Key attitude assessment from you Crew as usual. I've doubled down twice with the director of current project on the gamble that the open windows would prove problematic. Have lost twice. Helps if grips use cloth rather than gels and are good at tightening stuff up. Also helps if the driver's not on a race course. How fast do they anticipate driving this obstacle course? Tend to have more than one or two "plans" in place for cars in case one or two plans fall apart. Have this job come to peace about car work. Finally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 We'll see how fast they drive.. not pro drivers at all . They will be interviewed in the car by the director. I purchased some bumble bee covers for the sanken cub-1's. I'm going to run some tests myself in my car and van just to see how to get the best results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPSharman Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Using your car/van will offer no insight. Acoustics are radically different in different vehicles. I have routinely put lavs in the visor. Easiest to hide and easiest to maintain sound continuity as shots change. I have found it to be way better than adequate. Ideally a couple of 50s below offer better sound, but are routinely bumped by actors, and will be in the way if free driving. In a big car where the visors are too far away, then mics can go to headliner or on the actors. As written above, placement away from seatbelt favors actors/subjects talking to each other. But also remember, actors will cheat to the lens, and sneaky focus pullers will rack to the foreground when the lens allows, so watch out for that in narrative situations. Not much worse than a reverse perspective, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chase Yeremian Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 I have also used mkh-50's on driver and passenger with great results while the windows were open. In fact, if the situation allows, it is my preferred method. But of course in some cases a cub, or even a cos11 rigged in the car have sounded better. Do as many things as you can in the time you have and try to sort it out in rehearsals (Assuming you can't do some tests beforehand). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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