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First job - Bathroom recording


Pip Dolan

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Hey guys,

today I landed my first job recording dialogue for a short film. Basically I have to record a conversation which breaks out into a fight scene. It is to be recorded on a boat, in a bathroom for the most part. Can anyone give me any tips/workflow methods as I have little idea of where to start!

- What is the best method for the sort of scene?

- Will I require lav mics or is a boom the best option?

- Will the reverb of the bathroom force me out of using my 416 and into choosing a different mic?

- Help!

Cheers,

Pip.

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So many possibilities...

Guess this will be a tinier-than-normal bathroom since it's on a boat.

My first thought, to plant a mic or two or three because the later fight will probably bork any wireless lav sound.

A Schoeps cardioid planted overhead, and one or two cub-1's would be my plan A given the information you've shared. If you don't have cub-1's, try planting a couple of the wireless lavs in likely spots.

Let us know what you decide to do and how it worked out.

Good luck, and congrats on your first job :)

-- Jan

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"  on a boat, in a bathroom for the most part. "

what kind and size boat?? what sort of "bathroom" ?? lots of range from a little sailboat to an ocean liner.

"What is the best method for the sort of scene?"

it depends

" lav mics or is a boom the best option? "

it depends

yes, bathroom reverb will be an issue.

" Will the reverb of the bathroom force me out of using my 416 and into choosing a different mic? "

maybe, but there are other factors and issues, so: it depends.

as a rule, interference tube type mic's tend to exacerbate reverb.

it isn't just about the arrows, it is more about the archer

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My thoughts exactly, Unless he is referring to a cruise ship!

I've never been in the head in a suite on a cruise ship, that might be big enough for 2 folks but regular cabins have pretty tiny heads similar to one in a motor home.

Maybe mega-yaghts have what you could call a bathroom instead of a head. For sure the heads on warships other than subs are large until you consider a head in officer's country might serve 25-30, in the chiefs' berthing might serve 40 to 60 and an enlisted head serves 90 or so. They are all metal with epoxy painted floors with exposed plumbing. Pretty loud and very echoey.

Best regards,

Jim

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So how can we help Pip.....in a close reverberant space what do you normally do....I do Schoeps or a PZM type mic...depending on how small the room is.....remember it breaks into a fight so it will get loud and activate the acoustics and there will be many multipath waves flying around........so thats my choice...keep the mic to one of these....more mics means more confused signals,combing and the whole schamozzle....keep it simple and you'll be fine Pip.

BVS

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I spent a week on the USS Kentucky (Trident Class Sub) and I found the facilities quite pleasing!  Of course, as special guests, we (4 of us) had an hour every morning reserved for our use only!  The US Navy knows how to treat a guest :P

I've never been in the head in a suite on a cruise ship, that might be big enough for 2 folks but regular cabins have pretty tiny heads similar to one in a motor home.

Maybe mega-yaghts have what you could call a bathroom instead of a head. For sure the heads on warships other than subs are large until you consider a head in officer's country might serve 25-30, in the chiefs' berthing might serve 40 to 60 and an enlisted head serves 90 or so. They are all metal with epoxy painted floors with exposed plumbing. Pretty loud and very echoey.

Best regards,

Jim

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Hi guys!

thank you for all your help, the recording went pretty well considering it was my first job ever!

It was a short film shot in a very reverberant bathroom, dialogue between two people.

I had a lot of trouble with one mic in the beginning. I had no 'fuzzy' for the lapels unfortunately so kept getting this sort of high end crackle in the mic, sort of like a white noise static! I still cannot confirm what caused this as it didn't really sound like clothing rustle. I was wondering if this is acceptable, it's not that bad and mainly occurs when there is no dialogue being spoken. Can post generally get rid of something like this?

All in all it was pretty nerve wracking but extremely enjoyable! Hell, i was even made an extra in the film as they were short of people!

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generally: no

but once again you tell us so little, it is hard to speculate on what sort of problem it was...

I don't really know how I can be any more descriptive. I had the feeling maybe it was interference from the radio signals of surrounding boats but am not sure as I have never used radio mics before.

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I don't really know how I can be any more descriptive. I had the feeling maybe it was interference from the radio signals of surrounding boats but am not sure as I have never used radio mics before.

Any chance you have access to the recording?  Perhaps we can help identify it so you can have better success in the future.

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Hi guys!

thank you for all your help, the recording went pretty well considering it was my first job ever!

It was a short film shot in a very reverberant bathroom, dialogue between two people.

I had a lot of trouble with one mic in the beginning. I had no 'fuzzy' for the lapels unfortunately so kept getting this sort of high end crackle in the mic, sort of like a white noise static! I still cannot confirm what caused this as it didn't really sound like clothing rustle. I was wondering if this is acceptable, it's not that bad and mainly occurs when there is no dialogue being spoken. Can post generally get rid of something like this?

All in all it was pretty nerve wracking but extremely enjoyable! Hell, i was even made an extra in the film as they were short of people!

Being that there was a fight and probably loud dialog before the fight, your bull**it to noise ratio was working in your favor...  You are most likely fine...  It will sound great through TV speakers... They can cut around any problems if the noise was bothersome... and, there will most likely be something added like music anyhow...

Consider yourself lucky so many nice people here gave you some valuable tips so you had some sort of plan going in. That alone was worth a great deal to you for sure...

  Take it all away with you as a great learning opportunity...  All of it, the good and bad....  That's how it goes...  You always take away something new... Another 1000 times and you will be confident in all you do... Good job Pip....

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Thanks so much Bob, and I agree, everyone is lovely on here (unlike the majority of the worlds forums!) and I am tremendously grateful for all of the information and feedback I have received.

Also, I did forget to mention that the bathroom is meant to be in a nightclub in the film, therefore there is dance music in the background (low passed I imagine) that gets louder and full spectrum every time the door is opened.

Hopefully if nothing else this will be my saving grace!

Thanks to you all for helping me out,

Pip.

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<Also, I did forget to mention that the bathroom is meant to be in a nightclub in the film, therefore there is dance music in the background (low passed I imagine) that gets louder and full spectrum every time the door is opened.>

heh...

Then why in Dog's name did they...

Oh. Nevermind.

LOL.

-- Jan

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