Anthony Q. Artis explores different booming positions and techniques we can use in order to diminish stress on our bodies from the weight of the boom pole and also things to be aware of while booming.
In hi video he mentions a few ways in which to hold a boom pole. All depending on the actors movements, we can hold the boom pole in 5 different ways. The overhead position which is the most common one, allows us a lot of mobility and direction. In a scene where the actor is moving a lot, this position would fit well. However this position carries a flaw which many people including myself complain and suffer from. After a few minutes, the pole starts getting very heavy and causes us to some times move our arms due to the weight and sometimes cause noise on the boom pole because of the moving. The second position is to lay the pole on the back of the shoulder. This position takes all the strain away from the weight, however also comes with some flaws. Your mobility is very affected by it as well as noise from the boom pole rubbing against your shirt or jumper. Thirdly we have the down low position, which is one I have never used before. Holding the microphone down low means that you will be able to hold it for a long time and you will still be able to have mobility. The drawbacks of this position is that, in an outside environment it will capture very clearly any sounds coming from above, a plane, birds, leaves from trees or whatever it is that you may be under causing any sort of noise. Another technique shown is to place the boom pole on your upper thigh while holding the pole with one hand. This position is great as most of the weight is on your leg allowing you to hold it for a long time and you could also hold the boom with one hand, allowing you to have one hand free to check levels or anything else need doing while recording. Lastly, we have the pistol grip. This position is very flexible and with a lot of mobility. This is a position that can be used for tight spaces where a massive boom pole won’t fit.
These different boom handling techniques are essential to know! Many times on set I have been so tired holding a boom pole up above my head and caused me to fidget a bit because of the stress on my arms which then cause handling noise on the microphone. To be able to understand each of these techniques will help me be as diverse as I possibly can with a boom pole helping me maintain good quality audio and not have the strain on my arms throughout the entire shot. These techniques will improve my handling stability and create more quality audio recording with as few handling noise as possible. In my film shoot, I will make sure to use all these different techniques at the appropriate time depending on the shot so that this weight and tiredness problem can be solved.