Last time I talked about miking dialogue, and even though dialogue can be very important in a film, it isn't the only way to give out information in a scene. Even without talking the sound design team shines, with all its little sounds that make up the environment, the tone and especially the scene.
In "He Shoots he Scores." I talked about how much of an impact a music score can make on a scene, But Silence, if Done well, can make just much a noise.
I heard somewhere that filming a table scene is very difficult, knowing where to place the camera without it seeming like its bouncing all over the place and maintaining where the characters are seated is quite the challenge.
Diner 1982
The other challenge is recording the conversation. The sound designer works with the Cinematographer, the Actors and the Director very closely to know what the actor is gonna say or where the camera is going to be so they can precisely know where to Mic up to get a clear recording of the dialogue.
One of the ways they do it is The Shotgun Boom Mic.
The mic is placed on the end of a pole and someone holds the mic just over the actors head but aims the mic towards the actors mouth. When there is more people the person holding the mic has to aim the mic to whoever starts talking, so they have to know the lines just as well as the actors so they can anticipate where to aim the mic.
its quite the subtitle talent.
When it comes to tight spaces, scenes in a car or small room they would usually use a Lavaliere microphone otherwise known as a Lapel Microphone.
its commonly used in News broadcasting, its a wire with a small microphone that you can attach/hide behind a tie.
Lavaliere
Speaking of keeping a mic hidden, One Technique is called "Planting" Were they take the mic and hide them in flower pots (I guess hence the name) and place it in the middle of the table, or anything that looks natural on a table that can have a small microphone.
