BeachTek Box - Single System Audio

   Hello again, everyone. Even though I work for a television station now, we still try to keep things low budget. The majority of filming for our local, commercial clients is done with DSLR's, and we generally use single-system audio. So, that's what we are going to talk about today.

    The whole time that I was learning to wield a camera and capture sound in college, I was always told to record sound separately when you shoot with a DSLR. Every bit of research that I did outside of school (generally reading books or watching videos by sound engineers) reinforced this mantra. As a standard practice, I would still recommend having a separate system/device, and possibly even a person, to record sound. However, the reality for most of us is that we are usually a one man show. Let me quickly explain the difference between options. .

    Sound can be either recorded single-system or dual-system, generally. Single-system sound means running the microphone directly into the camera, which can be done with higher end cameras with no problem, usually via a XLR input on the camera.

 

    DSLR's really aren't built with the processing power for sound that other cameras which are strictly built for video have, and they don't have the balanced inputs. So, generally speaking, you don't want to record sound in-camera with a DSLR. However, there are people who do it; albeit, I was never one of them - until now.

    At my station they use something called a BeachTek Box. It's a small box that acts as a preamp for an audio signal running into your camera. It looks like this:

    You run mics directly into the XLR input on side, the box boosts the signal (and limits it in some cases), and then sends it into the camera. I've heard that lower-end versions of these can be pretty noisy, but I have to say the BeachTek box works amazingly well. I've used it with shotgun mics and with wireless lavs and the sound is amazingly clear. I was pleasantly surprised. Even to the point where I can't decide if I want to purchase one myself, or go with something like the Tascam DR-60D or the Tascam DR-70D. To me, the biggest issue would be price. The BeachTek DXA-SLR Ultra runs right about $300, and the Tascam DR-70D can be found now for about fifty dollars lower and has four inputs as compared to two. The DR-60D only has two inputs like the BeachTek, but is half the cost.

    B & H photo gives a great demo of the BeachTek DXA-SLR Ultra here;

BeachTek DXA-SLR Ultra

Just for reference I'll include pictures of the Tascam devices that I've mentioned:

Tascam DR-70D

Tascam DR-60D

    The biggest drawback that I've heard about the Tascam recorders compared to the BeachTek is the build quality. The Tascam recorders are definitely a thin plastic, and the DR-60D has an audible step up and down with the sound when you adjust the inputs while recording, but I didn't detect that in the BeachTek. 

    Anyway, to recap, pleasantly surprised, need to purchase new audio equipment, not so pleasantly confused. If anyone has any feedback about these devices or any recommendations that they would like to share, feel free to comment. Thanks!

andrewjfann.com

    

   

Practice Safe Commercial Creation - Use a Concept

    Since starting in commercial production, I could easily call this blog Lessons Learned the Hard Way, as problems arise all the time that you never even thought of or could read about. The biggest thing that will save you a headache throughout your entire project is having a strong concept. At it's inception, unless you have a solid concept, your project is doomed to be riddled with problems and quite possibly fail. It acts as a clear map for a direction to go in.

    In commercial work, if you work for a company, clients are brought to you through a person who works in the marketing and sales department. Together, you and the sales rep listen to the client's input and then guide the client through the creation process. Usually, this consists of whittling down what the client wants into one solid idea. Unfortunately, they most likely will want to give a you a laundry list of what their company sells or consists of. You cannot fit this into thirty seconds, and even if you could, every point would go by so fast that nothing would stick in the viewer's memory. You need to find a single point to make. A single point of focus or attack. A unique selling point (UPS) to deliver a strong message, and a message that plays to the client's strengths. For example, a client that is a seller of home building products comes to you to drum up business. There are five other businesses like this in town. The questions to ask are easy. First, why would a client come to you instead of a competitor? Second, what service, product, or unique feature sets you apart from the competition? In this case, other stores offered the same products, so there wasn't much that could be done there. However, as features were concerned, this client had a computer program that allows his clients to design their rooms right there in the store, and to get an immediate idea of what the outcome would look like. That is a strong selling point. You can work with that. Another good point, is that he can work with a contractor if you already have one. Making one to three points isn't terrible as long as there is a main focus, just don't do a laundry list. The viewer won't retain anything.

    Also, most clients will want to push their customer service as a selling feature. This is a bad idea for two reasons. First, everyone tries to do this. Second, customer service should be a given! If you don't have good customer service, you won't have a business for very long! It shouldn't be treated as something special or unique.

    If you're a freelancer, you may have to do all of this on your own, which can be both good and bad. Alone you have to find all of the clients yourself, do all of the negotiating, and then do the filming and editing. This can be cumbersome, but is preferable to working with a bad sales or marketing person. A good sales person will have a good idea of what time constraints that you are under with a thirty or even a fifteen second spot, and will direct your client to a clear singular concept for a commercial. Alternatively, a bad one can end up adding more work if they promise the client the sky and end up letting the client completely run the show, either because they just want the sale that badly or they don't know what they're doing. You get the money, but sometimes it isn't often worth it, because without a concept you usually have to spend a lot of wasted time doing re-edit after re-edit, due to the fact that the client really didn't know what they wanted to start with and they're completely shaping their idea as you create the spot. Also, sometimes you just have to give in to the client wanting a laundry list of ideas in the commercial because the salesperson, or even you, couldn't convince them that the single, unique selling point was the way to go. This will also cause endless hours of editing. This latter part can happen whether your salesperson is good or not. However, in the end, the client is the one paying for it, and you may not be able to convince them of what is successful.

   In later posts, I'll discuss ways to steer a client in the right direction, and even mistakes filmmakers make shifting the focus of a commercial to the wrong thing. Also, I will delve into movie concepts, which are a little more elaborate then commercials. As always, feel free to comment. 

 

andrewjfann.com

Films for Clients

    I'm just now putting the finishing touches on a film that I'm doing for an organization called Mainstreet de Las Vegas, a cultural and historic preservation society in Las Vegas, NM. It's my first film for a client, and the experience has been interesting. Mediating between what your client envisions and what is practical to fit into a video of a certain length can be a challenge, but client input is by no means a hindrance. For this type of work, when your client comes to you with their idea,and  it amounts to a good portion of your job already being done. You don't have to pull a concept out of thin air. Your job is to just help your client realize what will work realistically and stylistically. For the most part, you have to take yourself out of the equation. There is no room for your "vision," artistic integrity, or ego in this type of work. It's about what the client wants. I'll post a link to the film when it is finished. 

 andrewjfann.com

No Use Crying Over Lost Data

My external hard drive crashed, so unfortunately I can't continue to make corrections to my previous films. It's also unfortunate that I can't do data recovery due to the fact that no one else on campus has a 2TB hard drive to recover the data on - not even the IT department. So, in lieu of cutting myself, I'm just holding out hope that I can recover the data when I'm able to save up for a new hard drive. It was a desktop external by Seagate, and it did tip over once, but it kept working for three weeks after that. I'm not sure what the problem is since, like I said before, IT didn't have a large enough drive to recover the data on.

If anyone has a good lead on an inexpensive 2TB drive, preferably portable, please feel free to write to me and let me know. 

 andrewjfann.com

On Set with Longmire

    Last Friday I worked as an extra for the television series Longmire. I was clad in a cowboy hat and a jean jacket, and I was on set from 6:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Even though it was a long night, I loved it. I got to be on a real set and I got to see how things are done. The show was filmed with three Red Epics, and I studied what the director and cinematographer were doing as much as I could. It was interesting to see that the techniques are pretty similar to indie film making, but they have a lot more money to throw around in regards to cast, crew and equipment. Also, there is a vast difference in amount of takes from what I usually do. I do multiple takes from different angles due to the fact that I have one camera. They have three cameras and can shoot each take from multiple angles all at once, yet they film at least twice as many takes as I do. The whole experience was fascinating, and I'm really looking forward to doing it again.

andrewjfann.com

Kuleshov Effect

  For this project we had to utilize clam shell or glamour lighting, and we had to try to create the Kuleshov effect. This is an effect were the subject of the film keeps a neutral expression, and the viewer infers emotion through whatever the subject seems to be looking at. I tried to do something a little different with mine. For a more detailed description of the Kuleshov effect click the link below:

       Kuleshov Effect - explaination

    For the original Kuleshov film, click here:

       Kuleshov effect example
 

 

       
Clamshell Lighting

(photoshirts.spreadshirt.net )

    For this lighting scenario (if you can understand the diagram) we had to light our subject from above at about a 45 degree angle, and then use a  lower light or reflector to remove the shadows underneath. The lower light or reflector should be about 50% of the intensity of the above KEY light. For this project, we had to use an additional hair or back light on our subject.

     
andrewjfann.com

     

Tascam DR-40 vs. Zoom H4n

    The first project where I attempted to record external audio was for the Rayo del Alma project. I borrowed a Zoom H4n, which I set on an additional tripod off camera. The H4n is a great product and I highly recommend it. I was amazed by the quality of the audio that it recorded, especially through the expensive Sennheiser headphones that I was using at the time.
     Since I would be recording primarily with a DSLR, I realized that I was going to have to eventually purchase one of these digital recorders. I did some research and I decided that the most reasonably priced competitor for the zoom H4n was the Tascam DR-40. Both have similar features and recording patterns, especially since the firmware update for the DR-40, but the Tascam is anywhere from $50-$100 less, depending on where you purchase your gear. I purchased the DR-40 and it didn't disappoint.
    I'll start with the aspects of the DR-40 that I like better than the H4n. First, the X and Y patterns of the DR-40 have a more distinguishable sound pattern. When in the X  pattern the Tascam picks up noticeably less noise from the sides than in the Y pattern. The Zoom's mics stay in an X position and rotate from a focused 90 degree coverage pattern to a wider 120 degree coverage pattern; however, I still picked up a lot of side noise with the zoom in the 90 degree coverage position. Second, I felt the Zoom picked up a lot of unnecessary high frequency which I had to remove in post. I'm sure this is a good recording feature in some situations, and that it's also purely preferential, but I prefer the range of the DR-40.

    Both devices are geared towards musicians and I've been told that the Zoom has more internal mixing and recording features, but since I always adjust the audio in programs like Adobe Audition, this point made little difference to me. As I said before, the Zoom H4n is a great product, and I'm sure that many people prefer it, but I love my Tascam. The only way to truly know which is right for you, is to try them out for yourself. Good Luck!

  DR-40                   H4n 

 Picture by dslrfilmnoob.com

UPDATE 05-07-2016!!!

Warning!!! There is a flaw with the Tascam DR-40 that I had the misfortune of experiencing. After a while, the power button just stops working. Mine faltered right after my year warranty expired. After checking online, quite a few people have also experienced this. I still stand by what I said about the DR-40 and it's performance, but buyer beware. 

 

andrewjfann.com