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phone recording

Contributed by Glen Berry

I'm making a film that requires the recording of a live phone coversation. Obviously, one end of the phone will not be hard to record. But getting the other voice on there and make it sound like authentic phone conversation is proving difficult. i have thought about just recording both people live and then cut back and forth throughout the conversation via editing, but it goes back and forth enough to make somebody dizzy. Any suggestions for a low, low budget amatuer?

There isn't much point in recording the conversation from the phone itself, you'd be much better off recreating the tinny/scratchy effect of the phone in post. You are correct, the best way would be to record both people live and then cut back and forth. However, just keep in mind that you don't have to cut pic and sound at the same time...just as in a regular conversation onscreen.

Berry is the founder of the Northwest Film School and the creator of Film Underground, a popular and successful network of Moviemaking web sites that includes Cyber Film School.

A former member of the Whatcom Film Association Board of Directors, he also has twice served as the director of the Northwest Projections Film Festival. An award-winning filmmaker, Berry specializes in post production and is currently employed as an editor and post production supervisor on professional independent productions. Berry has written for “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Filmmaking,” “MovieMaker Magazine,” Cyberfilmschool.com and Filmfestivals.com. He also has served as an expert source for international newspaper and radio media outlets.

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