1. The mic I'm using to record the live segment is mono. I haven't figured out a way to double it for stereo. Any thoughts? I was thinking of either looking for some type of mono to stereo adapter at Radio Shack or perhaps try something on the software end. However, Windows Movie Maker appears to be (perhaps someone else knows how??) limited on the audio editing side. I basically would need a way to separate the audio from the video, double it for stereo, and put it back (or at least on the right spot on the time line). What worries me is getting the video/audio sync off somehow. I'm also wondering if there is a way to convert mono inputs to stereo on the camera itself. Again, any ideas here would be helpful.
2. The lighting is too harsh. Next time I'll try to reduce the lighting, filter it somehow, and/or reposition the lights further back. I'm obviously limited here by the cheapness of the lights (halogen on stubby tripods), but I think I can do better than that. I was also considering putting some kind of dark backdrop behind the monitor to reduce the effect of shadows. Before, I was getting very deep shadows; only way to get rid of them was to ratchet up the lighting. Argh.
On a positive note, we'll be working with professionals at GDC to film the interviews, so I'll be able to carefully observe what they do and hopefully find a way to mimic or adapt it for home use.
As always, thanks for the feedback and keep it coming!
Okay, so far I've picked up on a few things.
1. The mic I'm using to record the live segment is mono. I haven't figured out a way to double it for stereo. Any thoughts? I was thinking of either looking for some type of mono to stereo adapter at Radio Shack or perhaps try something on the software end. However, Windows Movie Maker appears to be (perhaps someone else knows how??) limited on the audio editing side. I basically would need a way to separate the audio from the video, double it for stereo, and put it back (or at least on the right spot on the time line). What worries me is getting the video/audio sync off somehow. I'm also wondering if there is a way to convert mono inputs to stereo on the camera itself. Again, any ideas here would be helpful.
2. The lighting is too harsh. Next time I'll try to reduce the lighting, filter it somehow, and/or reposition the lights further back. I'm obviously limited here by the cheapness of the lights (halogen on stubby tripods), but I think I can do better than that. I was also considering putting some kind of dark backdrop behind the monitor to reduce the effect of shadows. Before, I was getting very deep shadows; only way to get rid of them was to ratchet up the lighting. Argh.
On a positive note, we'll be working with professionals at GDC to film the interviews, so I'll be able to carefully observe what they do and hopefully find a way to mimic or adapt it for home use.
As always, thanks for the feedback and keep it coming!
Matt Barton, Managing Editor
Location: St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA
Email: matt@armchairarcade.com