Everyone has a smartphone, and they provide excellent video quality, but the most common problems I see when agents video themselves using their smartphone or tablet is simply awful audio quality. Most viewers will tolerate poor video quality, but poor sound can turn the audience away very quickly.
The microphone on your smartphone is designed for recording audio up to about half a metre away. It’s no surprise then that when you record yourself a couple of metres away from your phone, it sounds like you are at the far end of a very distant, noisy tunnel.
The simple solution is to use a lapel microphone plugged into your smartphone. You just clip it onto your shirt, about 15 to 20 centimetres away from your mouth, and plug it into the earphone jack on your phone or tablet. You need a lapel microphone with a TRRS connection for use with most late-model smartphones and tablets. Ideally, you should get one two to four metres long, so you can stand back far enough while recording. At around $40, the UK-made Microconics lapel mics from Busivid.com work well with iPhones, iPads and most Android devices.
If you want to use a second lapel microphone to grab a customer testimonial or interview, Rode Microphones Australia sell an SC6 adapter that lets you simultaneously plug in two mics and some earbuds, so you can record two people and check audio quality between takes.
The wind can also be an issue when filming outside. The solution is to use a ‘dead cat’ fluffy cover that slips over your lapel mic. This stops the wind from buffeting the microphone when you are recording out front of a property on a windy day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umAIcBcr1hE&feature=youtu.be
Co-founder of Busivid – a rapid video creation, distribution and management system – Helen Mitchell has coached agents in Australia and the USA to embrace technology and marketing strategies since 2006.Â
