I am going to be shooting a dialogue scene with my XL1, and I am a newbie to video recording (though I have done home music studio work for 20 years). I am told to avoid the on-board mic.

I will likely be buying a mic or two and whatever else I need to be able to shoot drama pieces without renting anything.

Questions:

1. If I get a mic like an ME66, do I need one for each speaker, does the boom operator move it, or will a single mic pick up both people fine?

2. Is there a different/better type of mic to use? (I think I want to stay away for lavs)

3. Is there any hope of using the on-board mic but extending the cable and putting it on a boom?

4. Do you usually use a mic preamp in video, or not? If so, which?

5. Any specific mic purchase suggestions?

Thanks a bunch in advance...

Put the microphone on a cable and boom it. See if you like the sound.

If you don't, one shotgun on a boom can handle any number of people as long as they don't all talk at once. Unless they are close together. Quite close.

A medium length shotgun works well for booming. AT 835B, Senn ME66, ME416 if you have the $

You should buy Jay Rose's book:

PRODUCING GREAT SOUND FOR DIGITAL VIDEO

As for the micing question, that's really not enough information to go by because there are so many variables to dialogue recording. Are you doing a very wide shot where the boom can't be used? Will the actors be walking around? How close will the actors be throughout the scene? Is there wind noise on the scene? If you have the time, I highly recommend getting Jay's book. Dialogue recording is truly an artform all on to itself, yet so many new movie makers underestimate it by simply throwing together a boom and a mic for the entire movie!