Unit 17: Audio Production Techniques

Presentation Techniques for broadcasting

.      Indoor acoustics: the principles of sound and acoustics;

Studio based acoustics

Acoustics in a recording studio are usually said to be “dead” as the walls are built to have a very short reverberation time, soundproofing is also important it has to be built to deal with low frequencies like the rumble of a car engine or the sound of a plane. There is also a double wall between the studio and the main building this creates the room within a room effect which helps reduce low frequency sounds because it’s not as strongly connected to the foundations of the other building. The dead room is usually used to record spoken word as it gives a very clean sound.

Live rooms are sort of the opposite of a dead room, instead of stopping reverb it increases it by bouncing the sound around the room, and the noise it creates is very pleasing to the ear.

The surface types used in dead rooms and live rooms are very different as a certain needs to be attained from use of specific surfaces that either increase or decrease reverberation. In dead room foam insulation would be used in the walls to absorb mid-range to high frequency sound. To stop the diffraction of sound all small holes and cracks will need to be sealed.

As you can see here the surface for a dead room is designed to absorb all reverberation, you can see this from the picture there are a lot of wooden slats, this eliminates any chance of sound bouncing (reverberation)

This a picture of a live room as you can see it is very different from a dead room, not only in size but also the material and room design. Having a big studio room like this stops the comb effect which is usually created by having walls and ceilings very close to the performer; the effect makes the voice sound very hollow. The hardwood is a key material in a live room like this as it reflects sound extremely well.

Reverberation is created when sound is produced in a small space, which causes a high amount of echo which bounces of surfaces like hardwood, the many echoes will disappear.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/acoustic/studio.html

http://artsites.ucsc.edu/EMS/Music/tech_background/TE-14/teces_14.html

http://www.keplar.net/articles/build-a-project-studio-you-can-be-proud-of/dead-rooms-and-live-rooms/

http://www.realtraps.com/art_spaces.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverberation

Outdoor acoustics: 

Outdoor acoustics are very different to indoor as there are a lot of noises that cannot be controlled as easily indoors; this means that you will always need something that will decrease unwanted noise like wind and background noise, to do this a wind shield is used piece of foam that goes over the mic. Sound bites are small sound clips that last between 15 and 30 seconds, it is normally taken from a longer audio clip.

Background noise is easy to get rid of in a controlled indoor studio as you can edit it out using audio programs like soundtrack pro and FL studio, when recording outside there will be a lot more unwanted background noise, the solution to this is to either edit it out, you will be able to get rid of most of the unwanted noise or you can do the conventional way which is to use a wind shield this is often the most effective.

Sometimes you might want this background atmosphere especially if you’re making a film as ambient noise makes the scene more real for example if two people were sat on a beach chatting you would record the sound of waves, some birds, people running about, this would be recorded separately from any dialogue then lay it on the video using editing software like Premiere Pro or Avid.

http://unit17audioproduction.blogspot.co.uk/

.     Simulated acoustics: 

Simulated acoustics are effects that are added in post production using sound editing software, effects can also be added live during a performance by using an effects unit, these are normally housed in a rack mount or amplifier, you can also get pedal boards that are normally seen in use with electric guitars, these units can dramatically change the sound output of an instrument.

Effects pedal

Rack mounts; these are almost electronically identical to an effects pedal, they are a lot more complex and contain several effects. They are normally used for studio recordings and live sound mixing; it can be controlled by either a midi digital control interface or the musician who controls it using a foot pedal.

Sound Processors are used to accurately replicate characteristics of sound; they are often used on computers and are referred to as Sound cards.

Compression is a post production process that is done using audio editing software, compression is used to make things louder, and this “means you turn up the levels in the mix without overwhelming everything else”. When something is compressed it “automatically turns down the loudest parts and keeps the average consistent this enables you to turn up the overall level without getting distortion”. Overall compressing makes the audio fuller and more controlled.

Computer-based audio plug-ins are pieces of software that you buy and add to a full editing program like premiere pro or avid, they give a load of effects that don’t come with the editing software. For example you might have a plug-in pack that is used for EQ only or compression.

Surround sound, this is used to immerse the viewer of a film by having speakers set up so they cover 360 degrees, the surround sound processor decodes the multi channel audio formats from the DVD or TV broadcast. There a few different surround sound setups for example 5.1 surround sound which isn’t full surround sound and 7.1 which is, the 7 stands for the number of audio channels and the .1 is the low frequency effect or LFE, .1 is mono and .2 is stereo.

Pitch is similar to frequency, if the sound is high pitched then it will have a high frequency and a short wave length where as a low pitch will have a low frequency and a long wave length.

A time delay effect is similar to a reverb in the way that it plays a sound again after a set amount of time, it does this by using a ram buffer which stores the audio for a set amount of time before releasing it.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/manual-1.2/effects_delay.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_unit

http://productionadvice.co.uk/using-compression/

http://answers.ask.com/science/physics/what_is_sound_pitch

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surround_sound

Unit 37: Presentation Techniques for Broadcasting

Presentation Techniques for broadcasting

News presenters

News Presenters are probably one of the stricter presenter jobs mainly because of the way they have to speak, they need to be able to use correct terminology and pronunciation this makes them a lot clearer in their speech and the audience will be able to understand with ease, no slang words and sentences like “that football match was so sick” as this would not be appropriate for the BBC’s target audience, Fiona Bruce who is a news presenter for the BBC news she seems good at talking directly too you rather than down to you, this is a lot better for the audience rather than talking down to them as they will feel like more comfortable and carry on watching, she sounds quite authoritative because of the tone of her voice, the way she dresses in a smart outfit also gives you the impression that she knows what she is talking about and that we can trust her.

News Presenters can vary on their presentation style depending on the channel as they have a different target audience, a lot of the rules that apply to BBC presenters don’t apply to a presenter from MTV news, a presenter from a channel like this will use slang as it connects them with their target audience which is mostly teenagers, teenagers would expect that kind of presentation from MTV, they don’t need to use proper pronunciation but will probably still need to use correct terminology, the way they dress isn't very important.

The 60 second news presenter on BBC three has to be able to deliver the information in a very short amount of time, this appeals to the target audience as BBC three isn't a news channel. 

Continuity Announcer

A Continuity Announcers job is to tell you what’s coming up next on that channel; they will probably give you a very brief description of what happens in the next show, their aim of their job is to keep the viewers watching and make sure they don’t switch channel to do that they use phrases like “its radio ones big weekend Get ready to bounce” a phrase like this is meant to connect with the BBC’s target audience and make them stick around for a bit longer. Continuity announcers also speak directly to you, they try and talk in a way that makes them seem like you’re their mate, and they do this by using slang while talking about the next show. BBC three now has a continuity announcement at the end of the 60 sec news. At the end of show they will make a small comment on it then announce the next program.

Broadcast journalists

Broadcast journalists like Nick Robinson are part of the everyday BBC news. A journalist like nick Robinson has to appear knowledgeable about the issue and have a deep understanding of it, they have to speak in a similar way to a news presenter, and the difference is they are presenting a lot more information than a news presenter. A broadcast journalist will have to had researched all their information before they are broadcast, they have to talk in a very serious manner especially if you’re a political journalist, there expressions will always be quite stern or serious, they are normally answering a question from the news presenter this creates a debate style presentation, the way these journalists dress is also quite important as it adds can subtly make them more trust worth and informative.

Magazine programme presenter

Magazine program presenters are not expected to have a deep understanding of what they are presenting but they are expected to be knowledgeable across a range of subjects, they need to be able to appear in control and link different bits of information together. for example the top gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson is very relaxed and laid back which makes the audience like him, he’s not a formal presenter as he uses informal language most of the time, he nearly always appears to have a good understanding of the topic which is cars, he has good interviewing skills as he makes the person being interviewed very comfortable and sometimes not, although that all part of his presentation style which is very jokey and humorous, he always uses slang and correct terminology as he is expected to give facts about the cars. As he is part of a 3 person presentation group with James May and Richard Hammond, they are always joking together or ganging up on one of them, they all use a very laid back presentation style it never really gets very serious. The outfits they were are very casual which adds to their presentation style.

Lifestyle shows

Lifestyle shows cover a range of topic; presenters could be well known chefs, fashion designers and famous presenters.

Cooking shows always use a famous TV chef as it appeals to the target audience that watches that type of program, for example Jamie Oliver has presented hundreds of cooking shows over the past few years, the viewing figures will be high or low depending on which chef presenter you have, it all revolves around the presenter. The presenter has to be able to always be talking about the food that they are making, while using descriptive words “crunchy and zesty” they also tell you how easy it is to get hold of the ingredients and where to get it from basically they will tell you lots of info about the different parts to the dish, this is a good way of engaging with the audience as they will probably write down the name of that ingredient or they will be cooking at the same time. Jamie Oliver always shows and tells you how to cut things properly reducing the risk of injury.

Home improvement shows like grand designs use the presenter Kevin McCloud as he has been in that area of television for years and years; having him present the show will probably pull in more viewers than any other home improvement’s presenter. When he is presenting he tries to talk to the viewer as if they were his mate, this builds a good relationship between the viewers and the presenter, he has to “hold the viewer’s hand” and show them these buildings, he tries to be on the viewer’s side “I’m with you, not them, they’re mad, your safe and I’m making sure that your safe” that is basically how he presents a show like grand designs, he always dresses relatively smart except when he is on the building site.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEchLMPk-Qs

Documentary Presenters

Documentary presenters are quite different some are real some are fake, take Lois Theroux his documentary’s seem very real especially the way he presents them, he is never afraid to ask potentially offensive or uncomfortable questions, the way he talks about the subjects he presents is always very casual this is to keep the viewer comfortable as he does cover a few uncomfortable topics, he is very open about anything that he presenting and is not scared to get involved but only to a certain extent, doing these things make him very likable although to the people he is talking to can find him annoying. His best technique is to question without fear and he is very good at it.

One of the Best wildlife documentary presenters of all time David Attenborough, his presentation style is very unique in terms of wildlife documentary’s, he always  

Gets right up close to the animal he is filming, this makes it a lot more interesting for the viewer, also the fact that many people have grown up with him presenting wildlife shows, this makes his voice very familiar and easy to listen to, the way he talks is very audience engaging especially when presented with amazing imagery from the camera team.

DJ or VJ

In the world of radio and especially mainstream radio like radio 1 having the right presenter can make you ratings go up or down as they are the voice of that show for however long there on for, radio 1 presenters are normally in their twenty’s as they have to appeal to their target audience which is 12 – 14 year olds, they can do this by speaking and using popular vocabulary that will appeal to their audience, the presenter will be very chatty in the way they present the show for example Nick Grimshaw who is like that is very popular at the moment. Presenters don’t need to know the music that they are playing just be able to connect with their target audience, although it would be better if they did.

Chat show host

Jonathan Ross the presenter for The Jonathon Ross show on ITV is a good example of a chat show host, he is very likeable to the audience and the person he is interviewing, this makes the person he is interviewing more relaxed, his presentation style is quite informal mostly with his speech, he always wears a suit which is the more formal side of him. The fact that he can’t pronounce his “r” adds to his likeable personality and makes his overall presentation very relaxed.  He has to always appear in control this is where the suit helps as it makes him seem more important, he presents himself as very fun character as he can always ask those personal questions which the audience love, this is helped by the fact that he seems to be able to come up with questions very quickly which is great as it keeps the pace of the show at speed.

Game shows

Game shows are the type of program people like to watch when they get back from work, quick easy watching that they can interact with. For example the game show pointless on BBC One presented by Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman, the two of them together always presents themselves to be in complete control this is because they are always very relaxed with the contestants who have never been on a TV show before this makes them more relaxed as well as the audience. The witty thinking between the two presenters is very good as it keeps the show moving, they are both able to think very quickly which helps with the general mood between the audience and contestants and viewers very light. They both wear suits which presents them as clever and in control.

Verbal tech

Discuss Verbal techniques:

A presenter like Brian Cox uses a lot of verbal techniques to engage the audience with what he is talking about, if he didn’t he would just be talking seemingly without any interest in the topic, it would be more of a ramble with no order to it. As soon as he starts having a structure to his presentation it becomes a lot easier to follow, the vocabulary he uses to his advantage to describe things with grander words which is when he uses paraphrasing which is when he describes something using different words to that all mean the same thing for example “this star is massive, grand, a thousand times the size of our sun” he also puts things into context for the audience. He uses illustrative language to describe what he’s talking about this makes it easy for the audience to imagine what he is describing. The tone and pace of his voice makes him seem like he is amazed by it, he uses a lot of pauses to just stare and think, he is trying to make the audience feel the same way he does, using all these techniques help him make the show more appropriate to the target audience.

Another program that uses a lot of verbal techniques is Master Chef, the presenters are always using paraphrasing and Illustrative language to describe the food that they are tasting, there trying to make the audience taste it with the words they use as the audience can’t physically taste it, they have a large vocabulary of words to do with food that help them present the show.

Visual techniques:

Dress and appearance is very important for presenters of all show genres, the way they can show whether they are going to tell you something important or a bit of obscure celeb news, it can tell you what type of show that you are watching and who its aimed at, you can tell all this from the way a presenter dresses formal or informal. On shows like the BBC news the presenters have to be dressed smartly as they are delivering the latest and most important news, you probably wouldn’t take them seriously if they were all dressed in beach cloths or something like that whereas if you were watching MTV then that would be the case as it’s a very informal channel, their target audience is mostly teenagers, wearing suits wouldn’t really appeal to them. On a show like the Jonathon ross show he dresses formally although he presents in  a very informal way so there is a mix.

Body Language is also important for a presenter especially if they interview people in the show, their body language would include things like how they sit, their facial expressions how they move and physical gestures.

Presenters Physical gestures towards another host, contestant and someone being interviewed are very important for example on the Jonathon ross show if the main ignored an attempt at a hand shake from the person he is about to interview, the lack of a physical gesture there immediately tells the that person that he is un welcome. If a presenter put up a middle finger at the camera that would be considered a very rude physical gesture and would be seen as a rude person. If the presenter closed his eyes while someone was talking to him or her and fell asleep that would tell the audience and the person they are interviewing that the presenter is not interested. A presenter would be expected to use appropriate physical gestures this would include handshakes hands out of pockets.

How the presenter moves can show how confident or unconfident they are to the audience, if a presenter talks and looks at their feet you can tell they’re very unconfident although if they were they wouldn’t have been a presenter in the first place, a presenter should move with confidence and control.

A  presenters Facial expressions can say a lot about what they are talking about and what they think of it, whether they’re shocked, happy, unhappy, sympathetic, scared, intrigued, serious, jokey basically a lot of emotions that correspond to what they themselves have said or what someone else has done or said, presenters have to be careful with how they react to certain things for example if one of the BBC news presenters hated Justin Bieber and they were announcing that he was unable to sing for the rest of his life, the presenter should not show a biased opinion through their facial expression as they would probably be smiling.

How a presenter presents themselves in all aspects has to be appropriate to the target audience, for example their dress, how they speak, facial expressions, movement and vocabulary use.

Context:
production institution; (ITV, E4 BBC) has its audience expectations

There are a lot of production institutions, they all have their particular target audience and show genre and the target audience expects a certain type of show from that institute. For example the BBC’s audience is very wide from toddlers to adults; all these people expect certain types of shows to be on certain channels, for example BBC One covers a lot of live events like F1 Wimbledon and the Olympics, if any of these events were shown on say E4 they would hardly get any viewers as people who watch E4 expect shows like the big bang theory, if you put the big bang theory on the BBC it would be in the wrong context as BBC don’t show shows like that. E4 is mainly a teenagers channel as it shows a lot of comedy and action shows that are aimed at teenagers; these teenagers expect that type of show from E4.

ITV show shows like Britain’s got talent, jordy Shaw and The only way is Essex, the audience that watches these types of shows wouldn’t expect any shows like Doctor who they would expect that from BBC One.

Different channels are aimed at different audiences.