As a filmmaker who works on documentaries and is also gaining traction with narrative features, Jean Melesaine got the opportunity to work on a national documentary following various community organizers across America. Her work highlights the successes of people, and she is most proud to be able to tell these important stories that shape our country. Capturing clear, meaningful dialog is a big part of her creative efforts and, to ensure that her audio inspires the viewer, she depends on the rich feature set and superior capabilities of TASCAM recording products.
Melesaine uses both a TASCAM DR-10L ultra-compact audio field recorder with a lavalier microphone and a Portacapture X8 8-channel 32-bit float portable audio field recorder to capture her audio. Along with her TASCAM TH-06 headphones, these two products were used on a documentary project that focuses on community organizers from all over this country. As a field audio recording system that includes a lavalier microphone, the DR-10L is a remarkably compact and versatile tool that makes it easy to capture dialog. As part of her efforts, she used the DR-10L lavalier mics to capture ‘backup’ dialog in what she refers to as particularly moving scenes.
When queried about the DR-10L attributes that she finds particularly useful for her manner of working, Melesaine offered the following comments, “The DR-10L’s key feature that makes it so well suited for documentaries is its self-contained design that encompasses both audio recorder and microphone. We now use AI (Artificial Intelligence) to match audio waves in post, so it’s really the way to go for capturing perfect dialogue in documentary projects. The DR-10L’s ability to capture good audio in ambient environments is also very important. I love that, as we were standing outside in a bustling Chicago street, we were able to capture a clear conversation with our character’s friend who was standing next to him. The DR-10L is a game changer for capturing dialog.”
In addition to the DR-10L, the TASCAM Portacapture X8 is also an important tool for Melesaine’s documentary work. “The Portacapture X8 is an amazing audio field recorder. Because of its 8-channel design, we were able to capture 4 separate takes and later determine which of those takes we would ultimately use. I can honestly say that each take sounded great. The various icons on the launcher system enable you to optimize the recorder for a particular type of recording task. Further, you can use these presets as a starting point and then fine-tune the settings to your preference. This layout makes the Portacapture X8 both easy to learn and use.”
With many of today’s sophisticated audio products, questions inevitably arise. Hence, the ability to provide capable and responsive support services is crucial. When asked about her experience in this regard, Melesaine offered a surprising response, “To be honest, I haven’t had any issues using my TASCAM products at all. The physical layout of the various buttons and the display screens make both the DR-10L and the Portacapture X8 very intuitive to use. I found both recording tools to be inviting and easy to grasp. I must add, however, that knowing I can call the company and ask questions if it becomes necessary is another important incentive to use TASCAM.”
Before shifting her attention back to the business of the day. Melesaine offered these parting comments regarding her experience with TASCAM recording products, “I hope that more folks in documentary film production will see that TASCAM is leveraging technology for the film community. From my experience, these products have given me more interest in sound design and its capabilities to expand film not only through dialogue, but also for capturing sound effects and building out proper environments to bring an audience ‘place’ in a phonetic way. TASCAM is an important part of my creative endeavors.”
To learn more about Jean Melesaine, visit her online at https://www.jeanmelesaine.com/.
