Help needed on DSLR and audio setup for Video Interviews

[flitstoned]

Hi ! I am mainly into stills but sometimes some customers require me to do some Video too. I require 2 mics for the interviewer and Interviewee, who will be sitting apart. I need to connect the 2 mics to my DSLR. How do I do this?, directly, or through a device like the Zoom H4. I don't want to spend too much time synchronizing the Audio and Video. All help appreciated. I have been searching youtube and the Internet, but could not find 2 mics to a DSLR scenarios.

 

[daredevil123]

Get a mini mixer...

 

[kandinsky]

Advice courtesy of bamboopictures from this thread: http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1306382

PROBLEM: I have want to record audio from more than one source into separate channels on my DSLR
SOLUTION1: Beachtek MCC-2 Pro: cheap, light, adds 3 cold shoe to your camera.Con: Unbalanced input, No preamp.
SOLUTION2: Azden Cam-3 http://www.amazon.com/AZDEN-CAM-3-On-Camcorder-Audio-Mixer/dp/B00006JPD1
Pro: lighter than MCC-2, Con: no mounting option except for a belt clip.
SOLUTION3:Beachtek DXA-XLR/Mini/Pro/Connect, Juicedlink Pro: Preamp, cheaper than professional field mixers. Con: Not as quiet as professional field mixers.
SOLUTION4: Professional field mixers! http://www.sounddevices.com/products/

 

[flitstoned]

Thank you Daredevil and Kandinsky. Just saw a Zoom Q8 too which may free up my DSLR and is very reasonable priced.

 

[hamanoshun]

Most of the newer Zooms have a Line Out port then you can plug straight into your cam. So basically it's 2 mics into the recorder, then from the recorder's Line Out port into the camera's mic port.

 

[Bamboopictures]

If it's a garden-variety interview video, why not use 2 cameras and 2 mics(questions and answers on different cam)?
If the questions are off-cam/not important why bother with miking the interviewer?
If the questions are on cam/important and you are using only one camera, why not 'cheat' and record the interviewer angle after the actual interview? Then you only need 1 camera and 1 mic.

For single cam interview, begin with a mock establishment 2-shot with the interviewer introducing the guest.
On the same wide shot, ask the interviewer to ask one or two questions from the middle of his list. Finally, ask the interviewer to thank the guest.

You can then to proceed to change the lighting for the guest. Begin the actual interview. Advice the guest and interviewer against interjecting each other or cross-talking.
You can alternate between over the shoulder shots or close ups of the guest if you are alloed to pause the interview to change framing.
Otherwise, close-ups are easier for continuity in case the interviewer starts to vary hand positions/head angle/ body posture during the interview. Keep recording going even as the guest stops to listen or pause to think. These are cutaways.
After the final question has been answered, ask the guest to fake a few noddies (reverse/reaction shot to questions) just in case you need to cover jumpcuts for a stuttering interviewer.
Now for the interviewer angle, ask the guest to sit for a few over the shoulder shot of the interviewer. A few questions will do. No anwers needed obviously.
Thank the guest and walk him out.
Review the recorded footage with interviewer and note down the dynamics and questions asked.
For safety, reshoot all the questions including previously recorded over the shoulder and master shots incase the earlier cheatshots don't work well due to difference in postures. Make sure to obey the 180 degree rule and keep the shot size and eyeline for both the interviewer and guest roughly the same.
Fake plenty of noddies with different expressions for the interviewer.
These will come in useful when you need to truncate/clean-up the answers smoothly.

 

[JacePhoto]

Bamboo is great ! Thumbs up!

 

[Bamboopictures]

Tx bro! One last tip for the interviewer:
For the fake shots, nod for 2 seconds before asking the question and keep looking into empty chair for another 3 seconds after finishing each question. This will allow for split edits (J or L cuts) to complete the illusion that the guest is still in the room. Also makes the edits smoother.
Eg if truncating an answer, insert the interviewer visual (one nod before the next question) before the audio of the guest ends. Or linger on the interviewer visual after the question and insert the guest's audio first before cutting to the guest's visual.

 

[flitstoned]

Thank you BambooPictures. The interview is indoors, sitting down on a sofa or other similar furniture. The interviewer is an experienced journalist/Editor. The interviewee's are usually Ambassadors/Foreign Ministers with very little time. It is not going to be broadcast on TV, so very high quality Video is not required, but Audio has to be good quality. The ZoomQ 8 seems to fit the bill except for the wide angle fisheye lens which distorts a persons features, which I cannot afford, so a DSLR with your suggestion of Beachtek should be just great. Thanks a lot everyone

 

[Bamboopictures]

Most welcomed. For peace-of-mind, I will go with 3 GH4s or 3 C100s with no recording time limit. 2 on CU/MS, one on wide 2-shot. Light, focus, put on my headphones, sit back and relax.
Normal DSLR is riskier due to 29min video limit. For mimimum gear, consider one AX100 camcorder with wide angle attachment and XLR-K2M accessory. One camcorder, Shoot in 4K, deliver in 720p. Crop and uncrop for CU and WS.
No jumpcuts! (Otherwise, put your faith in the new Adobe PP morph cut transition)
One GH4 on wide 4K does the same trick but just no XLR.
Personally, cropping in and out repeatedly is a little hokey so best to have at least 2 different angles.
Q8 on a separate tripod favoring the guest is a good safety shot when you go for closeups with the DSLR.
Peace-of-mind. (for the editor haha)

 

[pettypoh]

If it's a garden-variety interview video, why not use 2 cameras and 2 mics(questions and answers on different cam)?
If the questions are off-cam/not important why bother with miking the interviewer?
If the questions are on cam/important and you are using only one camera, why not 'cheat' and record the interviewer angle after the actual interview? Then you only need 1 camera and 1 mic.

For single cam interview, begin with a mock establishment 2-shot with the interviewer introducing the guest.
On the same wide shot, ask the interviewer to ask one or two questions from the middle of his list. Finally, ask the interviewer to thank the guest.

You can then to proceed to change the lighting for the guest. Begin the actual interview. Advice the guest and interviewer against interjecting each other or cross-talking.
You can alternate between over the shoulder shots or close ups of the guest if you are alloed to pause the interview to change framing.
Otherwise, close-ups are easier for continuity in case the interviewer starts to vary hand positions/head angle/ body posture during the interview. Keep recording going even as the guest stops to listen or pause to think. These are cutaways.
After the final question has been answered, ask the guest to fake a few noddies (reverse/reaction shot to questions) just in case you need to cover jumpcuts for a stuttering interviewer.
Now for the interviewer angle, ask the guest to sit for a few over the shoulder shot of the interviewer. A few questions will do. No anwers needed obviously.
Thank the guest and walk him out.
Review the recorded footage with interviewer and note down the dynamics and questions asked.
For safety, reshoot all the questions including previously recorded over the shoulder and master shots incase the earlier cheatshots don't work well due to difference in postures. Make sure to obey the 180 degree rule and keep the shot size and eyeline for both the interviewer and guest roughly the same.
Fake plenty of noddies with different expressions for the interviewer.
These will come in useful when you need to truncate/clean-up the answers smoothly.

omg! =) idol!

 

[flitstoned]

Hats off Bamboopictures! Clubsnap owes its success to guys like you.

 

[Deunamist]

If it's a garden-variety interview video, why not use 2 cameras and 2 mics(questions and answers on different cam)?
If the questions are off-cam/not important why bother with miking the interviewer?
If the questions are on cam/important and you are using only one camera, why not 'cheat' and record the interviewer angle after the actual interview? Then you only need 1 camera and 1 mic.

For single cam interview, begin with a mock establishment 2-shot with the interviewer introducing the guest.
On the same wide shot, ask the interviewer to ask one or two questions from the middle of his list. Finally, ask the interviewer to thank the guest.

You can then to proceed to change the lighting for the guest. Begin the actual interview. Advice the guest and interviewer against interjecting each other or cross-talking.
You can alternate between over the shoulder shots or close ups of the guest if you are alloed to pause the interview to change framing.
Otherwise, close-ups are easier for continuity in case the interviewer starts to vary hand positions/head angle/ body posture during the interview. Keep recording going even as the guest stops to listen or pause to think. These are cutaways.
After the final question has been answered, ask the guest to fake a few noddies (reverse/reaction shot to questions) just in case you need to cover jumpcuts for a stuttering interviewer.
Now for the interviewer angle, ask the guest to sit for a few over the shoulder shot of the interviewer. A few questions will do. No anwers needed obviously.
Thank the guest and walk him out.
Review the recorded footage with interviewer and note down the dynamics and questions asked.
For safety, reshoot all the questions including previously recorded over the shoulder and master shots incase the earlier cheatshots don't work well due to difference in postures. Make sure to obey the 180 degree rule and keep the shot size and eyeline for both the interviewer and guest roughly the same.
Fake plenty of noddies with different expressions for the interviewer.
These will come in useful when you need to truncate/clean-up the answers smoothly.

that's awesome.. Lol. still doing it the hard way now.. this is good advice to speed up time. worth its weight in gold.

 

[hamanoshun]

If it's a garden-variety interview video, why not use 2 cameras and 2 mics(questions and answers on different cam)?
If the questions are off-cam/not important why bother with miking the interviewer?
If the questions are on cam/important and you are using only one camera, why not 'cheat' and record the interviewer angle after the actual interview? Then you only need 1 camera and 1 mic.

For single cam interview, begin with a mock establishment 2-shot with the interviewer introducing the guest.
On the same wide shot, ask the interviewer to ask one or two questions from the middle of his list. Finally, ask the interviewer to thank the guest.

You can then to proceed to change the lighting for the guest. Begin the actual interview. Advice the guest and interviewer against interjecting each other or cross-talking.
You can alternate between over the shoulder shots or close ups of the guest if you are alloed to pause the interview to change framing.
Otherwise, close-ups are easier for continuity in case the interviewer starts to vary hand positions/head angle/ body posture during the interview. Keep recording going even as the guest stops to listen or pause to think. These are cutaways.
After the final question has been answered, ask the guest to fake a few noddies (reverse/reaction shot to questions) just in case you need to cover jumpcuts for a stuttering interviewer.
Now for the interviewer angle, ask the guest to sit for a few over the shoulder shot of the interviewer. A few questions will do. No anwers needed obviously.
Thank the guest and walk him out.
Review the recorded footage with interviewer and note down the dynamics and questions asked.
For safety, reshoot all the questions including previously recorded over the shoulder and master shots incase the earlier cheatshots don't work well due to difference in postures. Make sure to obey the 180 degree rule and keep the shot size and eyeline for both the interviewer and guest roughly the same.
Fake plenty of noddies with different expressions for the interviewer.
These will come in useful when you need to truncate/clean-up the answers smoothly.

Budget at its best.

 

[hamanoshun]

Thank you BambooPictures. The interview is indoors, sitting down on a sofa or other similar furniture. The interviewer is an experienced journalist/Editor. The interviewee's are usually Ambassadors/Foreign Ministers with very little time. It is not going to be broadcast on TV, so very high quality Video is not required, but Audio has to be good quality. The ZoomQ 8 seems to fit the bill except for the wide angle fisheye lens which distorts a persons features, which I cannot afford, so a DSLR with your suggestion of Beachtek should be just great. Thanks a lot everyone

I actually have a Juicedlink RA333 for sale if you're interested. Functionality is the same as the beachtek, but it allows for 3 XLR inputs.