COM473: Podcast Production

podcast_production_fall_2018

Instructor Information

Dr. Steven Hammer
301 Bronstein Hall
shammer@sju.edu
office hours: 10am-2pm Wednesdays or by appointment
for appointments: hammer.youcanbook.me

Catalog Description

In this course, students will focus on producing podcasts, from understanding form and genre to techniques in working with digital sound production. Students will learn advanced audio recording and post-processing techniques and tools, integrate music, write and revise scripts, publish and promote their work digitally, learn and practice interviewing techniques, and work collaboratively to create a cohesive series. Previous experience working with audio recording and editing will be helpful, though it is not a prerequisite.

Learning Objectives

In this course, students will:

• learn and practice the genre conventions of podcasting;
• create quality field and studio recordings;
• develop post-production audio skills (mixing, mastering);
• produce work that is engaged with a community

Required Materials

• 8GB-16GB SD Card compatible with Zoom H4N
• AA Batteries (I highly recommend investing in a set of rechargeables)
• Adobe Audition
• Headphones

Equipment

COM Gear Room Policies & Procedures

Policies

Academic Honesty
Please familiarize yourself with the University’s Academic Honesty Policy.

Accessibility and Disability Support
If you have any concerns as we begin–or throughout–the semester in regard to the accessibility of course materials or presentation, please contact me as soon as possible.

In accordance with state and federal laws, the University will make reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. For those who have or think that you may have a disability requiring an accommodation (learning, physical, psychological) should contact Services for Students with Disabilities, Room G10, Bellarmine, 610-660-1774 (voice) or 610-660-1620 (TTY) as early as possible in the semester for additional information and so that an accommodation, if appropriate, can be made in a timely manner. You will be required to provide current (within 3 years) documentation of the disability. For a more detailed explanation of the University’s accommodation process, as well as the programs and services offered to students with disabilities, please see the Student Resources Page. If you have any difficulty accessing the information on-line, please contact Services for Students with Disabilities at the telephone numbers above.

Collaborative Work
This course is highly collaborative in order to simulate professional production situations you may encounter after the semester. Sometimes, part of that experience is frustration, conflict, and/or unequal workloads. If you experience conflicts you are unable to resolve by communicating with one another directly, please contact me.

Attendance
Attendance (being in class, on time) and participation (engaging with us while you’re in class) are vital to your success in this course. If you must miss class, you are responsible for any information taught or assignments due/assigned. I recommend asking a classmate for an update or scheduling an appointment to come meet with me and discuss it. If you miss more than two weeks of class, your grade will automatically drop one letter. If you miss more than three weeks, you will lose two letter grades. If you miss more than four weeks, you will automatically fail the course.

Assignments & Evaluation

There are 100 points available to earn this semester.

Final grades will be determined using the following scale:

A: 94-100; A-: 90-93
B+: 87-89; B: 84-86; B-: 80-83
C+: 77-79; C: 74-76; C-: 70-73
D+: 67-69; D: 64-66; D-: 60-63
F: 0-59

Mini-Projects: 20%
Individual Project/Grade

Throughout the course, I will assign three mini-projects that will allow you to apply new knowledge and/or skills. These will be assigned in class and will be due the following class period. Check the schedule for dates and brief descriptions. Mini projects are graded as either complete (full points) or incomplete (zero points). Only complete projects are eligible for points; no late submissions will be accepted. If your submission is complete but fails to meet basic requirements, you will have an opportunity to revise for full credit.

MidTerm Podcast Portfolio: 30%
Individual and Group Grades

Your midterm consists of both group and individual efforts. The goal of the midterm is twofold: 1) I want you to each practice podcast production including writing, speaking, and mixing; 2) I want your group to have thought through, agreed upon, and planned a successful podcast. Therefore, the midterm has two components.

The Group Project: 10%
As a group, compose a detailed proposal for your podcast. Include the following:

• Name/contact information of team members
• Team members’ experience, expertise, and roles in the proposed podcast
• Podcast title
• A paragraph-length description of the show concept
• Host/s: who will host, and what is their connection to the topic?
• Structure: how will the show be structured? (e.g., interview-based, serial storytelling). What are different features the show might include?
• Episodes: Describe three sample episodes of the show, with a breakdown of its segments.
• Target Audience(s): Describe one or more intended audiences for this podcast. Be as specific and descriptive as possible.
• Competition: Are there similar podcasts already available? Please list them.
• Unique Value: How would your show be different from its competition? Why would listeners choose your show?
• Partners: What potential partnerships and collaborations are available for the podcast?
• Work Samples: Provide links to examples of your work. This may be an early version of your concept or previous work.
• Work Sample Descriptions: Provide descriptions of your work samples and it’s relevance to the proposal.
• Trailers and Trailer Descriptions

The Individual Project: 20%
*You will also include as many trailers for your show as there are members of your group. Be sure that I can tell who produced which trailer. I expect that the trailer was written, produced, and mixed by its author, and will be graded accordingly.

Collaborative Podcast Series: 50%
Group Project/Grade

Description
In groups of 3-6, you will plan, produce, publish, and promote a podcast series on the topic of your choice. Your series must contain at least one interview per episode, and you must conduct research that yields accurate and reliable information. Your series will consist of six episodes; each episode should aim for about 30 minutes in length. You will release/publish an episode per week during weeks 10-15. You can decide on the time/day, but you must be consistent each week. You will also manage a website and social media accounts for your site. You will also need to provide transcripts of each episode on your website for accessibility.

While you will each wear many hats during this project, I highly recommend that you think about assuming leadership roles in different production phases. As an example, consider this breakdown:

PreProduction Team

• Lead scripting, audioStoryboarding, revision
• Lead transcription
• Lead series concept development
• Lead research
• Promote series and episodes via website and social media
• Understand and articulate needs with team
• Take direction from other team members

Production Team

• Lead communication with organizations
• Revise scripts for production, direct host/s
• Coordinate schedules for production days with group members, locations, and outside people/organizations
• Lead interview questions and interviews
• Manage equipment acquisition, setup
• Manage all audio files (record, save, and back up)
• Take photographs, develop graphics for episode
• Understand and articulate needs with team
• Take direction from other team members

PostProduction Team

• Lead formal elements of series/episodes (length, format, transitions, in/outro, etc.)
• Lead post production: managing, mixing, and mastering audio into final episode
• Lead music production and/or permissions, integration with episodes/series
• Lead revision process
• Final episode upload in coordination with release schedule and chosen platform
• Understand and articulate needs with team
• Take direction from other team members

Evaluation
This project is worth a total of 50 points. You will be evaluated in three areas:

40%: Overall quality of series. Audio quality, strength of series theme and episode cohesion, promotion and listenership statistics, attention to podcasting conventions, relevance to target audience, ability to work together as a production team. All members of the group will receive the same score here.

10%: Individual. Based on your above description and responsibilities, you will receive an individual grade. You will write a 500-word evaluation memo, describing each member’s greatest strengths and weaknesses (including your own), group communication dynamics, labor breakdown, and overall evaluation of your contribution to your episode and the series.

Schedule

WeekOne

aug28
Introductions
Series Ideas & Interest

aug30
Podcasts
Listen: One hour of a podcast of your choice

WeekTwo

sept4
Recording: Equipment: Recorders, Microphones
Listen: One hour of a podcast of your choice

sept6
No Class.

WeekThree

sept11
Recording: Field Recording
Listen: One hour of a podcast of your choice
Read: Reporting, Field Reporting, Writing for Radio, Write How You Talk

sept13
No Class.

WeekFour

sept18: class in Bronstein Hall!
Recording: In the Studio, pt. 1
Read: Vocals
Listen: One hour of a podcast of your choice

sept20: class in Bronstein Hall!
Recording: In the Studio, pt. 2
Listen: One hour of a podcast of your choice
Assign MiniProject: Reverse Storyboard (due next class)

WeekFive

sept25
Editing: Introduction to Audacity and the basics of a DAW
Watch: Audacity Basics
Download and Install: Audacity

sept27
Editing: Introduction to Adobe Audition
Watch: Adobe Audition Tutorials (Watch “Audition for Beginners” Videos)
Assign MiniProject: Postcard (due next class)

WeekSix

oct2
Editing: More in Audition

oct4
Editing: More in Audition
Assign MiniProject: Interview (due next class)

WeekSeven

oct9
Editing

oct11
Editing

WeekEight

oct16
No class. Fall Break.

oct18
Proposal/Group Work: Work on collaborative portion of proposal.

MIDTERM PROPOSALS DUE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19

WeekNine

oct23
Proposal/Group Work: Group meetings for proposal feedback.

oct25
Proposal/Group Work: Planning meetings for first publication week.

WeekTen
Production/Publication Week–episode 1 and supplemental materials must be live by Friday @ 5pm.

oct30
nov1

WeekEleven
Production/Publication Week–episode 2 and supplemental materials must be live by Friday @ 5pm.

nov6
nov8

WeekTwelve
Production/Publication Week–episode 3 and supplemental materials must be live by Friday @ 5pm.

nov13
nov15

WeekThirteen
Production/Publication Week–episode 4 and supplemental materials must be live by Friday @ 5pm.

nov20
nov22

WeekFourteen
Production/Publication Week–episode 5 and supplemental materials must be live by Friday @ 5pm.

nov27
nov29

WeekFifteen
Production/Publication Week–episode 6 and supplemental materials must be live by Friday @ 5pm.

dec4
dec6

Reading Day, dec11

Finals, dec 12-18