Storytelling Through Sound Workshop:
I. Listening to an example audio story:
A. Sound Elements:
-sharpening, chopping
-kids counting in Spanish
B. Scenes that are conveyed:
-Tortilla Flats in Ventura: Mexican music, cars,
-investigating at the Mormon library: in and out of mysterious music
-India: birds chirping, men singing, car driving down a dirt road, ethnic music
C. How characters are developed:
- Simon introduces self
- interaction between character and his grandson
- Simon describes his father
D. Music:
-helps set scenes
E. Dialogue:
-comfortable
-descriptions: captured quotes that describe scene and also get in characters head
-no ambient noise= more serious? Not overdoing it with sound
-introduce themselves: ³Why don¹t you tell us where we are, what your name is and who you are?²
à repeat over and over and make sure they do it in full sentences
à tell us where we are
F. Ambient Noise:
à record 30 seconds of background sound
à allow the person to think about any thing they still want to mention
à ask person to introduce self again at the end and sometimes it¹s more natural and they¹ll include more
G. Casting:
-need good storytellers to be the majority of
H. Editing:
-documentary radio pieces take a lot of editing
-filtering through sound: pick out sound bites that convey the most emotion, character, sense of who person is
à less important to hear data, statistics, facts from a person; it¹s the values, compelling emotions and things that really translate a person¹s character which you want to filter out
à connecting to someone¹s values and emotions is most important
II. Stories best told through sound:
A. some are more obvious than others (e.g. story about farm worker¹s kids in a band and high success rate because kids are into music)
1. ³stories about music can¹t be told in print²
2. sound can also add compelling elements to print? adds emotion, action
B. Emotion
1. age and emotions such as trembling can be translated through voice
2. ³The power of the human voice is something that can¹t be translated in words²
C. Action
1. sometimes you don¹t know
III. Thinking in Sound
A. First you get to know subjects and see if they¹re good speakers?cast your story
B. Ask what actions the person does that make sound. Advance planning to tell people when and what you want to record. List possible sounds before you get there.
C. Arrive on scene and listen to scene. Close eyes and think of how you would describe what you¹re seeing
D. Usually record background noise for about 2 minutes and then another 30 seconds right after interview to capture what was right on scene
E. What if there is no sound? Cliché things like footsteps, running water. You can bring yourself into the story and describe the scene and create stand ups
F. Always think about possibilities for music?(³Can you sing me a song?² car radio sound while driving around with your subjects–fair use for radio to use short radio clips)
1. music can also be used as a transition tool between scenes (long-form documentary method)
2. for news stories, try to stick to sound relevant to specific site
G. Bring policy/boring stories a human face?³Every story has a human face.²
1. get to know subjects. Jump in the car with them. Get to know their families.
2. Tapes from press conferences?convey how boring and complicated some issues are
IV. Applying to Web and Web Slideshows
A. use extra ambient sound and photos
V. Equipment
A. Recorders
1. high-end recorders Morance 660 (flash recorder) $500-$600: which can move right onto computer
a. light weight, portable, easily transfers files
b. for radio, record and broadcast in wav files, not mp3s
B. can get a good, cheaper recorder for ~ $100
a. Zoom H2- can¹t get that close to face, quiet buzz, records ambient noise (light weight, records wav files and connects directly to computer)
b. Mindy McAdams blog
c. Transum.org (rates and reviews equipment)
d. Edirol
C. get recorder where you can mark good quotes (could always start a new track)
B. Mics
1. Omni RE 50 external mic
2. shotgun mic
C. Other Equipment:
1. wind screen
2. umbrella
3. headphones (always wear headphones when recording audio)
D. Editing Software:
1. Adobe Audition
2. Cool Edit
3. Pro Tools: can download free versions
VI. Process
A. first dump all audio on computer: transcribe as much as you have time for
1. helpful to mark good quotes or start new tracks to mark good quotes along the way
B. take notes right after interview and try to remember three most compelling things said
1. emotion
2. description
3. action
4. (can always go back and ask for facts later)
C. Always start with the sound and write only to weave the sound bites together
D. Try to make story as sound rich as possible with less narration
1. writing is very different for radio: need to ask if it¹s conversational? Will someone listening in the car get it? don¹t think of flowery, poetic language as you do in print
