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PD 150 shooting guide
56. GUN MIC
Gun mics are directional mics that pick up sound only from in front of the microphone. Imagine a cone shaped pick up area,
about 50 degrees across. They have an on/off switch but with the PD 150 it will work even when switched off, as
long as the 48V switch is on at the camera. Gun mics can fix to the mount on the top of the camera via a clip, or they
can be attached to a boom pole. They are sensitive to handling and wind noise, so a foam or furry windshield should always
be used.
Because of their directional nature, sound will quickly drop away if you move and don't directly face your audio source, so
camera positioning and moves while filming should be considered carefully.
The gun mic's directional nature could be useful if you are in a situation such as an interview with a specific background
noise source that you cannot eliminate. Position yourself no more than a metre from your contributor and with the unwanted
sound behind you. The background noise may well be less audible than using an omni-directional mic like a stick or
personal mic.
57. OTHER MICROPHONE OPTIONS
There are two other options for recording audio, both of which can be very useful, but you should be aware of their
limitations unless you have the experience to use them properly. The first of these is boom operation...
58. BOOM OPERATION
Operated properly a gun mic on a boom pole produces excellent audio recordings and will allow you to cover group
interviews and action situations well. However success is dependent upon prior knowledge and practise.
Boom swinging is a skilled job; the camera operator and boom operator need to understand how each other works, and be
able to communicate things like shot sizes, or you'll end up with lots of booms in shot. Bear in mind the light sources in your
location as well to avoid unwanted mic shadows in shot.
It will be impossible to capture audio properly unless the boom operator can monitor the sound through headphones. To give
the boom operator the flexibility to move where necessary the headphones will need to have a long lead or extension. For
health and safety reasons avoid having two separate leads swinging around by carefully taping the headphone extension
and mic cables together. A better solution is a combined mic and headphone cable.
Careful positioning and handling of the boom is crucial. Because the mic is directional you will need to turn it to face
whoever is talking. Roll the pole lightly in your open palm to avoid handling noise from the boom pole. And bear in mind
that boom operation is tiring on the arms after any length of time.
The PD 150's screen can fold right back onto the side of the camera, giving the boom swinger a guide to the shot. This
should help to avoid the dangers of booms in shot
59. RADIO MICS
Once mastered, radio mics can be a real asset to your DV kit. If you are filming a lot of actuality, not being cabled to your
contributor offers freedom and flexibility. However they are complex pieces of kit - you have a transmitter and a receiver to
consider as well as an unpredictable radio link. Their performance and operation is fraught with potential problems.
Don't contemplate using radio mics on a shoot unless you have familiarised yourself with their operation carefully
beforehand. Assuming you are a two person crew, we advise that one of you takes sole control of the radio mics; their care
and operation. If you are filming on your own try not to use them - you have enough other things to think about. Because of
the potential difficulties we do not recommend using them to film unrepeatable scenes. There are many radio mics available
from very cheap to very expensive. We strongly advise you not to use any radio mics other than top of the range hired in
models, ideally Micron radio mics which are robust, have in built limiters and a good range.
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