. Film & Sound Continuity How to create harmonious and consistent sound in your films When shopping for a camera, it’s beneficial to look for cameras that have adjustments for the feature labelled “volume”, “gain” or “level”. Most pro-sumer level cameras have manual control of the sound recording device. However, most smaller consumer models don’t have this manual capability. When shooting sound for your film or documentary, you’ll want to ensure that your sound is not jarring or noticeably different between transitions. Audiences can accept subtle gradual changes but they do not appreciate jarring differences in sound levels between cuts. To avoid this, you need to develop a sound continuity plan. For starters, try to adopt one method of sound recording and know your sound recording equipment inside and out. If you’re generally placing the microphone 3 feet away from most of your sound then try not to vary too much from this approach. Recording sound from 15 feet away in one shot to 2 feet away the next shot to 7 feet away in the next shot will ensure you’re faced with sound challenges in the editing room. Sound continuity is important in filmmaking. It will allow you to create seamless scenes of interaction and dialogue. The fact remains that continuity in film is mostly an illusion. If you are filming with one camera and you’re recording a conversation, you may need to reposition your camera to capture the listener’s response or rebuttal. For example, if Jim tells Jane that “I’m on my way to go fishing. You can’t stop me. What do you think of that?” and Jane responds “Very well then. Be on your way. And if you don’t mind… Please don’t return here”. While this may seem like a continuous conversation there are times when responses to conversations can happen 15 minutes later or even days later. You need to have a sound continuity plan in order to ensure your sound remains consistent. When recording sound, it’s often thought as beneficial to record as loud as you can without getting distortion. The reason for this is that it provides the best dynamic range as possible and it keeps the sound as far away from the noise floor. In post production it will be easier to turn down the volume on a clip more so than it would be to turn up the volume on a clip.   Continue Below... Filmmaking: Windscreens Lavalier Microphones Positioning the microphone in a film How to position a microphone outdoors Sound Continuity       .

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