Class
#7 - AUDIO: EDITING, SIMPLE STORY
Demonstration of the formulas for
producing a short :35-:40 second radio piece, such as might be heard on one of the
local all-news stations, or NPR's top of the hour newscasts. Story structure for radio piece. How to write, record, and edit a short
radio spot using natural sound, and actualities to tell a simple story, using
multi-track editing, on either Audacity or Adobe Audition. Adobe Audtion will be demonstrated in class.
IN CLASS EXERCISE: Raw audio will be provided for a simple story, as well as a sample script. You will follow the script to assemble the audio elements into a polished radio piece.
RADIO LINGO:
Voicer: A report with
just a reporter's voice.
Wrap: short for "wraparound," a voice report with one
actuality in the middle.
Double Wrap: A report two or more actualities
Actuality, or "Acts": A "soundbite" the isolated
audio clip of a newsmaker or in
ROSR: (pronounced ROSE-er) – short for "Reporter On Scene
Report," a report that is
recorded as a contemporaneous play-by-play description of a news event with
natural sound in the background as is actually occurring.
Q-and-A: When a reporter
is debriefed on a story or subject and the interview is cut up into shorter
actualities for use in a newscast or news story.
TIPS FOR WRITING A :35 SEC RADIO SPOT:
TIPS FOR WRITING A :35 SEC RADIO SPOT:
1 1. Set the scene: paint a word picture of what is
happening. Think visually and then
provide the visual with your writing.
2 2. Start with natural sound whenever
possible. (At NPR natural sound is
referred to as ambient sound or, “ambi” for short.) Remember you can hear the sound first, and
THEN describes what it is. Don't worry too much if you sound isn't instantly
recognizable. Once you saw what it is
people will know.
33. Get to your first actuality early. Don’t have a lot of description before you
get to your first interview. Find a way
to introduce your interview subject high up in your piece.
44. Pause for sound when possible. Let the piece breathe, if you have natural
sound, use some to break up your track.
55. Keep actualities SHORT, 5-10 seconds.
If you actuality is :15, then that leaves you only :20 to tell the rest
of the story. The art of condensing a
complex story into a :35 radio piece is a challenge, but it is do-able.
66. Leave time references such as "today,"
"tomorrow" and "yesterday" out of you piece. That will date it. Save time information for the lead.
77. Introduce, or "back introduce"
your interview subjects. You can give
someone's name right before or right after they speak. But you do have to identify them, because
unlike in video, you can't super their name.
HOMEWORK: Audio Assignment #2: Produce a short :35-:40 radio report on
any subject. The subject doesn’t
matter. This is a technical
assignment, for you to show you have mastered the skills of recording clear
audio, organizing into a story, and editing it for broadcast, using multi-track editing The story should include some
ambient/natural sound, and at least one, short interview. In this case, the journalistic merit of the story doesn't
matter; it's the technical presentation that counts.
Grading Criteria:
1. Does the story
start with natural sound? Or introduce
it early in the piece?
2. Do you "set
the scene" in your opening line of narration?
3. Is your audio
recording clear, free of distortion, and background noise?
4. Is the writing
clear using short direct (subject-verb-object) sentences in the present tense
and active voice?
5. Are your audio
levels even, that is, are the levels of your voice the same as the levels of
the interview subjects?
6. Is the story
35-45 seconds long?
7. Does the story
demonstrate mastery of multi-track editing?
7-6 Yeses = A (95/90%)
5-4 Yeses = B (85%-80%)
3-2 Yeses = C (75%-70%)
1-1 Yeses = D (65%)
0-0 Yeses = F (50% (Assuming an assignment was posted)
7-6 Yeses = A (95/90%)
5-4 Yeses = B (85%-80%)
3-2 Yeses = C (75%-70%)
1-1 Yeses = D (65%)
0-0 Yeses = F (50% (Assuming an assignment was posted)
BETTER APPS:
For Recording: Tascam PCM Recorder:
This app is free, and gives you two advantages over the Voice Memo recorder that comes with your iPhone/iPad/iPodTouch. It allows you to set the record level, and it allows to to monitor the recording with headphones while you are recording. These are two BIG advantages, especially is you are recording in a noisy environment, or where its windy. Monitoring your recording with headphones will alert you if the wind noise is making your interview unusable, and setting the record level LOW and moving the mic in close, is a effective way to dramatically reduce background noise that otherwise can overwhelm your recording.
One limitation of this app is that to get your audio off your iPhone, you MUST upload it to your Soundcloud account.
For Editing: Vericorder or Voddio:
The video below features WTOP Radio reporter Neal Augenstein demonstrating how he uses the app to file from the field. (He's demonstrating an earlier version of the app, but the work-flow is the same)
The app is FREE, but the sharing function costs $10.
Demo of audio editing on your iPhone:
READ
AHEAD: Radio, An
Illustrated Guide, By Jessica Abel and Ira Glass. Be prepared to discuss in class. Listen to This American Life, "The Do Gooders," April 9, 1999
READ: Jad Abumrad's blogpost: The Terrors & Occasional Virtues of Not Knowing What You’re Doing
READ: Jad Abumrad's blogpost: The Terrors & Occasional Virtues of Not Knowing What You’re Doing
