Does it sound better even when the actor is fairly quiet? Anytime I've had to mount the mic not right near a quiet actors mouth, I usually have trouble getting good sound out of it because I have to crank it up so much. I usually start to get a little pre-feedback ringing.
Unfortunately there's really no way to get around quiet talkers/singers other than start moving the mic
element in towards the mouth.
If they are medium volume you can still use a forehead mount but bring the mic head down the forehead to just above the eyebrows, and tape it onto the forehead. That's about as far down as you can bring it without it looking really stupid. You might have seen this type of mounting on the lead girls in Wicked -- so yes it is done professionally. Obviously a skin colored mic will work better here
If they are really low volume then unfortunately what is called a "
boom mount" is needed -- which is what you are referring to. These are like the ones you may have seen in the TV Show "Grease -- You're the one that I want". The
boom extends from behind the head, under the ear, and very close to the mouth, about an inch away, much like a telemarketer's
headset mic. This allows you to turn the mic
gain way down,
pick up the voice well, and be well protected against
feedback. If you have a loose
cord mic you can make up a
boom hanger out of an old
wire coat hanger, 18 or so
gauge steel
wire from the hardware store, or memory
wire from a crafts shop. There are other posts that talk about this. There are also a few commercially available
boom mic adapters, but they aren't too cheap ($40-60 each) so starting out with a coat hanger might be better. Take a close look at the DPA 4066 and try to copy that design.
you can also just tape the loose mic
cord on their cheek, over or under the ear, but I think that looks the worst. If you must do this, then I suggest go under the ear so it looks more like a
boom mic, and try tying a small loop of elastic
cord around the mic and loop it over their ear to hold the
cord in place under the earlobe. Then you just need a piece of tape in the front just behind the mic head, and in the back of the neck.
John