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This one is kind of a question that spawned from a project I'm working on and reading the last question on Foley.
Here's a technical question for Foley Artists:
How much do you, or a typical foley artist, rely on knowledge of how the mic works. Do you perform to the mic and work it like a vocalist will or do you just do your thing and let the recordist do as he sees fit. Do you prefer different microphones for different things or is that left up to the foley recordist?
On the foley sessions I've observed, the artist and recordist work as a team. Great teams read each other like radar.
The artist will move the mic into the position they see fit and the recordist will only chime in if they don't like the sound. Many teams will also record with a near and far mic and the recordist will chose/blend the two. Good artists really know how to work a mic.
Mic distance is also partially determined by the tastes of the Supervising Sound Editor/Supervising Foley Editor. Some supervisors will direct the foley team to record matching the perspective on screen. While others prefer the foley recorded pretty close and would rather work perspective/distance on the mixing stage.
Yes, I agree with Justin on may of the comments. You really do need to know your mic and how it works- frequency response,sensitivity etc. I have worked with many different mics over the years from small diaphragm Scheopps or B and K to large diaphragm mics like the Neumann line or Studio Prospect. It kinda depends on the room as well, know your space- it is really crucial to mic placement and where you do what kinds of sounds. The recordist is 50% of the job and needs to set the level and gain accordingly so he too must understrand the room, how the artist works and the mic(s).
Hope it helps.
