Class 6 – Monday, November 2

What we listened to/discussed:

INTERACTIVE

DATA/INVESTIGATIVE

IN TRANSLATION

Pleasure meeting all of you – please stay in touch!

Class 5 – Monday, October 26

You’re not going to believe this.

Our next class is on Monday, November 2nd and it is our last class together. Midway through class you’ll be moving from audio to video until the end of the semester. So sad!

But if you love radio, theres’s a 15-week class in the spring semester called Radio News Writing & Reporting. It’s also the pre-req for the podcast class – a class for people who want to make a weekly show. And there’s also more to learn and listen to here.

Assignments due next class (Nov 2) –

  • Write and record a short feature using your work interview.  You should have already picked your favorite tape. You’ve written a script. Now record yourself reading the story and edit it together in ProTools. You should use at least 3 AX, and the story needs to be a good balance between tape and script.
  • Next class you should hand in a WAV file of your story onto Network Share. It needs to be between 2 min – 3 min. No shorter, no longer. You should also hand in a script (here’s an example). ** You can have a host intro or not, your choice **
  • Please read “Common Newswriting Errors” – I’ll email it to you.

 

Story Example

Jake Becker

September 30, 2013

Joel Seidemann, Assistant District Attorney Script

LISTEN TO THE STORY HERE

JAKE BECKER: Trial lawyer Joel Seidemann broke out of law school with a high-paying job at a big-time New York firm, but the corporate world quickly tired him out. Leaving his post at Shearman & Sterling for the Manhattan district attorney’s office meant taking a major pay cut, but 31 years later, he doesn’t feel any regret.

JOEL SEIDEMANN (0:12): The difference between the big firm and the DA’s office was the big firm was all perks, horrible work, horrible people, and the DA’s office was no perks, wonderful work, wonderful people.

JAKE BECKER: Wonderful, but many. Office space in the DA’s office is rather tight. Lawyers’ desks replace those that would otherwise belong to receptionists, and attorneys share facilities with those less keen on the law.

JOEL SEIDEMANN (0:15): In the DA’s office, you’re in an alcove, a little 6×6 entry room to a senior person’s office. The toilets are used by defendants. The toilets are used by witnesses who are semi-criminals, they’re always filthy.

JAKE BECKER: I spoke to Seidemann at his clean, comfortable home in Westchester County. He lit up the rom with his Sunday afternoon outfit: blue jeans and a bright orange Syracuse T-shirt, showing support for his hometown and his daughter’s current university. The work can be especially stressful when handling high profile cases, such as the 2009 trial against the son of deceased New York City grand dame Brooke Astor, which Seidemann won as lead prosecutor. Though he often has to work with convicts, he enjoys finding humor wherever he can.

SEIDEMANN (0:16): My witnesses have criminal records, I mean I put murderers on the stand. I remember one guy had murdered somebody, he was cooperating with us and was testifying and he’s sitting in my office smoking a cigarette, and his mother said, “Bernard, don’t smoke!” And he said, “Ma, get a grip, I’m doing 25 to life.” [laughs]

JAKE BECKER: To help compensate for the lower state attorney salary, Seidemann, who turns 60 next year, has for the last 18 years taught a trial advocacy course at Pace University. He finds that the best way to teach students how to build a case and work a courtroom is by using his everyday skills: discussion and debate.

SEIDEMANN (0:04): It helps keep your skills sharp. It’s the most transferrable.

JAKE BECKER: Though supporting a wife and 2 children on a DA’s salary has proven to be difficult, he continues to provide through his knowledge and love of the law.

In Manhattan, I’m Jake Becker.

Class 4 – Monday, October 19

Congrats on two successful newscasts, everyone! We’ll listen to the shows in class next week.

For next week’s class, please do the following:

  • DO THIS FIRST: read and listen to the clips in the Nancy Updike manifesto (Pt 1 and Pt 2) on Transom.
  • NOW DO THIS: Write your story. Thank you for your audio clips from your work interview. Now write a short feature using your work interview.  You should have already picked your favorite tape. Next step is to write a story using some of that tape. You should use at least 3 cuts, but the story needs to be a good balance between tape and script.
  • Next class you should hand in just a SCRIPT of your story. Your script should be an EXACT transcription of your story and all of your cuts should be transcribed. Read it aloud – it needs to be between 1:30 and 2 min.
  • Here’s an EXAMPLE from a student from two years ago.

** DO NOT LEAVE THIS ASSIGNMENT TO THE LAST MINUTE! It sounds straightforward, but is more time consuming than you think. Get your script done first and make sure you leave a few days to get the mix together too. **

Class 3 – Monday, Oct. 5

NOTE: There’s no class on Monday, Oct 12th.

Assignments due on Monday, October 19th, 2015:

  • Complete a one-on-one interview. Find someone you don’t already know and interview them about their work. Try to find some compelling and surprising stories and details about their job. The interview should last between least 15-25 minutes. Be sure to ask lots of questions including: what does the future hold for their job? We will use their responses for a short news story. You do not need to hand in the whole interview.
  • Pull 5 or 6 cuts from your interview that you really like. Each cut should be between 10-30 second. Put the cuts up on the Network Share (the folder is called “Jobs”)
  • FOR THE NEWSCAST ON OCT. 19TH: Come to class with three ideas for news we should cover in our newscast. It can be big or small, and at least one idea should be about something happening in NYC that evening.
  • Bring your charged cellphone to the class and your dinner

What we listened to in-class:

Tips for Interviewing

  • Prepare your questions
  • Write a lot, weed out the ones that don’t matter
  • Put them in order
  • Make sure you have the ones you need near the top
  • Put the truly difficult ones at the end
  • Arrive a bit early, dress appropriately, bring extra batteries
  • Tell them the rules of the game: how long you’ll record, how much you’ll use, feel free to say whatever you want, you can also say something again
  • Ask them their name, their title, a short title, how to pronounce and spell their name
  • Make sure you listen
  • Ask them to explain, ask them again
  • Ask the questions that the listener are thinking
  • Don’t let them hold the mic! Ever!
  • Feel free to steer subject back to the subject that matters
  • Try to maintain eye contact, don’t go “uh huh”
  • Bring paper & pen – write down Qs that come up
  • Look at your questions, anything you missed? Anything you should ask again?
  • Anything I should have asked?
  • Room tone / ambi – at least 30 seconds – if it’s a noisy room get a minute of ambi

Good luck!

Class 2 – Monday, Sept. 28

Assignments due on Monday, October 5th, 2015:

  1. Record at least 10 people responding to one of the following questions: What did you think of the lunar eclipse? or What did you think of the Pope’s visit to NYC? or What kind of president do you think Donald Trump would be? (OR just write your own question on one of the three topics – the lunar eclipse, the Pope’s visit or a possible Donald Trump presidency. Just PICK ONE QUESTION. Be sure to ask people the same question, the same way. Be sure to record at least 1 minute of ambience. Then listen to your tape and do a rough log (here’s an example of a log here). Edit a vox together in ProTools using your favorite responses to the question. Your final vox should be about 30 seconds to 90 seconds MAX. Please put the final vox on Network Share (along with the log) and label it like this: 20151002_Vox_Aronczyk.wav
  2. Please read the This American Life comic book – I’ve emailed you a copy, please let me know if you don’t have it.

What does a tape log look like?

The key is to mark what time you’ll find the tape (so great tape at 2:23). It’s also a good idea to add as many details as possible – you might want to pull this tape in ten years, and a helpful log will always save you time.

Here’s an example:

Earthquake Vox Pop Log

NYC, 40th Street (in front of the Times Square Subway Stop)

August 24, 2011

Firstname Lastname

email@journalism.cuny.edu

 

Track 1 (Father and Son)

0:00: Q: Where were you

0:02: On subway , didn’t know it happened

0:05: Q: What was your reaction

0:08: pretty surprised, think of them happening in more mountainous areas or in the south

 

Track 2 (same people)

0:00: Q: Are you guys from NY?

0:04: We’re from Atlanta

 

Track 3 (same people) This is my best tape. They’re all wearing NYC Apple t-shirts, dad is holding a subway map upside down. They are so excited about the earthquake!

0:00: Q: What are you doing in NY?

0:04: son: It’s fun, lots of sights to see

(father repeats my question)

0:08: son : acting

0:13: Child expressing his surprise (mimicking father’s sentiment), “I said really? In NY? I wouldn’t think of an earthquake in NY!”

0:24 Q: Do you ever get earthquakes in Atlanta?

0:25 No, never.

 

Track 4 (2 teenage girls)

0:00 : Q: Where were you?

0:05 : In subway, I think we were in the Subway

0:12 : Really scared, first year in NY, I thought earthquakes were supposed to be in California

0:22: (friend speaking) Felt the same way, wondering when and where

0:29: Q: Do you know anyone who was affected by earthquake?

0:32 : I don’t

0:33: (friend speaking) At the bookstore she works at books fell off the shelf

 

Track 5 (Man from Peru)

0:00: Q: What do you think about the earthquake?

0:05: I speak a little English I’m sorry

0:07: (repeat question)

0:12: Ah I feel it, I feel it

0:14: Q: Where were you

0:16: In my room watching TV

0:21: Q: Did anything happen?

0:25: What’d you say?

0:27: Q:(repeats question)

0:33: Felt my bed move a little (makes moving sound effects)

0:44: Television “FLASH FLASH” earthquake right now

0:47: oh my god, me wake up, go outside to the street for security

0:53: Q: How did you feel? We’re you frightened

0:55: In my country, every two months there is an earthquake, here, 1st time. I’m here 17 years, no problem.

1:06: Q: Where are you from?

1:09: From Peru, South America

1:10: Q: There’s a lot of earthquakes there?

1:11: Yes.

1:14: Q. What do you do in your country when there is an earthquake?

1:16: What you say?

1:17: Q: (repeats question)

1:36: In my country it’s dangerous, everybody afraid, please God stop it, here, nothing.

 

Track 6 (Construction Worker)

0:00: Q: Where were you?

0:02: Right over here working

0:04: Q: And you didn’t feel anything?

0:05: No.   LOG CONTINUES……

Class 1 – Monday, Sept. 21

Assignments due Monday, September 28th, 2015:

  1. Please find WNYC 93.9FM on the radio or online – listen to at least one story in its entirety. If you don’t have a radio, you can stream it online. What did you hear? What did you like? What didn’t you like? What got your attention?
  2. This I Believe: Students should write their own “This I Believe” essay. It should be between 60-90 seconds, approximately 150-250 words. Write the essay, then take out the equipment and record yourself reading it. Make sure the sound is okay on the file, if not, record it again. Put the final file on Network Share under “Fall 2015 // Courses // Fundamentals in Multimedia // Aronczyk” folder. Please label your file like this: 20150928_ThisIBelieve_LastName.wav
  3. Please read the Scott Simon article, “Writing for the Ear”

What we listened to/watched: