For a first time man-on-the-street audio assignment, there are a few things that I am pleased with. That pleasure, however, starts and end in the editing room.
Things I will do differently when conducting a similar assignment in the future:
- I would have more respect for silence. As a print reporter, I ask questions one after another, totally irrespective of dead air. But in audio, dead air can be your best friend.
- I would be more scripted in my approach. Often, I like to intuit my way to a story and subsequent questions. In the field of audio journalism, that method has big time limitations. Preparing a script and at least a solid blueprint is best.
- I would think more about environmental conditions and how it relates to drawing a listener in. I should have conducted a few interviews in a gym for this assignment, so that the listener could capture the basketball vibe. Next time, I can't afford to make a similar mistake.
- Ask more open-ended questions. Self-explanatory.
UMD J-School "Slice Class" -- Multimedia for Print Journalists
This is the class blog for Journalism 328G/628G, "Special Topics in News Writing and Reporting," where we offer a crash course in audio, photo, and video journalism.
For a first time man-on-the-street audio assignment, there are a few things that I am pleased with. That pleasure, however, starts and end in the editing room.
ReplyDeleteThings I will do differently when conducting a similar assignment in the future:
- I would have more respect for silence. As a print reporter, I ask questions one after another, totally irrespective of dead air. But in audio, dead air can be your best friend.
- I would be more scripted in my approach. Often, I like to intuit my way to a story and subsequent questions. In the field of audio journalism, that method has big time limitations. Preparing a script and at least a solid blueprint is best.
- I would think more about environmental conditions and how it relates to drawing a listener in. I should have conducted a few interviews in a gym for this assignment, so that the listener could capture the basketball vibe. Next time, I can't afford to make a similar mistake.
- Ask more open-ended questions. Self-explanatory.