ts2012, week6
DESCRIPTION
6th lecture for my course Transient Spaces at RMIT University. Lecture uses sections of my Participatory Documentary Cookbook.TRANSCRIPT
Transient Spaces
Week 6
Agenda
More tips on ways to find great online content
Interview tech options
Interview tips
Vox pops v. ‘proper’ interviews
Using the zooms
Let’s get the zooms
More ways to find online content
1. Using the voice memo function on your phone
Audio quality can be quite good, but remember to keep the phone close, and find a quiet place.
But not too close or it might distort!
The problem is that you can’t test the levels, except by doing a test recording and listening to it through headphones.
Interview recording options
2. Using a Zoom
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=T9GIzarhwyE
Most important things:
Check the levels
Make sure you are actually recording, not on pause.
Interview recording options
3. Recording a Skype interview
My test with quicktime resulted in poor quality
As usual, I’m more concerned about audio than video, if the vid is too bad, you can always just use a still.
Great tips for audio improvement here, but rather technical – and you may not be able to get around the Firewall
http://www.blogarithms.com/index.php/archives/2007/12/23/skype-for-interviews/
Interview recording options
Summary of the easier things:
Quit all applications except what you really need
good broadband
Make everything as quiet as possible
Both parties should use a headset USB mic if possible
Eg, http://shop.skype.com/headsets/#/#categoryid=1&sortby=3&subcategoryid=&filter=&manufacture=&price_range=~30|30~60|60~90|90~&page=1
Interview recording options
They recommend audio recording software called CallBurner
http://www.callburner.com/ Free 30 day trial
And post-production audio level software called The Levelator:
http://www.conversationsnetwork.org/levelator FREE
You’d also edit out the clicks, umms, stutters etc in Audacity (or similar)
Note: don’t edit the audio if you’re going to marry it up with video, it will get out of sync.
Interview recording options
4. Recording a phone call to the Zoom / computer
Interview recording options
Interview recording options
Interview tips
Interview tips
Interview tips
Interview tips
Interview tips
A vox pop is a stranger off the street who you ask a couple of questions to as they walk by. You will get an unreflected, off-the-cuff opinion rather than a carefully thought through response. They are useful for capturing the public mood, but it will be superficial.
A proper interview is organised in advance, you’ve given the interviewee warning about the subject matter, you’ve found a good (quiet, well lit, uninterrupted) location. You will get more interesting answers this way.
Vox pops v. ‘proper’ interviews