While it seems natural to assume that all of the efforts in creating a video must concentrate on the visual elements of the piece (e.g. cinematography, color grading, the actual actors and setting), recording audio just as important as capturing video when shooting a project. During the scriptwriting process, it’s easy to get carried away with thinking about what type of soundtrack you’ll add later (which you should — music can add so much to a film). However, when it comes to a traditional narrative film, pairing specific dialogue (like a quiet conversation) with the environments you desire (in the bathroom at a busy club) will require you to contemplate how they all affect each other. For example, if you’re shooting a scene outside, you’ll need to be aware of any sounds that might interfere with the dialogue. You can plan for this during pre-production, specifically when location scouting, but even the most prepared film crews will need someone dedicated to recording audio. In this helpful tutorial from DSLRguide, Simon Cade explains, “it really is worth having someone who is thinking about sound on a set because the chances are no one else will.” Check out the full video: Your choices in how you decide to record sound can help evoke emotion, add realism, or make the audio mixing process much easier during post-production. Whatever you decide, having a boom operator and a sound mixer on set will make this process much more seamless (and let you concentrate on directing). When it comes to actually recording the sound during production, you’ll want to consider a few things:

1. There are several different types microphones you can use, depending on what you are recording. Good thing we have a guide for figuring out your perfect mic match.
2. You’ve got to make sure you have the right type of camera to use to input said mics. (Read through our tips on what to look for.)
3. Heck, maybe you want to use a binaural audio setup and how it can completely transform the viewer’s experience into something even more immersive. We’ve got just the resource for you on what this is.

One thing’s for sure don’t leave it to the last minute! Recording good audio is so important and planning ahead will make the production process go smoother, prevent many do-overs, allow for a less complicated post-production session, which will in turn, provide an amazing viewing experience once the film is complete!