Hey all. For credit at my school, me and some friends are collaborating on a short 20 minute film, and I'm in charge of sound. My question is this - Should I invest in a wireless mic system or a boom setup?

Also, what is a good setup for each? I plan to use these things for future projects, so I want to make sure it's a good investment.

Finally, should I record the audio straight to my camera (the DP is using his own, so I would just carry mine along for sound recording), or should I use something else and then sync it up in post? Thanks!

Definitley get a boom mic, it's what all proffesionals use. You can put it straight into the camera, assuming it's a fairly nice camera. or you can run it through a sound board to make sure you're getting exactly the sound you want. Make sure you get a pair of headphones to ensure you're getting the sound you want.

the pros use lavaliers as well (one kind of wireless system)

it really depends on what you're going to do. if there is a lot of action or wide shots, lavs may be the best option. booms pick up less ambient noise, get right on the actor's voice, and are more reliable since they use a cable.

most shoots the sound person has both, but we used school equipment or a professional sound person.

either way, both mic systems can get expensive, so start out slow and work your way up.

As I understand, joren on this site uses both and adds reverb to the lav to add presence. That's probably the best way to go, because it also provides a redundant backup system, but if you can only invest in one I'd go with a shotgun since you'll be able to (1) record more than one person at a time with just one mic, (2) get clean dialogue, and (3) record the sound effects you find you'll need to master your mix in post.

Boom is the best.

as with everything with tv and film, it depends on the situation, but a shotgun will give you the best results in a larger range of things
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