sound with fans

[jimbib]

Hi guys...next filming, i'm planning on using fans for emotion n atmosphere (you must know what i'm on about!!), and was wondering how I can go about getting good audio? If not on set, how do I do some ADR and not make it look like a terrible dubbed foreign film? I don't have anything like Adobe Audition, just Premiere Pro... Thanks

PS: do you think a couple of tall-standing house fans will be enough to get some hair and clothes flapping, I can't afford a fancy wind machine or anything [img]smile.gif[/img]

[busbyvideo]

Hi Jim

Problem with fans is that they can be noisy. If you can hide tie clip sized mics on the actors you may get away with it. There's a set of Azden radio mics in the classified section of the forum.

[Unicorn]

If not on set, how do I do some ADR and not make it look like a terrible dubbed foreign film?

Make a silent film with dialog cards [img]smile.gif[/img] .

More seriously, a good directional mike may eliminate much of the fan noise, and you might be able to cover the rest with background noise or music. I've shot footage next to a steam train which sounded like crap on the camera's internal mike, but had only a small hiss in the background with the main mike.

[rbarry]

Bouncey castles are fed by either a petrol or elctrically driven remote fan, the latter being far quietier. The fan is connected to the inflatable with an umbilical plastic material tube. Depending on your location for the shoot, you could possibly hire an electric blower (without the inflatable castle/giraffe !), and place it far enough away for it not to affect the sound. If the shot is indoors, you could arrange the tube to come through a window or doorway. The pressure of air is fairly strong, so adjusting the blast is a simple case of positioning the tube closer or further away from the subject. I can't believe the hire charge would be that much.

[jimbib]

Thanks everyone - rbarry, as for that blower, do you know the wattage of the device? I am filming in the middle of a field (nightmare for power) and am either using an 800W generator, or similar battery pack thing.

Cheers

[rbarry]

These guys may know, and are located in Kent:

http://www.krazy-castles.co.uk/Bouncycastlefans.html

or these guys:

http://www.silverbox.co.uk/index.html

and here (Maldon, Essex):

http://www.gibbonsfans.com/uk/index.htm

Whether this is the sort of blower you need I can't say, I've never used one for the purpose you propose. However, I used to be involved with corporate entertainment and have seen these things "in action" !

[DAVE M]

HSS

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They don't say what power but my 12" desk fan is 45w

So long as you shield the mike from the air blast you should be ok - try solutions by sticking a mic out of a car window or sunroof.

Be aware thast if you have the hell of a wind, the sound will be carried on it

[jimbib]

Thanks everyone, i will look into those blowers. However, so far, no-one's mentioned the option of ADR? Does this mean it is a bad idea? Because, if there is the slightest bit of fan-noise in the background, i will have to rebuild the soundtrack from scratch, ambience & re-recorded dialogue (should be interesting!) Although, i will try and shield the shotgun mic as well as possible from the air flow.

[DAVE M]

I've done ADR and it's just very time consuming. But if you watch a lot of 1 hr tv dramas, they do it all the time - and I think badly. They hardly ever get the ambience right.

A mate runs a facilities house in SoHo and I've seen what they do and it's just as basic as you'd do at home only with more buttons.

[Unicorn]

Because, if there is the slightest bit of fan-noise in the background, i will have to rebuild the soundtrack from scratch,

Why? Personally I'd rather cover up the fan noise with other background sound or music than use anything but the best ADR dialogue. I find bad ADR far more distracting than background sound... and most of what I see on low-budget productions _is_ bad.