Lessons
​
1. Preproduction v
vp1-0. Opening
vp1-1. Five skills
vp1-2. Writing
vp1-3. Keeping track
vp1-4. First impression
vp1-5. Successful scouting
vp1-6. Words of wisdom
vp1-7. Conclusion

2. Production
vp2-0. Opening
vp2-1. Five production skills
vp2-2. Pep talk
vp2-3. Lighting
vp2-4. Camera
vp2-5. Sound
vp2-6. Words of wisdom
vp2-7. Closing

3. Postproduction
vp3-0. Opening
vp3-1. Five skills
vp3-2. Editing
vp3-3. Grading and graphics
vp3-4. Sound
vp3-5. Speaking
vp3-6. Words of wisdom

4. Equipment
4-0. Opening
4-1. Camera
4-2. Tripod
4-3. Sound
4-4. Lighting
4-5. Editing
4-6. Packing
4-7. Closing

​

Lesson

vp2-4. Sound

Introduction
While bad video makes people yawn, bad audio makes people cringe.

Believe it or not, good audio is more important than good video. Yet most amateurs ignore making sure that audio is done right. They take whatever comes with the camera. Big mistake. Make good sound a priority.
​
What you will learn
Here, we cover replacing sound, creating foley, adding music, and making a sound studio.

Replacing Sound
Professionals often have sound issues on a controlled set. So you can assume you will have issues in an uncontrolled location.

Prepare to replace every sound except the subject’s voice. And I mean everyone. Professional stock recordings are cheap and will often be better than yours.

Nobody will notice the difference. It just won’t be as much fun as movie-making.

If It Moves, It Has Sound
Adding sound everywhere will enhance the story and the viewer’s experience. Just a subtle accent. Remove or lower the sound if you find it too much.

Imagine not how the sound is but how it should seem. Use sound to tell your story.
(Ducks quacking)

Foley
‘Foley’ is creating sound to match the video. Your original location sound might have distractions or not sound right.

You can create these missing sounds at home: a squeaky door opening, footsteps, etc. Use your imagination and record sounds made from items found around the house.

Describe each sound in detail so you can later find it and reuse it. Here are some examples of do-it-yourself foley.

Music
The most crucial factor in adding music is, does it go with the movie theme. If it does, the audience will be much more forgiving of any other shortcomings. They will credit you for synching the music with the video that isn’t even there.


Make A Sound Studio
Now might be a good time to prepare your audio sound studio. Monitors should be at ear level. They should be equal distances from both ears.

Make sure that the room has no hard, flat surfaces. Anything is better than that. Foam on walls. Books on shelves. Even clothes on hangers. Laundry on the floor. Seriously. Anything to break up or absorb the sound waves.

Use items that can stay in place. You want the same sound for each recording. It won’t hurt to cover corners and the ceiling too. If you still hear an echo, the sound is bouncing off some hard, flat surface.

Conclusion
We learned that sound makes a movie sing. Amateurs typically ignore its importance.

Sure, accepting whatever sound you automatically get couldnot be easier. But that can completely miss the benefits good sound can contribute to your video project.