Serious question, why do so many people forget to check their audio levels before a shoot?

I was editing a corporate interview from a job in Boston last week and the client's mic was peaking the whole time. It took me two extra hours to clean it up in Audition. I know we focus on the picture, but bad audio can ruin a good video fast. Has anyone else found a simple trick to make checking levels a habit before you hit record?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace_wells981d ago

Ugh, I feel this so hard. I had a wedding shoot where the officiant's mic was basically in the red the entire ceremony, and fixing that audio was a nightmare. My dumb trick is I literally say "checking levels" out loud while I watch the meters, then I make the client say their full name. Saying it out loud makes it a real step I can't skip.

milaj951d ago

Man, I read somewhere that @grace_wells98's trick of saying it out loud really does make it stick.

troychen22h agoTop Commenter

Make the client say their full name" is a great trick, though I bet some of them feel like they're being booked into custody.