How to Turn Your Office into a Video Studio: Part 2
How to Record Clean Audio in Your Office
Last week, we started a deep dive into the best setup for filming corporate videos in your office. Now that we've covered the ideal location for the camera (click here for last week's post), we'll be reviewing audio tips. Audio quality is one of the primary factors that separate amateur from professional video. Because your office is home to a bustling team, it's not ideal for audio recording. Keep reading for our tips on recording audio that is clean and polished.
1) Dampen Echoes with Rugs and Blankets
Just as light bounces off of the objects it touches, so do sounds. When audio is reflected off of hard, flat surfaces in this way, an echo is formed, having drastic effects on the quality of your recording. When considering how to stop echo in office videos, bear in mind that there must be something on set to absorb sound before it makes contact with hard surfaces--especially with the walls and floors. Because of this, we suggest filming in a room with a rug. Even if you need to bring a rug into the room and out of frame, any amount of hard flooring that is covered will help reduce bounce. To prevent sounds from echoing off the walls and windows while filming your corporate video production, we recommend using movers' blankets. Hang up the thick fabric on C-stands just out of frame to "catch" the subject's voice before it has a chance to bounce off of the wall. If movers' blankets aren't available, hanging foam panels, thick curtains, and/or rugs can do the trick.
2) Minimize Noise by Turning Off Equipment
Many electronics make noises that we've learned to tune out. However, even if our ears have gotten used to ignoring a certain sound, microphones never will (it's their job to pick up as much audio as possible, after all!). When listening to recorded audio, our brains can no longer tune out those extraneous noises. They become glaringly obvious, distracting, and a sign of low production quality. In particular, AC units, refrigerators, and fans all emit sounds that will muddle the audio in your corporate video. If possible, when recording audio in your office, we recommend turning off your heat/AC. It's also important to avoid filming in the office kitchen or break room, as appliances create a humming that is often picked up by microphones. Further, if you happen to have any clocks (or anything else) that tick or chime in the office, remember to stop them during recording.
3) Film in a Room with a Door
This one may sounds a bit obvious, but we can't stress enough how important it is for recording clean audio in your office. Many times we have arrived on-location, the client has planned to film in the lobby, and we needed to pivot. While it may look nice and offer a better visual picture of your office, using an open space is not conducive to quality audio recording. Not only are acoustics generally poor in large, open areas, but lobbies often can't be closed down to stop people from walking through them or accessing reception. 99 times out of 100, filming in the lobby for your corporate video production is not the move. Similarly, we strongly recommend against filming in a bullpen, open-concept office, or anything similar in size or set-up. Instead, find an office that has a door you can shut--the farther away from the main office, the better. The goal is to minimize office chatter, ringing phones, and heals clacking on tile.
Angela Wolf Video offers corporate video production services near Philadelphia, PA.
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