This document discusses how online courses and resources could help improve sound skills for an A2 film production. It analyzes the sound equipment available at the author's school, including Final Cut Pro, Audacity, lapel microphones, boom microphones, and camera microphones. It also considers elements that impact microphone choice like actor-camera distance, sound quality, weather, location, and adding dialogue after filming. The author reflects on using a boom microphone to add dialogue and ambient sounds, noting it was generally successful but could have better captured wind conditions. Overall, the document aims to help the author strengthen sound skills for future projects.

1. HOW COULD WE HAVE
IMPROVED OUR
PRODUCTION WITH
SOUND?
B Y M E G A N V I N C E N T

2. ONLINE COURSES
• Something that I have not thought of until now, there are many available courses
online which could aid my knowledge of sound whilst effectively, improving my skills
for A2, as I do feel sound is one of my weakest skills.
• Some types may include:

3. FREE AND AVAILABLE ONLINE
COURSES
• Digital Audio Courses: This course allows people to create and
share digital audio for those who require more developed skills to
keep up with technological advances. Software (such as Final Cut
Pro) is used to edit, record and produce renditions of sound
tracks. This course would be helpful as we produced our own
music for our final production which will allow us to gain a better
understanding on how sound can be edited together, especially
for A2.
• Advanced Structural Dynamics and Acoustics: This is the study of
acoustics and how sounds is moved and perceived. It could help
us choose the correct microphone to use, depending on the
distance between the camera and our actors, also taking in mind
the location.

4. SOUND RESOURCES AVAILABLE AT
SCHOOL
The Editing software for sound are:
• Final Cut Pro X
• Audacity (however, we did not use this.)
The types of microphones we have at school:
• Lapel Microphone
• Rode Microphone
• Boom Microphone
• The actual camera

5. WHICH ONES DID WE USE FOR THE
PRODUCTION
• For ‘Reflux’ Final Cut Pro X and the Rode Microphone, purely because we did not have
much dialogue and every time someone spoke, they were reasonably near the camera.
We didn’t use the actual camera as a recorder of the sound because the quality was
not as good i.e crisp as if we were to use the microphones available.

6. HOW COULD MICROPHONES HAVE
BEEN IMPROVED?
• Our final draft of our production included more dialogue than the
first draft of our production. This was mainly to make the narrative
more easy to follow and prevent silent pauses. It also increased the
pace of editing of the opening sequence and reflected a media
product catered more for a sophisticated, target audience who
don’t need everything explained to them but making sure that it
was not too confusing. Furthermore, apart from the parents, there
lacked a lot of dialogue which needed skills of sound recording
which therefore suggests that we could not effectively practice our
sound skills to a certain extent.

7. WHEN RECORDING SOUND,
WHAT ELEMENTS DO WE NEED
TO CONSIDER WHEN
CHOOSING THE MOST
APPROPRIATE MICROPHONE
TO USE?

8. CAMERA TO ACTOR DISTANCES
• The amount of space between our actors and the camera would affect the type of
microphone that is used.
• Usually, if the actors are quite far away from the camera, a Boom or a Rode
microphone would be better as they are able to pick up sound over longer distances.
• If our actors are quite near the camera, the most appropriate microphone would be a
Lapel microphone.

9. QUALITY OF SOUND PRODUCED
• The best way of gaining crisp and clear sounds are from a Lapel microphone. This is
purely because the person is within the closest proximity to the microphone rather
than the other microphones at school.

10. WEATHER CONDITIONS
• Following on, windy conditions can affect the quality of sound from Rode
Microphones, therefore decreasing the quality of sound recorded. Therefore, the Boom
would be an appropriate suggestion (which we used when filming in the street) as it
comes with a furry protective jacket to absorb air flow. This Is obviously not relevant
for recording inside.

11. LOCATION
• If we were using a Rode Microphone and a dolly, for example, we would need to consider
location as the surface on which the dolly might roll on could cause the dolly and camera
to shake and make the associated sounds. The Rode Mic would pick this up and affect the
quality of the recording. This was not an issue when we tracked in using a dolly when
filming the parents arguments because we made sure it was on an even surface, which
made it very smooth.
• In addition, whether the location is inside or outside, it would affect the acoustics created
as a result of the sound made. Therefore, like our technician says, a Rode or Boom
microphone would be the appropriate option for outside spaces. We did consider this when
shooting outside because of the wind which might override other sounds. Luckily, it didn’t
and increased the verisimilitude by still being able to have the realistic noises on the street
For indoor spaces, a Lapel or Rode microphone would most likely be the best.

12. NICKS VOICE-ADR (ADDING
DIALOGUE AFTER)
• For our production we recorded Nick shouting and put it over the shot of the business man
on the platform so we could hear clearly what he was saying. However, we did not do this
at the train station so we recorded it after yet, it was not simple as we had to make the
dialogue sound like it was coming from a distance, concerning windy weather and other
train stations noises.
• We did this by recording Nicks voice with a Boom microphone which made it a good sound
quality, using good equipment. We removed the microphone a little bit away from the
subject to pick up some room ambiance which is, according to our technician, important in
picking up on audible space.
• Also, we added reverb and echo to the sound clip because the business man was in a big
wide space at the train station. We also reduced the volume because the business man is at
a distance, therefore, spatially it makes sense. We edited the audio clip on Final Cut Pro.

13. HOW SUCCESSFUL WAS THIS
PROCESS?
• This was definitely a successful process because in my opinion, the sound fitted
perfectly and the sound matched the distance from where he was standing and made
it very realistic and we found the editing of it very easy. Therefore, it conveyed the
stereotype of the higher class having demanding jobs even more clearly, creating
personal identity with the viewers, as we understand his difficult predicaments.
• However, if I was to be really picky, the only thing that was perhaps less successful was
that we didn't’t acknowledge the windy conditions that you would have heard if we
recorded it at the scene. But, because it had the sounds of the train station over it, this
mistake was less evident.

14. FOLEY SOUNDS
• For our production, we did use foley sound effects for ambient sound in the train
station and when Ethan was walking on the street. This is because the sound quality
was better this way and made it more dramatic and realistic, heightening the
verisimilitude, adhering to our genre conventions.
• This is definitely something I could improve on, moving into A2 and develop in the
future. I can achieve this by perhaps recording my own ambient sounds taking into
considerations all the elements above to use a certain microphone, which would most
likely be a Boom.

15. A2…
• After considering, the elements mentioned and explained previously, hopefully we will
chose the most appropriate microphone to use and produce the best sound quality
that is possible. That we do a task and can show off our sound skills more 