Group Q&A ENG Style at DVinfo.net

Jay Webster · March 11th, 2010, 08:34 PM

Have a situation coming up on a small 2-3 man ENG style corporate shoot.
Q&A situation:
1: Fixed podium for answers
2: a group of questioners across the room.
Any suggestions on how to best handle the audio? This is a low budget ENG style- audio to camera situation.
Thanks for any input

Don Bloom · March 11th, 2010, 10:13 PM

Jay,
I do a fair share of this kind of stuff with 1 other person. 2 cameras and a small mixer that is run to both cameras. One mic, most often SM58 type back to mixer and then another one on a stand for the Q's. The attendees just have to make their way over to the mic. We try to cable it when we can but in many cases have to run wireless but both mics still go to the mixer.
The last one I did, I ran the 2 mics to the mixer, one side of the mixer out went to the house speakers (bad I know but that's what they paid for) and the other side I uses a splitter cable to run XLRs back to both cameras. Worked out just fine.

You CAN do it without the mixer but make sure more than one camera gets the audio feed so when it comes time to change tapes (if that's what your you're shooting to) you don't lose any audio. Splitter cables work fine for that purpose. 1 into 2 and since I have never used the on board mic at a seminar you can run 2 external inputs to each camera.

Hope that makes sense.

Brian P. Reynolds · March 12th, 2010, 03:50 AM

Yes, as Don mentioned is a good way for a staged Q&A but for a "Heated" debate you might need to go for a boom pole and short shotgun mic as the second mic.

John Harrison · March 12th, 2010, 05:56 AM

Is there an in-house PA or AV company being used , Do a fair bit of this stuff myself and usually take 1 "mix feed from the PA (I use a dedicated Senn g3). Just make sure you have the right connector to take a feed from the desk

If not then yes you need a mixer , a podium mic and would suggest a radio hand held either fixed position as suggested or roving (just make sure they talk into it , the number of times you hand someone a hand held radio mic and they do everything but talk into it is the bane of my life)

Feed from the desk is by far the easiest route

Jay Webster · March 12th, 2010, 02:05 PM

Thanks guys, this is all really helpful and has got me at least thinking on the right track.
Don't know yet if there is an in house P.A. system...what is (are) typical connections on these systems?
Mic on a stand and have the questioners come to us!...brilliant! I shoulda thought of that,but just didn't "click" it when they first sprung this one on me. Hopefully this will eliminate having a boom pole roving.
Thanks again....really appreciate the help and comments!

Jay Massengill · March 12th, 2010, 02:24 PM

But just as John said that people won't always speak into a mic that's in their hand, neither will they always come to a mic on a stand to make a comment.
You'll need a mixture of mics that can at least get useable sound no matter what happens because believe me, something you totally don't expect will happen.
Any mics that must be sensitive enough to catch something useable for a recording that's far off-mic despite your best intentions and instructions to the participants, shouldn't go to the PA or they would cause feedback.
In addition for any mics that go only to recorders but not to the PA, you must tell people that no sound will be heard in the room from that mic. Otherwise you'll get the "IS THIS THING ON???" syndrome.

March 11th, 2010, 08:34 PM	#1
Jay Webster Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New York Posts: 131	Group Q&A ENG Style Have a situation coming up on a small 2-3 man ENG style corporate shoot. Q&A situation: 1: Fixed podium for answers 2: a group of questioners across the room. Any suggestions on how to best handle the audio? This is a low budget ENG style- audio to camera situation. Thanks for any input __________________ Jay Webster WPI/NY

March 11th, 2010, 10:13 PM	#2
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Jay, I do a fair share of this kind of stuff with 1 other person. 2 cameras and a small mixer that is run to both cameras. One mic, most often SM58 type back to mixer and then another one on a stand for the Q's. The attendees just have to make their way over to the mic. We try to cable it when we can but in many cases have to run wireless but both mics still go to the mixer. The last one I did, I ran the 2 mics to the mixer, one side of the mixer out went to the house speakers (bad I know but that's what they paid for) and the other side I uses a splitter cable to run XLRs back to both cameras. Worked out just fine. You CAN do it without the mixer but make sure more than one camera gets the audio feed so when it comes time to change tapes (if that's what your you're shooting to) you don't lose any audio. Splitter cables work fine for that purpose. 1 into 2 and since I have never used the on board mic at a seminar you can run 2 external inputs to each camera. Hope that makes sense. __________________ What do I know? I'm just a video-O-grafer. Don

March 12th, 2010, 02:05 PM	#5
Jay Webster Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New York Posts: 131	Thanks guys, this is all really helpful and has got me at least thinking on the right track. Don't know yet if there is an in house P.A. system...what is (are) typical connections on these systems? Mic on a stand and have the questioners come to us!...brilliant! I shoulda thought of that,but just didn't "click" it when they first sprung this one on me. Hopefully this will eliminate having a boom pole roving. Thanks again....really appreciate the help and comments! __________________ Jay Webster WPI/NY

March 12th, 2010, 03:50 AM	#3
Brian P. Reynolds Major Player Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 466	Yes, as Don mentioned is a good way for a staged Q&A but for a "Heated" debate you might need to go for a boom pole and short shotgun mic as the second mic.

March 12th, 2010, 05:56 AM	#4
John Harrison Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Dublin Ireland Posts: 34	Is there an in-house PA or AV company being used , Do a fair bit of this stuff myself and usually take 1 "mix feed from the PA (I use a dedicated Senn g3). Just make sure you have the right connector to take a feed from the desk If not then yes you need a mixer , a podium mic and would suggest a radio hand held either fixed position as suggested or roving (just make sure they talk into it , the number of times you hand someone a hand held radio mic and they do everything but talk into it is the bane of my life) Feed from the desk is by far the easiest route

March 12th, 2010, 02:24 PM	#6
Jay Massengill Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Burlington Posts: 1,976	But just as John said that people won't always speak into a mic that's in their hand, neither will they always come to a mic on a stand to make a comment. You'll need a mixture of mics that can at least get useable sound no matter what happens because believe me, something you totally don't expect will happen. Any mics that must be sensitive enough to catch something useable for a recording that's far off-mic despite your best intentions and instructions to the participants, shouldn't go to the PA or they would cause feedback. In addition for any mics that go only to recorders but not to the PA, you must tell people that no sound will be heard in the room from that mic. Otherwise you'll get the "IS THIS THING ON???" syndrome.