Holding a long boompole fully extended for a long period of time requires a lot of strength and endurance. Although it may not be a problem for the experienced and well conditioned Hollywood professional, it can be daunting for the average "I don't do this everyday for a living" boomperson. K-Tek has developed their new E-Z Boom as a solution: a comfortable body harness supports the boom from above, taking the weight off of the arm and shoulders, so that the boomperson only has to "steer".

Camera-mounted mics may be adequate for general ambiance and background effects, but they lack the reach and versatility of boom mounted mics. Placing the microphone where the lens is may be convenient but it certainly does nothing to assist in picking up good sound.

Why use a boom? Because of all of the techniques available to us, the simple boompole with shotgun mic allows us to get the most professional audio with the least amount of fuss. Let's briefly look at our options for acquiring dialogue.