digf15 audio assignment

Assignment Overview (updated 9/4/15)

In this assignment, students will record and produce a 2-3 minute sound-rich nonfiction or radio art audio story using techniques learned in class. Examples of sound-rich nonfiction audio stories can be found on This American Life, such as:

Others can be found on RadioLab, such as the Stochasticity episode of RadioLab:

Still others can be found on shows, like In the Dark and SoundProof, which produce and in pieces that illustrate Radio Art, such as 86400 Seconds – Time Zones by Chantal Dumas and Fit the description (Ferguson, 9-13 August, 2014).

And there are many more radio shows and podcasts out there on the web for you to find and be inspired by.

Your audio can be recorded using your phone, though I strongly recommend using one of the nine Zoom H4N recorders that can be rented in the basement of Merion. Audio must be edited using the free audio editor, Audacity. Proposals, rough drafts, and final drafts will be uploaded to SoundCloud and embedded on your web site. Rough and final drafts will be accompanied by transcripts similar to those discussed in Radio: An Illustrated Guide.

Assignment Specifics

Each student will propose, record, and produce a non-fiction audio story in one of two categories:

  1. Narrative story, such as those on This American Life and RadioLab. These stories must adhere to the following criteria:
    • run 2-3 minutes long
    • include interview clips, narration, and additional audio (all additional audio must be free to use, in the public domain, and/or Creative Commons licensed)
    • be informed by the best practices discussed in the readings
    • be accompanied by a reflective essay in which you discuss your goals for the piece, your decisions, your successes, and what you still could improve upon
  2. Radio Art, such as those on SoundProof. These stories much adhere to the following criteria:
    • run 2-3 minutes long
    • all audio must originally recorded, free to use, in the public domain, or Creative Commons licensed
    • audio must be deliberately edited (it cannot just be a 2-3 minute recording of a sound or space)
    • be informed by the best practices discussed in the readings
    • be accompanied by a reflective essay in which you discuss your goals for the piece, your decisions, your successes, and what you still could improve upon

While it may seem like the RadioArt option will be less work, please be aware that you cannot just record any sound you hear in the world and pass it off as RadioArt. These pieces are highly stylized and edited and are informed by nuanced (and often esoteric) artistic interpretations of the world—and for those of you who choose to propose these pieces, I will be looking for a finely thought-out rationale for what you want to create and precise decisions for your editing. In other words, these are much more difficult than they appear.

Choosing a Topic Theme (updated 9/4/15)

When thinking of a topic, choose from a variety of themes that will provide people the opportunity to speak at length, such as:

  • what they remember about the first days of school
  • something that happened to them that took a long time for them to laugh about (something others thought was funny but they didn’t at the time)
  • an important moment in their lives
  • a time when they were challenged or overcame something
  • a moment that inspired them
  • what caused them to care about or believe in a particular issue or idea
  • and so on

As Bernard quotes Frederick Wiseman as stating, “There’s a lot of drama in ordinary experiences” (p. 35)—and those ordinary experiences are what audiences identify with and want to learn more about.

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking on grand scales and huge issues. As Bernard writes, “‘Fighting racism’ or ‘curing cancer’ or ‘saving the rainforest’ may all be worthwhile, but none is specific enough to serve as a story objective. In exploring your ideas . . . , follow your interests, but then seek out a specific story to illuminate them” (p.27).  Think about how those grand issues affect or play out in the lives and spaces of ordinary people.  So, think small—your immediate spaces and places. So, how someone has felt the pain of racism or sexism or what got them motivated to want to save the trees or what they get out of being in nature or what it is like to live with or through cancer or other illness.

Furthermore, when thinking of a topic, think about access—who will you be able to talk to or where will you be able to go? If you don’t have access in the next week, you will not be able to complete the assignment. And who will you be talking to? Finding a narrator who is open to talking is of vital importance; you don’t want someone taciturn or unwilling to talk. So, it is okay (even welcome) if you know the person you’ll be interviewing–and even know a bit about the experience(s) that person will be discussing.

If you are looking to do Radio Art, think in terms of how sounds exemplify or signify certain issues and ideas. And how bringing those sounds to the attention of others does something for or to the issue. You could also make it personal—what are the sounds of lives or of a certain life and how those sounds accompany or exemplify that life.

Audio Proposal (updated 9/4/15)

Once you have chosen a theme, I’d like you to compose a 500-word proposal, written to be read aloud and listened to by a particular audience. That is, write your proposal as if you are speaking, not as if you are writing a paper for an SJU course. In your proposal, address the following questions:

  • Which option do you choose, Narrative or Radio Art?
  • What theme will you be discussing? If Radio Art, what issue is being addressed through sound?
  • If a narrative, who would you like to talk to? Why? If Radio Art, what are the sounds and how do they make up a story?
  • Who is your imagined audience? Please be specific, don’t just state “radio art listeners.”
  • Why are you interested in this story?
  • When will you complete the necessary interviews and/or recordings?
  • Do you have permission to complete the necessary interviews and/or recordings?
  • How do you imagine the structure of the piece?
  • What concerns do you have?

Record your proposal using your phone (or other preferred method) and email the audio recording to yourself. If you do not already have one, create an account on SoundCloud. Upload your proposal and email Bill a link to it by NOON, Sunday 9/6.

Rough Draft Criteria

First Rough Draft

Narrative option:

  1. After completing your interview, take notes (on paper or digitally) on the questions and answers, as we did in class on 9/9 and is discussed on page 17 of Radio: An Illustrated Guide. Specifically, note the following with time-stamps:
    1. all questions you ask or prompts you make
    2. a summary of the responses
    3. select 5 – 7 places moments you think you could use to help create your story

    Record into your phone one sentence about why you have chosen each of the places. Then, create a “Barf Draft” 30 second introduction to your story.

  2. Import the interview audio into Audacity and save your project under a new name.
  3. Edit the interview so you have just the 5 – 7 pieces remaining, then add your Barf Draft, and recorded sentences before each clip.
  4. Export the resulting file as an .mp3 or .wav (16 bit).
  5. Upload the file to SoundCloud and email Bill a link to it.

Due date: 9/16 by the start of class. Bring your notes to class, as well.

Remember to live-tweet as you are completing the project, especially images of your work using Audacity.

Radio Art option (these are written knowing Imani’s project):

  1. Choose 3 of the interviews you conduct and take notes on them, , as we did in class on 9/9 and is discussed on page 17 of Radio: An Illustrated Guide. Specifically, note the following with time-stamps:
    1. all questions you ask or prompts you make
    2. a summary of the responses
    3. In each, select the areas you would like you use in your mashup
    4. Create a “Barf Draft” 30 second introduction to your story
  2. Import the interviews into Audacity, add the Barf Draft intro, and complete 25 – 30 seconds of your mashup
  3. Export the mashup as n .mp3 or .wav (16 bit) file.
  4. Upload the file to SoundCloud and email Bill a link to it.

Due date: 9/16 by the start of class. Bring your notes to class, as well.

Remember to live-tweet as you are completing the project, especially images of your work using Audacity.

Second Rough Draft

Please complete the first half of your audio story (that is, 1 minute to 1 minute and 30 seconds), which is to be created after you compose a transcript that contains your introduction, your narration, clips from the interviews, and music selections. The transcript should be formatted as depicted on page 18 of Radio: An Illustrated Guide:

still from Radio: An Illustrated Guide

All music selections must come from Archive.org, Freesound, Jamendo, or MusOpen. The music must be in the public domain or hold a Creative Commons License. If you are unsure if you can use a music selection, tweet BW a link to the music and he’ll let you know.

Due date: Sunday, 9/20: Audio Rough Draft #2 and transcript due by 11:00pm. Upload draft to SoundCloud and email BW a link to the audio and a copy of your transcript. We will discuss the draft during our conference.

Final Draft

Please complete your 2 – 3 minute audio story, which is to be created after you compose a transcript that contains an introduction, sign-off, your narration, clips from the interviews, and music/sound effects selections. The transcript should be formatted as depicted on page 18 of Radio: An Illustrated Guide, as in your second rough draft.

All music and sound effects selections must be original recordings or come from Archive.org, Freesound, Jamendo, or MusOpen. If the music/sound effect is not your original recording, it must be in the public domain or hold a Creative Commons License. If you are unsure if you can use a music selection, tweet BW a link to the music and he’ll let you know.

Due date: Sunday, 9/27 by 11:00pm

  • Upload draft to SoundCloud and tweet a link to it using the #digf15 hashtag.
    • Compose a 150 word description of your audio story and put that in the description area when uploading to SoundCloud. If you include backing audio or sound effects, list the creator, title, site, and URL for each.
    • Add the following tags when uploading your story: #digf15 #audiostory and at least 3 topic-related hashtags.
  • Email Bill a copy of your final transcript and reflection in two separate documents.
    • In your email, image yourself submitting the project for possible inclusion in a radio show and your are introducing yourself and your project to the radio show director (Bill). Like all your emails, it should be professional and put you in the best light possible. Be sure to include a link to your audio story in your email.
    • Name your transcript file: yourlastname-digf15-transcript.doc or .docx
  • Your reflection should discuss your project in terms of 4 of the 6 areas listed on the assessment rubric (.pdf): Overall Design, Storytelling, Audience Engagement, Assembly, Creativity, and Knowledge Integration.
    • Each area discussion should be 250 – 350 words long and include a bold heading so BW knows exactly which area you are discussing.
    • Your project will be assessed in terms of the 4 areas you select; the other 2 will not be assessed.
    • This is your opportunity to help BW understand why you think your project is successful in the 4 areas you select; be specific and point to examples from the readings and in your final project
    • Name your reflection file: yourlastname-digf15-reflection.doc or .docx

Important Dates

Sunday, 9/6: Audio Proposal Due by NOON; email Bill a link to it on SoundCloud. (This Sunday deadline will ensure Bill can respond to each by the end of the day Tuesday, 9/8.)

9/14 9/16: Audio Rough Draft #1 due by 12:00 noon on SoundCloud the in-progress page of your web site.

Sunday, 9/20: Audio Rough Draft #2 and Reflection due by 11:00pm. Upload your draft to SoundCloud and email BW a link to your draft and a copy of your transcript.

M 9/21: Class canceled for individual conferences

W 9/23: Class canceled for individual conferences

Sunday, 9/27: Audio Final Draft, reflection, and transcript due by 11:00pm; see above for specifics

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