Moving Images, Understanding Media

Chapter 3 Sound and Image 89

When fi lmmakers fi rst began recording sound during motion picture

production, the process was cumbersome and hampered creativity enormously.

A great illustration of this is in the fi lm Singin’ in the Rain (1952), which

inventively and comically demonstrates the complexities of the change to

sound fi lm. Th e scene featured in Figure 3-8 points out a number of the

challenges to any sound recordist in capturing good sound, such as stray

noises from costumes and objects, actors facing away from microphones, and

the dynamic range of voices and other sounds in a scene. Sound technicians

are consistently confronted with many factors as they place microphones to

capture acceptable sound, and this can be the case, even with the most highly

advanced hidden radio microphones.

Lowering the Boom

Since the early years of optical sound, the essential elements of audio recording

have remained quite similar. Microphones are used to record the audio

that is deemed necessary for the scene, and the sounds captured by these

microphones are mixed. Sometimes a single microphone is used, particularly

a microphone on a boom which is normally fi tted with a windscreen for

exterior shooting. An operator usually holds a boom—a retractable pole

to which a microphone is attached—but it can be placed on a stand. Th e

boom operator positions the microphone above or below the scene and then

moves it in relation to the dialogue of the actors or other sounds happening

during the scene.

Figure 3-8 In this scene

from Singin’ in the Rain,

the director is showing his

stars the importance of the

microphone that will be

recording dialogue for their

fi rst sound fi lm. (Courtesy

MGM/Photofest)

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