Reading and Writing

The basics of sound recording in film as well as the basic steps on how to create a podcast are indicated in this week’s readings. In The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video, Tom Schroeppel describes some background on sound and provides great tips for recording audio.

For instance, Schroeppel give some background on how sound waves are formed, how frequency is measured, and the different types of microphones used in film and video. The three most common types of mics are lavaliers, hand mics, and shotgun mics that all serve different purposes. Lavaliers portable and can be worn on multiple actors to capture dialogue, hand mics can capture omnidirectional sound on a street, and shotgun mics can capture sounds at any distance. However, the key points in this section is to remember that it is ultimately about the viewers and what kind of mood and tone the sound will communicate.

The next building blocks to creating a film or podcast are explored in “The Podcast Host”. The starting points such as how to create a script and how to make it sound natural or more like an “invisible script” are noted. Skills like writing in the way that you speak in a conversation, including a tagline, and creating a structured flow all help the podcast sound more natural and captivating. Finally, the words “be authentic” and “have fun” will go a long way in capturing an audience that relates to a podcast and gaining the confidence to record successfully.

Research to Inform

This Lyft commercial does a great job of mixing just the right levels of ambient rain sounds with upbeat music. The upbeat music communicates the young and trendy viewers and also mimics the sound of rain, making it more fun as we hear the softer ambient rain in the background.

https://truescarystory.com/episodes

This scary story podcast does a great job of setting the mood with music and sound. Although this podcast is simple, the creepy music behind the dialogue works well to create the tone of the piece without distracting from the speaker.

The sound in this movie commercial are very compelling because the volume changes throughout the commercial to increase the intensity at certain points. It combines a mix of music, with vocals and ambient sounds to create a realistic thriller and scary tone.

Create

After brainstorming for a podcast idea using the mindmap below, I decided to go with the branch with the most ideas. I created a mindmap on how the pandemic affected our society from our economy, to our travel, technology, and how it has affected mental health. I found that I had the most inspiration towards the changes the pandemic has brought to mental health.

The pre-production phase begins by planning out the details of the podcast. The below document helped elicit more specifics of the podcast such as the length, who I would be interviewing, the overall mood and tone. It also helped me plan sound effects and music that went with the message that the podcast will communicate.

This document helped me streamline my topic on how the pandemic affected mental health in a positive and negative way. The podcast will not solely be about the negative effects that the pandemic had on mental health such as depression and anxiety from isolation and unknown circumstances. It will also be about how the pandemic made teletherapy popular and it brought more awareness to mental health. I chose two contrasting characters to interview and fleshed out the details of the script. I also determined that the podcast will start with the negative effects and end on a positive note with how important the journey mental health awareness is in the future.

Citations:

The podcast host. The Podcast Host. (n.d.). https://www.thepodcasthost.com/

Schroeppel, T. (2018). The Bare Bones Camera Course for film and video.