Media & Design Center - Labs, Software & Equipment: Recording an Interview
Media & Design Center
Recording a Video Interview
Equipment Setup:
This video demonstrates how to set up and connect a wireless lavalier microphone to your cameras and talent.
Best Practices for Recording
This video demonstrates best practices for attaching a lavalier microphone to your talent and using the rule of thirds when framing subjects within your composition.
Recording Remotely
Many web conferencing apps allow users to record meetings. This is very helpful in being able to interview people remotely. Below is a comparison chart of the three of the most common apps.
| Microsoft Teams | Google Meet | ||
| Price | Free (basic tier) | Free (basic tier) | Free (basic tier) |
| Meeting recording | Yes | No; requires Google Workspace Subscription |
Yes |
| Participant limit | 100 people | 100 people | 100 people |
|
Number and length of meetings allowed |
Unlimited one-on-one for up to 30 hours; unlimited group meetings for up to 1 hour |
Unlimited one-on-one meetings for up to 24 hours; unlimited group meetings (3+) for up to 1 hour |
Unlimited for up to 40 minutes |
| Private messaging during meetings | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Noise Reduction/Suppression (reduces background noise during meetings) |
Yes | No; requires Google Workspace Subscription | Yes |
Recording an Audio Interview
Recording in Person
Recording an in-person audio interview works similarly to recording an in-person video interview. In fact, an easy way to record an audio interview is to record a video one and simply extract the audio. This can be done in editors which allow users to export only the audio from a project such as Premiere Pro, or via apps or websites that will isolate the audio.
Alternatively, you can use the same setup as in the recording a video interview section, but substituting in the camera for an audio recorder like the H4N Pro.
Recording Remotely
There are a few options to record an audio interview remotely.
One method is to use a web conferencing app that allows users to record, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet (requires a Google Workspace account to be able to record meetings). If the platform offers it, you may be able to record the audio only; otherwise, you can extract the audio from the video.
Another option is to use a recording platform. These software are typically used for podcast recording and offer other features, such as basic editing abilities and video recording. Below is a chart comparing 3 different software.
| Zencastr | Cleanfeed | Riverside.fm | |
| Price | Free (Hobbyist tier) | Free (Standard tier) | Free |
| Number of participants allowed | Up to 4 people, excluding host |
No limit from Cleanfeed itself; depends on each user's resources |
Up to 7 people, excluding host |
| Recording cap | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
|
Video recording |
Yes; unlimited recording time | No | Yes; unlimited recording time |
| Local browser storage | Yes; can download files in MP3 format | No; must download files after each recording session (files will be only in WAV format) | Yes; can download files in WAV format or as MP3/MP4 backups |
| Editing features | Automatic postproduction features (requires paid credits) | Audio repair options for live recordings | Contains an editing suite (in beta) |
| Multitrack recording (each participant has their own audio file) | Yes |
Only in Pro version; has the option to separate host from everyone else |
Only for first two hours of recording per account |
Extracting Audio from Video
There are several websites online that will separate audio from a video and allow users to download the sound. There are also ways to do so manually with the use of a video editor like Adobe Premiere Pro, or certain audio editors like Adobe Audition. UNC students are able to obtain the Adobe Creative Cloud from ITS here.
In Premiere, simply create a new project with the interview recordings you wish to use. Then go to 'File -> Export -> Media' or click to the 'Export' tab. In the Format setting, you can choose to export your project in a variety of file formats. To export only the audio, choose MP3 or Waveform audio. Note that you can also edit your audio in Premiere before export.
In Audition, you can create a new multitrack session and import the video as you would any audio file. The only difference is that Audition will automatically create a video track in the multitrack session and show the video in the video window. Note that you can edit the audio as normal, but the video clip can only be moved along the timeline and cannot be altered in any other way. Additionally, only audio can be exported from Audition.
If the video is not needed, you can delete it by selecting the track and then pressing 'Ctrl/Command + Alt/Option + Backspace/Delete' or by going to Multitrack -> Tracks -> Delete Selected Track.
Tips
- When possible, try to record in multitrack. This means having a separate audio file for each person speaking. Not only will this help in editing during postproduction, it will also solve any crosstalk problems.
- Record in a quiet space with minimal distractions (or having a high potential of them). This will make your audio easier to edit and listen to.
- Do a test recording and listen to it before actually recording your interview.
Media & Design Center Staff
The Media & Design Center staff are available to answer your questions on using equipment, finding films, and creating posters or podcasts!
Need instruction for your students in the Adobe Creative Suite or WordPress? We can help!
Contact:
Media & Design Center
Undergraduate Library
CB# 3942
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
919-962-2559
