The Location Sound Bible: How to Record Professional Dialog for Film and TV

by Ric Viers

This title is a complete guide to recording dialog on location. The topics include audio basics, microphone selection, wireless systems, recording and mixing techniques, and the Ten Location Sound Commandments, but it's more than just cables and connectors.

Genres: Film, Textbooks, Nonfiction

426 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2012

Reviews

[Vic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gonna go ahead and shelf this as read because I'm technically never gonna stop reading it.

This book is it. It's made me more confident in my capabilities running sound than anything I've learned in school. Everything is described so simply and clearly, it doesn't feel like a textbook and you could easily take notes on this recreationally.

The books mentions to try and bring this book along with you in your kit, and I fully intend to.

[katie]

to learn all of this and then people use it for films like sharknado

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly what it says on the tin.
A solid book for beginners and semi-skilled sound recordists.
I’m a freelance filmmaker and would recommend it to other filmmakers to improve that much neglected skill of sound recording.

[Adam Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with practical advice, easily read. An excellent grounding in a wide range of topics. Not overly technical.

[Matt Baum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read about halfway through this book a few times, and after 8+ years of doing audio for various different projects I finally finished it. It took me way longer than it should've because I genuinely cannot think of a worse thing to do after working audio on a 12 hour film set than reading a book about running audio on film sets. It's a spectacularly informative book that not only reassures me as a recordist but also reminds me of all the basics I need to keep up on.

Super easy to read. I don't know if I'll ever fully understand the science side of audio, but this book lays it out very well, and that's only the first couple chapters. The rest of the book is an excellent first guide into the equipment, techniques, and problems that a sound mixer needs to know about. It lays out the business side to the wild world of film as well.

As the book says, there are some things in the film world that can't be learned from a book. That being said, I probably learned a few of these lessons the hard way on set rather than just finishing the book when I started it. Definitely would recommend to anyone just starting out in film audio. Even though memorizing it won't mean you're officially ready for it all, it's a damn good start.

If you are not a location sound mixer and have no intention of being one or interest within the audio film world, I would say you could probably skip this one.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book for class, but really enjoyed it! It assumes you know little to nothing about the content, but whether you’re interested in the field of sound mixing, or are already working on projects, I feel like this book can be invaluable to you. It reads really easily, almost conversational, which makes it easier to digest the content heavy material. Lots of great info!

[Lauren Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book during a Sound for Media class I took, it has so much valuable information in it! The way the author writes makes you feel as if a friend is talking to you and giving you advice, instead of a boring or monotone read. Will definitely be holding onto this book for future reference in the field!

[Jonathan Clement · Rating 4 out of 5]

quintessential location sound book that will get you started out the gate in the right places. little details matter in sound tech and this book highlights them without being overly technical

[Claus Sikora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers every single subject you need to know if you want to learn about recording high quality audio TV - movies - youtube etc. Only thing That is missing is a little about post production.

[Mindaugas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Focus mostly on ENG type of work, hoped to find more information about feature and indie-film work, haven't found that much.

[Calvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, careful exposition to the world of on-set sound recording. A breakdown of what each basic piece of equipment does, when and how it should be used to get the best effects, what rates/treatment to expect from producers, and a whole host of technical details about Hz and amps made me feel like I know what the Hell sound mixers and boom ops are doing on a set. If I was given the job of sound mixing an indie film, I would know the downsides to using a lav and the upsides to always using a boom, as well as how to prevent those hissing sounds and equipment noise that so often screw up newbie recordings. I wanna recommend it to all my film students friends, no cynicism in this review.

[Daniel Pappas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent a LONG time annotating and jotting down notes. Everything in this book is a great start for a positive career in film and tv but it’s a little outdated. Tech now has grown past some of his concerns and it’s honestly impressive how powerful it really is, but the basic principles are all the same. I don’t know if I’ll have a career in sound for film but these ideas have kept me in good stead for a long while now.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great guide to the world of working sound for film and TV. I took lots of notes, learned many things, and laughed at some cheesy jokes. A few cheesy jokes were just too much.

A must read for anyone recording sound, really anywhere.