Get Off The Stick
Get Off The Stick
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So here’s our latest bit of coaching advice:
If you have ever gone to a comedy club, you might have noticed that some comedians walk on stage, and if there is a handheld microphone, they immediately take it off the mic stand and place the stand to the side. Others will leave the mic on the stand and hold on to it—often as if hoping it would help them stand up their act.
Watching recent reels from younger reporters has reminded us of that. Newer reporters often hold on to a handheld microphone (aka a “stick mic,” as grizzled photographers call it) as if it were a lifeline.
Here’s something to consider: Unless you need a stick mic for a specific reason in a story, ditch it and go with a lavalier clipped onto your clothing.
Now, why would we make such a recommendation? We believe that going “stickless” allows you to use your hands in your storytelling. Hands can be communicative as part of a person speaking. Don’t believe us? Watch a sign language speaker communicate by only using their hands.
Okay, so you might not know any sign language, but you know how to point or hold your hands together or apart to indicate a measurement or a distance. Your hands can help communicate way more than a metal tube in your hand—even if it has a mic flag/cube with your station’s logo on it.
Using a lav mic for a sit-down interview is standard practice—or indeed, it should be.
One downside is that the lavalier mic’s small size makes them more likely to get lost on a busy day–so don’t forget them along the way.
Lavalier mics are readily available these days. Every content creator you see on YouTube is likely using a current model from Rode, DJI, or Hollyland. For between $125 and $350, you can get a kit with two small wearable mic transmitters, a receiver, and a charging case. Those mics can be used with a digital camera or a smartphone, making it possible to use an unobtrusive microphone in almost any video you wish to create.
Otherwise, a wired lav with an XLR-style connector can connect to the same plug-in wireless transmitter that a handheld mic can use with a professional-level video camera that most stations use. So there really is no excuse for not having a lavalier available for anyone who is carrying a camera.
And let’s be clear. We aren’t entirely opposed to using a handheld mic. In some situations, they absolutely should be used. In a “scrum” where many people are trying to get an answer to a question, a handheld is an extension of your arm. Handhelds are more resistant to wind noise and weather resistant, so they are probably a better choice in most foul-weather situations.
But the rest of the time, consider giving the lowly Lavalier mic a little more love.