The Paradox of Capturing Silence

As I continue to work in video production, there is a "television-like sensibility" that I just cannot seem to shake. I continue to work in television as I always have, and the skills I honed there remain the foundation of my work, but...

On the other hand—
I find myself quietly excited as I discover new venues for video expression like YouTube and Vimeo.
A different context from television, a different viewing attitude, and a different culture of "ma" (pauses). I feel my perspective on expression gradually changing within that.

One of those realizations is:
"Elaborate production is not the only correct answer."
Rather, there is value in the interest of "production without over-production."

Anyone in television will understand, but a three-second gap in audio outside of commercials, intros, or outros makes me nervous. It feels like an incredibly long time... I might call it "horror vacui" (fear of empty space); I feel restless if I am not constantly layering information.

However, the act of fishing inherently has "ma," and it is within that silence that a deep charm resides.

Young YouTubers trim the pauses in conversation and use jump cuts to create tempo. That makes sense in its own way, and it is one correct answer for disseminating information. But I am no longer young. I am not providing "fresh information" for the younger generation, but rather a "quiet experience" primarily for senior viewers.

Of course, as a creator, I also value the craft of structuring stories and building dramas. While continuing that, what I newly learned by starting YouTube is the surprise that "the raw material itself has value as a product."

There is a certain demand for footage shot for the main feature even if it is released with almost no editing. In fact, there are surprisingly many people who find that "raw silence" comfortable, and there are even cases where it gets more views than the finished work. It is a phenomenon that was hard to imagine with a television-oriented mindset.

Actually... (between us)
I have always edited beautiful hit scenes and impressive footage for my own personal use, enjoying them as a companion to my drinks.
In other words, I was the one who felt the demand.

This year, 2025, there is a theme that has sprouted within me. That is "quiet fishing." When fishing, one's field of vision tends to narrow. When I am the one filming, I take a step back from the angler, capturing both the angler and the scenery in the same frame. That figure facing nature is very beautiful, and the sound is very rich—the chirping of birds, the sound of the river flowing, and the sound of the waves crashing.

The more I explain fishing to make it easy to understand, the more people who don't fish drift away. This, too, is an inconvenient truth for television fishing programs. So, I want to try to maintain viewer retention using only the sounds of the scene, without laying down music as much as possible—.
As someone who makes a living through video, I believe this simplicity is a destination in itself.

Because of that, I significantly updated my audio-related equipment this year.

The output destination is not television or film, but strictly YouTube.
So, it is not professional equipment that a sound engineer would use. However, the performance of today's inexpensive equipment is astonishing.

■ Zoom H4 Essential

This is an upgrade from the company's H1. With XLR inputs, I can now clearly grasp the three-dimensionality and depth of ambient sound. It has more than enough performance to capture the "depth" of natural sounds as a field recorder.
【PR/ZOOM H4essential】

↓ The reliable SYSTEM5 I always use ↓

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■ Hollyland Lark MAX 2 (4 transmitters)

This is a wireless microphone I introduced in addition to the DJI Mic 2 I was already using.
The Lark MAX 2 is characterized by a clarity that leans toward condenser mics, and it is good at picking up the airiness and delicacy of human voices.
On the other hand, the DJI Mic 2 is natural and easy on the ears.
With this two-unit system, I can now record both the "quiet space" of fishing and the "narration" with optimal sound.

【PR/Hollyland LARK MAX 2】
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■ DJI MIC 2

Since introducing the LARK MAX 2, its usage has become clear.
Naturally, since it has good compatibility with DJI products, I think I will use it more often by connecting it to various OSMO series devices without going through a receiver.
It is useful not only for VLOGs, but also for taking audio memos of what I am shooting by keeping it attached to myself while filming subjects.

[PR/DJI MIC 2]

↓ The reliable SYSTEM5 I always use ↓

↓ Click here for Amazon ↓

Since I always operate on a one-person shooting premise, there are limits to the equipment I can bring to a location. However, the fact that one can express immersion using small, consumer-grade devices is, I believe, a source of hope for young people aspiring to pursue video production.

Full-scale operation is yet to come — Excited for the experiments

When people think of wireless microphones, they generally think of equipment for recording "human voices." The Hollyland Lark MAX 2 and DJI Mic 2 that I introduced are also designed primarily for voice recording.

However, now that I have started to value sound more, I am quietly excited about the possibility of using small wireless mics as "nature sound microphones."

Although I haven't tested it fully yet, I think that by gently placing small, lightweight transmitters in nature, I might be able to record "micro-sounds" that I couldn't pick up in previous shoots.

For example—
On a tree branch where leaves sway in the wind,
On the tip of a leaf where a dragonfly lands,
In the grass where autumn insects chirp,
In the corner of a bird feeder,
I can plant them in positions where normal microphones cannot be placed.

If I do that, I am looking forward to being able to record sounds from a distance that the human ear simply cannot hear—
I am excited to see if I can capture that.

This also aligns well with the worldview of "quiet fishing" that I am aiming for.

Of course, there are points to be aware of.
Since the noise cancellation (noise reduction) of wireless microphones is processing designed to make human voices easier to hear, it will likely be necessary to turn it OFF when recording natural sounds.
That makes sense; the sound of a river, the chirping of insects, the rustling of wind, etc., are usually nothing but "noise."

Before I knew it, it is already December again.

Starting with crowdfunding projects, I still have a pile of unedited footage.

While quietly facing each piece of material, I want to challenge myself with new expressions centered on "silence" in 2026.

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