Lavalier Microphone Guide

The care, feeding and use of lavs

Dan Brockett

What is a lavalier? lav·a·liere [lav-uh-leer, lah-vuh-] – noun An ornamental pendant, usually jeweled, worn on a chain around the neck Lavalier microphone Also, lav·a·lier, la·val·lière [Origin: 1915-20; after the Duchesse de La Vallière (1644-1710), one of the mistresses of Louis XIV] — Random House Unabridged Dictionary “A lavalier... Read more

Audio Solutions For DSLRs And Mirrorless Cameras

Tools for capturing high-quality professional-level sound with these cameras

Dan Brockett

Sound Devices MixPre-3 and MixPre-6 Audio Recorders We’re almost a decade past the entrance of DSLR cameras into the professional video and cinema production space. The video-capable Nikon D90 hit the market in August 2008, quickly followed by the game-changing Canon EOS 5D Mark II a month later. While the images produced by large-sensor cameras were... Read more

The Wireless Microphone Crisis

Alternative strategies for sound professionals using wireless mics today and in the future

Dan Brockett

My production company recently created a corporate video for a client, shooting the project at a golf resort. While shooting skits with the talent out on the golf course, we had to use wireless microphones, as our talent was moving around a lot in each scene. After carefully miking our talent, both my fellow camera operator and I were rewarded with... Read more

Audio Apps For Sound Pros

Using your smartphone as an additional sound tool for pro audio work

Dan Brockett

Professional sound mixers and audio engineers who use their ears to earn a living seem to be inexorably attached to their smartphones. But did you ever think that your smartphone could become a valuable tool for professional audio work? There are tens of thousands of apps out there, so how to narrow down the field to the best ones for those of us who... Read more

Microphone Options For Still Cameras

Rounding up a few of the most popular microphone and audio recorder options for capturing better audio with still cameras and mirrorless systems

Dan Brockett

Sony PCM-D100 Audio Recorder While DSLRs are still popular, Micro Four Thirds cameras like the Panasonic GH5 and the Sony a6000 series in the APS-C category have become increasingly attractive. With professional features like 4K video, high-frame-rate (HFR) shooting for slow-motion footage, advanced color-profile support and the ability to shoot in... Read more

Strategies For Distributing Your Indie Film

Part two on how to improve your prospects of getting acquired in domestic and international markets

By Mark Litwak, Esq.

Filmmakers expend so much effort to produce their films that they often give little thought to distribution until the movie is completed. Many filmmakers believe that if they just make a good film, distribution will take care of itself. However, securing distribution is often more challenging than raising funds and producing the movie. One’s leverage... Read more

Time For Time Code

Adding time code to non-time-code devices, and recording ambisonic sound for 360º video

By Dan Brockett

Made in Germany, the small and lightweight Tentacle Sync box works in conjunction with software to provide frame-accurate time code to almost any recording device. TIME CODE WITH TENTACLE SYNC Q I work for an ad agency, and we shoot a three-camera meeting each month using Panasonic DMC-GH4 cameras. It’s my job to edit all of these into a highlights... Read more

What To Do When Equipment Is Ruined

Proper planning often can mitigate disaster, but if the worst happens, follow these strategies for saving your assets

By Charles “C.R.” Caillouet

A still from video taken by “C.R.” Caillouet documenting the results of a flood in his home, the regular HDVP columnist was hit hard by a severe storm that deluged nearly four decades of his personal video archives. Caillouet urges donations for disaster recovery efforts to Team Rubicon (teamrubiconusa.org) and Habitat for Humanity (habitat.org).... Read more

Markets And Festivals

The differences between film markets and festivals, with advice on the best way to promote and sell your independent film

By Mark Litwak, Esq.

Markets and festivals aren’t the same. Filmmakers may find this confusing because some festivals operate alongside a film market, as is the case in Berlin and Cannes. Sundance is a festival; however, an informal market has now grown up around it, with distributors bidding to acquire rights to films. FILM MARKETS Markets are generally only open to... Read more

Get Ready For The Next Wave Of Innovative Broadcast Standards

ATSC 3.0 is being deployed to challenge OTT services like Apple TV and the Internet

By Charles “C.R.” Caillouet

Periodically, we hear that over-the-air (OTA) broadcasting has been diagnosed as dying, laid low by some new technology promising to better inform, entertain or educate us, measure our preferences or sell us products. After each such announcement, we find that broadcast isn’t really dead, but transformed and risen out of the ashes of its past. It’s... Read more