Embedded Files
Part 1
The Brief
The Poem
For this project we are creating a pre-recorded piece that can be broadcast during a radio show. We were asked to create a 1-1 and 1/2 minute poem read-out, with accompanying music and sound effects to keep the piece engaging.
We were asked to choose our poems and learn them ready to be recorded in the radio suite.
Context
Skills Building
Our poem read-outs were to be recorded at the radio suite using adobe audition. To ensure we were all confident when it came to working the desk and presenting, we had a skills building session at the radio suite. You can see the work that we did and my understanding in 'Skills Development > Radio', where I have done a write up of this session.
Research
Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition is an adobe software used for editing audio. You can use it to create music tracks or even to simply adjust the levels of a voiceover you are using in premiere pro.
Adobe Audition is useful to use in Radio because it gives you the flexibility to create pre-recorded segments for your show, or even pre-record the entire broadcast. You can add sound effects, different presenters, music and adjust the levels of all of these to have a pre-recorded show ready for air.
To record a voice over in Adobe Audition:
Make a new track
Go to your track and hit the 'R' button (this will be highlighted red when it is on)
If you want to hear yourself back while recording, hit the 'I' button on your track (this will be highlighted orange when on)
To start recording look the the bottom of your editing window and click the record button, which is the red circle
To stop recording press space
Once you have your recorded file you can cut out mistakes using the razor tool (found at the top of the window in the tools bar/ using the keyboard shortcut 'R')
A multitrack is an editor within adobe audition that allows you to layer different audios and individually adjust their levels, lengths and add effects to them.
You can create a multitrack by going into 'File > New > Multitrack Session'. This will create a few empty tracks that you can fill by dragging audios into or recording over.
To delete a track, select the track and go into 'Multitrack > Track > Delete Selected Track'.
To create a new track, go into 'Multitrack > Track > Add [type] Track'.
Pre-Production
Finding a Poem
For my poem, I chose a poem by Studio Ghibli Director, Hayao Miyazaki. The poem I chose is about the Kodama, spirits from Japanese folklore that reside within trees. This poem was written by Hayao Miyazaki as a concept poem for his film 'Princess Mononoke, in which these spirits are featured and an important part of the narrative.
I chose this specific poem because it was something I felt I could read out confidently and was a poem I could immediately think of music and sound effects to add to.
For this poem, I wanted to create a calming atmosphere as it fit with the overall theme of the poem and of the tree spirits. To create this, I will include a calming score and some forest ambience, which ties into the tree spirits' habitat. I will also keep this in mind when recording and keep my voice soft and soothing.
Production
Recording the Poem
We recorded our poems in groups of 4. We each had a turn driving and recording our peers poems.
Post Production
Editing
My Workspace
When I came to edit, I realised after listening to my read out a few times that I was not happy with it. I did edit the poem with the music and sound effects to see if this would change my stance on the read out, however even with all of the other elements I still felt like I needed to rerecord the piece.
My reason for rerecording the read out was because I felt that my voice sounded quite deadpan and bored, which was very far from the relaxed, soothing atmosphere that I wanted to create with this poem read out. So, I recorded the poem again directly into the audition project and spaced out the audio using the old audio as a guide.
Re-recording + Organising New Audio
Final Timeline
Organised Tracks
Kodoma Poem.mp3Edit Using the First Recording
Kodoma Poem final.mp3Final Edit (Using the Second Recording)
Music Score
Sound Effect 1
Sound Effect 2
Final Poem Edit
After I finished editing the audio for the poem, I quickly added some simple visuals to the poem using gifs from the movie 'Princess Mononoke'.
Evaluation
My aim for this pre-recorded segment was to create a calm, relaxing atmosphere for the listener and immerse them briefly in the world of the Kodama. I believe I was successful in this through my tone of voice and my choices of music and sound effects.
The use of the score 'Mononokehime' created a satisfying build up and release of emotion for the listener. The use of the forest ambience immersed the listener into the habitat of the Kodama. Furthermore, the use of the Kodama rattling sound effect created a strong link between the audio and the poem.
In reflection, I would have practised reading the poem out load more to be fully prepared for the recording suite. This would have helped me to avoid having to re-record the poem.
Overall, I think I have learnt and developed my skills within the radio suite and when using Adobe audition over the course of this unit.
Part 2
The Brief
The Broadcast
For the second part of this project, we are creating a 10 minute pre-recorded radio show that features our poem and a few songs.
For this, we needed to create a script with a particular theme running through it and write presenter lines that have personality. We were provided with a script template for this so we could have a professional looking radio script with time stamps.
We were all the producer of our own show, and had to find a minimum of two presenters for the show and a desk driver.
Research
Radio Scripts
Why are scripts important to use for radio?
There are a multitude of reasons that scripts are used in radio and I think one of the main ones is timing. Scripts allow you to keep your show within a strict time frame so that you aren't going over or under your allocated air time. Another reason they are so important is because it can be really hard for presenters to improvise on the spot a natural conversation while also keeping it in the time frames given [e.g. improvising a one and a half minute conversation with no/very little guidelines].
Pre-Production
Deciding on Script Theme
I wanted to have a script with a clear coherent theme that flowed well, so I decided to call the show BRIT Chill Radio since the Kodama poem was quite a relaxing, peaceful piece. I wanted to continue that relaxing element with the other songs played so I stuck to classical style compositions by composers like Joe Hishashi and Danny Elfman. I wanted the presenters to be informative, but in a more relaxed way, and have a funny, abrasive dynamic with each other. The jingle from the start is from a French song called C'est Si Bon and I wanted to use it because it had a sort of chill jazz vibe to it.
Final Script
Mason Mayfly Radio Script.docxResources for Production
C'est Si Bon Jingle.mp3C'est Si Bon [Opening Jingle]
Kodoma Poem final.mp3Kodama by Hayao Miyazaki (voiced by me) [Poem]
Production
Behind The Scenes
The presenters I picked for this were Tasha Pickering and Daisy Bennet. I picked them because I felt they had a very similar banter-y dynamic as Presenter 1 and Presenter 2 did. I printed out a few copies of the script and gave them both a copy for themselves so they could add any annotations and notes that they needed. They read over the script once individually and then came back with questions about the pronunciation of a few of the Japanese words and made note of this on their script.
Since we were in the smaller radio room where presenters and drivers on the same room, we were ale to have two rounds of rehearsals straight off the bat without needing the driver just yet. I found it was a lot more relaxed in the smaller room and easier to communicate with my presenters and quickly correct any pronunciations.
I had originally agreed to have Arlo Carter as my driver, but he had already driven and was busy presenting for another group. So instead, Sirene Zidane was asked to be our driver as she had not driven for a group yet.
While I was waiting for Sirene to come up to the suite, I took the presenters' levels and we did a final speed run through the script.
Once Sirene arrived, I quickly briefed her on the show's order and gave her a physical copy of the script on the side. She adapted very well and we worked well as a team, I was manning the tracks while she was keeping an eye on levels and fading in and out.
I think I communicated well, letting the presenters and driver aware of when a track was nearing the end and giving a cue to Sirene to let her know when to start fading.
We went just over the time of the recording for the radio show with 10 minutes 40 seconds rather than 10 minutes, however this was expected as I had calculated 10 minutes 47 seconds for the script.
The presenting was very good, however their were a few stumbles in pronunciation at points, which led to pauses and a slight loss in confidence. The mentor in the room with us also commented that there were a few seconds pause between the track fade down and the presenters talking so this may have also affected the time going over; however they said overall it went well.
In post-production, I will need to perhaps cut a few of these pauses out to create more flow and also go over the section where the poem track is played and raise the volume of this as it was playing very quietly through the computer. We did raise the levels of the computer when playing the poem, however it was still too quiet. The mentor with us commented that this has happened multiple times when recording, the desk doesn't work too well with playing from google drive, so it was not an issue with the poem itself.
Post Production
Final Show
BRIT Chill Radio - Mason.mp3BRIT Chill Radio Recording (MP3)
[2] BRIT Chill Radio - Mason.wavBRIT Chill Radio Recording (WAV)
Evaluation
Due to the broadcast section of this project being during the point where my Creative Media Project was nearing the end, I did not have time to edit the 10 minute broadcast as I wanted. So, the final product is the raw untouched broadcast.
Overall, I am really happy with how the broadcast turned out. I was a bit wary about the presenting and wasn't sure how well the presenter characters I had created in the script would translate into real life, but Daisy and Tasha did a brilliant job. I am very pleased that they agreed to present for the piece as I had them specifically in mind for casting due to knowing their dynamic in real life and knowing what a great pair they make. There was the slight issue of not being able to pronounce certain words, but in al honesty I am not too bothered about that. The Japanese words in the script are hard to say if you are not used to them and out of everyone in the recording room I was the only one who could, so that's no fault of the presenter. One could say I should have made the script more accessible in that sense, however I disagree for to reasons: one, I essentially built the script around the topic of Studio Ghibli so its near impossible to swerve past all Japanese wording and two, if this were an official pre-recorded radio broadcast, the presenters would have some more time to practise and we wouldn't have to have done it in one take, with that adding pressure on the presenter's to get it right. Furthermore, being more inclusive of non-english words means that the British will get more subjected, exposed and therefore desensitised to these words and more people would have more recognition towards them.
In terms of my success, I think I have succeeded in that I achieved my main goal: making a chilled-out and relaxing radio broadcast. When we were recording the broadcast, in the intervals when the music was playing, my peers and the mentor were commenting on how relaxing my music selection was. I also personally think I curated a nice selection of relaxing scores. My second goal was: subtlety educate. I also believe I achieved this. My presenters commented on how much they actually learnt from just reading and practising the script and they loved how informative it was on not only film but also the inspirations from folk lore to literature. My driver also added that the information was being given in a fun and engaging way, so the listener is actually enticed to fully listen rather than zone out.
If I were to do the project again, I would give my presenters some more time with the script and try to give them an extra recorded take if they need it. I would also take the time to go back and edit the recorded broadcast rather than leaving it in it's raw recorded state, as that is just my personal preference.
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