Awake to Create are Dutch filmmaking duo Daniel Lodriquez Leyba and Mandy Duda. Together, the pair shoot and edit travel and commercial videos and are always on the move.

Their short film ‘FREQUENCY’ was filmed in Portugal, Lisbon, and on the islands of The Azores. The duo were there, shooting another project when they decided to get in front of the camera and film some behind-the-scenes videos to showcase what they do.

“We love being behind the camera, but not really in front.”  Daniel admits. “But we realised that there is so much value in sharing behind-the-scenes footage of what we do,” continues Mandy. “We wanted to inspire other creators to use their voice, to just go in front of the camera and tell their story, which is what the Sony ECM-M1 microphone has allowed us to do. It helps us help others”.

“So, we challenged ourselves to get out of our comfort zone, to raise our frequency, and that is where the idea for the video, FREQUENCY, was born.”

While a scripted voiceover was recorded with the Sony ECM-M1 microphone, the duo wanted the drive behind the film to come from the ambient sounds recorded in the incredible places they were visiting in Portugal.

“We were filming with the Sony FX3 and Sony Alpha 7 IV, with the ECM-M1 mounted to whichever camera we were using” says Daniel.

“We love recording big ambient sounds that capture the essence and feel of a place to create cinematic videos. From trains passing through the streets, to bird songs and waterfalls, the sound of a place is just as beautiful to capture as the way it looks” says Mandy.

Recording audio in the forest using the ECM-M1’s stereo setting provided the duo with some of their favourite sound recordings of the video. “When I listen back with my headphones, it sounds so real. I can close my eyes and it brings me right back to being there. It allows me to tune into and hear all the things I didn’t at the time, like a choir of birds singing from all different directions” says Daniel.

“And filming the train going past in Lisbon,” adds Mandy, “you can hear it coming in one direction and getting louder, and it feels so close. But then it goes past, and the sound gradually gets softer and softer”.

The stereo recording is possible as the ECM-M1 uses four different microphone capsules to capture sound from several different directions. Selecting one of the eight different directional settings allows you to change how the microphone records the sound.

When recording behind-the-scenes footage, all the duo had to do was switch to Super Directional mode to record their sound coming from directly in front of the microphone. “We also used the Super Directional and or Ultra Directional mode when we wanted to record a specific sound coming from in front of us, such as the water pouring over the waterfall” says Mandy. “It is like the audio version of shooting with a zoom lens,” adds Daniel.

Having so much power and flexibility from such a small and easy-to-use microphone makes a huge difference for shooting quickly on the move.

“Moments happen fast, so the faster we can be ready to shoot, the better”, says Daniel. “We don’t have much time to take out cables and prepare many settings.”

Sony microphones, like the ECM-M1, mount to the Mi (Multi Interface) shoe on Sony Alpha cameras, creating a cable-free digital connection without the complexity, Daniel confirms “It is super convenient. I was expecting to have to go into the settings and change lots of things, but you can just put it on and start using the dials on the mic and the camera adjusts the settings accordingly. It is really simple and easy to use.”

On future shoots, the ECM-M1 will now change how Awake to Create use and capture sound. “We can just choose the directional settings to capture more live sound and record specific ambient sounds with the mic. It will give us many more sound design options, which is truly exciting” reveals Mandy.

“We’ll be using it every time we shoot now”, Daniel concludes.