Don’t skimp on sound. It may be more important than your camera.

It’s often thought in film and video production that the camera is the most important piece of gear on set. While a picture is essential to the creation of a motion picture, it actually comes in a close second to sound.

How many TV spots have you seen with a simply a voice over and type? Or how many times do you see cutaways from an actor or interviewee to b-roll (footage of something other than the speaker)? Also, how much more watchable is an old movie with good sound than a new movie with inferior sound?

How do you know you’ll get great sound? The first step is to hire someone with a solid track record as a sound mixer on episodic television, motion picture or commercial production. And don’t be surprised if it costs you nearly as much as your director of photography.

Second, empower your sound mixer to call out problems. Fixing sound in post requires bringing the actors back in. You don’t want to do this unless you absolutely have to.

Follow these steps and you’re bound to have great sound on your next project. If you need any help getting great sound on your next project don’t hesitate to reach out to us.