Placing the microphone as close as possible to the talent is a rule! You may be very comfortable using a mic like the RØDE VideoMic Pro mounted on your camera, but you also by now probably know you need to be closer. And sometimes even a shotgun mic placed over the talent’s head is difficult to manage – so your best bet is to place the mic on the actor/interviewee directly.

However accomplishing that can be very interesting especially if your talent is new to having a mic on their person – especially since in many cases you want the mic as invisible as possible.

Sometimes your talent will not be used to wearing a mic, and therefore they may be a little uncomfortable. What you need to do is to assure them you know what you’re doing (even if you’re new at it), and if they become uncomfortable to let you know, and you will let them do some of the placement themselves.

Much more info

If you’re looking for a lot more info on placing mics, this ebook is fantastic – it not only contains tons of info, but it includes many videos to walk you thru the processes and tips:

Down to the Wire

by Thomas Popp

You want great sound because your project will look better the second it sounds better. Learn to use lavaliers the right way by learning tips the pros know. You might be surprised; a simple adjustment in your technique could save you hours in post-production!

Features:

  • Over 150 pages of information on how to capture better sound on your next project
  • Step by step videos broken down by talent’s wardrobe
  • Learn about the different sound qualities between a shotgun microphone and a lavalier
  • Learn set etiquette
  • Get acquainted with the tools you will need to get the job done right and how to use them effectively
Buy on iTunes

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planetMitch

chief astronomer at planet5D LLC
Mitch "planetMitch" Aunger is the creator and mastermind behind planet5D.com — which covers every aspect of HDSLR cameras (and a whole lot of other cameras as well). A lover of photography since his early days, he graduated to selling stock photos to make a little bit of spare cash. It wasn’t much, but it allowed him to upgrade to better cameras as well as computers, and it wasn’t taking money away from feeding his family.
He loves the stories that the still image can tell. In the summer of 2008, he read a story written by Arnold Kim called “I Quit My Job” — Arn is the owner of macrumors.com. He started macrumors in 2000 as a hobby, and by 2008 he was making more money with the site than he was on his day job, so he quit. The surprise to the story is that he was a doctor making more than six figures! Right then and there, planetMitch dreamed about doing the same thing.
September 2008 rolled around, and Canon announced this new version of the incredible 5D — the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. It was the first Canon DSLR to shoot full HD video and the earth moved! (It really was a huge deal in the photography world.) planetMitch knew if there was ever a chance to ride a wave of something he was really passionate about, this was it — and the blog at planet5D.com was born. It is now one of the most popular HDSLR blogs on the planet, and he is making a full-time living from blogging. He couldn’t be happier!
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