Imagine interviewing someone who just told you one of the most heart-warming stories you have ever heard. Or, they just told you a profound idea that will make the sound bite Hall of Fame.

Now imagine going back to the editing room and realizing the microphone didn’t work. Forgot the headphones too, huh?

Even worse, you didn’t use a microphone, and the background noise is drowning out this amazing sound bite.

Are you listening? Audio is just as important, if not more, than the video. I will watch a poorly shot video, at least for a while, if the audio is clear.  However, I will NOT watch a perfectly framed video, if I can’t hear the audio.

Videomaker has a fabulous series of video tutorials for broadcast journalists. I show this tutorial, “Audio for Video” each and every semester to new and experienced students alike, about the 4 essential steps of capturing audio for your videos.

And remember, ALWAYS use a microphone to capture interviews and ALWAYS use headphones to know what is recording.

Good luck.