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Chapter 9 Shooting Semi-Pro Videos 99

Tip

You can find most of these accessories at your local camera store. These
are the same tripods, lighting kits, and seamless backgrounds used by still
photographers, and most camera stores carry a large selection.

External Microphone

So far, we’ve talked about ways to improve the quality of your video’s picture, but
you should also pay attention to the sound. Unfortunately, using a camcorder’s
built-in microphone often produces sub-par audio, as the subject’s voice has to
travel clear across the room to be picked up by the mic; you also pick up a lot of
extraneous noise along the way.

To enhance the audio in your videos, look for a camcorder that lets you connect an
external microphone. You can choose from all sorts of high-quality microphones,
including boom mics, stereo mics, and surround sound mics. For most YouTube
videos, the best choice is a lavalier or lapel mic, such as the one shown in Figure
9.8, that clips onto the front of the subject’s shirt or blouse. Just make sure that the
mic you choose has the same connector as found on your camera—they’re not all
the same.

Figure 9.8 Shure’s SM11-CN lavalier microphone.