Ayo had always loved movies, but he had never worked behind the camera before. When his friend, a young film director, asked him to be the sound recordist for a short film, Ayo was excited and nervous at the same time. It was his first day on set, and he did not want to disappoint anyone.

On the first morning of the shoot, Ayo arrived early with the sound equipment: a boom microphone, a small recorder, headphones, and extra batteries. Although he had watched videos and read notes in class, using the equipment in real life felt different. When the actors began rehearsing, Ayo noticed a hissing noise in his headphones. He panicked because the director was ready to shoot. After checking calmly, he discovered that a cable was loose. He fixed it and learned his first lesson: always check equipment before recording.

As filming continued, Ayo faced another challenge. The location was beside a busy road, and cars kept passing, creating background noise. The recorded sound was unclear. The director was unhappy. Ayo suggested waiting for quiet moments before recording and asked the actors to repeat their lines when the road was calm. He also moved the microphone closer to the actors without entering the camera frame. This helped to reduce unwanted noise.

Later in the day, Ayo struggled with mic positioning. At first, the actors’ voices sounded weak. An older crew member advised him to hold the boom microphone above the actors’ heads, pointing it toward their mouths. With practice, Ayo became steadier, and the sound quality improved.

Another problem occurred when the recorder suddenly went off. Ayo realized the batteries were dead. From that mistake, he learned the importance of carrying spare batteries and monitoring battery levels during production.

By the end of the shoot, Ayo felt tired but proud. The director praised him for improving throughout the day. Ayo understood that being a sound recordist was not just about pressing the record button but about listening carefully, solving problems quickly, and working with the team.

On his way home, Ayo smiled. His first experience as a sound recordist was challenging, but it taught him valuable lessons. He knew that with practice and preparation, he would become better on every project.