Sound is half the story. Sound helps build the atmosphere of a scene and helps your audience empathise with the emotional journeys of your characters. Recording great sound is crucial to making a film project as good as it can be.

From time to time, sound’s importance is neglected and it’s not until the rushes hit the editing room that the consequences of bad sound are really felt. This course will give you the skills to deal with problems on set and capture great sound.

The task of capturing excellent sounds starts before you even touch a microphone on set and doesn’t end until your rushes are safely in the edit room. In this four-week online course, we’ll examine all aspects of this journey.

We’ll discuss what we’re trying to achieve in our sound recordings, look at essential kit, as well as cover recording techniques such as booming and radio mic setting.

This course is pitched at all-comers and delivered with the understanding that documentary films can be produced under a range of conditions and budgets. Whether you are making a film solo and need specific advice to improve the sound on your project, or want to start your journey towards working as a sound recordist, this course has plenty for you.

Session 1

• Some inspiration! Watch and analyse some great examples of sound recording in documentary film.
• What are we trying to achieve as documentary sound recordists? What constitutes a ‘good’ sound recording?
• Before you’ve picked up your kit: understanding the requirements of a specific job, locations, relationships with crew and contributors, being prepared – all these are valuable tools for the sound recordist.
• Making your editor happy: what can we provide to our editor to make sure that the sound is as good as possible in the edit?

Session 2

• Working as a one-man band: advantages/disadvantages, kit, camera settings.
• Working as a sound recordist: kit options. Discuss mixers/recorders and their various features. Working effectively with other crew members.
• Booming technique.
• Analysis of recordings of booming: comparing good and bad results.
• Optional booming ‘homework’ assignment.

Session 3

• Radio mics: frequencies, settings and placement.
• Microphones: polarities and uses of each.
• Dealing with wind.
• Recording non-sync sound: wild tracks, atmos tracks, sound effects and other types of field recordings.
• Optional ‘homework’ assignment: creating a soundscape.

Session 4

• Tips for filming in specific scenarios.
• Q&A: an opportunity for participants to present specific situations which we could discuss the best approach to.

This course will be delivered via online distance learning, and students will require a computer or other internet connected device.

This course takes place across 4 Tuesday evenings (7pm to 9pm) from 15^th November to 6^st December.

If you’d like to be notified about this course’s future running dates, please fill in this quick form. If you have any questions about the course, get in touch with shortcourses@opencitylondon.com.

(Image: Still from -22.7°C, Jan Kounen / Molécule / Amaury La Burthe, France, 2019)

Get all the skills needed to capture excellent sound and create a great soundscape, whether you’re making a documentary solo or looking to work as a sound recordist.