Recording audio storiesRecording audio stories

Questions/interviewsQuestions/interviews VenuesVenues Ambient sound and actualityAmbient sound and actuality Narrative styleNarrative style Broadcast languageBroadcast language

I am open to questionsI am open to questions

Colleen Murrell (Johnson)Colleen Murrell (Johnson)

ToolsTools: Google, Facebook, Friends Reunited: Google, Facebook, Friends Reunited ResultsResults: Education (websites for City U, Deakin : Education (websites for City U, Deakin

U and Melbourne U); Work (websites for BBC, U and Melbourne U); Work (websites for BBC, ITN, CBC, TF1, APTN); married status; ITN, CBC, TF1, APTN); married status; approximate age; children; photo; hobbies; approximate age; children; photo; hobbies; newspaper articles; journal articles; latest entries newspaper articles; journal articles; latest entries about podcasting; research; Erasmus Mundus about podcasting; research; Erasmus Mundus Fellowship.Fellowship.

Closed versus Open QuestionsClosed versus Open Questions

CLOSEDCLOSED What’s your name? Where are you from? What What’s your name? Where are you from? What

do you do? Why are you here? Are you sacking do you do? Why are you here? Are you sacking workers at this factory?workers at this factory?

OPENOPEN Can you explain how your initiative can help Can you explain how your initiative can help

these people? Why do you think people are these people? Why do you think people are complaining about your product? Why are you complaining about your product? Why are you sacking workers at this factory?sacking workers at this factory?

(Who, what, (Who, what, whywhy, when, where and , when, where and howhow))

Why interview?Why interview?

To elicit information (primary sources)To elicit information (primary sources) To get information from the horse’s mouthTo get information from the horse’s mouth To give different sides to a story (balance)To give different sides to a story (balance) To give context to a storyTo give context to a story To personalise/humanise a storyTo personalise/humanise a story To get ‘actuality’ - to make it radio!To get ‘actuality’ - to make it radio!

Who makes a good interviewee?Who makes a good interviewee?

Proximity to story/relevanceProximity to story/relevance Somebody on phone or in person (close by)Somebody on phone or in person (close by) Somebody with an interesting voiceSomebody with an interesting voice Somebody who can tell a good yarn/anecdotesSomebody who can tell a good yarn/anecdotes Or somebody who can summariseOr somebody who can summarise Beware the ‘usual suspects’Beware the ‘usual suspects’ Make sure this person is representativeMake sure this person is representative Balance with another of different beliefsBalance with another of different beliefs

Interview preparationInterview preparation

Do your research Talk beforehand Will you reveal

questions? Remind experts re

“layman’s language” Tell them you are

recording (Law requires)

Put the person at ease Make sure the area is

quiet, turn phones off

Check your equipment Say you can stop

anytime Ask to sum up “Please

be more succinct” Ask open questions Don’t “um” and “ah” Check recording What next? Have I

missed anything? Check contact details.

Styles of interviewsStyles of interviews

Serious/earnest (BBC Radio 4/W-Service)Serious/earnest (BBC Radio 4/W-Service) Confrontational (Traditional hard news - Confrontational (Traditional hard news -

BBC Newsnight, Commercial Radio)BBC Newsnight, Commercial Radio) Confessional (soft news/feature)Confessional (soft news/feature) Youth current affairs (colloquial, easy-Youth current affairs (colloquial, easy-

going, disarming - BBC Five Live) going, disarming - BBC Five Live) Play examples Play examples *** ***

Confrontational - questionsConfrontational - questions

Who had access to these documents?Who had access to these documents? Are they accurate?Are they accurate? Are the quotes accurate?Are the quotes accurate? Have you looked at them?Have you looked at them? I am not asking you to speculate … Have I am not asking you to speculate … Have

you called for them and looked at them…?you called for them and looked at them…?

Confessional - questionsConfessional - questions

Can you explain the intensity of this feeling?Can you explain the intensity of this feeling? Can you tell us about the reluctance?Can you tell us about the reluctance? Explain what you were doing with the video Explain what you were doing with the video

diary?diary? Can you tell us about that decision-making Can you tell us about that decision-making

process?process? How long did you keep up contact with your How long did you keep up contact with your

baby after her death?baby after her death? What was important for you and what were What was important for you and what were

some of the feelings that you went through?some of the feelings that you went through?

Good quality soundGood quality sound

Hold microphone a Hold microphone a hand-span from facehand-span from face

Find a quiet spotFind a quiet spot Remember to turn off Remember to turn off

phones, computersphones, computers Keep moving Keep moving

microphone between microphone between you & intervieweeyou & interviewee

Make use of ambient Make use of ambient soundsound

[Flickr Image by Ghindo]

Natural SoundNatural Sound

To start packageTo start package - theme tune, rail - theme tune, rail announcement, birds singing, people chattering, announcement, birds singing, people chattering, restaurant noises -- fade outrestaurant noises -- fade out

MusicMusic - need to check copyright. If too loud, can - need to check copyright. If too loud, can be distractingbe distracting

NarrationNarration - try and record in a similar sounding - try and record in a similar sounding ambience to place where interviews are done ambience to place where interviews are done

*** *** Play ExamplesPlay Examples *** ***

How is the narrative being told?How is the narrative being told?

1)1) Radio news style (not print pyramid - but Radio news style (not print pyramid - but an unfolding story with interviews an unfolding story with interviews included)included)

2)2) Do the main characters tell the story Do the main characters tell the story with/without a narrator? (NB ‘Australian with/without a narrator? (NB ‘Australian Story’)Story’)

3)3) A lead into an extended interview “I have A lead into an extended interview “I have here with me today…”here with me today…”

4)4) Quirky? It can be more interesting to play Quirky? It can be more interesting to play with the traditional formatwith the traditional format

Broadcast writingBroadcast writing

Conversational - informalConversational - informal Short tenses, with abbreviations - won’t, can’t, Short tenses, with abbreviations - won’t, can’t,

hasn’thasn’t Present tense where possible, or imperfect - Present tense where possible, or imperfect -

“The author is talking about her book today…” “The author is talking about her book today…” Latest information first - if newsLatest information first - if news Your script should show what you actually say Your script should show what you actually say

(two-hundred-and thirty; R-double A-F)(two-hundred-and thirty; R-double A-F) Names - John Smith, and then John or Smith, Names - John Smith, and then John or Smith,

depending on house style, but rarely bothdepending on house style, but rarely both

Broadcast writingBroadcast writing Be brief and to the point - simple constructionsBe brief and to the point - simple constructions Sound interested - remember you are telling a Sound interested - remember you are telling a

story and reading out loud. Need to practice.story and reading out loud. Need to practice. Speak clearly - don’t swallow consonantsSpeak clearly - don’t swallow consonants Sibilance and the popping “p”Sibilance and the popping “p” Get the emphasis rightGet the emphasis right Tone - strive for authoritative but naturalTone - strive for authoritative but natural 3 words = one second - don’t run out of puff…3 words = one second - don’t run out of puff… Typical news story between 30” and 1-20”; Typical news story between 30” and 1-20”;

current affairs story = 3-30”current affairs story = 3-30”

TONETONE

“People are very good at absorbing the subliminal messages from tones of voice, and the radio voice is never neutral. Even the apparently neutral tones of the radio newsreader are deployed quite deliberately for specific effect, namely to convey credibility, authority, and impartiality. Similarly, radio broadcasters can, by the tiniest inflection, suggest humour, compassion, or sorrow; they can make us laugh or cause us to reflect.”

(Phillips & Lindgren, Australian broadcast manual, p36).

PAUSEPAUSE

“Never underestimate the power of the pause. Too many presenters feel nervous about dead air, but it can be a friend as well as a foe. ‘Pausing’ is a very important device in conveying meaning. Just as stress is used to highlight keywords, so pauses are used to draw the listeners’ attention – signalling a detail that requires special emphasis, or a break between one item and another..” (Phillips et al p37)

PACEPACE

* “When we are excited about something we usually speak faster, so when listeners hear us speaking quickly on air they may unconsciously think to themselves – ‘this must be an important exciting thing being talked about’…

* When we speak slowly it can sometimes mean that we are considering what we are saying, so slow speech may connote thoughtfulness. But slow speech can also connote boredom in listeners’ minds – if they think that we are bored with the topic that we are talking about they will probably find it boring too, and switch off”. (Sue Aherne, P 74)

Examples of scripts and storiesExamples of scripts and stories

Authoritative Authoritative www.abc.net.au/amwww.abc.net.au/am Also Also www.abc.net.au/pmwww.abc.net.au/pm Youth podcasts try Youth podcasts try www.abc.net.au/jjjwww.abc.net.au/jjj Audio stories (without scripts) Audio stories (without scripts)

www.guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk

1130 am (Take 1)1130 am (Take 1)

A plane carrying more than two-hundred passengers is missing off the South Australian coast.

The Continental Airways Seven-Four-Seven was en route from London to Melbourne, after re-fuelling in Perth this morning.

According to Air Traffic Control in Adelaide, the last radio contact was at eleven A-M, shortly before the plane disappeared from radar. (20 secs)

1200 midday (Take two)1200 midday (Take two)

A search is underway off the South Australian coast for a missing plane, carrying more than two hundred and thirty people.

Two Air Force jets and one Hercules are currently flying over the Great Australian Bight, south of Adelaide.

According to Air Traffic Control the Continental Airways plane last made contact at eleven-a.m., and disappeared from radar screens shortly after.

The plane was en route from London’s Gatwick Airport to Melbourne via Perth. (25 secs)

1230 (Take Three)1230 (Take Three)

There are unconfirmed reports that Hollywood star Clint Jackson may be among the passengers on a Continental Airways flight missing off the South Australian coast.

More than two-hundred-and-thirty people are on board the plane, which was en route from London to Melbourne via Perth.

Air force jets are currently trying to locate the plane over the Great Australian Bight, south of Adelaide. (22 secs)