Tuesday,
October 31, 2006
Happy
Halloween!
No trick, here's the treat (so to speak). You have a chance
to earn up to eleven (11) points on your "Homework" grade sheet if you e-mail me (Jim) the correct answer(s) by 12:00 noon on Friday, November 3.
First,
On October 31, 1938, "The New York Times" ran this headline:
Radio Listeners in Panic, Taking War Drama As Fact
What the heck happened? Be specific in your reply, including names, titles, places.
(The "complete" answer is worth six points.)
Next,
As you may be well aware, the E-A-G-L-E-S need to figure out a way to win again. We need to
hear the "Voice of the Eagles"
(VOTE, not to be confused with next week's election) announce touchdowns, field goals and wins as only he can. Did you know
that in addition to being the VOTE, this man is the part owner of a suburban Philadelphia radio
station. Name him and his radio station, where his "official" title is Vice President and General Manager. (Correct answer is worth two points.)
Finally,
The Philadelphia AIR Awards, now in its 13th year, is an annual March of Dimes fund-raising
event honoring and celebrating Philadelphia-area Achievement In Radio (thus, A-I-R). The annual awards banquet happens tomorrow
(Wednesday, November 1) at the Philadelphia Hilton City Avenue (at 11:30 a.m.).
A highlight of the event is the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to an outstanding
Philadelphia radio professional. Who is the 2006 recipient and what (a clue, perhaps?) is his claim to fame? (Correct
answer is worth three points.)
See you Thursday morning ... and, hopefully again, Thursday night!
Jim Templeton
Sunday, October 22, 2006
I hope you're enjoying or – depending on
when you read this – enjoyed your extended Fall Break weekend.
In this week's update, I'll go over some items you need to keep in mind
to stay current with your Audio Production course work and, of course, give you an opportunity to add some points to your
"Homework" grade sheet.
NEWSBRIEF RE-RECORDING PROJECT
If you needed more time to complete this project then I'm expecting
you'll have your re-recording ready to turn in to me on Thursday, unless you notify me (by e-mail, for example) before October 26 that you'll need even more time.
There are details concerning the successful completion of this project
in the October 11 "Latest News," which you can get to by clicking on the link below my name near the bottom of this column.
To reiterate a concluding point here, you will need to turn into me:
your script, which will include the kicker story; the "original" copy of the kicker story you used to edit/rewrite; and your
audio CD, which will have one audio track – your new and improved Newsbrief; new and improved because you were able
to incorporate some of the voice "tips and tricks" we've been discussing.
You also should write down the name of the song you use to follow your
kicker, and if it's not obvious (assume it isn't) why (be brief) you chose to use that song. Please, if you
use something other than a "rock" song, change the sign-off to the appropriate genre: e.g., "Pop Hits 95," "Country Hits 95,"
"Hip Hop Hits 95," etc.
MUSIC
SURVEY
You received an audio CD on Tuesday with 25
instrumental music tracks. Your job is to listen to the tracks, and as you do, write down what you "see." What scene does
the music inspire in your mind/imagination? Describe your picture in vivid
detail (and in one, two or three sentences). Do NOT tell me it reminds you of the "such and such" scene from some TV
show or feature film. Even if it does, your job is to write down the look of that scene the music is recreating for you, not
just referencing the specific show/movie without a colorful description.
The goal of this assignment is to have you practice
writing out descriptive scenes. It also is intended to have you think about the universal nature of music by having
you respond to the music cuts the way the composers probably expect you to. That's an important point. Do NOT try
to conjure up an image or a scene that contradicts or counters the "general feel" of the music. Go with the flow of the music
and "look" for an image that you think most people would agree they can see if you were to describe your scene to them as
they listened to the music track.
On paper, number your responses #1 through #25 to
correspond with the audio tracks on the CD. Remember that you need to respond to 20 of the tracks, which means you can "skip"
five of the tracks. So just write "skip" next to the numbers you "skip" writing a description for.
You will turn your "answers" in to me on Thursday
(October 26). If you need more time to effectively complete this assignment, please let me know before Thursday
and you can have until Tuesday, October 31, with no penalty, but you must contact me first and it must be prior to seeing
me at La Salle on Thursday morning.
PERSONAL STORY #2 PROJECT
Similar to
Personal Story #1, this is a 60-second voice recording project. But you must work off a complete script that you've written
– and rewritten! – and you will have the opportunity to edit your audio.
Again, there is additional information concerning this project in the
October 11 "Latest News."
I'll repeat here your topic/motivation:
On the liner notes to the soundtrack audio CD for "Legends of the Fall,"
a movie starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and Aidan Quinn, director Ed Zwick writes the following about James Horner's audio
(Music) work on the film:
"At the heart of every story is a sound –
something so deep that it resonates like a pressure in your chest."
Your story should revolve around or evoke a memory of a single sound.
This sound (NOT music) will be at the heart of your story. And you will need to include this sound – which you may be
able to find on one of La Salle's sound effects CDs, or which you'll have to record on your own – in your recording
session/audio production.
As you ponder the topic and writing for this project,
I'll relay a short quote from Steve Sabol, the president of NFL Films in Mount Laurel, N.J. In a Philadelphia Inquirer
profile last year (in the October 23, 2005, issue), he offered the "best advice I can give to young filmmakers":
"Get a good opening and a good ending,
and get them as close together as
possible."
#1 of 3
Your Personal Story #2 Project involves you using a diegetic
sound in your production. Diegetic sound is a term familiar to film students, and also has a place in discussions
of audio productions. What is diegetic sound? And, by extension, your answer should (must!) refer to its counterpart, non-diegetic
sound. (Correct
answer – a full explanation of both terms – is worth six points.)
#2 of 3
According to "Publishers Weekly" (2003), each year, the
science humor magazine "Annals of Improbable Research" awards 10 Ig Nobel prizes to assorted scientists, professors
and ordinary folk for their projects and accomplishments, some of which are "commendable, if perhaps goofy," and others simply
baffling.
The 2006 Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded on Thursday night, October
5, at the 16th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, at Harvard's Sanders Theatre.
There are a few winners that have some connection to audio/sound, but
in a specific "Acoustics" category, the winning researchers conducted experiments to learn why people dislike what
sound? (Correct answer is worth
two points.)
#3 of 3
Who is the Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers' "Person of the Year,"
who will be honored along with 10 "Hall of Fame" inductees (six posthumously) on Friday, November 17. The dinner/fundraiser
benefits the organization's scholarship program, which has selected a few La Salle students as winners in recent years.
(Correct answer is worth two points.)
E-mail me (Jim) the correct answer(s) by 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 26, to earn up to ten (10)
points on your "Homework" grade sheet.
Remember ...
Please set aside some time on the night of
Thursday, November 2, for a symposium sponsored
by the
Future Broadcast Pioneers organization.
Click here for additional information.
The majority of class time the remainder of this semester you will spend working in groups. Be sure to manage
your time well as you plan and execute the various assignments you will be working on with your group mates, increasing
your knowledge of – and practical experience in – audio production.
As always, please be sure to let me know (phone call, e-mail, in person) if you have any questions
or concerns as we continue through the semester.
Jim Templeton
P.S. You can access earlier "editions" of this
semester's "Latest News" by clicking on the appropriate date/link:
