Friday, November 19, 2010
Homework Details For Next Class (Week After Thanksgiving)
Part 1: Produce a profile piece of a person, place, or event.
* Must be at least 2 minutes long, no longer than 3:30.
* Must have at least 2 interviews and 2 ambient sounds.
* Must have hook -- you have to write a headline for the piece. I will ask in class what your headline is.
* Must have a story arc. By this I mean a well-thought-out structure so that it's not just some random collection of facts. Think of how the pieces we listened to in class had a clear beginning, middle, and end, and do that with your piece.
* All sources must be clearly identified with first and last name and one identifying detail (age, year in school, etc).
* You cannot interview close friends or family members in this piece unless pre-approved by your editor (me).
* Your final audio file, in mp3 format, must be uploaded to the iTunesU dropbox by start of next class. Do not wait until class to upload. We'll go by the time stamp on the dropbox, and work uploaded after noon will lose points.
* File names must include your first name, last name, and the word "profile."
Part 2: Assigned Listening:
Ira Glass on Storytelling #3
Ira Glass on Storytelling #4
Links From Audio Week 3
Ira Glass on Storytelling #1
Ira Glass on Storytelling #2
The Chronicle of Higher Education: Say Something, Romain Quinn
This American Life: Turncoat (starts at about 13:54)
The Hunter (profile of a dumpster diver)
The Chronicle of Higher Education: Say Something, Zora Howard
NPR Morning Edition: Airman Honored For Bravery During Fierce Battle
WSJ: Young Australian Puts a New Spin on Bowling: He Throws Two-Handed
Jeff Samson Final Project Pitch
It should be about 3-3:30 minutes.
I could call it "A hoof up on the competition" (Bad name I know)
Ashley Koerber, Final Project Pitch
Final Project Pitch, Vanessa Pacheco
Possible Titles: I could use "Camille Gray Has Heart" (name of her album is "Have Heart"), but I really liked my title I used for the article "Camille, College, and the Pursuit of Happiness." (the name of the song she covered was called "The Pursuit of Happiness")
Final Project Pitch, Josh Cooper
Title: "Peaches for Lunch"
Final Project Pitch Williamson
Final Project Pitch, Allison Trobiano
Final Project Pitch, Jon Wolper
Potential headline: "Music to their ears: The DJs of WMUC"
Final Project Pitch, by Mark Miller
I'm considering a video-based feature on Erasable Inc., one of the student comedy groups on campus. For my project, I will probably film one of their performances in front of McKeldin Library and use clips from it along with interviews with members of the group and probably also members of the audience. I am particularly interested in exploring the cohesion (or potentially, the lack thereof) within a comedy group like Erasable Inc., as well as the type of people who are members.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Final Project Pitch, Erin Borg
I want to do my final project on the huge flea market that is held every weekend in New York City’s SoHo. I am not sure what the flea market is called, but I manage to go at least once every year with my mom, my sister, and some friends. There are always all kinds of artists who sell their original creations. I am going there this weekend, so I will get all of the visuals and audio I need for my final project then. I plan to use only photos and audio--no video. It will be very feature-y: I’ll ask the various artists to describe a little bit about themselves, how they became interested in art, how long they have been selling their art at the flea market, etc. I know that some of them have another job on the side, but for some, the flea markets are their only source of income; I will try to focus on the latter. There are usually many eclectic, sometimes crazy, artists who are willing to explain their motivations behind the art, so I think I will be able to get some good audio. The visuals are sure to be interesting because many of them will be of art and NYC.
Final Project Pitch, Elby Hernandez
I've always been intrigued by the Maryland Food Co-op, which is located in Stamp Student Union. I never really understood what the premise behind it was, why they only accept cash, why students can work for food, and so forth so I thought I'd profile the store and the people that work there. I recorded some video there for a video project earlier on this semester for the video slice, so that's where I kind of got the idea to profile it. I would want to interview managers of the store, as well as some volunteers, and record what they do on a daily basis. Maybe being able to sit in on a meeting would be important/useful as well. It would be mostly be video but with photo and audio in it as well.
Elby Hernandez
Final Project Pitch, Jessie Brecher
final project pitch, Claire Saravia
For my final project, I was hoping to do an audio/photograph slide show of the Takoma Park farmer's market, a weekly outdoor market that comes every Sunday morning and fills up the entire town center square with people, vendors, and entertainers. The farmer's market itself is open year-round and has been a fixture in the city for almost 30 years. Out of all of the farmer's markets in the metropolitan area, the Takoma Park farmers market has cultivated a strong following over the years for the variety of vendors and the strong clientele. But the farmer's market is more than food--it's a place for the community to congregate or for people to express ideas, a place where you can watch a 5-man orchestra play classical pieces, and a place for kids to draw on the sidewalk and listen to a man sing songs on a banjo or watch someone juggle.
I was inspired to do a photo-audio slide show after seeing one on the Washington Post website. I want to have a slide show of photos that correspond to the audio that's going on in the background to make it a story. I already have some good photos I want to use from the photography slice, and I'm planning on using some of the audio I used my audio man on the street project.
Final Project Pitch, Spiegelman
Basically, I want to extend the coverage from the annual Povich Symposium where sports journalists and media personalities alike discussed the everchanging landscape in sports coverage today. There is essentially new rules and responsibilities to the profession -- Twitter, Facebook, Blogs and a greater emphasis on fast-breaking news than credibility, quality and accuracy. I plan on using some of the audio clips from the Symposium, in addition to some in-person interviewed w\ established reporters and hopefuls, and photos as well.
Final Project Pitch, Kelsey Miller
For my final project, I was thinking of doing a video/photography presentation on the restaurant Bagel Place on rt. 1. I have a friend that works there and I was hoping she could help me get in touch with a manager and other employees about doing some interviews, getting footage, etc.
Final Project Pitch, McKenna Grant
Final Project Pitch, Sarah Meehan
For my final project, I plan to do an audio slideshow on Florencia en el Amazonas--an opera that the University of Maryland School of Music is putting on this coming weekend. When I found out we were having an opera, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for an audio piece. I'm not sure what the photography situation will be, but I'll find out at the dress rehearsal tonight if I can take pictures during the show, and if I can't during the show, hopefully I can get into the dressing rooms or backstage ahead of time. I plan on attending multiple performances and conducting interviews with performers and producers after the show is over.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Homework for Next Week
Part 1: Produce a Man-on-the-street piece
Interview at least 3 people
All people must be identified with first and last name
Capture at least 2 pieces of natural or ambient sound to add to the piece
Edit together the piece, with an introduction, using Audacity
Must be at least 2 minutes, no more than 4 minutes
Post to iTunesU dropbox by start of next class
Part 2: Post a Final Project Pitch
Post to the blog a short pitch for what your final project will be on. Provide a short description of what it will be, what format you want to do (audio slideshow, video, etc), and a tentative headline. Pitch must be posted by start of class.
Links From Audio Week 2
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Homework Details: Expert Interview
On The Media: Pulling Back the Curtain
Audio Production Homework: Conduct interview with an "expert" (no editing)
Think of it as a podcast interview for a newspaper Web site or an audio extra to go along with a newspaper story online (feel free to use a subject from an article you're working on now for another class, etc).
Start your interview with some sort of short intro, similar to what we did in class today.
And have some sort of ending, like: "Thanks for talking with us.” and the person saying “great to be here” (or some such).
What am I looking for?
+ no less than 2 minutes no more than 5 min.
+ did you find a quiet place to record?
+ did you avoid handling noise?
+ did you hold the mic the proper distance?
+ clear intro and some sort of sign-off?
+ did you ask good questions? (were you prepared?)
Due by start of class -- upload to the iTunes U Dropbox.
Welcome to The Slice is Right
Friday, November 5, 2010
Favorite Audio Piece-Ellen Fishel
Nancy Pham | audio piece
http://www.mediastorm.com/clients/the-bride-price-for-icrw
Alexa Kravitz, Favorite Audio Piece
Lareine Karpouzian. Multimedia Piece.
I really liked this piece. It's by a student at an Australian journalism school, and she talks about bipolar disorder and how it affects a person diagnosed with it and her significant other who does not share the disease. Also being a psychology major, this story touched me and I really understood where the couple was coming from. The interviewee, Crystal Barnes, is very professional in her speaking and I thought, overall, that the piece was well-composed and informative as well as being touching.
Alissa Gulin, Favorite Audio Piece
This audio piece, “Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: Hendrix for Kids,” drew me in because the title put an intriguing spin on a tried-and-true profile subject who I’m already interested in. Jimi Hendrix’s music is rarely approached from this angle, but the National Public Radio staff got in touch with the author, Gary Golio, of a book interpreting Hendrix’s life and music in a kid-friendly way, allowing him to explain what children can learn from Hendrix. It was a very unique piece and I enjoyed listening to the author’s perspectives. The author said Hendrix’s mother died when he was 15, and Golio discussed the impact that tragedy had on his childhood and ultimately his music. He said many of the less typical Hendrix songs were based on events that left a drastic impression on him during his childhood and exemplify the values that our children should be learning. The author focuses on the fact that Hendrix dreamed from early on in his childhood of being a rock musician, but many young children today whom he’s spoken to said they don’t know what they want to be when they grow up. Golio found that response troubling, and decided to present the story of Hendrix’s life through a child-friendly story, using pictures and simplified a story structure to relay his ideas. He said he became “a detective” as he researched Hendrix’s life and music influences for the book, and it was interesting to get the inside scoop of his motives for writing such an unexpected book. I really liked this piece because Golio's soothing voice somehow held me captive while he talked about the rock legend’s legacy that’s relevant for people of all ages.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
favorite audio piece - Rachel Karitis
This is a link to one of my favorite "This American Life" audio pieces. First of all, I really enjoy "This American Life" because I think Ira Glass seems like a really cool guy, and I just find his voice very relaxing to listen to. I also like the variety of topics discussed on the program, whether they're whimsical or more serious.
I picked this piece in particular because it's one of the more light-hearted ones, called "Numbers." It's the entire episode, and I enjoyed pretty much all of it. I liked it because it was about using numbers in unconventional ways, as in an attempt to quantify things which can't and probably shouldn't be quantified. I enjoyed this topic because despite the fact that I want to be a journalist and deal with writing, I have always enjoyed numbers and have often tried to quantify the unquantifiable. I find solid, objective viewpoints to be comforting. In journalism, this can be hard, but trying to be as objective as possible is a valuable goal.
Angela Wong: "Out My Window"
http://interactive.nfb.ca/#/outmywindow
My favorite audio piece, Out My Window, is a compilation of interactive soundslides that tells 49 stories in 13 languages of people around the world who live in high-rise buildings in 13 cities.
The project, by Katerina Cizek, aims to replicate a 360-degree setting on the website and in its videos. I've never seen 360-degree footage before that invites viewers to practically stand in an apartment, look outside the windows and examine the people who live there. Out the Window is part of a larger project called HIGHRISE that is a multi-year multimedia project about people who live in these buildings.
Out My Window is made up of brief soundslides that focus on a city and a person who lives in a high-rise there. To me, the soundslides give a better understanding than if it were video instead. With the still photos, I could focus on each shot's message and listen to the audio narration and natural and ambient sounds in the background that really pulled things together.
The interactive elements made it into a user experience unlike many others. For example, the clicking and dragging to encompass the 360-degree view increased the interactivity on the limited medium of a simple computer screen that only allows users to look at something from one direction. It also showed animated text. The text and audio matched so one video had a word flash when an interviewee said the word gunshot; another video had switched the order of two words when the interviewee said trade.
I found the stories very moving. As diverse as they were, these people had a few things in common, such as living in tall apartment buildings in cities and existing within a community. It's interesting to see the different perspectives and viewpoints expressed in each documentary and to see a small glimpse of what their lives are like. These were ordinary people whom you would not know by name, however, each have a story. Where they live helps form their identity as a member of that community. This project emphasizes the importance of each person because they are a part of a group, regardless of their lack of fame. It depicts members like a man in Havana who organizes underground poetry slams that are forbidden by the strict government, to a mother in Istanbul who holds on to letters from her son living in another country, hoping better things will come for him. The project shows what people are doing within their own high-rise communities to build and maintain relationships that hold the community together given what they have.
Joel Barnes, Favorite Audio Piece
Link:http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=130979892&m=130979879
Matt Birchenough, Favorite Audio Piece
Yaman Shalabi, Favorite Audio Piece
The clip I choose is about two complete strangers that meet at an old age in a Wal-Mart breakfast booth and eventually become the best of friends. I don’t usually listen to audio pieces but this one made me laugh and almost made me cry. It evoked in me feelings of happiness and sadness. At times I found the material extremely cute and others absolutely depressing. Julie Winokur was able to take such an easy simple subject and turn it into something compelling, something complex.
The story follows a 76-year-old man who has been single his entire life and a 90-year-old man who is struggling to take care of his ailing wife, who is dying of Alzheimer and Parkinson’s disease. His undying loyalty to his wife in such a difficult and stressful situation is absolutely inspiring. I think it’s also funny how the two men kind of develop their own bromance. They move in together. The younger of the two starts cooking and doing much of the work. Although it doesn’t end well for any of them I still think this piece is exceptionally breathtaking.
Jason Lewis, Favorite Audio Story
I particularly liked the fact that we were constantly reminded of the lack of control that prisoners have over their own lines. Each time the story transitions to another physical location or point in time, it is the voice of the officers inside the facility that dictate the location and time that the story transitions to. Every time Mills experiences a moment of normalcy and outside reality, it is eventually taken away by the voice of some prison official or loudspeaker message. This is exemplified in the scenes where his mother is visiting him and where he’s zoning out to his music at the end of the story. We are reminded by the voices of prison officials, from over the loudspeaker, that he is still a prisoner.
http://www.albany.edu/talkinghistory/radiodiaries/rd-pd-john.mp3
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Favorite Audio Piece -- Sarah Katz-Hyman
Although this story is very short I think it does a perfect job in evoking what its subject is all about.
About two months ago I started playing the ukulele. My mom, sent me this link last month and I never checked it out. When we were told about this assignment I remembered that my mom had sent me something from NPR, so I decided to see what it was. It turns out that this was my favorite piece, even after searching for the past week for something longer.
I really like the use of NAT sound in this piece. The sound selection is so witty and the NAt sound is really used to give you an idea of space and time. I especially like the song that closes out the piece because it gives the ukulele and more importantly the people who play it character.
I do think the story sidetracks a little with the portion talking about other records being broken, but comes back nicely with the final song. It does, on the other hand, give you an idea of what music means to people, even if what they play can sometimes be considered childish.
This piece had witty character, great NAT sound, and even the short time helped express what the ukulele was. Its a quick and fun listen that will put a smile on your face.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Colleen Jaskot, Favorite Audio Piece
http://mediastorm.com/publication/evidence-of-my-existence
Generally, I am not a fan of audio pieces—maybe because I am scarred from growing up listening to my dad’s talk radio. But whatever the reason, I always feel like I’d rather be able to see what is going on rather than just listening, even if people are just talking. For the most part, I also feel that in multimedia pieces, I’d rather see video of what is actually happening than audio accompanying pictures. However, I think that this kind of project is the perfect fit for what this piece is about, which is Jim Lo Scalzo’s experience as a photojournalist and what he has learned. As he talks about all the horrific things he has covered, it is more effective for him to narrate it and for people to actually see pictures of what he is talking about. There is some video too, but I think it would be just as effective with only the pictures. This is one of my favorites because it was one of the few times that I saw a multimedia piece I did not think I’d rather see in some other form of media.
It also explores a topic that I think is universal, whether you are a journalist or not, or your job involves traveling or not. It is about juggling your job and family, the sacrifices you make for each and choosing what is more important. The answer is different for different people, obviously, but I think it is something interesting that everyone deals with in some way or another.
Audio Story by Jared Wosleger
Monday, November 1, 2010
Julie Baughman, Favorite Audio Piece
This is a piece by television producer Ray Farkas which was composed two days after the bombing of the World Trade Center. All of the audio and video in this piece is recorded as discreetly as possible in that, he wasn't asking people for interviews but rather recording conversations as he came across them. The combination of the ambient sounds of the places that he records and the heartfelt words of the citizens of New York make this piece not only informative and realistic, but inspirational as well.