Monday 2nd December Jude Habib @judehabib @sounddelivery

Recording and Sharing Audio Stories

Intro

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About sounddelivery

• sounddelivery is an award-winning specialist digital media training, production and consultancy agency.

• We run training courses and deliver projects for public and voluntary sector organizations, their staff, supporters and beneficiaries.

• We have provided audio training and support for organisations including Mansfield Museum, Crich Tramway Museum, The Museum of London and The National Portrait Gallery

• Passionate about the role audio can play to bring stories to life – beyond the gallery

Intro

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Outline of our session (aka audio bootcamp)

IntroductionsDifferent kinds of audio Listening to audio Going round the WorkhouseFeedback Thoughts about the workhouse audioRecording and Capturing Skills - ExerciseDemo Editing using AudacityPresenting audio in galleries / museumsBeyond the Gallery – Reaching a wider audience

Primary Focus is on the content

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Who is your target audience?

Why do they want to hear?What makes a compelling story?

Intro

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What kind of formats are being to used to tell stories?

• Stand-alone interpretation • Audio Tours using actors • Audio Tours using real people (curators etc)• Feedback from audiences• Vox pops• Dramas

Intro

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To think about

• Who is the intended audience?• What’s it trying to communicate? • What is the format? • What sounds did you hear? • Does it “work”? Is it ear-catching, interesting,

engaging? • How could it be improved?• What could your organisation learn from this?

Intro

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The Power of Storytelling – Audience Interpretation

Getting Started

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VOP Pops

Getting Started

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Getting Started

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Cambridge Tour

Getting Started

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Audio Slideshows

Getting Started

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YOUR EXAMPLES Bryony Robins

Getting Started

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Going around the workhouse and feedback

Getting Started

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Collecting Quality Audio

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Getting Started

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Interviewing Techniques

• Know what you’re going to record before you go out• Ask open questions• Find a quiet place to record – watch out for air

conditioning, machinery, traffic noise• Know when to stop – don’t record too much• Smile and nod while your interviewee is talking• Watch for mic rattle if have kit • Always record a wildtrack – if not recording on the go audio

Getting Started

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Recording audio

Getting Started

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Edirol R-09 HR

Headphones

Input Level

Mic Input Power

Volume

Audioboo

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Mobile Recording e.g. AudioBoo

• UK-based social audio network• Allows users to record and upload audio• Can then be shared to other social networks• Can be recorded and uploaded straight from

your phone or computer• Can even geo-tag your audio to show where it

was recorded

Audioboo

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How could it be used?

• Used to live blog from events

• As audio guides for exhibitions

• To get feedback from the audience of an exhibition or gallery

Getting Started

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Planning your recording

• Structure• Content• Elements• Actuality• Wildtrack• Script

Getting Started

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Scripting tips for the future

• Keep it simple• Short sentences• Your script is for facts – your interviews will be

for personal experiences, • context, authentic voices• A simple introduction to set the scene

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Getting Started

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Exercise and Listen Back

AudioEditing

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The Power of Audio Editing

AudioEditing

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In the Editing Process We Can

• Remove umms, ahhs, coughs, double breaths and stutters or repeated sentences

• Reorder our recordings or bring several different recordings together

• Add atmosphere, sound effects or music• Ensure our audio piece sticks to its core aim

AudioEditing

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Editing Options

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Audacity

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Editing Software

• Audacity is a free, open-source audio editor• It’s user-friendly but is a powerful software• It’s non-destructive, so you always have your original audio

files• As it’s open-source, it does have a tendency to crash• Available on Windows, Mac and Linux

AudioEditing

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Editing with Audacity

Audacity

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Audacity’s main Tools

• Use the space bar to play and stop your audio

• To zoom out, hold the Shift key while using the zoom tool

• Ctrl+Z to undo

Selector ToolEnvelope Tool

Zoom Shift

Audacity

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Before you Start

• Listen through to your audio using a media player and log it

• Write the file name, what is said at what time etc. You can also rename the actual files to names you’ll understand

• This will help when editing and will cut down the amount of work to be done

Audacity

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DISCUSSION – USES OF AUDIO WITHIN THE GALLERY

Reaching People

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Reaching a Wider Audience

• Think beyond the museum / gallery to reach an audience

• No one will know you are there if you don’t engage them

• No one will listen if they don’t know it’s there!• The promotion of your audio content should be

planned well. • Hosting – audioboo/soundcloud /iTunes in the

future...31

Reaching People

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Beyond the Gallery Mansfield Metal Box Factory

• Reminiscence Day for people connected with the factory – recorded by trained staff

• Audio slideshow • Audio Stories • Audio in museum• Produced a CD of the stories • Radio Nottingham played some of the stories• Got HLF Funding • Replicated this model for other projects • Content going to be in new galleries

Reaching People

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Where else can Audio be used?

Reaching People

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Reaching People

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Start Listening and Share what you think works

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Thank You!

• Keep in touch • jude@sounddelivery.org.uk• @sounddelivery• @judehabib• www.facebook.com/sounddelivery