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Before taking on this project, I've always thought that podcasting was a pretty simple thing to do. You just sit down in front of a mic, choose a topic to discuss, and just talk. But now, I realize that podcasting isn't THAT easy. You do have to have a topic to talk about but you also need some research and direction that you want your podcast to take.That's where the planning comes from, why we have a script, so we know (generally) the direction that the podcast is headed and you're not too rambly or off topic.
But therein lies a challenge when it comes to podcasting. I have a feeling that having a script, while helpful in keeping focus and direction, can be hard because a script (at least for me) will make it hard to sound natural and NOT like I'm reading off a piece of paper. I will probably have to relax and do some vocal exercises before I record my podcast and will be something that I have to keep in mind.
A reward for me in working with Audacity and sound, is that it's teaching me a new way of creating art. Art isn't always visual, but can come in many different forms. With this podcast project, I'm learning how to create something that will be aurally appealing, like using sound effects and music and my voice. I will have to find a way to fit them together and make my podcast entertaining and a form of art. It's just a new way of expressing myself that I never thought about before.
The obvious thing that connects audio to text is that they are both dealing with words. Whether you're listening to a podcast or reading a book, words are the ones that are being used to communicate a message. One way that audio differs from text, is that with audio, you can hear exactly how the author is intending the message to be. For example, when reading a book, sometimes it's hard to decipher whether or not someone is trying to be sarcastic. But when you're listening to someone, you can definitely hear the sarcasm in their voice. You also get to hear emotions, how someone is feeling through their voice. Another difference, is that audio is a little more personal than text. Sure when you're reading you can get a sense of the author and his or her voice or the character's voice, but it's mainly your voice (the one inside your head) that is doing the talking. But with audio, you can actually HEAR the person's voice. It is not the Voice inside your head that is describing things to you, but the Person him/herself.I believe that with audio, you are better connected to the Speaker and get a better sense of who they are. Audio just gives a better sense of connection to the Speaker than text does. In podcasting, text and audio are important. Text is one way that a podcast host can write down his/her ideas and topics to be discussed, but audio, while adhering to the text, goes to the next level and brings life to the text. Audio is an attention grabber and with it you can be sure that the message is being received, loud and clear.
4 comments:
Whitney, I always look forward to reading your blog. :) I love how simplistic you make your thoughts, so that anyone can understand them, yet you also manage to add personal flare to them which adds an element of unparalleled and enjoyable complexity that makes for a very enticing read. I particularly appreciated your point about podcasting being more difficult than you originally had anticipated. It wasn't until I actually went to write my podcast did I realize how difficult it actually would be. I had all my thoughts in line on my concept map, but creating a good script, as you know, is vital to a good podcast. But I also think that ties in with your other comment about the challenge and reward of the podcast art form. I think art is such a unique and personal thing, and from reading your script yesterday morning, I could tell, even on paper, and even before audio became a consideration, that what you were going to be talking about means quite a lot to you. Thanks for sharing! :)
Hey Whitney! I agree with Megan; I appreciate that your post was easy to follow and enjoyable to read. I am excited to see how you will be injecting your personal flare in a cooking-themed podcast. I think it is especially interesting that you chose this topic, because at least for me, cooking is a very visual art. That being said, it will be cool to see how you play with the elements of podcasting to make up for the absence of a visual medium. At the same time, the lack of a visual medium allows you to put more focus on the emotional side of cooking. For example, you could go more into depth about the meaning behind the recipe you are making. A little less Rachel Ray, a little more "Like Water for Chocolate"!
I really enjoyed reading your perspective on podcasting. The points you made about the human quality of hearing a voice is something I discovered as well. Not to mention, you can hear the slight difference in the voice depending on whatever the person is going through, the environment they are in, whether or not they're tired or super excited. That adds a whole other element to it. The sarcasm thing is another good point. How many times have jokes been completely lost on people because they are through text?! The podcast allows you to control the speed, volume, cadence and tone which makes the whole piece much more alive than the plain script. It's funny that with this project it became obvious very quickly that there is a certain style of writing to be read aloud, and definitely another type for just reading.
Great ending! I found your point about an author having the ability to control the interpretation of their voice a bit more. I wonder if developing your auditory voice is a similar process to learning a written voice. When constructing essays early on, students are encouraged (if not equally prevalent now)to follow a certain format and write with according tones. The process is learned and inevitably governs much of future writing, even when the initial teachings are no longer encouraged. A bit of a digression, but I find it funny that I saw a review on RatemyProfessor for a past writing teacher I had. I'll paraphrase, but basically the complaint was that the student was expected to not just regurgitate information- that the student outrageously must think for herself. How wretched! My point being, is there a similar format for experimenting with audio? Do we not already conform to a standard through consumption of audio pieces?
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