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If you have limited budget for your film projects or Voice Over Demo, it might be better to record yourself instead of working with people have not have a good grasp of your work. Sometime, it gives you a better chance to review yourself your project goal. Before wasting your money and time, do not hesitate to try tips I share. I answered most common questions here.
Microphones
As I am not a sales person, I cannot give you the best recommendation. I use professional standard one is Newmann U87 at studios I work. I know it is too expensive for most people so, please contact retailers to find the best one for you. Shotgun microphones are used for film productions. If you do not want to buy microphones yourself, you can use rental gear service.
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My best concerning for recording is proper distance from the microphone. I have seen talents go too close and too far away during the recording session. This will never success to get a good sound. Good start is place the mic with your lips one hand away.
If you record the line you need to yell at, maybe you need to move a bit away from the start position and readjust the gain level in your USB mic or your interface. Use your ears and listen to the test recording audio until you satisfy the sound quality.
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Do not set up your mic too close to your nose. You will get nosey sound and you might not like it.
Popfilter
I highly recommend to use a pop filter even at your home to improve audio quality without spending a lot of money. It helps to reduce plosives usually happens when you speak consonants such as p, b, t, d, k, g. Microphones are very sensitive so you might feel too strong. Also, pop filters will protect your recording from popping sounds or overloaded signal with resulting distortion.
Headphones
I do not recommend any headphones sound unnatural. Affordable headphones such as Sony MDR 7506 is good enough. Do not buy headphones just because of brand’s name and price. Listen carefully your takes and record until you satisfy.
Noise
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Shut off your electric devices which might cause noise problems, such as cell phones, air conditioner, and ventilating fan while you are recording your voice or any sound. If you can, stay away from refrigerator. Hum noise from refrigerator is unpleasant. Building low noise room at any professional studios need a lot of effort and money, so you cannot avoid noise at your house or apartment but these electric noise is the major factor make your audio quality unpleasant and it is not easy to reduce. If very loud noise is coming from outside, for example, siren of police car, wait until it will be quiet enough. This might be recorded in your takes.
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Audio Format
Set up with your recorder or DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) before you record any sound. (VO, Linear Media) Set up sample rate 48kHz or 44.1 kHz, and 24bit (16bit) which meet with your project format. 48kHz/24bit (16bit) is used for motion picture projects, 44.1kHz/24bit is usually used if you need only Audio, for example, such as VO demo or Audio Book recordings. Please always ask it to your staffs or clients. DAW and Recorders have an option to export wav, mp3, AAC...etc. wav is good to keep original recording quality and it is good to post at Soundcloud. mp3 and AAC are lossy compressed coding format which is good to send people who want to save their online storage size in email.
Test your sound
Test your sound before you started recording and listen to the test takes carefully. Adjust the input level properly. Watch out the loudness meter in your recorders or DAW (Digital Audio Work Station). Make sure it did not hit at the peak level. Do not hesitate to re-adjust the input level time by time if you need to record different types of performance. When sound in your recordings hit at the peak level, you may hear some distortion in your take. You can hear it by listening but also you can double check by looking at the meter built in your DAW/recorder. I do not recommend the sound level almost reach out at 0dB. It would be a good start that the peak level have some room such -3dB to -6dB.
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Production Sound Recording in Films
Get your help from friend or family
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Idea of basic recording is as same as post production recordings. Watch out the sound level in your recording carefully. Handheld Microphones are good for news style interviews. Lavalier microphones are good for interview styles as well as films. Shotgun microphones will give flexibility from the distance. It can pick up sound out of shot. But you need boom operators if the talent is moving.
Using camera microphones are far away from ideal. Camera mic can pick up unpleasant handling noise rather than the sound you really want. For the documentary styles, sometime you may need to shoot yourself and you may not have any other choices but it is far ideal to record good enough sound. I saw people are using subtitles for this kind of part if it is not possible to hear the dialogues. If you use bad sound for entire scene in your film just to save your budget, I am sure it will make your audience get bored.
Hiring experienced production sound mixer is always a good idea. If recording quality is not good enough, it takes more time in audio post production and you may not satisfy your final product's sound quality. Good recordings are always a winner of any recordings.
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Recording yourself is sometime good if you really want to be private. But do not hesitate to ask helps from people you know very well if you are not having enough confident for sound operation. They may give you some idea that how audience in mind will judge your performance. There are very difficult directors and producers in the world and you may need to work with them sometime. For your self recordings, you have the best chance to have people who are patient enough and encourage you about your project or your career goal.
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