Drumrolls!

Sound is an extremely important aspect of any film. Most of the times it’s the sound that connects the audience with the film. Especially for documentaries, where sound is recorded on location. It is to train students in this particular job that Suresh Rajamani, professional on location sound recordist and alumni FTII was brought in. The sessions were both theoretical and practical. Suresh Rajamani began his classes by teaching the basic principles of sound and how different microphones work. As many of us have only seen one kind of microphone, it was fascinating for us to know the different types of microphones and its specific usage.

He meticulously explained each and every function of the different audio equipment like mixer, boom, wind shield, recorder etc. The most important thing that he repeatedly stressed upon was that as a sound recordist, one should not leave anything to chance. One should always ensure that all the equipment is working fine before going for shooting. Also, if one is able to get perfect sound on location, it leaves less work for the post production team.

During the practical session, each of us took turns in applying all the theoretical concepts that we learned. The session was monitored by Suresh Rajamni who took time to individually explain to each one of us about where we are going wrong and how to do it right. A strict trainer, yet a friendly person Suresh Rajamani helped the students understand the importance of sound in film making along opening new avenues for those of us who want to take up sound recording as our career. The workshop on sound recording was co-facilitated by academy guide Radhika Khanna.

Krishnaveni Ilanthirayan and Swathy Karthik

1st M.A. Mass Communication