So it’s time to record dialogue for your next scene. But footsteps and prop noise keep getting into your dialogue takes. What can you do? This is your answer...neoprene and some double sided tape.
A video from our indie film sound guide is all about minimising noise so you can record clean dialogue whilst actors are delivering lines. Nothing is worse than a coffee cup clinking when someone is speaking because you can’t unbake those sound effects. I’ve put a link down below if you want to learn more.
So what can we do to prevent footstep noise from cast and crew and suppress the noise of props being handled during delivered dialogue?
There is actually a product online called Hush Heels that do the trick. They are pre-cut selects of neoprene material that you can attach to the soles of the cast and crew’s footwear to dampen the noise of footsteps. Easy to use but they are a bit pricey as they only come in packs of 10 for £35.
This got me thinking. Surely neoprene isn’t that expensive! With a pair of scissors and some strong double sided tape, can we whip up some custom sized DIY noise pads?
I looked on ebay and found this A4 size sheet of neoprene for £3.05. Obviously, the bigger the piece you buy, the better value it gets. Together with some double sided sticky tape for £2.50 this has come to a total of £5.55. As we are only using 15% of the whole roll of tape, the cost of materials is closer to £3.43.
Now that we’ve got maths out of the way, let's see if they work!
I taped over the back of the neoprene and drew out some templates based on one of Rob’s fancy shoes; for the heel and the ball of the foot as this is where the foot makes contact with the ground.
Rob is going to strut his stuff with and without the neoprene pads on a few different surfaces. I’ll place the Decibel metre on screen beside it so you can hear for yourself how well they work.
Obviously, they aren’t silent but they certainly make a difference. When the boom is aiming towards a person's mouth and not their feet, it’s going to be really quiet!
It works with props too.
Footage, cups, plates, and pans, with and without the neoprene pads.
Again, we are seeing a big difference in loudness which is ideal if you need a silent set to record super clean dialogue!
Footage, cups, plates, and pans, with and without the neoprene pads.
They work if you need stealthy crew members too. Just add the neoprene pads to their feet and away you go!
The downside to our DIY method is the time is takes to prepare, cut, and unstick the bits from the back of the tape. It’s quite tricky to remove it, and this may waste precious time on set.
If you need emergency pads of neoprene for the rare case of silencing footsteps and props, take the DIY method. You can always give the backing of the tape a dog-ear for easier peeling during the shoot.
But, if you’re a professional who needs a dozen pairs of heels hushed in just a few seconds, the professional option is probably better in the long run.
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