Podcasting Resource for French 30

--- tags: resources --- # Podcasting Resource for French 30 We are excited to work with you on your podcasts! The Learning Lab folks around for the workshop in case you forget: * Jordan, Assistant Director of the Learning Lab * Christine, Assistant Director of the Learning Lab * Jessi, Media & Design Fellow We are all here to help you on your podcasts over the course of the term. To get us started supporting you, we have a few little activies that will give you a sense of how & why we might communicate our academic ideas through the medium of podcasts. ## The Elements of a Podcast We'd love to start by taking some time to deconstruct just the first bit of a podcast, and unpack all the elements involved. We will do a close reading (or close listening!) of the first 30 seconds of a podcast called [Serial](https://serialpodcast.org/) and map out how the different audio elements work together temporally. ### The Beginning of Serial <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nMSxiHuDa00?start=28" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> #### The Prompt: 1. Just listen to the first 30 seconds of this podcast and reflect on what you are hearing, and what that evokes. 2. Listen again... 3. And again. 4. As you begin to identify the different elements, start mapping them out. How many elements can you hear? How do they interact/intersect? What functional roles are they playing to support the content? ## Communicating to General Audiences Dejargonifying . . . turning systems into narratives. From statement to story. ### Ira Glass on Storytelling <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f6ezU57J8YI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> ## station 1: voice and body and microphones At this station, you'll use podcasting mics to explore proximity and the importance of being physically close to microphones (including your phone!) when you record. Jessi will challenge you to use your voice and your body to achieve specific audio quality! ## station 2: interviewing tips and practice station Podcasts frequently take the form of an interview, with the podcast host(s) asking guests questions in an intentional way. At this station, we'll talk about some of the techniques to keep in mind when interviewing. And, of course, we'll practice interviewing each other using a ["filmed podcast" style setup](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTCWnfe5oCY)! * preparing for the interview: * choose guests intentionally * research them in advance * have a bio and introduce them * consider why and how will the interviewee connect with the intended audience * the interview questions: * avoid ask yes/no questions * or leading questions ("and so would you say that's what made the class so awesome")---give them freedom * aim for "how" and "why" questions * ask for elaboration---it's OK to be confused and to want to know (remember: you are the listener's proxy in the room) * the interview is a story, think about story-order (rather than order of coolness or importance) * ask one question at a time * don't talk over them * listen actively to their answers (don't just wait for your turn to talk again) * send the questions in advance if you can! * save time for a pre-interview orienting conversation if possible * find an interviewer you really like and pay attention to their process the next time you listen to one of their interviews ## station 3: recording and editing your podcast ## Recording Tips Here are general podcasting tips from our [podcasting site](https://sites.google.com/g.harvard.edu/ll-podcasting). ### Microphone placement: In order to guarantee the highest quality of audio in your recording, it is important to pay attention to the proximity between your microphone and your subject. When recording a group discussion it is important to arrange the participants so that they are equidistant from the recording device, and if possible, try to avoid areas with a lot of background noise (fan, laptop, open window or other groups of people). Choosing a location with a quiet atmosphere can also help to make sure you have a clear capture of everyone’s voice. However, some background noise is okay - you also want to keep the conversation feeling natural and not too staged - as long as you can hear all of the participants in the conversation. Other tips for increasing the quality of an audio recording are to remove your phone from its case, and limiting movement of your phone or other objects around it (for example, papers on a table). ### Test your recording: You may not be able to monitor your audio while recording, so it is important to test your recording prior to capturing anything that you plan to use later. Wear headphones while listening to playback to ensure the best quality while you are monitoring your test recording. Listen for things like background noise (HVAC, traffic, other people’s conversations) and to make sure that your microphone is picking up your subject at an appropriate level. ### Start early, stop late: Make sure to begin your recording prior to the start of a discussion, and allow it to run even when the discussion seems to be slowing down or has stopped. It is hard to know exactly which segment of a discussion will stand out as “the best” part, but you can ensure you don’t miss it by capturing everything. ### Name your recording: Even if you don’t have a lot of audio files stored on your phone, make sure to name your recordings after you have finished. This will help keep files organized throughout the uploading and transcription process, and can help you to make sure nothing gets deleted by accident.