How to Approach A Talent To Place a Lav Mic On Their Shirt Like A Pro

If you are shooting a video with someone who is not accustomed to getting videos that part where you attach a Lavalier mic to their clothes can be kinda awkward. If you are wiring up an actor, there is a good chance they did this before and they maybe even done this enough time to help you. But with documentaries or interviews it may be your talent’s first time where someone approaches them to run a cable through their shirt.

If you do it wrong (and there is definitely a wrong way of doing this) not only you look like a PITA you may also take from your talents confidence which you want to be high for the actual interview.

The Location Crew came up with a short 10 minutes tutorial that explains how to do this right. Interestingly enough, an important part of the process is not even related to connecting a microphone, it is connected to gaining your talent’s trust and breaking that personal barrier to make them feel comfy.

There are some valuable tips in the video like:

• Don’t use your index finger, use your thumb when pointing at the talent’s body
• Keep a good eye contact (even though you may be looking for somewhere on your talent’s body to place the mic)
• Be very clear about what you are going to do and why you are doing it
• Don’t approach with your gear at first. All that gear can be pretty intimidating + when you go to fetch your gear, the talent has some time to freshen up.

The video is part of a larger Camera Audio Simplified course which you can get here for $150.

[Camera Audio Simplified online course – Class 10 via no film school]