Page 130 - Convergent Journalism an Introduction Writing and Producing Across Media

DIGITAL VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHY

to the video. Remember, we want to convey a real experience to the
viewer, and the sound is crucial to that experience.
To get the best sound, you need to use the correct microphone
and have it in the best location. For newsgathering, you can use three
basic types of microphones. No matter which one you choose, they are
designed to be heard, not seen. The microphone should not enter the
shot.

● Handheld or stick microphone. This type of microphone is useful
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in conducting live spur-of-the-moment interviews. Most TV
stations use the stick microphone as a billboard to promote the
station. It is not the best approach for visual storytelling because
it draws attention to itself. The viewer is drawn to follow the
microphone as it moves on the screen.
● Lavaliere or clip-on microphone. This type of microphone is
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less obtrusive than a stick microphone. These microphones
offer the best way to hide the equipment and get it close to the
120 source of the sound. The lavaliere is often used with a wireless
transmitter. It can be clipped to your subjects to allow them the
freedom to move around and do whatever they are doing. With
a lavaliere microphone, your subjects will often forget they are
wearing one and be more natural and not appear to act for the
camera. Not only can you put a lavaliere on a person, but you
can also use it to pick up audio from anything that makes a
sound. For example, if you are doing a story about the tapping
of trees to harvest the sap for maple syrup, a strategically placed
microphone can get the sound of the sap falling into the bucket.
Again, it brings viewers into the scene and lets them experience
the story for themselves.
● The shotgun microphone. The shotgun microphone is the most
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versatile microphone you can use. It is often mounted on the
camera to pick up natural sound. But it can be used for
gathering just about any type of sound in most situations. For
interviews, the long pick-up pattern allows for good sound
while keeping the microphone out of the picture. That also
allows you to get sound from a scene without having to stop
your subject to clip on a lavaliere. Some of the best sound you
can get is with a shotgun microphone held just out of frame,
but close enough to the source to hear it clearly.