SpokenWeb Creator Guide - Fall 2018 SpokenWeb Podcast Creator Guide
out of the archives and into your ears
What is it? Introduction: Why Podcast? SpokenWeb is the monthly A podcast is like a radio show that has been digitally podcast produced by the recorded and distributed online. Typically, podcasts are SpokenWeb team as part of available for free and listeners subscribe to the podcast feed distributing the audio for new episodes on a set schedule. The medium is collected from (and created considered accessible to creators and listeners alike, and it’s using) Canadian literary enjoying increasing mainstream popularity. archival recordings found at universities across Canada. As a part of the SpokenWeb project, literary sound archives and scholarly responses to them are being transformed into Episodes are snapshots of podcast episodes that can be shared beyond the academy. Canadian literary history and These podcasts will help share the research discoveries of contemporary responses to it, including interviews, panel SpokenWeb with the general public, rather than just topic- discussions, lectures, readings, area experts. and audio essays. The podcast targets a general audience of Canadians How does it work? interested in literary topics, history, culture, and analysis, but who might not have studied it since high school. The podcast SpokenWeb collaborators can intends to bring Canadian literature into the lives of everyday create a new episode & send it citizens and engage new people in the literary conversation. to the production team, who add an introduction & closing How to Make an Episode: credits, provide additional editing support, and schedule Each episode is a collaboration between SpokenWeb the episode for public release. contributor(s) and the production team. Contact [email protected] for support in pitching and When can I hear it? creating an episode.
New episodes are released on Steps the first Monday of every 1. Read this guide and listen to an episode of the podcast. month to Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Google Play, and 2. Pitch an episode to the production team, who will provide Stitcher. Episodes vary from feedback, guidance, a template episode file, and access to 20-55 minutes in length. relevant Google Drive files where work is stored.
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Equipment & Pitches should include the topic, format (interview, panel, reading, lecture, audio essay), and expected completion Software needed date (See p. 4 for the pitch form). Email your pitch to [email protected]. You will receive a response • Adequate recording space within 7 days. Where you record matters. When possible, record in a Note: It is the contributor’s responsibility to ensure they are on dedicated sound studio (see schedule and proactively notify the production team about any list on p. 5). Always limit changes to the timeline to avoid causing delays in the podcast background noise and echo by release schedule. recording in small, quiet spaces that absorb sound. For 3. Secure adequate recording space, book equipment (if example, your closet is better necessary), and schedule any guests you want to feature. than your office. When planning a recording session, expect the process to • Microphone & audio take twice as long as the finished episode length to allow for recorder errors and redos, technical hiccups, and getting comfortable Sound studios often provide with the microphone. their own recording 4. Prepare a script, interview questions, or otherwise draft equipment. When purchasing your episode. Plan well to maximize recording time and your own, consider choosing a minimize editing time. dynamic microphone (Shure 5. Record your episode content. All original audio should be and Electrovoice are quality brands) and a Zoom sound saved as spokenweb_origin_yourname_date and stored as recorder. Focus on flexibility .wav files in the Original Audio Google Drive folder. and reliability. 6. Install Hindenburg audio editor software on your • Headphones computer. Talk to the SpokenWeb lead at your institution Headphones are particularly about getting a Hindenburg license. For Hindenburg critical when editing your tutorials, visit https://hindenburg.com/support/tutorials episode, but may also be used 7. Open the template episode file in Hindenburg. You will when recording. see elements like the theme song are already in place. • Hindenburg audio editor 8. Import your audio into the template and save the new file Recorded audio will need to as spokenweb_episode_yourname_date. Working files be edited in Hindenburg should be saved as Hindenburg files and uploaded to the software. The podcast Hindenburg Files Google Drive folder. production team will provide a template file to use. Both a trial 9. Place your content in the appropriate order based on the version and an educator structure provided and your own vision for the episode. Edit software license are available. the file until you are satisfied. Expect editing to take at least Contact your SpokenWeb lead three times as long as the length of the finished episode— for license information. longer if you’re still learning.
• Google Drive 10. Create a description of the episode, including notes Files will be uploaded and regarding citations, credits, or acknowledgements, which will stored to folders in Google be posted alongside the episode (for an example, see p. 4). Drive. Save the file as spokenweb_desc_yourname_date and
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Our Approach upload it as a Word document (.doc, .docx) to the Episode Description Google Drive folder. SpokenWeb is an episodic 11. Notify [email protected] that you have podcast, where each completed steps 1-10 and include links to the uploaded files instalment can stand alone, but in the email. episodes should share a 12. The production team will add the introduction and similar sensibility and purpose. closing, as well as conduct a final edit for both the episode content and description. Each episode should be: 13. Finalized episodes will be uploaded as .mp3 files to the Thoughtful Final Episodes Google Drive folder. You will have 7 days to Episodes are each carefully review the finalized podcast episode and description. considered and planned out 14. The production team will upload the finalized podcast (and scripted when practical) episode to the podcast feed and you will be notified of the scheduled release date. A .wav of the final episode will also to ensure listeners can follow be submitted to Summit, SFU’s institutional repository. along. Episodes will make listeners think, but creators Structure & Timing prioritize being accessible, not A template Hindenburg audio file will be provided to all just academic. Avoid jargon, contributors to help guide their structuring of an episode. pretension, and rants. Each episode will open and close with the podcast host, who will provide an introduction and then finish with production Friendly credits. A small library of interstitial music will be provided Treat the listener like a friend for use to transition between parts or segments of your you’re explaining something episode. Sound effects will also be available in the library. to; don’t condescend or talk A sample structure for an episode might be: down to them. Respect and � theme kindness are important, even Host opening, introduction (2 minutes) when explaining basic � theme concepts. The ideal tone is Contributor content professional but warm. � interstitial music Contributor content Dynamic � theme To create a sense of energy Host closing, credits (2 minutes) and life, voices should be � theme expressive, interested, and varied. Treat the podcast as Format Type Recommended As a guideline, episodes storytelling. This helps listeners Content Length with 1 speaker should be 15-23 minutes and 2+ follow along. Introduce Interview, panel, 15-50 minutes speakers might be additional voices or sound reading, lecture 15-50 minutes. Longer elements where beneficial. Audio essay 15-23 minutes projects can be a series.
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Submit a Pitch Complete the sections below and email the completed document to [email protected] with the subject line “Pitch for SpokenWeb podcast.” You should receive a response within 7 days.
Episode
Format: (interview, panel, reading, lecture, audio essay, other)
Topic: (e.g. poetry readings in 1960s Montreal, a literary movement in the 1980s, interviewing Yann Martel about Life of Pi)
Suggested Title [optional]:
Episode production start date: Expected completion date:
Resources
Episode Team Lead: Team Members: (name and email address) (names)
Audio production experience: (none, beginner, intermediate, expert)
Access to Hindenburg: (software installed, need Hindenburg software license)
Email accounts that need to access to SpokenWeb Podcast Google Drive folders: (up to 3 email addresses)
Sample Episode Description Each episode requires a description to accompany it. Please provide an episode description in the style of the example below:
Episode # is a FORMAT (e.g. interview, panel, reading, lecture, audio essay) with/about TOPIC (e.g. poetry readings in 1960s Montreal, a literary movement in the 1980s, interviewing Yann Martel about Life of Pi). This episode was created by SpokenWeb contributors NAME(S) with additional audio courtesy of ARCHIVE/ ORGANIZATION and support from NAME(S). Special thanks to NAME(S). Citations: (e.g. Berry, Richard. “Part of the Establishment: Reflecting on 10 Years of Podcasting as an Audio Medium.” Convergence 22, no. 6 (December 1, 2016): 661–71. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/1354856516632105.) — Note: Please use Chicago style citations Further Resources: [optional]
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Resources Sound Studio Locations
Location Organization Resource Name Contact Address
Calgary, AB
University of Digital Media Book online Taylor Family Digital Calgary Commons https:// Library A/V Suites workrooms.ucalgary 410 University Court NW .ca/spaces?lid=1393 Calgary, AB Edmonton, AB
University of Digital Scholarship UAlberta Libraries (coming 2019) Alberta Centre
University of Faculty of Arts Electroacoustic Department of Music Alberta recording booth Studios, 3-82 Fine Arts Building [email protected] University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta Kelowna, BC
University of The AMP Lab amplab.ubco@gmail Faculty of Creative and British .com Critical Studies Columbia - Okanagan Campus Okanagan http:// 1148 Research Road amplab.ok.ubc.ca/ Kelowna, BC Canada index.php/about-us/
University of UBC Okanagan Mathew.Vis- Okanagan Library British Library [email protected] 3333 University Way Columbia - Kelowna, BC Okanagan http:// library.ok.ubc.ca/ about-us/contact/ librarians/mathew- vis-dunbar/ Montreal, QC
Concordia Centre for Oral cohds.chorn@conco Library Building, 10th University History and rdia.ca Floor, Room LB-1042 Storytelling 1400 de Maisonneuve Blvd W. Montreal, QC
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Location Organization Resource Name Contact Address
Concordia TAG Centre tag.coordinator@co TAG Lab University ncordia.ca Concordia University 1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. West, EV11.435 Montreal, QC Vancouver, BC
Simon Fraser Digital Humanities [email protected] Room 724, W.A.C. University Innovation Lab Bennett Library Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive Burnaby, BC
Simon Fraser SFU Woodward SFU Woodward University recording studios 149 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC
Vancouver Inspiration Lab http://www.vpl.ca/ Second floor Public Library facilities/inspiration- 350 West Georgia Street lab/record Vancouver, BC
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