Hiding Lavs on Non-professionals - Corporate Shoot

[KnowEtic Sound]

Yes, absolutely no question...lav and boom it. Pan them left and right. You always want options. You've done all you can at this point.

As was stated a few posts up, get a bullet for the lav. It makes getting the wire through any clothing so easy. No awkward moments of it getting stuck and you asking the "talent" to help you get it down and out. Introduce yourself to the talent, ask them how their day is, treat them like a good friend. Just get them comfortable, gently break the ice, make them trust you. Introducing myself with a firm hand shake and asking how their morning or day has always worked for me.

I'm sure you know how to place your shotgun. Just make sure you are as tight on the frame as possible and pointed barely off access so the shot gun points across the line of their mouth, but ending on their upper chest area. Less hiss, less plosives, more body cavity to firm up and thicken their voice.

Ask them what they had for breakfast during mic check. They will say either "I had nothing" or something off the wall or something standard. Either way you can joke about it during mic check. They laugh, any other talent in the room chimes in and everyone is having fun and feels comfortable.

Bottom line, just do the technical part you are already a pro at and treat the talent, famous or non-famous, just like a good friend. You can't loose brother.

[tvaudioman]

-- I resorted to using the external Countryman B6, so we clipped them and went with it. I gave the director a quick comparison between this and an omni, and it was night and day better.

I think the B6 is an Omni. Did you mean some other mic than the B6?

thanks

[Marc Wielage]

Typo! I meant the hypercardioid B2, and I corrected the original post.

[jacquesstar]

Never understood that mind set. Any time I can get a lav on the outside I know there will be no clothing issues and things just go faster & easier. Any producer/director that has no problem with seeing the lav is my new best friend.

Eric

Very well put. I feel exactly the same way about this. If I do have to hide the lav, I am always very polite, and if it is a female, I try to get her to participate as much as possible. Some non professional women have been very happy to let me put a mike in their bra, others have been more reserved, so I always use my best judgement and remain sensitive to each different personality.