Aside from the 4 a.m. call time (ouch), today was a typical day of shooting on location. The setting for part of the shoot was an unassuming classroom auditorium, far from the glitz and glamour of a television set. The star of the show is a charismatic host — a master of balancing fun with professionalism, a man known for his ability to make any conversation engaging and insightful.

Alongside him were two guests, women from the local university, ready to share their perspectives and engage in a lively discussion about cheese (yes really. It’s pretty cool). As the videographer running the shoot, it was my job to make sure that the video and the audio got captured, and captured well.

The Missing Mic Dilemma

As I unlatched my audio gear case, a wave of confusion washed over me. Instead of the expected three lavalier mics, there were two. The third was conspicuously missing, and a quick scan of the auditorium confirmed that it was nowhere to be found. A quicker scan of adjoining rooms and the other gear bags and cases confirmed the disappearance.

A less experienced videographer might have panicked at this point. Continue reading →