"My
own philosophy on storytelling is that people don't want to be told how to feel
but they do want to be told what to pay attention to. One of the most basic
ways to do this when you're telling a story is to use what's sometimes called a
"pointing arrow," or signposting. Right before something happens,
drop in a little phrase like..."and that's the moment when everything
changed"...or..." and that's when things got interesting." Those
phrases are like little arrows that tell the listeners: pay attention to what's
about to happen because it's important."-- Jad Abumrad, Creator of
RadiolabTHE POWER OF NARRATIVE:
The basic trick of narrative story-telling is to create a sequence of events in a manner that the listener wonders what will happen next, and how will the story end. This simple video -- a story about "white privilege" shows how once you hook somebody with a pattern of facts that creates an expectation of a payoff -- they will stay until the end.
Class
#8 - AUDIO -- TAL: NARRATIVE FOR
THE EAR
LECTURE:
We will listen
to short segments from the award-winning public radio program, "This American Life," and discuss the
unique narrative and production style that has made it one of the most-listened
to radio shows for long-form story telling.
IRA GLASS - On the laws of narrative: "The laws of narrative are the laws of narrative, what engages us is simply engages us... We tell stories the way you learned a story should be told in third grade."
IRA GLASS - On the laws of narrative: "The laws of narrative are the laws of narrative, what engages us is simply engages us... We tell stories the way you learned a story should be told in third grade."
HOMEWORK: Audio
Assignment #3:
Watch: Pick one of the Bethany Swain videos shown in class. Think about how you would turn the video images into mental images. All of the stories shown had many visual elements that can be converted to word pictures. In writing for the ear you have to paint the scene for your listeners.
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| Click on Image to go to Bethany's Video Album |
Write: A short
radio script, showing how you would tell the same story on the radio. You don't have to tell the whole
story, just "set the scene."
Use short, direct, descriptive sentences, in the same way that Bethany
used short evocative shots to build the scene.
Record: your descriptive narration, with your
iPhone or digital audio recorder.
Use good recording techniques.
Keep the recorder about 8 inches from your mouth. Speak clearly. Make sure you are in a quiet room, with
sound baffling qualities, such as carpet and drapes. Edit your final audio in Adobe Audition or Audacity.
Upload: to Soundcloud.
Embed: on the class blog.
Checklist for
success:
1. Is your audio
crisp, clear, with no distracting noise, or popping sounds?
2. Does your
writing consist of short clear sentences in the active voice, without dependent
clauses or convoluted construction?
3. Do you
effectively draw a mental image of the scene depicted in the video?
4. Is any audio
editing you done seamless, that is does your narration sounds like it's all one
take with no editing?
5. Is the final
narration between :30 and 1:00?
6. Did you listen
to This American Life?
7. Did you read the
comic book, "Radio: An Illustrated Guide?
