LO4: Presenting product to an audience to gain feedback

TO GAIN FEEDBACK WE SENT A SAMPLE OF OUR AUDIO TO PEOPLE THAT FIT WITHIN OUR 16-24 YEAR OLD DEMOGRAPHIC (C2DE SOCIAL GRADING), THIS WOULD GIVE US AN ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF HOW THE AUDIENCE WOULD RECEIVE THE AUDIO TRAIL SHOULD IT GO INTO PRODUCTION.

From the feedback it is clear that our radio trail has been a success with our audience as we have received a positive response from the sample demographic, this shows how our research has benefitted the construction of our radio trail as the codes and conventions we have researched have been incorporated into our audio trail . Some of the feedback we received stated that we should possibly include more features of the show as to further entice listeners and reiterate the fact that the show is local - to make amendments to this we added extra dialogue stating that there was going to be more features within the show such as interviews ,weather and gossip features which makes it conventional of a magazine talk show.

The only feedback we did not act upon from our audience is mentioning that the show is local as I believe this would be made obvious in the rest of the show should they tune in - having to say that the show is local would for me by pass the point of including codes and conventions as you would be directly telling the listener what they should be able to pick up on in the main body of the show.

Apart from the above discrepancies , our audio trail proved to be successful with our sample of the demographic which suggests that should this go into production it would attract the right demographic based on the content and editing techniques

LO2: Scripted Voice overs

EXT: BIRD SOUND 

NARRATOR: The mountainous range of Cairngorms in the eastern Highlands of Scotland boasts some of the countries most spectacular scenery, from the dramatic fog ridden valleys  to Loch Garden which come the summer months is alive with imposing ospreys nesting in the surrounding tree tops.

As expected,  this area of natural beauty is popular with locals and tourists alike and has over the years become a hive of some of the nations favoured wildlife. The forest of Abernethy spans across nearly 32,000 acres, a green expanse littered with towering pine trees which has become a popular destination for those eager to spot one of Scotlands most prolific residents.


There are 20,000 Red squirrels populating Scotland, this quite magnificently amounts to 75% of the British population of Red squirrels living right here on Scottish land. The average weight of one of these nifty mammals is 250g, making scaling the landscapes pines in search of food a simple task - They survive on a staple diet of pine seeds, acorns, Berries , Fungi and Sap tissue which in spring are in abundance meaning their weight can advance by up to 100g.


The red squirrel is renound for its stunning auburn colouring, this colour varies dependent on the season and come winter it is normal for them to begin displaying streaks of grey, that being said their underside remains cream throughout the year.


Squirrels tend to live in conifer or broadleaf woodland, they live in spherical nests known as dreys made of a sturdy frame of fallen twigs and lined carefully with moss and grass scavenged from the forest floor. They navigate the tree tops by leaping from branch to branch with an impressive reach of up to 10ft, being so high up, the squirrels share their habitat with a variety of species of bird making the forest an ideal location for a keen bird spotter.


The large tufted ears of a Red Squirrel make it easy to determine their surroundings, this paired with their nimble feet makes it easy to make a quick getaway should predators be nearby. Essentially the squirrel is a gentle animal, learning to live alongside other wildlife in the Forest of Abernethy and without them , there would be a hole in the Scottish landscape.

LO3: Script Draft and final script P4

LO4: p6 Evidence of editing

Editing the Audio trail

First of all, I uploaded the assets into Abode Audition using a multitrack workstation so that it was clear to see each recorded piece - the layers which make up the audio trail were visible and I was edit each one in turn. In track one , I placed the recording from the sound booth and in track two , I placed the bedding music which was obtained from a royalty free online cache. I then refined the types of audio within the tracks to Dialogue and music as to gain the relevant editing panels in my Audition work station. 

To the Dialogue audio track , I enhanced the speech using the 'female' type option which picks up upon the pitches and tones within the voices and smooths them out making them appear more feminine - this also added a synthetic edge to the voices however will be appreciated by the younger target audience as it connotes that the show is modern. In addition to this, other radio stations within this genre such as Capital FM use synthetic voices in their jingles, by us doing this we have shown how we have followed codes and conventions and realised what elements of sound are associated with a younger target audience.

As we had two layers of sound in our product it was important that the dialogue is louder than the bedding music so that the voice actors could be heard - I selected the dialogue audio track and increased the dB to 5.4 so that the sound could be heard over the bedding music asset.

This shows the view from the waveform editing panel - for dialogue.

This shows the view from the waveform editing panel - Bedding music 

To make the bedding music quieter , I selected the audio track and using the clip volume slider , I decrease the dB down to 0.2 - this meant that the voices could be heard through the bedding music . This is a convention which is seen in many jingles and sound elements on radio shows as they have to do this to eliminate any dead air on the show - this is seen as unprofessional therefore it was important for us to adhere to this convention for our audio trail as it is would be used as an advertisement on a radio show which too would adhere to this convention.

LO3: Legal And Ethical Issues

When creating our audio trail for the radio show ONE20 fm, it is important that we consider some legal and ethical issues which could arise along the way and then ways which we can combat these in order to not be in breach of any laws. 


Legal and Ethical issues - 

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0027/19287/bcode09.pdf


Ofcom, is the regulatory body which deals with regulating everything which is broadcasted on tv and radio. They have a set of broadcast rules which producers/media companies have to abide by in order for the content to be suitable to air to a public audience, the areas which these rules cover include but are not limited to:

• protecting under eighteens
• observing watershed
• offensive/harmful language
• Harm or offence
• crime, hatred , disorder and abuse
• religion 
• elections 
• fairness
• privacy
• commercial reference to TV planning 
• commercial communications in radio programming

It is important to ensure that all content which is being broadcasted to an audience is suitable under all areas of this code. For example it is important for our planned show that we do not compromise the privacy of any of the callers who contribute to the show and or any social media accounts we include in shout outs - this would include keeping any personal data such as phone numbers , names , addresses and dates of birth private at the discretion of the caller. In relation to this , should a caller wish to be anonymous within the phone in section - this should be respected. 

In addition to this we would also have to regulate the language used by both presenters and callers as to not cause harm or offence to listeners - this would include disclosing to phone ins that their language needs to be monitored and should this be ignored - relevant apologies made. Our show needs to be impartial toward political, religious or social issues as to not cause offence and to not show any bias toward any of the aforementioned areas this will help avoid conflict between our show and listeners and also steer clear of breaking any of the codes put in place by Ofcom. Religious topics also fall under the ethical bracket also and as a show we must output a fair representation of all ethnicities , avoiding any topics which could provoke racism from callers or online profiles.

There is a possibility that some of our listeners could be under the age of 18 , therefore it is important under the code to protect them from any content which could be potentially damaging for them - this includes limited reference to sex , drugs or violence which also falls under the crime, disorder and abuse sector. There is no specific 'watershed' for radio broadcasting however there are times within the day which are expected for younger listeners not to be tuned in therefore more taboo topics can be discussed therefore around 7pm would be ideal to begin talking about going out or drinking . Although our show serves a purpose as to get listeners ready for their nights out , we must in no way glorify the abuse of alcohol or illegal substances and even as part of this include adverts from drink aware/South Yorkshire police.

LO3 : Plan the production of a sound element for an identified media purpose

Mindmap of ideas

Explanation of final idea

For the practical part of this unit I plan on creating an Audio trail which coincides with my Unit 14 radio production. The idea is to create a short piece of audio which advertises our upcoming evening show on the station following codes and conventions and using sound editing techniques along the way.

Our radio station Is aimed at a 16-24 year old C2DE demographic therefore we have decided to give samples of upcoming popular music which this demographic will be familiar with as a form of introduction to the kind of show we will be hosting. In addition to this we have also chosen to mention that our show is sponsored by 'just eat' a mobile application that brings takeaway to your door - not only does this show that the station is funded by advertisements, but it appeals directly to the C2DE demographic who may choose to have takeaway as opposed to paying to dine out in a restaurant. We have also included in our trail a hint at a giveaway that would require you to listen to the show to enter - the age group in particular that we are looking at is expected to have a low disposable income therefore the promise of competitions and giveaways are an incentive to listen to the show.

In the script we intend to include the voices of the presenters to create synergy and a link between their voices and the show itself, by creating this link we are hinting at the peer to peer mode of address the show is based around and how the feel of the show includes the listener into the discussion.

Pre production documentation

Script/draft 

Call sheet

Asset list 

https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music/track/pop-dance


Equipment list 

• studio microphone
• Media interface
• XLR cable 
• pop guard
• sound baffle 
• Adobe Audition 

Legal and Ethical 


Legal and Ethical issues - 

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0027/19287/bcode09.pdf


Ofcom, is the regulatory body which deals with regulating everything which is broadcasted on tv and radio. They have a set of broadcast rules which producers/media companies have to abide by in order for the content to be suitable to air to a public audience, the areas which these rules cover include but are not limited to:

• protecting under eighteens
• observing watershed
• offensive/harmful language
• Harm or offence
• crime, hatred , disorder and abuse
• religion 
• elections 
• fairness
• privacy
• commercial reference to TV planning 
• commercial communications in radio programming

It is important to ensure that all content which is being broadcasted to an audience is suitable under all areas of this code. For example it is important for our planned show that we do not compromise the privacy of any of the callers who contribute to the show and or any social media accounts we include in shout outs - this would include keeping any personal data such as phone numbers , names , addresses and dates of birth private at the discretion of the caller. In relation to this , should a caller wish to be anonymous within the phone in section - this should be respected. 

In addition to this we would also have to regulate the language used by both presenters and callers as to not cause harm or offence to listeners - this would include disclosing to phone ins that their language needs to be monitored and should this be ignored - relevant apologies made. Our show needs to be impartial toward political, religious or social issues as to not cause offence and to not show any bias toward any of the aforementioned areas this will help avoid conflict between our show and listeners and also steer clear of breaking any of the codes put in place by Ofcom. Religious topics also fall under the ethical bracket also and as a show we must output a fair representation of all ethnicities , avoiding any topics which could provoke racism from callers or online profiles.

There is a possibility that some of our listeners could be under the age of 18 , therefore it is important under the code to protect them from any content which could be potentially damaging for them - this includes limited reference to sex , drugs or violence which also falls under the crime, disorder and abuse sector. There is no specific 'watershed' for radio broadcasting however there are times within the day which are expected for younger listeners not to be tuned in therefore more taboo topics can be discussed therefore around 7pm would be ideal to begin talking about going out or drinking . Although our show serves a purpose as to get listeners ready for their nights out , we must in no way glorify the abuse of alcohol or illegal substances and even as part of this include adverts from drink aware/South Yorkshire police.

We are also including a news bulletins at the beginning of the show , this must be an impartial view of current events and also respectful of the listeners who may be tuned in for example leaving out news stories which could be potentially upset or cause offence to the listeners as it would be broadcasted on the 10pm news.




Data Protection act:

https://www.gov.uk/data-protection

The data protection act covers a variety of pieces of information and states that companies must not misuse the data , the data must be used in accordance to the following rules:

• used fairly and lawfully
• used for limited , specifically stated purposes
• used in a way which is adequate, relevant and not excessive 
• accurate
• kept for no longer than necessary 
• handled accordingly to peoples data protection rights
• kept safe and secure
• not transferred outside of the European economic area

As a radio station which has a strong interaction with its audience, it would be key to keep all their personal data safe as to not be in breach of the data protection act. With phone in competitions and social media shout outs , we would have access to personal data such as phone numbers , addresses and dates of birth and it is key that this data is not misused or shared with third parties. When callers phone in , we must not retain their details for any longer than necessary for example once the competition is over , the data relating to that feature must be distroyed - in the mean time the data must be kept safe and encrypted and not shared. Our listeners must be aware of the data we hold and should they not be comfortable with this, we must delete them off our records in accordance with the new rules on data protection which have come in post may 2018.

Copyright/intellectual property:

We must ensure that any assets we use as part of our radio show are either rights free or we have contacted the person who owns the intellectual property and have relevant permissions to use it. This includes any sound effects, music or jingles - we plan to get around this by creating our own sound effects or sourcing rights free ones from an online cache. Should we use music without getting permission first we would be in direct breach of the copyrights , designs and patents act.

LO2: Analyis Of The Sound Design Of Benjamin Burtt (P2)

Benjamin Burtt has created foley sound for the likes of Pixar during his career as a foley artist, one of the most prevalent of these works being 2008s WallE. Producing foley sound for an animation film is a challenging brief however one that focusses solely around a fictitious planet and machinery is particularly hard to create a sound scape for. 

Due to the film for the most part being without any dialogue / narration the atmospheric sound and soundscapes are one of the most important aspects of the film in order to support the narrative, Burtt described it as needing to create an 'original world of sound'. One of the first sounds we see created is the sound of Eve's laser gun, Burtt had discovered through experimentation that the mic picked up a different sound to what you might imagine should you strike a slinky with a metal object - the sound the slinky made is what you would expect a ray gun to sound like hence bringing the action within the animation to life. Unlike early Disney, Burtt uses small portable recording devices to take to certain locations to catch atmospheric sound - McDonald who previously did all of the foley sound for Disney used more traditional handmade props such as canvas against wood to create the sound of wind which would then be recorded using chunkier equipment within a studio - this was impressive for the technology that was available at the time,

In post 2000's Disney films such as Snow White, the methods of providing a soundtrack were purely musical with the slight interjection of a prop - this made it easier to control the sounds which were being captured and how they would fit into the action of the film , for example if someone fell over , they might have used a cymbal to connote the sound of the persons/object body hitting the floor. Burtt for the section of animation in WallE where both characters were trapped in a storm, used a boxing punch bag dragged against a carpeted floor to create a sudden gust of wind - by doing this he created a controlled piece of audio which eliminated the chance of needing to go outdoors and getting potentially unusable audio. Another object which he has used for various sounds for WallE was a thunder sheet, this is a large sheet of thin metal which when shook or struck created a low frequency sound which could be interpreted as thunder most commonly however Burtt also used it for the hum of the space ship and the take off of the rocket as the low sound mimicked that of fire gushing out of the exhaust.

Following on from the old Disney technique where a device was held over the vocal chords to create a inhuman voice, Burrt has taken a technologically advanced approach to this using a vocoder within which you can input a humans voice and at the other a tone, which changes the performance and gives the voice electronic nuances. A similar technique was used for the voice of WallE where Burtt recorded himself making a variety of noises which he changed within a computer software using a tablet and pen which altered the volume and pitch of the sound - the tilt of the pen effects how the sound is then resynthesised within the computed which gave WallE his original voice whiich ranged throughout a variety of pitches dependent on what he was saying.