COWCH Equipment

Video

Avoid using analog cameras. Use a good digital video camera mounted on a tripod. When you choose a video camera, make sure that it has a microphone input and a headphone output. You can use cameras that record on miniDV tapes, flash cards, DVD, HDD, etc., but make sure you bring enough media to record up to 90 minutes. MiniDV cameras produce high-quality video and audio recordings, but they also cost a little more than a regular camcorder because they’re usually targeting professional producers. Cameras that record to DVD are less popular because the resulting file is not very easy to edit. Cameras recording to HDD and to flash cards/SD cards are the most popular. For best quality, always use a new tape for the interview.

You may also want to have the following features: ability to switch to manual controls for focus, exposure and white balance; LCD screen and easy menu system; possibility to connect to a power outlet.

Audio

Your COWCH interview is a piece of oral history and will make for unique documents that other people need to be able to understand and hear. The Oral History Association recommends that interviewers “should use the best digital recording equipment within their means to reproduce the narrator’s voice accurately and, if appropriate, other sounds as well as visual images.” Therefore it is mandatory to use an external microphone that is plugged in to your video camera, and to carry an audio recorder (if possible) in addition to the video equipment.

Choosing a Microphone

If you are interviewing one subject indoors, the best external microphone is a lapel microphone (or lavaliere) that can be clipped easily to a tie, jacket, shirt etc. Wired lapel microphones tend to be up to half the price of the wireless ones, and if you do not plan to move around a lot, a wired microphone will get the job done. If you can't find a lapel microphone, you can use a hand-held microphone instead, which can get strenuous after a point. Never give up control of your microphone by handing it to the subject. You can use a microphone stand and position it outside the camera frame.

Choosing and Audio Recorder

When selecting an audio device, remember that the primary purpose of using an audio recorder in addition to the video is to get a good-quality audio file that can be easily downloaded, edited, and published on the web. Use a digital, portable recorder with an external microphone. Whatever audio recorder you choose, make sure you: record in the highest possible quality, use an external microphone, have backup power supply, and can easily transfer the audio file by connecting the recorder to a computer.

Make sure you are familiar with your audio equipment before the interview. If your digital recorder has a voice-activation feature, turn it off, because it may stop the recording if the subject suddenly leans back or lowers his/her voice.

Audio Traps to Avoid

Do not put the microphone too close to the subject’s mouth because it will pick up breathing and other vocal sounds. Monitor audio levels because you may need to compensate.
Beware of microphone-handling noise, especially with inexpensive microphones.
Turn off background music, radio, and television.
Ask your subject to remove any kind of dangling jewelry, or clothing items that can make noise.
If wind is a problem, use a sock to shield the microphone.

Remember, whatever equipment you choose to use, you must be familiar with using it before the day of the interview. Do a test interview with a friend; shoot some footage outdoors and indoors to see how your camera reacts to different lighting environments. Test your microphone and check the quality of the final audio.

Extra supplies

Spare batteries
Extra tapes/memory cards
Extension cords
Extra microphone cables
Three-prong/two-prong electrical adapters to accommodate wiring in older homes
Duct tape
Any lighting equipment you have
A neutral (crib) sheet in case you need to drape it over things to create a background
A lens-cleaning cloth
A notebook and a pen/pencil