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assignments : podcast

One hallmark of new media technologies is that consumers are also creators. Because these technologies allow us to easily edit text, image, sound, video -- often with free tools -- they empower individual creativity.

We are taking liberties with the word "podcast" -- because there are two parts to a podcast episode: producing the audio file and then publishing it via an RSS feed. We are focusing on part one of this process, production.

For this course, a podcast is a digital audio file created by mixing multiple digital audio tracks containing voice and audio (a portion of a sound recording). Your project must consist of at minimum three audio samples; at least two must be collected from television, video, DVD, CD, or on the Internet.

Each student will develop an audio recording that examines any aspect of digital media or communication; the project will be delivered as a script as well as an mp3. It can be experimental, satirical, investigative, political, humorous. The podcast should be 4-6 minutes.

Research Required.   This assignment must be research- based; students will develop a script and a bibliography of sources that includes at least two scholarly citations. This does not mean that you must cite or reference material in your podcast -- you probably will note. In your annotated bibliography, you will tell us how the resource relates to your project. Scripts do not have to be "verbatim" either. We'll go over the specifics in a step-by-step manner throughout the course.

First: Concept/Proposal.   Students must develop a concept proposal. This proposal will be submitted via Catalyst using the Peer Review tool. Students are divided into peer group teams; each student must provide positive feedback/suggestions to the other team members.

You can think of this proposal as a pitch, maybe 100-200 words. Consider the overall concept. Why does this style of it interest you? Who might be the intended audience (beyond the class)? We're using peer review to give one another feedback.

Evaluation.   The final project will be evaluated based on completeness, critical thought, originality and creativity. All projects must include an annotated bibliography and must include at least four external references; a minimum of two must be scholarly (academic). We will use APA for citations. In our last class session together, you'll provide a 3-4 minute summary of your work.

Students have asked if they can produce enhanced podcasts. Of course! It's not required, but would show creativity and effort. Others have asked about video podcasts. Again, "yes" you can produce one but "no" I'm not going to have time to teach you how to do video production.

summary:

 

1. Making Your Podcast

It's helpful to tackle a creative project in stages, such as

  1. Conceptualize your podcast;
  2. Begin researching the topic and outlining the script
  3. Begin collecting your samples and clear copyright;
  4. Record the voice portion of the podcast
  5. Mix your samples into a final podcast.

A. Concept
We'll being brainstorming to help give your project focus. Write out a few notes to yourself describing your overall concept, and then post these to the Catalyst Peer Review site. It's not to soon to start thinking about the about the audio samples you would like to collect. If you want your podcast to evoke an emotional response or convey a political or social message, think about the social issues that are important to you? Do you want this to sound like a regular radio show? Then you'll want to create intro and exit music. You'll report your concept via peer review by 22 January.

B. Begin researching the topic and outlining the script
You'll report the results of preliminary research on 26 January. This is a good time to begin work on your outline.

C. Samples, Copyright
Your project must have at least three audio samples that you will manipulate or mix; at least two must be samples that you did not record or create. You will need to consider the copyright concerns of each sample.

D. Record Voice
You'll need to have a script for this portion of the project -- the amount of detail in the script is up to you. It can be an outline, or it can be a word-for-word script. We'll talk about the difference between writing for the ear and writing for the eye, if you think you want a fully-scripted recording. Just know that it's an art to make a recording like this sound "natural."

E. Mix!
Now's the fun (creative!) and challenging (time!) of the project. Continue to work the script, and put these audio bits together to form a whole. Note on the script which audio files you've used and the relevant copyright information associated with each. Use your samples and your concept to create a recording that reflects your communication goals. Use the hardware and software of your choice. Have friends (or fellow classmates) listen to your samples and give you feedback. Be sure to save your work often -- and give each version a different file name, so that you can easily"revert" if you don't like a change.

To recap, the final project should:

 

2. Creative Resources

1. Tools, Equipment, Software
There are many tools for creating and recording samples for your podcast. Hardware, such as computers, digital audio recorders, turntables, CD, DVD and Mp3 players, and microphones can be borrowed from the Communication Department, but your mobile phones, PDAs or laptops may have all the recording capacity you need. A significant amount of audio editing software can be found at Download.com, which catalogues the freeware and shareware software available for you to experiment with:

Please note that many software companies provide free, trial downloads. Examples include Pro tools (music mixing), FruityLoops, WavePad 1.2 (record and edit sounds files, add effects, amplification, and noise reduction), Rhythm Rascal 2.0.2105 (create drum tracks on your pc), Audio Edit Magic 7.5.8 (record and edit audio files and create special effects). Do note that some of free trials may not allow you to save your files (such as FruityLoops).

2. Audio Samples
With Windows, you can use Sound Recorder to capture any audio playing on your computer. Ditto Garage Band for the Mac.There are many web sites that offer audio with creative commons licenses (restricted use) as well as royalty-free compilation CDs and free royalty-free music. Some of these web sites require a small fee for use.

3. Inspiration
Google (and other search tools) is your friend! Here are some interesting sites to explore:

4. How To Guides

 

Using UW Resources

The purpose of creating a digital podcast is multiple: (1) to give you exposure to new forms of digital media and software; (2) to have first-hand experience with copyright issues; (3) to learn more about a topic of interest to you and to show how that topic relates to "communication" or something we've learned in class; and (4) to have fun and be creative. The podcasts may not have the following purposes:

The full policy on using university resources is online. Your podcast must be suitable for class presentation, so please avoid obsene language and meaningless sexual or vile audio.

 

Copyright Guidelines

One of the goals of this project is to consider issues regarding copyright and new technology, you should to be aware of the UW's copyright rules when using UW equipment as well as general licenses and copyright concerns that you will encounter when collecting samples. The UW also offers guidelines on the fair use of multimedia in educational settings. Perhaps most relevant for our purposes is that you do not need to seek permission to use copyrighted materials if you use no more than 10% or 30 seconds (rule-of-thumb) of the media work. When gathering samples for your podcast, you may come across one or all of the following license situations.

  1. Public Domain - Music and lyrics written prior to 1922 in the United States are considered Public Domain.  No one can claim ownership and therefore you can arrange, reproduce, perform, record or publish it. If you use work created in other countries you should refer to that particular country's copyright laws concerning public domain.
  2. Royalty Free - Royalty Free music is music you can use in any creative project after paying a one-time license fee. Often, these fees are very small. There are a number of web sites offering royalty free music such as Shockwave-Sound.com, Royalty Free Music.com (which also offers a selection of free music on their web site), and The Music Bakery.
  3. Creative Common Licenses - Creative Commons Licenses are designed for musicians (digital and otherwise) to offer their work to the public but under particular conditions. Often these works can be used for free, as long as the original author of a sample of music is noted where the work is published. A great resource for learning more about Creative Commons Licenses is the Creative Commons web site and in particular, their list describing the types of licenses you will encounter when searching for audio samples at ccMixter (a community music site featuring thousands of samples licensed under Creative Commons).
  4. US Copyright - General US Copyright Law requires that you ask for permission from an author to record, copy, alter, reproduce, arrange or publish any part of their work in your own creative project. Often one must pay the musician or their record label (or both) for the rights to use their work.  For more information regarding US Copyright Law visit the UW's list of Copyright References.

Be aware of the various types of licensing and laws when collecting your samples. This will not only make you aware of copyright issues but will also give you food for thought about the Creative Commons license you decide to use with your podcast.

 

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