You, the radio documentary and the recording equipment

I think the relationship between the 'musician and their instrument' is a really good place to start thinking about your relationship with your primary tools - the technology - audio recorders, microphones, computers and editing software...

I get a lot of students who are intimidated when they meet the technology - or setting themselves up in opposition to it - one student even gave herself the blog-slogan 'computers hate me'...

Ah, Grasshopper - you must learn to be at one with the Technology

The idea is that you compound the difference between you and your tool - you think, it does... expression is fluid... and you end up making something more like what you intended to make. That's the theory.

I don't in any way claim to have achieved this state - but it's something I try to steer towards.

A few tips of developing a good relationship with the equipment.

• Grooming is a special bonding time between practitioner and equipment - don't tell it you are too tired. Care for your tools and they will be less likely to get angry and stop working for you in field. The equipment also likes routine and knowing where all it's bits are - there is no point carrying spare batteries if you haven't charged them or if you have forgotten where you put them.

• Play with the instrument. The machine may look complex and difficult - but really it's just like any other tool - it can be mastered. Make it your business to know what all the buttons do, read the manual, record, listen, play with different configurations and settings... When you are in field you don't have time to work any of this stuff out.

• Practice. When you are in-field there is usually a lot going on - getting great levels and choice sound isn't always easy when you have so much else to think about. Practice wearing the equipment and multi-tasking while you record - can you physically ride that bicycle and sound record at the same time without getting handling and wind noise... could this possibly be the best way to record a particular scene

• Mental Practice. This is what it was called when I was playing music - you would play the piece in your mind complete with imagining you are playing it - where you breathe, where your fingers - letting your mind touch on all of it while still focusing on the sound. Translating this to field recording - stop and listen to where you are - what can you hear, what are the layers of sounds, how are they connected, what is their texture, pitch, what makes these sounds... then think about how you would represent this through a recording - what, where, how you would record this space...

• Wear the technology like you mean it in field - keep it ready for action at all times. I've made documentaries for long enough to know that those moments of truth that you are out there hunting do not necessarily wait for you to set up - and that as soon as you pack the equipment away your subjects say the best stuff. It's also good to keep it on so that your subjects get used to accepting it as part of you...

So yes, whenever you are in field and the technology is not working or connecting or generally stuffing you around - take a deep breath and think - 'at one with the technology'

New Skills - Radio Production and Teaching

The other day I blogged about the 'new skills radio producers require'... and today, I'm thinking lecturers and educators need to limber up with an additional skills set too.

While students are essentially a 'captive audience' - by stint of paying quite a bit of money to do a course - we still need to work a bit to keep them interested, engaged and feeling like they are part of something big, important and worthwhile - a supportive learning community. We also need to take student's hectic schedules into consideration and exploit/run with their familiarity with online environments.

One way to do this is for educators to design effective online communication forums using blogs, groups and facebook... an extension of the learning environment we already craft through face-to-face course delivery and design structure. (and obviously, to do this effectively we need to acquire a bunch of online skills)

One of the benefits of setting up these these sort of communication forums is that it equalises the inherent hierarchy of the classroom dynamic - where teacher sprouts wisdom - so that all participants in the class feel empowered to give advice and feedback to their peers outside the classroom. The idea is that the group blog or forum generates its own momentum through student use - so that students can help each other learn - and so that all the energy pushing the class forward doesn't have to come from me.

Recently, I've been setting up closed teaching blogs for my courses/students - the response has been positive and students seem to be getting into it - I gave them admin rights too, and they are moulding it to their needs and doing some quite fun things with it... 

RMIT Symposium | Media is...

I'm writing a paper to present at the RMIT Media is... symposium in Sorrento. At the moment I'm thinking of writing about this business of working for two different institutions at the same time resonates with me. Below is a working abstract.

“Serving Two Masters”

How can we smooth the transition for emerging radio practitioners between undergraduate education and entry-level industry positions?

In an environment where public and commercial radio industries are providing fewer training programs and early career opportunities, it is increasingly difficult for emerging producers to gain the vital ‘local knowledge’, professional networks, field experience and ‘runs on the board’ they need to kick-start their careers at an intermediate level.

In the long term tertiary education and industry need to co-produce training/education programs that reflect the changing structure of the radio sector.

In the immediate future higher education can help fill this learning gap by collaborating with industry to develop and deliver projects that generate both an acceptable broadcast product and a sound educational outcome. Such projects can give students a tangible working experience and radio credits with the level the support and mentoring they need to transition successfully.

In this paper I will examine the ‘The Night Air Project (pilot)’ as a case study for implementing and delivering cross-industry projects. I will discuss implementation, design and delivery and focus on issues surrounding ‘serving two masters’; integrating the needs and requirement of two sectors with very different concerns, aims, cultures and discourse.

TCIAF's 2008 SHORT DOCS Exhibition

The Third Coast International Audio Festival is putting on another Short Docs Exhibition - this year it is called 'Radio Ephemera'.

They are asking you to respond to some quite fun and curly guidelines - and submit the 2-3 minute finished piece to be part of an exhibition on their website. 

Read More about it HERE

While you are there, check out the fruits of the festival in over previous years.

The Night Air wants your radiophonic re-mixes

The Night Air is asking for contributions - official blurb from its myspace site below...

The Night Air has a new sound sharing zone in our increasingly popular podcast. Its called the Night Share and we want it to be a space for getting your remixes heard by our community. The remixes should be radiophonic text and sound, designed for the deep listening, beyond the mainstream.

What we would be most interested to include are remixes of any of the podcasts of Radio National programs abc.net.au/rn/podcast/ combined with your sounds and ideas. But its also great to be surprised!

Post your sounds on CD to The Night Air GPO Box 9994 Sydney 2001 or by using yousendit.com and emailing nightair_rn@your.abc.net.au

Also - want to make the first half hour of a TNA? See Freelance Guidelines at RN site

CALLING NOW - ABC RN Street Stories/Pool Competition

Below is the official blurb about the comp...

My Street competition

As well as participating in the My Street project, you can also enter our competition.

The producer of the best My Street story, entered into the competition, will have the opportunity to work with a Street Stories producer, in their neighbourhood, to record and edit a story about their street (or another topic agreed to by the Executive Producer of Street Stories).

The final winner will be announced on Street Stories in late November, and their final program broadcast on the show at a date and time to be confirmed.

A selection of My Street competition entries suitable for radio adaptation will also be broadcast and podcast on ABC Radio National’s Street Stories. Stay tuned for broadcast dates.

Entries close 7 November 2008.

How to enter (click on each link below):

• Learn about the project (link to about page)
• Read our competition terms and conditions (link to separate page)
• Upload your story (anchor link to this sub-heading on the About page)
• Fill out the entry form (separate page)

The judging criteria

• Stories must be no longer than seven minutes’ duration (audio/video) or 700 words (text).
• Originality
• Evocation of people/place
• Storytelling
• Technical Execution

The judges

Claudia Taranto
Claudia is the Series Producer of ABC Radio National’s Street Stories. Her radio programs have been played in Australia, the UK and USA. She lives in a quiet inner-city street in Sydney, with a cantankerous cat and a boat called Quirky Waves.

Nicole Steinke
Nicole is an award-winning features producer with Street Stories and a constant traveller. She's lectured at various universities and says one of the best things about working on Street Stories is helping new producers discover their voice and begin to tell their own stories.

Ronan Sharkey
Ronan currently works as a reporter on triple j tv's Hack. It's a weekly look at current affairs about young people. Previously, Ronan spent several years on triple j radio's version of Hack, putting together stories ranging from profiles of truck drivers to riots in Redfern and working girls in Western Australia.

Further information

If you have any queries about the My Street competition, please email: streetstories_rn@your.abc.net.au

Convergence Culture and ABC Radio National

Have been reading Henry Jenkin's Convergence Culture and having various conversations about convergence culture and Radio National with my RN colleagues.  Made a couple of notes:

Perhaps it’s time to rethink the ‘radio’ in ABC Radio National. The RN website was initially thought of as a secondary transmission path supplementing the broadcast with little more than an electronic program guide. Statistics challenge this secondary status – last year ABC RN had 20-million downloads from the website. These numbers are set to increase as the RN website attracts a younger audience - the average audience age of the radio broadcast is 50 plus, while the online audience is under 40. Along with a shift in local audiences, international audiences are also swelling in an environment that privileges niche programming.

Perhaps it’s time to rethink the way ABC RN connects with local and international audiences and build the brand’s reach in innovative ways. The ABC brand already oozes lovemarks like sticky footprints left in the hall – but unlike Coke (aka the black waters of imperialism) it’s not about the money – the ABC sells Australian culture with its mission to “contribute to and reflect our national identity, foster creativity and the arts and encourage cultural diversity” [ABC Charter]. But with lovemarks comes reciprocal influence and audiences wanting to put their oar in and stir things up… 

Perhaps it’s time to rethink the skills RN broadcasters require. With a visual medium driving change the pressure is on to create cross-platform material and craft meaningful transmedia narratives that enrich the audience’s experience and create multiple entry points to the brand. It’s not enough to be able to make great audio - we now need to be able to write and edit with still and moving images as well as written text for the net. The danger is, obviously, that without extra funding/training and ‘fresh blood’ we will muddy our high quality product with ill-made crap-TV (just as other companies fumble and experiment with online audio resulting in really bad and embarrassingly naïve ‘radio’)

The Music of the Thing

Making audio features is a lot like composing music – only your scoring for an ensemble of sound textures rather than instruments.

I’ve found music-based techniques and approaches very useful when feature making… Music is a master medium at crafting on the canvas of time – it also has many subtle and varied ways of giving abstract sounds meaning… music has a lot to give, especially in terms of articulating the structure of a piece. I guess I’d say to students – ‘think about the musical elements - good composition can make a strong program great’.

A couple of notes or things to think about…

ORCHESTRATION – what instruments will you use - sounds or textures are you going to use to tell the story. When I say sound texture I guess I mean it’s sonic an associative qualities – i.e. Studio, field, phone, archival, atmospheres and spot sound, etc are distinct textures – modes of address also have a different texture – like the difference between someone speaking directly to you, or to someone else, or reading from something, talking off the cuff or in a measured way etc.

(COMPOSITIONAL)TEXTURE – how are the different voices interacting – is it counterpoint, polyphony, monody etc – I guess it’s about the relationship between the different voices

RANGE/FREQUENCY – how high or low are the sounds and how much of the possible range do you use – tip: if you want to mix lots of layers of sounds and want each to ‘carry’ and not get too ‘muddy’ – make sure the different sounds have their own space in the frequency range – as in, they are not all low or not all high etc.

SONIC INTENSITY/DYNAMICS – in broadcast radio we can’t do much creatively with dynamics or volume – it’s impractical. But you can achieve a similar effect through manipulating the sonic intensity of the sound… how dense or sparse the sound is. For example, a single naked voice feel ‘softer’ than ten voices all sounding at once - even if the volume level is the same.

RHYTHM AND PACE – think structurally as well as the beats from moments to moment

TIMBRE/ARTICULATION – again, this is all nature of the sound stuff.

PHRASING – how do your story phrases work with your sonic phrases – and does it leave time to breathe.

MOTIVIC DEVELOPMENT – this gets onto the whole business of establishing a sonic framework for a piece… too much to discuss in a blog post

location recording and audio floor plans for radio documentaries

I've learnt a lot about making audio documentaries from my early years writing, directing and crewing for screen... (Actually, the breadth and depth of transferrable approaches is quite remarkable, I'll just jot down a few notes now and add to this post later.)

WORKING WITH 'THE FRAME'

Many filmmaking techniques and focus on this business of representing a three-dimensional subject or space in a two-dimensional medium (ie. not crossing 'the line' and 'in-depth movement' etc)

In radio we are not restricted by a frame - an objectified box on the other side of the room - we get to create a whole space and position our listeners somewhere within that.... though obviously we are usually limited by working with stereo or even just mono.

A few things to remember and try to exploit

• We hear distance in sound - we distinguish between foreground, middleground and background sounds - not just because of how dominant or loud they are in the mix - but because the timbre or tone colour of recording from various distances is different... seek to use the whole spectrum of the space
• We hear location in sound - atmospheric tracks impart a lot of information about where we are - the level of natural reverb on a voice indicates the size of a room or how much soft furnishing is in there... don't underestimate this information.
• We hear movement in sound- indeed, movement is one of the things that usually makes sound - we hear movement happening in front of the mic and movement of the mic or rather, the listener's ear, itself - (I'm referring to usable mic movement here, not to be confused with handling sounds)... again, think of how you use movement in your programs and the information it gives the listener in terms of sound imagery and 'showing rather than telling' (eg. the sound of someone opening a fridge door is instantly recognisable - making it one less thing you have to tell the listener in words) - also, mic movement directs the listeners 'focus of attention', so point the listener at the most important thing they should be hearing right now.

A really simple example of how I approach recording distance, location and movement in an observation program... take a basic action like 'leaving the house and getting into the car'.

Recording floor-plan....

• Stationary, External Wide from the door of the house - the subjects walks out of the house and into the distance, gets in the car.... sound gradually fades
• Tracking shot - the same action repeated but this time following the subject - keeping them close in the balance as focus of attention
• Stationary, Internal from inside the car - the same action repeated but now sounding like it is coming towards from a distance...
• Spot Sound close-ups - close recording of some of the key sounds - the key unlocking the car, the rev of the engine from outside... to use as colour and pivot sounds or 'cut aways' if I need them.

Recording these different aspects gives choices in the edit suite...

• If I'm exiting the scene and going someplace new - then I can let the protagonist's significant words hang in the mind of the listener while the subject drives off into the distance - then I can easily cut to a new scene with a different subject - or cut to new story scene with the subject already in the car
• if the action is purely transitional and the 'in the house' and 'in the car' location material is part of the same scene - I wouldn't let the action linger and would probably run with the tracking sound - or do a quick sound transition between the internal and external shots pivoting on the door opening.
• Alternatively, the action might be a good way to enter a new scene - starting with the quiet atmos of inside the car (not overly recognisable), the feint sound of closing the front door (we start to get ideas about where we are), the creuscendo of the approaching footsteps of our subject who becomes the focus of attention (the listener understands what is going on when they open the car door)...

RELATED

• post Sound recording interviews

• for related links and references about radio documentary production - go do my project_production delicious tag

broadcast... AFFIRS & TROUBLE - An unexpected rpt. on CPR

Re;Sound on Chicago Public Radio is going to broadcast a repeat of AFFAIRS OF THE MIND and THE TROUBLE WITH RICK. They have called it the "Kyla Brettle Show", which is rather nice.

INTO THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC

• Listen to INTO THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC at ABC RN
• Read the INTO THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC blurb, full credits and details

INTO THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC is an observational program that tracks the plight of aspiring musicians hoping to get accepted into one of Australia's most prestigious music schools. Recently, ABC Classic FM wanted to re-broadcast it - but Radio National wouldn't let them have it without paying for it.

Triple 'oh' - Speechification!

Rather belatedly found that 000 AMBULANCE got a mention on Speechification - it's a great blog and I'm quite chuffed to discover it - and that it found me.

Dear Birthmother

After waiting for Mr. Right (who has yet to arrive) and experiencing years of fertility treatments, Suzanne, a single woman in her forties, decides to adopt an African-American baby. Dan Collison and Elizabeth Meister follow her for several months as she attends workshops designed to "teach white people to raise kids of color," goes on baby-shopping trips with Mom at Target, takes part in a critical rendezvous with a young mother at a pancake house, and, finally, a magical night at a suburban restaurant chain. (28:44)

Produced by Dan Collison and Elizabeth Meister

Link to Listening online HERE

I think this program has a really strong concept for observational representation - there is a lot at stake for the central character, the story has clear steps or narrative milestones to get through and the program concept contains a well-defined climax/conclusion... all necessary attributes for an observational program concept worth pursuing... oh, and of course, the producers were in a position to 'catch' the story at the right stage in the process (another really important factor) - you generally need observational stories to 'unfold over time' with rather than without you (though having said this there are sneaky ways of getting around it if you arrive at the story a little late - this can sometimes produce quite a stunning effect - see Lea Redfern's Try not Breathe)

If you listen loosely there doesn't appear to be a very sophisticated use of contrasting aural texutures - it's very word-heavy and a single voice predominates... there is not much space between the words and sounds are not left to 'speak for themselves' and tell their side of the story... much more 'telling' than 'showing' (and I think 'showing' is pretty key in observational documentary)

However, if you listen closely there is actually a very complex and interesting variety of contrasting voice textures - the differences are subtle, but very effective. The differences are primarily achieved through alternating modes of address  - we hear the protagonist talking to others, reading aloud from both script and letters, speaking directly to us (both scripted and improvised), speaking to an interviewer (who we don't hear)... the piece interweaves and shifts relatively quickly between these variations in timbre - I think the effect adds interest to the surface of the piece, making it kind of 'shimmer'.

Speechification

Link to Speechification HERE

This is a truly excellent blog - the people who put it together comb through the various radio 'hotspots' on the net to curate what works as an 'international showcase' - some great listening

They flout copyright - highjack programs and pod them on site... I'm all for it. Often, however, the don't credit programs correctly, which I think - not so good.

If

Sherre DeLys and John Jacobs

Witness to an Execution

David Issay

Listen online HERE

Sound Portraits

Sound Portraits website HERE

Transom.org

Link to Transom.org HERE

Public Radio Exchange

PRX Website HERE 

Submit a proposal to Radio Eye

ABC RN's Radio Eye - along with many other RN shows - accepts freelance/independent work

If you are interested check out the Guidelines for Radio Eye Freelancers 

Where am I at... in May_08?

The 'about' blurb is basically what I'm up to at the moment - working part-time on-staff as a lecturer in Radio at RMIT University and part-time in-house at ABC Radio National.

At RMIT this semester I'm teaching into the somewhat stodgily titled third-year subject - Production Project One (PP1_08)... it's actually really interesting - we're using Henry Jenkins' Convergence Culture as a set text and getting TV, radio and network major students to respond to his ideas and theories through swift, multidisciplinary 'media objects'... teaching a course as it rolls out for the first time is much more fun (and chaotic) than trying to breathe some life into a tired old course that ran out of puff and energy a long time ago... besides that, I have an excellent group of students to work with.

At Radio National I'm trying on the new role of operator - or sound engineer - or 'tech'... while I always do the audio engineering and editing for my own shows and enjoy 'getting under the hood' so to speak, I've never officially been an 'operator' or 'technical producer' before. It's a lot of fun and great working across so many different programs. It's interesting being called an 'operator' as opposed to a 'producer' because suddenly people expect me to be able to fix things and solve their technical problems - the weird thing is, I find I actually can and know more about this stuff than I thought I did - it's amazing what a change of name/role can do.

And, of course, I've started this blog experiment - not quite sure why or what I'm going to do with it - other than vague ideas about writing posts on 'making audio' for my students and giving them some links to things I think interesting and relevant.

Pool

link to Pool HERE

At Pool you create a professional profile and upload audio (and other media) for public exhibition. ABC Radio National program makers and other Pool members cruise the site and give feedback on the work. It's a great space for emerging producers looking for exposure and seeking some kind of response to their creations.

Pool is also the first place you will probably hear about any prosumer or 'user-gen' initiatives ABC Radio National is running

The space has exciting possibilities and was recently set up by ABC Radio National in collaboration with RMIT, UTS and the Univesersity of Wollongong

EMERGENCY part I - 000 AMBULANCE

• Listen to 000 AMBULANCE at Re;Sound online
  
• Read the 000 AMBULANCE blurb, credits and full details

000 AMBULANCE is the first in a three part series I made on emergency health. The series tracks crisis as it filters through the system; from the phone call through the ambulance ride to ending up on a trolly in the Trauma ward. 

Try not to Breathe

by Lea Redfern with sound engineer Russell Stapleton

Listen to the program HERE 

This is a very beautiful and chilling program - it stopped me in the middle of making a cup of tea and made me cry

EMERGENCY part III - TRAUMA

• Listen to TRAUMA at Soundprint 
• Read the 000 AMBULANCE blurb, credits and full details

TRAUMA is the final in a three part series I made on emergency health. The series tracks crisis as it filters through the system; from the phone call through the ambulance ride to ending up on a trolly in the Trauma ward.

AFFAIRS OF THE MIND

• Listen to AFFAIRS OF THE MIND at Third Coast Festival
  
• Read the AFFAIRS OF THE MIND blurb, credits and full details
  

AFFAIRS OF THE MIND was the first radio program I made - the show explores the parameters of infidelity. The show did quite well for itself - the story rights were optioned by a prominent Australian film producer.

CALLING NOW - Third Coast Rolls around...

The Third Coast International Audio Festival is accepting entries for this years competition... entries close on July 18. 

For more info go to the source 

listening to my shows online...

Unfortunately only a few of my programs are available to listen online. For a comprehensive list of my audio work go HERE

ABC Radio National owns the online rights to all of them. Generally, ABC RN doesn't like other networks streaming/podcasting their stuff indefinitely - at the same time RN doesn't usually keep programs permanently accessible (INTO THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC is an exception)

They usually take their ball and go home... think this approach needs changing