A look at microphones and gear for filming news reports and documentaries during the pandemic.

A demonstration for how to safely make Mobile Journalism.

I use a lightweight boom pole, wireless mics and a mini tripod to operate a lightweight field rig for #MOJO interviews in the field. (The gear list is further down in this post)

Notice the split-track audio setup.

This rig gives me the ability to record two audio sources: Myself and an interview subject, for example, if you add the Røde SC6-L adapter I show that in the Split Track Audio video of the Gear page .

With this rig I will always be ready to safely capture audio and use the mic for live reporting and capturing VOX pop sound bites from people at a scene

How to best capture audio from a safe distance for interviews?

This video takes a deeper dive look at the gear used to film news reports and documentaries during the pandemic.

 

Wireless mic boom pole interview kit

Mics are the most valuable pieces and will serve you a long time.

Avoid the cheap copies from unknown brands. They will break when you need them most. This can be a hard lesson to learn.

UPDATE

Fred Bever of Maine Public Radio adds:

This is great. As a mostly-audio guy, I would add that instead of using the iPhone video function you can use the “voice memo” app.

That makes air-worthy audio as an mp3 or mp4, so it’s easy to transmit via email. And if your subject is elsewhere and has access to more than one phone, voice-memo is a great way to get better-than-cell phone and better-than-VoIP sound without even being in the same place. So you interview your subject on one phone, and he or she uses a separate iPhone on voice-memo as a mic and audio recorder.