Blackmagic Forum

Hi All,

I'm pretty new to the videography and just a hobbiest. I want to start learning with two "projects".

The first one is a nature documentary and out of scope of this post.

The second one will have some interviews with random people on the streets (in the city and other public places outdoor). I will get my BMC Pocket next week. I think it will be better to use a tripod.

I'll mount the BMC pocket on my manfrotto videohead. I will also mount a zoom H4N recorder and a Rode NTG3 microphone. I don't have an assitent that can help me use the NTG3 as a Boom mic.

What will be the maximum distance to get good audio (without being too close to the person interviewed).

What's the best focal lenght of the lens to get this perfect in frame from this distance?

For lens, you can go two directions, a 17-20mm "normal" lens about 5-10 feet from subject, ENG News style, or 25-45mm, the 35-45mm is best, about 15-feet from subject, so camera isn't in their face. Closer distance you can leave mic "on camera". Beyond 5-feet, you need mic closer to subject, and you could hand hold mic closer to subject, just outside the frame. I used a ME66 this way. You aim mic up at face from waist level, as close as you can get, 2-3 feet, keeping mic out of the shot. From here you can also conduct the interview.

Bluemagics wrote:I'll mount the BMC pocket on my manfrotto videohead. I will also mount a zoom H4N recorder and a Rode NTG3 microphone. I don't have an assitent that can help me use the NTG3 as a Boom mic.

What will be the maximum distance to get good audio (without being too close to the person interviewed).

The answer to any question like this is that it will depend on two things.
1) The level of background noise at each location.
2) How loud each interviewee talks.

What you're looking for is a good signal to noise ratio, the signal being the interviewee and the noise being whatever else is going on in the background. So that ratio is influenced by both of those elements.

There are times when it's impossible to record good interview sound even with a mic an inch or two away from the speaker's mouth, and other occasions where you can be six feet away, and you will only learn through experience how to judge what's OK or not. Listening on good headphones (that isolate you from the external noise) is essential, in my opinion (speaking as someone who recorded broadcast sound for 20 years - see http://www.zenvideo.co.uk/sound1.htm for more of my advice).