I have never created a story entirely from audio. And I don't have much experience with them. However, due to the lack of visual stimuli, I imagine that the story must be particularly interesting in order to keep the audiences attention. There are several things one must keep in mind when creating an audio story.
The first one is to make sure that you have an actual story, and not just a person or place. As Alex Blumberg eloquently put it: "A big problem that a lot of radio beginners have is...confusing a story setting or premise with an actual story." You need a specific person to interview with specific experience(s). It is also good to look for what makes their story in particular unique. No one wants to hear the same 'ol story over and over again. Is there any part of their story that stands out against similar stories?
Also, just because a person has an interesting story to tell, s/he may not make for a good story. The said entity must be able to tell the story in an interesting way. A person reading Shakespeare will not be interesting if (s)he is a dull, monotone person. On the other hand, if a person is engaging and excited, they can even make a shopping list interesting.
As I make my own audio story, I hope to avoid the superficial. I want to be able to delve deep into the story and find something substantial. I want to create a story that goes a little beyond the traditional getting-to-know-you information.
Click HERE to listen to The Bad Show.
There are several things that this podcast does well. The first thing happens at the beginning during an interview. The interviewee says something vague, such as "I found him in a rage." The interviewer then prods deeper by asking for more specifics: "What did you find?" By asking for specifics, the story becomes more developed and interesting.
Another element that was used effectively was the archival. The hosts are talking about Milgrim's experiment, where people are asked to shock a "learner" when they answer wrong. As they talk about it, they insert specific audio clips from the experiment that supports what is being said.
However, there were also a few elements that were less effective. The main one occurs during the above mentioned interview. The host is telling the story to his co-host, and supplements it with interview clips. However, he leaves in the parts where he talks to the interviewee. So, the host switches from talking to the audience to the interviewee. I was confused at first; I wasn't sure if the person being interviewed as in there with them or if it was prerecorded.
The first one is to make sure that you have an actual story, and not just a person or place. As Alex Blumberg eloquently put it: "A big problem that a lot of radio beginners have is...confusing a story setting or premise with an actual story." You need a specific person to interview with specific experience(s). It is also good to look for what makes their story in particular unique. No one wants to hear the same 'ol story over and over again. Is there any part of their story that stands out against similar stories?
Also, just because a person has an interesting story to tell, s/he may not make for a good story. The said entity must be able to tell the story in an interesting way. A person reading Shakespeare will not be interesting if (s)he is a dull, monotone person. On the other hand, if a person is engaging and excited, they can even make a shopping list interesting.
As I make my own audio story, I hope to avoid the superficial. I want to be able to delve deep into the story and find something substantial. I want to create a story that goes a little beyond the traditional getting-to-know-you information.
Click HERE to listen to The Bad Show.
There are several things that this podcast does well. The first thing happens at the beginning during an interview. The interviewee says something vague, such as "I found him in a rage." The interviewer then prods deeper by asking for more specifics: "What did you find?" By asking for specifics, the story becomes more developed and interesting.
Another element that was used effectively was the archival. The hosts are talking about Milgrim's experiment, where people are asked to shock a "learner" when they answer wrong. As they talk about it, they insert specific audio clips from the experiment that supports what is being said.
However, there were also a few elements that were less effective. The main one occurs during the above mentioned interview. The host is telling the story to his co-host, and supplements it with interview clips. However, he leaves in the parts where he talks to the interviewee. So, the host switches from talking to the audience to the interviewee. I was confused at first; I wasn't sure if the person being interviewed as in there with them or if it was prerecorded.
No comments:
Post a Comment