Tip #5 – Sound TipsPart of a 10 part series based on the presentation given on June 1st 2009.
There are many aspects of a profile video that viewers will make accommodations for, but poor sound quality is not one of them. There are a few simple tips that can make a big difference in how your profile video sounds.
The first thing you want to do is find a quiet place to shoot. Now this may sound a bit obvious, but a noisy shooting area can make a profile video almost unbearable to watch. Music in the background, loud air ducts or machinery, phone conversations from coworkers can all make your important message hard to hear.
The next thing you can do to make your profile video sound better is use an external microphone. A built in camera mic is designed to pick up a wide pattern of sound. This means that not only will it pick up what you're saying, but also that clock ticking on the wall, your computer humming, and your foot tapping nervously on the floor. Many external microphone options are available, from ones you would put on a stand to lavaliere mics that clip to your clothing. Just make sure that the mic has a narrow pick-up pattern, and you position it close to the person speaking.
Also, you always want to monitor your audio with headphones when recording to catch and noises or sound glitches that your mic might catch that your ears don't. Not monitoring the audio can also lead to accidentally recording no audio at all.
Lastly, if your camera has a visual meter to monitor audio you should make sure to set your audio level before recording to make sure the audio is not too low, or too high. Usually the meeter will tell you it is too high by a visual meeter with a red zone. Going into the red every once and a while is okay, but if the sound stays there it will sound bad on your profile video
Check back for "10 Tips to a Better Profile Video - #6 Camera Tips
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