Film Audio Tips: How We (Mostly) Stopped Screwing Up Our Sound

Ah, sound—the unsung hero of indie filmmaking. Or, if you’re like us, the villain lurking in the shadows, waiting to ruin your perfectly framed shots with an unwanted hum, a missing line, or a tragic attempt at ADR.

Welcome to Indie Film Podcast, Episode 11: "Soundscape Slip-Ups," where Chuck and Victoria lay bare their past audio crimes so you don’t have to repeat them. Whether you're an indie filmmaker still thinking the camera mic is fine (it's not), or you've ever uttered the cursed words, "We'll fix it in post," this episode is for you.

🎬 The Biggest Film Audio Mistakes We (Regretfully) Made

1. "We'll Fix It in Post"—The Lie We Kept Telling Ourselves

If we had a dollar for every time we thought we could "fix it in post," we’d at least be able to afford a proper location audio setup by now. In reality, fixing bad sound in post is painful, time-consuming, and sometimes impossible (looking at you, background fridge hum). If you can capture clean audio on set, do it. Your future self will thank you.

2. ADR: Where Our Dreams (and Sync) Went to Die

ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement, aka re-recording lines after filming) seems easy enough—until you realize that matching lips, tone, and emotion is about as simple as teaching a cat to tap dance. Most actors struggle with ADR, and unless you’re a seasoned voice actor, it’s going to sound weird. Avoid ADR unless absolutely necessary. If you must use it, try this:

• Have the actor listen to their original line before re-recording

• Record in a similar space (or fake it really well with reverb settings)

• Make your ADR sound like the rest of the scene; add reverb, ambience, whatever, just make sure it doesn't sound like it was recorded in a studio

3. The Tragic Tale of the Forgotten Room Tone

Ever wondered why your audio edits sound choppy and unnatural? You probably forgot room tone. That’s the little bit of ambient sound that exists in every space (the hum of lights, distant traffic, the subtle whispers of ghosts… okay, maybe not that last one).

Here’s how to avoid this mistake:

✔️ Record 30 seconds of silence in every filming location

✔️ Use it to smooth over audio cuts and match ADR with original dialogue

✔️ Never, ever assume you’ll “just figure it out later” (because you won't)

4. Foley & Sound Effects: Why Your Indie Film Sounds… Off

Nothing breaks immersion faster than a fight scene where punches sound like wet spaghetti hitting a wall, or a dramatic moment that somehow forgot to include the sound of footsteps. We learned that if you can see it, you need to hear it.

Our biggest Foley failures:

❌ Forgetting to add any footsteps in a dramatic street-crossing scene

❌ Accidentally using the same staple sound for literally everything (but it was funny)

❌ Trying to fix missing ambient noise with a stock sound (shoutout to the BBC Sound Library—good, but not magic)

5. The Mysterious Case of “Why Can’t I Hear the Dialog?!”

Ever watched an action movie where the explosions rattle your spine, but the characters sound like they’re whispering into a tin can? That’s bad mixing. And, unfortunately, we’ve been guilty of it too.

Some basic film audio tips we eventually figured out:

🔊 Use compression to balance out loud and quiet parts

🎛️ Apply EQ (equalization) to make dialogue clear and cut out unwanted noise

🎤 If you must clean up bad sound, do it gently (aggressive noise reduction = robot voices)

🎧 Our Hard-Earned Film Audio Tips for Indie Filmmakers

Here’s the TL;DR version of everything we wish we’d known from day one:

✅ Always record good location sound. The camera mic is not good enough.

✅ Never say “we’ll fix it in post.” It’s a trap.

✅ Get room tone. You will always need it.

✅ Foley matters. Even the tiniest sound can break immersion.

✅ Mix like a pro. Compression, EQ, and reverb are your best friends.

✅ Use ADR sparingly. And when you do, use the right tools to make it blend.

What’s Your Worst Film Audio Mistake?

Drop a comment below and make us feel better about our past disasters!

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