Shotgun Mic
A shotgun mic is a highly directional microphone that attenuates sound arriving from the sides.
What this is about
Most exterior booming happens with a shotgun: the interference tube suppresses off-axis noise, which helps against traffic and wind-blown surroundings. Indoors, the same tube can make reflective rooms sound harsh, which is why many recordists switch to a small hypercardioid inside. A shotgun does not magnify distant sound — it only rejects part of what surrounds it, so distance to the speaker still rules the recording.
A term only helps when everyone on set means the same thing by it — so what follows is how it is used, not a dictionary definition.
What runs differently here
Where this differs from the general case:
- Outdoors first choice; in reflective interiors a hypercardioid often sounds cleaner
- Off-axis sound is coloured, not silenced — aim matters
- No shotgun rescues dialogue recorded from too far away
With TillyGen
Location notes in TillyGen's schedule — interior or exterior, loud or quiet — tell the sound department which mics to rig before the day starts.
Change one constraint and the consequences travel through the whole plan: affected shots are flagged, the call sheet is regenerated, and nobody keeps working from yesterday's version.
Frequently asked
Does a longer shotgun mic mean more reach?
It means stronger side rejection, not zoom. If dialogue is too far from the mic, it stays too far — change blocking or mic placement instead.
How long does it take to get started with TillyGen?
A first project takes under an hour to set up. There is no configuration phase in which templates and fields have to be defined before the tool produces anything.
Can the results be exported?
Yes — as PDF for the crew, CSV for downstream systems and through the API for anything automated. The plan stays the source; the exports are views of it.