Film terms

Audio that is natural to the scene, such as birds chirping or the sound of children playing in the background.

Audio levels refer to the volume of the audio. The levels can change depending on the video. These will duck to make room for dialogue.

Ensuring all the levels are balanced so the music does not compete with voices or sound effects. Done at the end of the project.

This person is in charge of recording sound for the project in the field or studio. They are responsible for the Slate and how it is set up with the camera department for the 2nd Assistant Camera to operate. They are also responsible for placing microphones. They will usually have a small team of people in their department. See Slate and 2nd Assistant Camera (2nd AC).

A Boom is an extendable, adjustable arm on which a microphone can be affixed. When there’s movement in a scene, the sound is recorded as close to the subjects as possible. A Boom Mic is a good backup for a Lav.  See Lavaliere Microphone (Lav).

The use of bespoke sound effects to help bring a film to life during post-production. Good sound design is often subliminal. It adds an extra dimension to your film. Vital in animation and motion graphics.

See Audio Recordist.

See Audio Recordist.

A stage specifically designed to be able to record clean audio without ambient sound.