Audio is very important when making a good video and yet it is one of those things that are largely ignored.  There is nothing more frustrating than watching a video and not understanding a word that is being said.  That scratchy sound or where the voices sound garbled is so annoying it can really ruin a video.

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How To Make Sure You Get The Best Audio Quality On Your Video

Once you read this you are going to have an ah ha moment! It is so simple to insure that your audio quality is up to par. Positioning is the number one thing that is going to effect the audio quality on your video.  Where you are positioned holding the video equipment and who or what is positioned in front of you.

This is how it works.  For sound to reach our ears it has to travel and bounce off of people and things. Sometimes even when we are within hearing distance of someone or something it is difficult to hear the sound because there is other sound or there are too many people or things in between us and the sound. Some of the sound waves wind up getting absorbed by other people or items. Our brains however kick in and if we focus enough we can still pick up the sound. Unfortunately for us, video equipment does not have the ability to filter out other noise nor can it focus harder to hear what the goal is to hear. So where you position yourself while holding the video equipment is really going to effect the audio quality of your movie.

For instance you are filming a wedding and you are one or two rows from the couple, and you have a clear shot between them and the video camera the chances are you are going to be able to pick up the audio of this event well. Now lets say you are one or two rows from the couple but there is a person in front of you wearing linen that makes a rustling noise every time that person moves and it seems like they shift around quite  a bit, you audio is going to be affected by the rustling noise.  The sound that is closest to the video camera is going to be heard the loudest during the video playback.

Speaking of which, your voice, breathing, coughing, whispering etc., is also going to be picked up loudly. So a good rule of thumb is to be as quite as you can.

Getting the best audio quality that you can is really going to improve your video.

Ÿ  It is always fun to grab the video camera and start rolling to catch some unexpected antics, but what if you want something a little more serious, like maybe a wedding or an anniversary? Grabbing the video camera and just pointing aimlessly is fine, but it would be extra fine to really have some rhyme and reason to the movie. You can accomplish that rhyme and reason by giving it some real thought. Picture what you want the video to turn out looking like. What do you want to capture? Where can you stand to get the best footage? These ideas are just jumping off points that you can expand on to get the best possible movie results that you can.

Ÿ  Consider Audio. This is an important tip. You have to remember that if you are too far away the audio is going to come across as a garbled mess that no one will understand. You need to film from a close enough range so that the audio will clearly be understood.

Ÿ  Film More- You should film more than you think you will need, because you can edit out whatever it is that you do not want, but once the event is over you cannot add anything to the film. So spend a bit more time filming than you think you need to, you will be glad you did.

Ÿ  Using Features- using features on your camera is always fun, but don’t overdue it. Zooming in is fine to get someone’s reaction but staying zoomed in through the whole movie is a bit redundant.

Ÿ  Remember Your Audience- as you are filming your video try to keep in mind the audience that will be viewing your movie. Some things might seem funny if you capture it on film, but some members of your audience might feel insulted.

Ÿ  Edit Liberally – add music and voice over’s as you see fit. Crop out the bad and hang onto the good. Keep in mind that this movie might be around for a long time so use good taste and have fun with it.

Making a great movie only requires a little forethought and ingenuity you can easily accomplish making a movie that you are proud to show everyone just by simply giving it some thought!