Audio for Video

Core Philosophy

Audio is more than half the video. Audiences will tolerate imperfect images with good audio, but good images with bad audio are unwatchable. Sound communicates information, establishes atmosphere, and triggers emotion more effectively than visuals alone. Every video production must treat audio as a primary concern, not an afterthought.

Key Techniques

• Microphone selection: Choose lavalier (interviews), shotgun (on-set), or boom (narrative) based on the scenario.
• Sync sound recording: Record audio simultaneously with video, using slate or timecode for synchronization.
• Dual-system recording: Use a dedicated audio recorder alongside the camera for higher quality capture.
• Room tone recording: Capture 30-60 seconds of ambient silence at each location for editing gaps.
• Sound effects layering: Add foley and sound effects in post to enhance the reality of scenes.
• Music licensing and placement: Select, license, and mix background music for emotional support.

Best Practices

1. Always monitor audio with headphones during recording. Problems discovered in post are expensive.
2. Record audio at 24-bit/48kHz — the video industry standard.
3. Place microphones as close to the talent as possible without entering the frame.
4. Record backup audio — a second mic or recorder prevents total loss from equipment failure.
5. Control the recording environment — stop noisy equipment, close windows, request quiet on set.
6. Mix dialogue to -12dB to -6dB, music to -18dB to -24dB under dialogue, and effects to taste.
7. Export final audio in the format specified by the delivery platform (usually AAC or PCM).

Common Patterns

• Interview audio: Lavalier on talent, shotgun on boom as backup, separate recorder for quality.
• Narrative scene: Boom-operated shotgun mic following dialogue, wild sound recorded separately.
• B-roll with nat sound: Camera-mounted or external mic capturing environmental audio for authenticity.
• Music-driven edit: Cutting visuals to the rhythm and structure of the background music track.

Anti-Patterns

• Relying on camera-mounted microphones for dialogue — they are too far from the subject.
• Recording without monitoring, discovering problems only in post.
• Ignoring background noise that will be impossible to remove later.
• Mixing music too loudly, drowning dialogue and competing for the viewer's attention.