New York Times Fashion Review
Fashion's always been a big thing for me, so I like to look to Vogue and the New York Times for their fashion reviews. Milan fashion week is going on right now, so I thought this was interesting since it's so new. Also, I love looking at the pictures and hearing the descriptons of crinkled chiffon. Yeah, I'm a girl.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Favorite Audio Piece: Halfrican Jeff, Radio Diaries
Halfrican Jeff Radio Diary
I will begin my explanation by saying that prior to class, I have never listened to NPR. I listen to ESPN radio or 105.7 when Orioles games are on or 97.9 when Ravens games are on. That's about it. That said, it took some poking around for me to find an audio piece I really liked. A lot of the NPR hosts used too much inflection in their voices, just like we were told not to do in class. I did random searches for things I'm interested in and they were either really long, or I just wasn't impressed.
I really liked the radio diary we heard in class about the boy named Josh who had Tourette's Syndrome. But I didn't want to cheat and copy that exact one, so I looked for the other radio diaries and came across the one posted above. It was actually the first one I listened to, about a guy who is half-black, half-white, and how he copes with that, struggles with that. I found myself really wanting to just curl up on my bed and listen to how he feels; he was amazingly easy to relate to. The piece also has a lot of fun music intertwined, isn't too terribly long and Jeff just generally kept my interest the whole time. He reminds me of a friend of mine, so that made me enjoy listening to him even more. I also laughed out loud a few times. Hope you like it!
I will begin my explanation by saying that prior to class, I have never listened to NPR. I listen to ESPN radio or 105.7 when Orioles games are on or 97.9 when Ravens games are on. That's about it. That said, it took some poking around for me to find an audio piece I really liked. A lot of the NPR hosts used too much inflection in their voices, just like we were told not to do in class. I did random searches for things I'm interested in and they were either really long, or I just wasn't impressed.
I really liked the radio diary we heard in class about the boy named Josh who had Tourette's Syndrome. But I didn't want to cheat and copy that exact one, so I looked for the other radio diaries and came across the one posted above. It was actually the first one I listened to, about a guy who is half-black, half-white, and how he copes with that, struggles with that. I found myself really wanting to just curl up on my bed and listen to how he feels; he was amazingly easy to relate to. The piece also has a lot of fun music intertwined, isn't too terribly long and Jeff just generally kept my interest the whole time. He reminds me of a friend of mine, so that made me enjoy listening to him even more. I also laughed out loud a few times. Hope you like it!
Some Details About How to Do Final Project Proposals
As I mentioned in my last e-mail, it's time to start thinking about final projects. By Oct 9, you'll be required to post to the blog a proposal, following the guidelines below. Think of it as a pitch to an editor. You can always change your plan later (with professor approval), but the earlier you devise a pitch, the better your final project will turn out.
Again, we'll talk about this more in class this week.
Here are the guidelines:
Story Proposal Checklist
A story proposal is a document that establishes your intentions for covering a story, outlines your methods, and estimates what kind of project you will be able to publish or air when finished. its purpose is to sell you story to your editors and to others editors where you work. It will also help you to look at the story from an objective perspective.
1. Is typed and is neatly presented. It has been spell-checked, uses proper grammar, has a tone that is appropriate to a business setting. Have someone proof-read it for you. Keep a copy.
2. Includes a working headline as well as your name and today's date.
3. States the topic of the story concisely and limits the topic to a manageable scope.
4. Covers whey your readers/ viewers would be interested in the topic and the people you will be photographing.
5. Uses supporting research to give a basis for the story and give it relevance in your community. This research is attributed to reliable sources. This research includes discussing previous coverage on the story topic or related topics, and how this story will fit in with what the audience has seen already.
6. Estimates the types of visual images and situations that will comprise your finished story.
7. Names the people and the kind of people who will be in the story.
8. Covers where the story will occur and where the story will be photographed.
9. Describes any access issues that have been addressed and/or need to be addressed.
10. Indicates which audience would be interested in this story.
11. Discusses how much time you will need to work on the project. This includes: When do pertinent events begin and end? How many days will you need to research and cover this story completely, as well as to process, caption, and edit.
12. Covers when the story should be published or aired, and whether that is linked to a date or event.
13. Considers Cost. travel expenses? Over time expenses? Will you need special equipment? Will someone need to fill in for you while you work on this story? Will anyone need to help you with this story in any way?
14. Discuss whether a word reporter will need to cover the story as well. If a work reporter has shown interest in the story already, name him/her.
15. Tells what media will be used and why.
(Elizabeth Kerbs (formerly) of the St. Petersburg Times compiled this checklist for News Photographer Magazine.)
Again, we'll talk about this more in class this week.
Here are the guidelines:
Story Proposal Checklist
A story proposal is a document that establishes your intentions for covering a story, outlines your methods, and estimates what kind of project you will be able to publish or air when finished. its purpose is to sell you story to your editors and to others editors where you work. It will also help you to look at the story from an objective perspective.
1. Is typed and is neatly presented. It has been spell-checked, uses proper grammar, has a tone that is appropriate to a business setting. Have someone proof-read it for you. Keep a copy.
2. Includes a working headline as well as your name and today's date.
3. States the topic of the story concisely and limits the topic to a manageable scope.
4. Covers whey your readers/ viewers would be interested in the topic and the people you will be photographing.
5. Uses supporting research to give a basis for the story and give it relevance in your community. This research is attributed to reliable sources. This research includes discussing previous coverage on the story topic or related topics, and how this story will fit in with what the audience has seen already.
6. Estimates the types of visual images and situations that will comprise your finished story.
7. Names the people and the kind of people who will be in the story.
8. Covers where the story will occur and where the story will be photographed.
9. Describes any access issues that have been addressed and/or need to be addressed.
10. Indicates which audience would be interested in this story.
11. Discusses how much time you will need to work on the project. This includes: When do pertinent events begin and end? How many days will you need to research and cover this story completely, as well as to process, caption, and edit.
12. Covers when the story should be published or aired, and whether that is linked to a date or event.
13. Considers Cost. travel expenses? Over time expenses? Will you need special equipment? Will someone need to fill in for you while you work on this story? Will anyone need to help you with this story in any way?
14. Discuss whether a word reporter will need to cover the story as well. If a work reporter has shown interest in the story already, name him/her.
15. Tells what media will be used and why.
(Elizabeth Kerbs (formerly) of the St. Petersburg Times compiled this checklist for News Photographer Magazine.)
Monday, September 28, 2009
Favorite Audio - Kid Kamera Kraziness
YouTube - This American Life
Even though this audio is obviously enhanced by the accompanying visual reenactment, I feel that the story within and how it is told are both terrific. If you were to close your eyes and envision what the teacher was recounting, you'd probably imagine just what you see in this video (if not more imaginative scenes). The story's got compelling characters, an unusual and intriguing plot line and a very poignant conclusion that, when you replay the piece, isn't all too surprising.
Even though this audio is obviously enhanced by the accompanying visual reenactment, I feel that the story within and how it is told are both terrific. If you were to close your eyes and envision what the teacher was recounting, you'd probably imagine just what you see in this video (if not more imaginative scenes). The story's got compelling characters, an unusual and intriguing plot line and a very poignant conclusion that, when you replay the piece, isn't all too surprising.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
A Favorite Audio Piece -- Homework for Next Week
This week the only homework is to pick a favorite piece of audio and share the link with the rest of the class using the blog. Please post by Thursday at noon so we can have time to listen to a few before we meet. We will discuss these at the beginning of next class.
To get things started, here's mine:
One of my favorite audio profiles was done by John Hodgman, who you might have seen on The Daily Show or on Apple commercials (playing the PC guy). He's been doing radio for a while, and this particular piece ran on This American Life. It's the first piece on this episode. He interviews an aspiring actor who ends up as a party-instigator/spokesperson for Jose Cuervo tequila. It has such strong writing, great on-the-scene audio reporting, and it tackles interesting issues and gets at what makes this character tick. Plus it's a fun piece -- it's about 16 minutes, but the time always flies by when I listen to it.
One other thing to start working on -- not this week but next week, you'll have to turn in a proposal for your final project. So you should start to think about what you want to cover in that project -- which can be a video or an audio slideshow that mixes skills from each slice. The project itself won't be due until the end of the semester, but we've found that it's best if people get an early start on planning their project. We'll talk a little more about final projects in class this Friday.
To get things started, here's mine:
One of my favorite audio profiles was done by John Hodgman, who you might have seen on The Daily Show or on Apple commercials (playing the PC guy). He's been doing radio for a while, and this particular piece ran on This American Life. It's the first piece on this episode. He interviews an aspiring actor who ends up as a party-instigator/spokesperson for Jose Cuervo tequila. It has such strong writing, great on-the-scene audio reporting, and it tackles interesting issues and gets at what makes this character tick. Plus it's a fun piece -- it's about 16 minutes, but the time always flies by when I listen to it.
One other thing to start working on -- not this week but next week, you'll have to turn in a proposal for your final project. So you should start to think about what you want to cover in that project -- which can be a video or an audio slideshow that mixes skills from each slice. The project itself won't be due until the end of the semester, but we've found that it's best if people get an early start on planning their project. We'll talk a little more about final projects in class this Friday.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Slides from Week 3, and Details On Next Homework Assignments
The listening homework for next week is:
Ira Glass on Storytelling #3
Ira Glass on Storytelling #4
The reading homework for next week is "Chapter 3: Writing for Broadcast" pp. 25-38. You'll need these tips for the exercise we'll do in class next week.
And this week the homework project is a Person, Place, or Event Profile:
* The piece must be at least a minute and a half but not longer than two and a half minutes.
* The piece must include at least two voices other than you. That means if it's a profile of one person, also get some tape of the person's best friend (for instance, could be someone else), or have a scene in which the main subject interacts with the friend.
* The piece must include at least 2 ambient sounds. Feel free to have more if it makes sense in your piece.
* You must get your story approved by me before your do it. That means if you change your pitch from the one you submitted in class, e-mail me the new pitch before you do it to make sure it will work.
Have fun
Ira Glass on Storytelling #3
Ira Glass on Storytelling #4
The reading homework for next week is "Chapter 3: Writing for Broadcast" pp. 25-38. You'll need these tips for the exercise we'll do in class next week.
And this week the homework project is a Person, Place, or Event Profile:
* The piece must be at least a minute and a half but not longer than two and a half minutes.
* The piece must include at least two voices other than you. That means if it's a profile of one person, also get some tape of the person's best friend (for instance, could be someone else), or have a scene in which the main subject interacts with the friend.
* The piece must include at least 2 ambient sounds. Feel free to have more if it makes sense in your piece.
* You must get your story approved by me before your do it. That means if you change your pitch from the one you submitted in class, e-mail me the new pitch before you do it to make sure it will work.
Have fun
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Slides from Week 2, and Info on Next Homework
Here are the slides from class on Friday.
For this week's homework:
* Put together a man-on-the-street interview piece. There is no length restriction, but it must have the following elements:
* Must contain voices from at least 3 subjects [NOTE: changed. I said 4 in class but 3 seems enough considering all we're doing this week]. I recommend interviewing at least 4 people and using the 3 best in the final edit.
* Must contain at least 2 clips of ambient sound related to your theme or location of recording.
* You should be talking to strangers, not people you know.
* Each person should be identified in the piece, by first and last name, and by one detail about them that tells something of who they are (i.e. John Smith, a University of Maryland student).
* Think of this as a feature piece you would run on the school newspaper's Web site or some other publication. It should feel like a piece of journalism not a random collection of opinions.
* Edit the elements together. Use an intro and script in most cases, unless you can have the people in the piece give enough context for a radio-diary format piece.
* Must be posted to class by noon on Friday (start of class).
This project is more involved than last week, so it's best to start as soon as possible to leave some time for editing. Having a plan in advance (what questions you will ask and what kind of setting you want to focus on, etc) will help immensely. If you're not sure about your plan feel free to e-mail me any questions you might have.
We also have a short listening assignment and a short reading. Shouldn't take long but this is an important part of the class (and it should help you do the assignment). There will be a short quiz at the start of next class on the reading and listening:
* Listening: On the Media: Pulling Back the Curtain (only about 14 minutes)
* Reading: Sound Reporting, pp. 92-119.
I made changes to the syllabus to reflect the quiz and update info about the assignments, so go by what is on the Web and not by the paper we handed out on the first day of class. Link to the syllabus is at the top right of the blog.
For this week's homework:
* Put together a man-on-the-street interview piece. There is no length restriction, but it must have the following elements:
* Must contain voices from at least 3 subjects [NOTE: changed. I said 4 in class but 3 seems enough considering all we're doing this week]. I recommend interviewing at least 4 people and using the 3 best in the final edit.
* Must contain at least 2 clips of ambient sound related to your theme or location of recording.
* You should be talking to strangers, not people you know.
* Each person should be identified in the piece, by first and last name, and by one detail about them that tells something of who they are (i.e. John Smith, a University of Maryland student).
* Think of this as a feature piece you would run on the school newspaper's Web site or some other publication. It should feel like a piece of journalism not a random collection of opinions.
* Edit the elements together. Use an intro and script in most cases, unless you can have the people in the piece give enough context for a radio-diary format piece.
* Must be posted to class by noon on Friday (start of class).
This project is more involved than last week, so it's best to start as soon as possible to leave some time for editing. Having a plan in advance (what questions you will ask and what kind of setting you want to focus on, etc) will help immensely. If you're not sure about your plan feel free to e-mail me any questions you might have.
We also have a short listening assignment and a short reading. Shouldn't take long but this is an important part of the class (and it should help you do the assignment). There will be a short quiz at the start of next class on the reading and listening:
* Listening: On the Media: Pulling Back the Curtain (only about 14 minutes)
* Reading: Sound Reporting, pp. 92-119.
I made changes to the syllabus to reflect the quiz and update info about the assignments, so go by what is on the Web and not by the paper we handed out on the first day of class. Link to the syllabus is at the top right of the blog.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Slides From Week 1, First Assignments
Here are the slides from week 1. Here are the specific examples we listened to:
In Health Care Debate, Fear Trumps Logic
Growing Up with Tourette's
Radio Lab
As a reminder, the homework for this week is:
* Listen to the Radio Lab podcast on the battle between audio and video (24 minutes).
* Read the chapter on "Reporting" in the book (pp. 48-72)
* Conduct an interview with an expert and post audio before start of class.
See you Friday...
In Health Care Debate, Fear Trumps Logic
Growing Up with Tourette's
Radio Lab
As a reminder, the homework for this week is:
* Listen to the Radio Lab podcast on the battle between audio and video (24 minutes).
* Read the chapter on "Reporting" in the book (pp. 48-72)
* Conduct an interview with an expert and post audio before start of class.
See you Friday...
Friday, September 4, 2009
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