A few podcasts in process and notes on production workflow and podcast making:
Podcasts in Process
Choogle montage – handful of clips which never got a finish (or a beginning), or were too loud, or too without context – i think they could be remixed into a unique show with some music and loops and sound bites from the clips – it’s kinda a mess and a vague idea but there’s something decent there – kinda of a LSD mop-up tray
Clayoquot series – a bunch of audio clips which are disorganized and possibly out of sequence. need to sort em out into episodes length chunks – there are a few show length chunks i.e. the logging/fishing interview, reservation spiel, and some other poetry and essay bits for Postcards from Gravelly Beach – literature show – UNDERWAY
Last voter in Canada – this is the old election show mentioned in the new election show – my experience voting and then a post-vote party with noise and commentary – a bunch of clips to sort, levelate and arrange but could be a gooder
HempenRoad – While on a mountain ramble, Uncle Weed recounts the HempenRoad film project, a mixed media travel documentary about the commercial industrial hemp industry in Cascadia in 1996.
SXSW – 3 flase starts on this preview and recap of 2009 sxsw and my F@ck Stats, Make Art lecture
Lt Magnum – interview with US Navy officer back from Iraq and Philipines taking military life, seabees and beer
Tribute to the Fonz – My pal Gazoo died last April – i recorded my thoughts on the dock of Harrison lake
Keys to a solid episode
1) Tell a story (often requires rearranging clips to create a narrative – add some music to give the folks time to reflect and chill as needed)
2) Remove douche-baggery (yeah sometimes there are false starts, stupid comments, missteps, self-indulgent crap and people calling “dave” – all that goes)
3) Sonically comfortable (export as AIFF, normalize/compress using Levelator, then convert to .mp3, listen and re-export til it sounds sweetopian)
Download this: http://www.conversationsnetwork.org/levelator
Complete show pack
Includes:
* Episode – 128K stereo mp3, levelated
* ID3 tags (title, description, lyrics, art)
* Album art (photo edited in PS or flickr/picnik)
* Blog post with show notes/links with footer
Workflow Summary
1. Record mucho audio on M-Audio Microtrak or iPhone >
2. Import raw files to iTunes and listen to raw clips while riding transit >
3. Ferment for 6 months to 3 years for “seasoning” >
4. Either a) talk someone into editing it based on my cuts, or b) use Garage Band to build the episode by adding themes, music, anecdotes and such
5. Export/listen/fix-it-up/export/listen – happy? Export as AIFF> Levelate > Convert to mp3 > Add Meta ID3 Data (title, descrip, album art)
6. Upload via to a web dir via FTP
7. Create blog post (free wordpress.com blog) with description, links, album art, etc. >
8. Publish and flow feed to Feedburner > iTunes etc. Announce to folks, have a toke >
9. Repeat over and over For the People!
Toolbox
M-Audio Microtrak – record almost everything on this – battery life is the weak point, otherwise very nice
Sony stereo mic – Same as Father Roderick – gives great stereo separtation for sound-seeing
Koss Sterophones – You are gonna have cans on a lot, get good one, I prefer Koss over any other i’ve tried
M-Audio Solo Firewire Interface and desk mic for home recording