Month: September 2017

In-class assignment:

Partner up and record brief interviews, taking turns asking each other to tell a funny or interesting story you don’t mind sharing with the class. It can be between three to five minutes. Find a quiet place to record. Ask open-ended questions to get the best responses. (“Tell me about a time when you did something really spontaneous.” “What’s the craziest thing that ever happened to you here in New York?” etc.) Feel free to jump in to get more details or provide a prompt. (“What did the guy look like?” “So you were stranded at a gas station in New Jersey…” You can cut out these little interruptions when you edit.

Before you put the recorder down, record yourself introducing yourself and your guest. Something like: “Hello listeners! I’m your host ___ ____ and I’m here with ___ _____, who’s going to tell us a story about _____.” Record a brief outro as well. “Thanks for listening! This has been a Baruch College production.” (Or something similar.)

Next, import the audio file into Audacity and edit it in the same way you will edit your first full-length podcasting assignment. By that I mean very little major editing is required for this—mostly just some trimming and tightening to make it flow well. You can get rid of ums, long pauses, tripped-over words, and tangents to keep the story moving—but make sure not to cut things too aggressively! This may be simple and straightforward editing, but it requires you to be exact and precise, so you’ll want to zoom in close on the waveform when you make any cuts. You want it to sound natural. Let the story breathe. (I mean this literally as well… careful not to cut any breaths too short! It’s jarring to the ear.)

Find and download some music that works well to introduce your story by setting the right tone. This can also be used as the outro music. Let the intro music fade down after you finish the host intro and the story begins. Let it fade up as you give your outro.

Export and post it on SoundCloud. From there, embed it into a post on the blog.

Sound resources:

https://freesound.org
http://soundbible.com
https://www.audioblocks.com
http://freemusicarchive.org
https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music
http://dig.ccmixter.org

I was am planning to do my podcast about books turning into movies. There are a lot of movies coming out based on books, but as we know the movie doesn’t compare to the book. I would want to invite random people who obviously read the book and watched the movie and for them to tell me their opinion about both. Maybe which one was the worse movie based on a book and which one was head on head with the book.

Working Title: In the Studio With Neckbeard

Inspired by In the Studio with Redbeard and This American Life, my podcast would take a look at the various local musicians that can be found all across New York City. With a city as diverse as ours, a wide variety of musicians doing various genres of music is bound to flourish throughout the five boroughs. Rather than just talk about the work they’ve put out, the podcast could also talk about their creative process, how their experiences in the city inspire their music, and maybe some anecdotal stories from the studio and stage.

doodles4change is a nonprofit aiming to improve the way patients in underprivileged countries are treated in health care facilities. The lack of physicians and supplies in rural villages of Bangladesh lowers the standard of health care provided to patients. The founder is Raeqa Mahmud, currently attending Stony Brook University. I’d love to interview her to find out how she came about starting the organization, obstacles she’s faced / is facing, and also to talk more about the situation in Bangladesh. Not everyone knows a lot about Bangladesh and I also think the founders story is interesting because she’s relatively young but still trying to make a big impact.

Assignment #1: Host interview style podcast

Requirements: 15+ minutes in length, with intro music, accompanied by clear and complete title and summary both at hosting location and embedded on class blog. (Make sure it’s music that’s free to use, or be prepared to shell out for a licensing fee!)

Next week: Editing tutorial/workshop

Completed podcast due by class time on Monday, Sept. 18

Announcement: Reporting trip Friday Sept. 15 in Sunset Park.

 

I would like to interview a few New York City residents, past and present, from different boroughs, to discuss the negatives and positives they’ve experienced  while living in what is known to many as the “Capital of the World.”  For the residents that have fled the scene I would like to know why they left, do they regret it or would they like to return to this city.  Or, I would like to interview Denzel Chisolm, a back-up dancer for performers like Demi Lavoto, Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift and  is currently in rehearsal with Janet Jackson for her upcoming tour.  Denzel is also a dance teacher and choreographer.

Deemed a SuperFund by the EPA, the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, New York is one of America’s environmental disasters. It’s pretty much a cavity, all smelly and ugly since the Industrial Revolution. Recently there have been efforts by the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, and other groups to beautify the Canal by planting flora that decrease the environmental damage. Not only are they fixing up the physical surface, but also the image of the canal and its surrounding neighborhoods. I’d like to interview the horticultural manager Diana Gruberg on whether or not there has been noticeable progress, and their plans for the future as they are looking to add two new members to the staff.

For my podcast, i would like to interview Matthew Silver. Matthew is a street performer in Union Square that has developed some fame over the past couple of years. Many videos of him have gone viral (he is usually recognized as the bearded man in the leotard holding a rubber chicken screaming about “love farts” in the middle of Union Square and other areas of NYC.)

Aside from the absurdity of his performances, Matthew has developed a large fanbase. His Facebook page has over 304,000 likes, and he has recently started a youtube channel to feed his fandom.

Matthew message is heartwarming: he just wants his absurdity to bring laughter to the world and for people to stop taking themselves so seriously.

Matthew has already agreed to an interview, which will include questions about his start, his schedule, his fanbase, his goals, and why he does what he does.

For my podcast I intend to interview the CEO of RISE Brewing Co. I have gotten in touch with him and he will be more then happy to have an interview.

What makes his coffee company different then most, his company produces Nitro cold brew coffee. What is Nitro Cold Brew Coffee? Let me tell you before you categorize it as ice coffee! Nitro Cold Brew is not iced coffee. Where iced coffee is coffee brewed hot for minutes and then served over ice, Nitro infused Cold Brew is coffee brewed cold, steeped for 24 hours, and then chilled to create a naturally creamy, sweet, and smooth taste

Traditionally, nitro coffee was only available from a tap, since it’s tricky to get the same nice, frothy head from anything bottled. But finally it’s being figured out. RISE Brewing Co, is one of the first companies to have figured out the science behind it.

What makes this relevant…

According to the Harvard School of Public health 54% of Americans over the age of 18 drink coffee everyday. Drinking an average of 3 cups of coffee a day, spending $2.45 per cup making it a $40 billion business a year, people rely on coffee to keep them going through out the day the importance of coffee for more then half of the nations workers and students is prevalent.

Not only that, it’s heather for you too…

The nitro foam gives the impression of a sweetness with out adding any sugar keep the extra calories off! As well as it’s 80% less acidic then normal coffee, regular coffee is so high in acidity and is not good for your stomach. It also is 1.5x more caffeine than your standard cup of joe saving you money!!!!

For my podcast, I intend to interview Stephen Wickhem, registrar and marketing coordinator at Shambhala Meditation Center of New York. The interview would offer an overview of the origins of Shambhala Buddism, its founder, Chögyam Trungpa, and what distinguishes this tradition from other meditation and Buddhist traditions. It will then proceed to discuss the benefits of meditation, and what it provides to an individual. To conclude, Wickhem will explain the center’s diverse programming designed to help individuals discover their inner peace.

A New Yorker is always on the run, moving on to the next thing on their to-do list, not realizing how important is it to be at ease. I believe my podcast would interest anyone who is anxious, stressed, or needs to find inner peace.  The interview will be informative, and insightful.