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Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

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Getting To Know A New Audio Device

Through the BBC New Creatives scheme, I was kindly sent some audio equipment to create my audio piece. As a recent graduate of student radio, my only technical knowledge was an old Alice Board, Adobe Audition for editing, Myriad software for song selection, and the microphones that have been in the studio for many years. I used to record out of studio interviews on my phone using a random voice record app.

Now I have a PCM-D100 device to record with and some DTx – 910 Stereo-Headphones. Plus, an accessory kit with a handle and a windjammer. I feel quite the part! I have the basics down. Getting to know how to use the equipment was a lot of trial and error. The most challenging thing is not picking up the noise of me holding the audio device, whether that was holding the handle or the device itself. I think I prefer using the handle. The device is also quite tricky to transport; it is bigger than the other on-the-go equipment I have used before.

I have used it around the house a lot; in the garden, kitchen, and garage picking up sound bites including family conversations as well as sounds of nature such as birds in the garden, natural suburban sounds such as lawnmower noises, cars passing, and planes overhead. I have also been recording household sounds, including dripping taps, doors opening, and closing and footsteps.

These experimental sound recordings have helped me best learn how to use the device; what settings to have it on, how far away or close to hold it to certain people and objects. I have then transferred the audio track into Reaper – another new aspect to my sound learning. I was very set in my ways with Adobe Audition and struggled to find my way around Reaper at first. I am getting better each time I edit and quicker, which I guess is natural with this trial and error method of sound recording.

 

I am yet to conduct any formal interviews or go into public with the device, mainly because I know it was quite expensive! But also, because I know, it would draw attention and I’m not quite sure what my long-term aims with the device are. In the short term, I am making a short audio piece for BBC New Creatives, which could lead to being developed further, but at the moment is very much in the experimental pitching, trial, and error, change and development stages.

I would love to know if anyone else has this device? Do you like using it? Are there any tips and tricks I should know about? There are probably so many features on it I haven’t even discovered yet. My preferred recording and editing style at the moment is very natural, authentic, and organic with no music added over, just people’s voices and natural background noises. I like podcasts that are only voices and not lots of editing with music overlaid, and many sound effects are thrown in. I find I listen longer, relate more, and feel more engaged and engrossed in the content when it is voice only.

I am spending the rest of today recording with friends and housemates, so for the first time may have more of an interview set-up, but again I want it to be very relaxed and casual so that the conversation remains natural and unforced. Overall, this device has been a significant step in the right direction for becoming a more proficient audio producer, I think. It is very different from my knowledge of student radio technology and more complicated than an iPhone, but it is easy enough to grasp that I don’t feel overwhelmed or confused by it. I hope to use it for many more years in the future to produce whatever content I choose to explore and experiment with!

WHERE ELSE TO FIND ME:

Tri-lingual radio show (Sobremesa)

Sobremesa Facebook

YouTube and Geography blog

LinkedIn

The Art of Networking

One of the most hated buzzwords of the moment is “networking.” Fortunately, I never had a fear of the word or the practice itself, but I can understand why people feel it is awkward or too forced to be in a room of strangers and be expected to make business contacts. I was first thrown into the world of solo networking at the University of Exeter, where in my first year, I found myself turning up to events alone. I would have described my 18-year-old self as shy and reserved (although very few people I know now would believe that!). I attended employability events at the Career Zone within the first few weeks of university, to be met with questions such as: “But you’re a first year? Why are you here?” from both members of staff and fellow older students. I, for some reason, had not thought it was strange to attend these events, it felt natural, although I had never been in a situation like that before. My school was good, but there were never formal or official career opportunity evenings. It felt like too good an opportunity to miss out on, this university networking malarkey.

I soon realised I slightly loved attending fresher’s week events alone. It was like a fresh start at each meeting/event. Freshers are the first week at UK universities where students are encouraged to try new sports, activities, and clubs. I participated in a wide range of things on offer; it seemed like such an incredible opportunity to meet new people, learn new skills, and increase my confidence. The word networking never entered my head, but ultimately, that’s what it was. So, within the first week at Exeter I had been to a French conversation class, clay pigeon shooting (don’t ask why lol), many drama groups and too many sports to mention (lacrosse, trampolining, yoga, pilates, beach ball, netball, hockey, etc.) One of the best pieces of advice I received at uni was: try something new. I took this to heart and tried to enjoy the drama groups, but there was either too much dancing involved, or the people were TOO much. Then there were sports which I still try to convince myself I like, but low and behold in my heart of hearts I do not. The French and Spanish conversation classes were good to pop into later in the year, as at the beginning of the year they were far too busy and half the time was spent just introducing your name, age, where you came from. My favourite experience was at student radio.

Since joining the student radio station, my confidence grew immensely, leading me to continue to attend talks, events, and networking events with any speakers from media industries. I tried to speak to as many people as possible at the drinks and networking session that followed, then made sure to follow up with those who were kind enough to give me their email or offer to read my CV. I found these events so inspiring and refreshing and not a waste of time at all. I even used to attend talks in industries I had less of an interest in, for example, banking and finance, just in case, there was something to learn from them or someone interesting to meet. To be efficient and use my time wisely at university, I had no fear of discreetly leaving early or politely explaining that it’s not for me but thank you for a great event.

This love of networking events continued throughout the summers when I was home in Newcastle. I attended events with Northern Film and Media, BFI Network and the Tyneside Cinema, where I met like-minded students from Durham and Newcastle University as well as working professionals in the audio industry. I am soon looking to be moving to London to start a new job in the media industry and wish to continue attending networking events as much as possible. For those that find it hard to attend social events alone, I have listed some ideas/tips below that may be of help:

 

I have been lucky enough to have some great opportunities through networking events. After attending a Women in Business (XWIB) event and speaking to a local CEO and alumni, I was offered a two-day work experience opportunity in PR/marketing/blog writing, which then lead to a one-month summer internship. Also, whilst working at the Edinburgh Festival, I spoke to a leading talent manager in London, who then interviewed me for a job one year later and I got it! Of course, there is luck and being in the right place at the right time in play, and some events may be a complete waste of time, but I would say if you have been put off networking, keep at it as you never know what it could lead to. Perseverance is key. As well as quantity. I have found that the more events I attend, the more people I meet, and the more professional opportunities I am offered. Makes sense! Both Emma Gannon and Steven Bartlett have spoken openly about how most of their work comes to them after speaking at events and being approached afterward. I have seen them both host entrepreneur events/panels, and they are both entrepreneurs and public speakers working at the top of this mad industry.

To conclude, don’t be scared of the word networking. You’re most likely already doing it without realising. If you wish to start, take the baby steps, a small event here and there, even joining a relevant Facebook group is a great way to learn more about a certain industry and meet new people. Follow tags on social media to find out what’s on in your area. Enter competitions, you’ve got to be in it to win it.

The pictures below are me at various networking events and opportunities. I didn’t think I’d have any appropriate pictures to demonstrate my point of this blog post, but luckily I do!

 

Happy networking!

WHERE ELSE TO FIND ME:

Tri-lingual radio show (Sobremesa): https://www.mixcloud.com/Alexandra_McLeod/

Sobremesa Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AlexandraSobremesa/

YouTube and Geography blog: https://alexandrasobremesa.wordpress.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-mcleod-79b7a8107?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

BBC New Creatives

I have recently been accepted onto the BBC New Creatives scheme 2019. This is the first time the project has been run. It aims to give artists the opportunity to make fresh and innovative short films, audio, and interactive works. This new talent development scheme is being launched by BBC Arts and Arts Council England. There are various hubs across the UK, including Tyneside Cinema which is covering the North of England, which is where I applied as my family base is in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The programme has been designed for emerging creatives aged 16-30 years old to make new artistic works to potentially be published for BBC channels and platforms in the future.

There are three pathways to choose from:

As a SoundGirl, I chose to go down the audio route! But there are opportunities for the creativity of all genres, from poetry and art to dance and electronic music.

 

 

The process so far:

The workshop was held at ‘The Sharp Project’ in Manchester, and the group was informed that there were 142 applicants for the whole programme, but only 20 specifically for audio. They whittled the group down to eight by carrying out phone interviews.

We were each assigned a mentor, well established in the audio industry, throughout the weekend to help develop our ideas. I have since been in touch with my mentor via email. It has been great to have continued support throughout the project and not just be left to make something by myself.

The whole programme is a well-thought-out and structured collaboration between Naked Productions and BBC Arts and Arts Council England. The coordinators aim to help you improve your knowledge, skills, and abilities in designing, producing, and sharing creative work.

 

 

I have the next month to develop my project and create a 5-10 minute audio piece. I will have a mastering day at the end of the programme.

As I am relatively new to audio, with my only experience being in student radio and my own experimental podcast experience, I have already learnt lots of new vocabulary which may be obvious to some, but I have decided to note some words here in case anyone else is a novice when it comes to the technical language.

Audio vocab:

Foley: the reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to film, video and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality

Diegetic: sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film, e.g., voices of characters

Non-diegetic: sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action, e.g., narrator’s commentary, sound effects which are added for the dramatic effect, mood music

Binaural audio: binaural recording is a method of recording sound that uses two microphones, arranged with the intent to create a 3-D stereo sound sensation for the listener of actually being in the room with the performers or instruments

ADR: Additional Dialogue Recording

Dialogue: that cannot be salvaged from production tracks must be re-recorded in a studio. An actor watches the image repeatedly while listening to the original production track on headphones as a guide. The actor then re-performs each line to match the wording and lip movements. Actors vary in their ability to achieve sync and to recapture the emotional tone of their performance.

Blanket agreement: in the music industry, a blanket license is used to give blanket permission to use any music from a specific catalogue.

PRS: PRS for Music Limited is the UK’s leading collection society, bringing together two collection societies: the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society and the Performing Right Society. It undertakes collective rights management for musical works on behalf of its 140,000 members.

 

 

The programme focuses on many aspects of creative work, including:

There is funding and budgets available so that participants can produce high-quality audio content. There are also opportunities to learn more about the specific editing process at the BBC. We were given lots of information about mics including contact mics, lapel mics, M/S mics, and stereo mics.

I would highly encourage any young creative people to apply.

The next deadline for applications for Film and Audio work is midnight, Sunday 7 July 2019.

You never know what might come of it!

Good luck!

Find out more here:

New Creatives North and Tyneside Cinema

Twitter:

Instagram:

Tyneside Cinema:

BBC Arts:

Arts Council England

WHERE ELSE TO FIND ME:

 

 

Creating a Podcast

I started listening to podcasts properly at the beginning of 2018 in my final year at the University of Exeter, to inform and/or entertain myself when walking to campus. I listened to some business podcasts such as ‘Ctrl Alt Delete,’ by author Emma Gannon and ‘The Diary Of A CEO’ by Steven Bartlett. I also enjoyed ‘Keeping it Candid,’ by Sophie Milner and Millie Cotton, who discuss the behind-the-scenes of the blogging and influencer industry. In terms of comedy podcasts, I was inspired by Jamie Laing and Francis Boulle’s ‘Private Parts’ where they read their diaries, and of course, the world-famous ‘My Dad Wrote A Porno,’ fabulously executed by Alice Levine, Jamie Morton, and James Cooper.

Podcasting is a very oversaturated market at the moment, providing copious amounts of content. The amount of listening you could do is endless, similar to YouTube videos. I found that podcasts offer inspiration, ideas and help to make business and life decisions. Perhaps the power of audio can be even more influential than video? You feel connected to a person through headphones, carrying out active listening such as nodding your head or verbally agreeing, to someone that is not even there. It is more productive than mindlessly watching TV whilst scrolling on your phone, as you are listening to a story.

As a member of student radio with an interest in all thing’s media, I knew I wanted to start a podcast for myself, to learn new skills and to document some of my own life. But, what on earth could I do a podcast about? What will make it different from my radio show? I was hugely inspired by the ‘My Dad Wrote A Porno’ podcast, as my own Dad has a literary creative streak. He writes comedic poetry. I thought I was the only one with a slightly odd, yet creative father, but it turns out there is a whole community of us. In his spare time, since at least 1996, my Dad has written poems, both hilarious and emotional about life, news events, and special occasions. Luckily my dad is not writing graphic novels, just poems. So, there I had it, ‘My Dad Wrote A Poem.’ (I did bump into Alice Levine at Edinburgh Festival last summer and told her I had ripped off their brand/title!)

I am always an advocate of creating something that will leave a more positive effect on people’s lives. I truly believe audio podcasting brings people closer than TV, film or YouTube ever has. It is an exciting time to be involved with a new wave of creative entrepreneurs that are using a simple medium to build global connections around the world. My Dad’s poetry covers a vast range of subjects from politics, to the weather, to house-moving drama. I believe that comedy brings people together. People can relate if they have a slightly odd family. Full of typos and grammatical errors, further comedic value is added to the poems. The quick and easy listening style leaves people wanting more. This content is personal to me because I am reading out loud the creative work of my Dad. I am reminded of family and life situations. For example, my brother losing his phone in the Alps and my Mum breaking her ACL. A few example titles include:

Seasons to be cheerful

The Homecoming

Pollution and Inclusion

Scandinavia

I created the short ident using my voice and the musician Dodie’s instrumental intro to her song ‘In The Middle.’ It is short, sharp and catches the attention of an audience. Everyone is looking for relatability and humour in a world full of negative news. My Dad sees the funny side and irony in everything, from Brexit to Trump. The poetic content also includes sentimental poems and readings from funerals. The poems capture emotional thoughts and make them palatable, sincere and easier to digest, to remember the good times. The editing I do is simple; I only edit out long pauses or background noise. I want the content to sound authentic and like a real conversation. I recorded multiple in a row and have since had to take a break as it is difficult to continue now I am no longer at university with all the audio equipment. I definitely wish to pick it up again at some point, as my Dad certainly hasn’t stopped writing poems!

WHERE ELSE TO FIND ME:

How to produce a Tri-Lingual Radio Show

When deciding to create my student radio show, I knew it would be different from the majority of others. I wanted to do a one-hour evening show, with a range of music genres and for it to be presented in a mixture of English, French, and Spanish. Thus, Sobremesa was born.

The technique I used to plan my show was introduced to me by Chris Sawyer (BBC Radio 1 producer) at the Student Radio Association conference (SRACon) in 2015. Chris explained that using a pie chart image to prepare a radio show is a simple and effective technique. It splits the show into separate timings and allows you to appropriately plan an adequate number of songs and features. You can divide the pie chart into as many different sections as necessary.

For example, a standard one-hour show would consist of the news being played on the hour, followed by an ident specific to my show. I would then play an energetic, well-known song to lift listeners’ moods. I would introduce myself and the topics to be covered and some of the artists to be played, followed by some international music. Various idents and promos would be played throughout the show, advertising the station and other programs. I had many features, including one called ‘Concertation’ in which I would discuss in French a live concert I had seen and rate it out of 10. The chats and features were organised into segments of 20 minutes in English, 20 minutes in French and 20 minutes in Spanish. This was adapted depending on guests and my general confidence for a specific language on the day! There would be a handover and a news bulletin at the end of the show.

I would plan the playlist the day before my live show. Checking lyrics for profanity and offensive language, especially in languages other than English was key. Song length variations also had to be meticulously noted to be able to have enough time for a hand-over at the end of the show. Often when switching between languages and genres of music, seamless transitions can seem impossible. It is also challenging to contribute to the consistency of a radio station when the shows are so different. However, I think this adds diversity and interest when there are many shows with different themes. For example, a Tuesday evening on XpressionFM went from a country music show to a language-based program, to the Tuesday Night Sports panel. This considerable variation certainly made for an exciting Tuesday evening on Exeter’s student radio.

I mixed up my languages many times on air, forgetting a word in one language, therefore trying to say it in another. I found that explaining my faults, laughing off errors and reiterating that I am not bilingual made the show welcoming, friendly and encouraged others to practice their language skills. I learnt how to change and adapt conversations based on the language level and experience of guests.

Planning ahead was incredibly important. You can’t make up content for a radio show on the spot, or you can, but it’s much harder! This format tested my language skills, and one of the reasons I chose to produce and present a multi-lingual show was to practice speaking French and Spanish in a more fun and exciting way. Lots of students at Exeter study languages, therefore it is appealing to listeners, and I love discovering new music in languages I both do and don’t speak

I tried to find new music each week, asking friends for recommendations, talking with international students, using YouTube and researching soundtracks from European TV shows. I also played music from Spotify playlists and new album releases. The genres ranged from old school classics to throwbacks, to feel-good music and I alternated between male and female artists. This was not a huge focus, but a general rule followed at the BBC is to alternate voices and sounds. If I ever found myself playing four boybands in a row…I knew I needed to change it up

 

WHERE ELSE TO FIND ME:

 

Where Can Student Radio Take You?

I discovered student radio on the first day of Freshers week at the University of Exeter in September 2014. I had never heard of the concept, nor had any idea what it involved. However, I was drawn to the bright red XpressionFM logo, loud music and bustling crowd around the stall. Everyone looked like they were having a great time, all in their matching t-shirts and because I knew there was no chance of me joining a sports society, I decided radio would be for me.

For the first few months, I was only involved behind the scenes. I didn’t want to be on air at all. I was a producer for the News Hour (a weekly news show) and a creative producer for a daytime music show. I recorded the 9 am news bulletin once a week and trained other members how to write, record, edit and upload the news. I was quick to learn the technical side of the Alice board and simple editing on Adobe Audition, despite never having had a huge interest in technology before.

I was soon convinced to go on air by two students presenting a daytime talk show. They made me do a “Geography quiz” (in which I got 2/10, despite being a Geography student). After that, I was hooked. I did my production and presenting training imminently and applied for my own show. As I had a passion for languages and international music, it was very niche. I called it ‘Parlez-vous espagnol?’ and it was a one-hour evening show presented in a mix of English, French, Spanish. I experimented with many different features, formats, and music on the show, making it into something I was so proud of and loved to work on.

After my year abroad in Bordeaux, France, I returned to Exeter as ‘Head of Station Sound’ with a name change for the show: Sobremesa. It is a metaphor/untranslatable Spanish word that means ‘having a great conversation around a table with good people.’ It also means ‘dessert’ in Portuguese. In October 2018, my show won the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme award for ‘Student Programme of the Year.’ It was a great way to end my career at student radio.

Throughout the university, student radio lead to many exciting opportunities. I worked as an Artist Liaison at Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2016. I volunteered at PhonicFM (Exeter’s local radio station). I had career mentors at BBC Cornwall and BBC Broadcasting House that gave me industry insights and advised me about how to make myself more employable. I also worked with the XpressionFM team at Hijacked Festival and Poltimore Festival. Radio gave me unbelievable amounts of confidence and inspiration to find interesting jobs and experiences. I completed the formal BBC work experience in Newcastle on a CBBC TV Drama and attended TV networking events where possible.

I also carried out a marketing internship in the summer of my second year. My employer was impressed with the social media and event management skills student radio had given me. I could work both independently as well as efficiently in a team and could be responsible for content creation, production and promotion.

Student radio also leads to a great network. I have many friends and fellow committee members who have achieved “the dream” of working in commercial or BBC radio. There are also those who work in journalism, PR and everything in between! We have a great community and always congratulate each other when anyone gets an exciting job opportunity.

Since graduating in July 2018, I worked at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in a ‘Front of House’ role and made sure to learn as much as possible from stage managers, technicians, PRs and management. I then worked as a Runner for Thames TV. I am soon heading to Sevilla, Spain to work at a TV/film company as an assistant producer/proofreader. An ideal job that combines both media and languages! I truly believe that student radio added something noticeable and different to my CV as it was always brought up in interviews. I have friends who are featured as guests and part-time producers who are also asked about their student radio experience much more than academic achievements.

So to anyone considering student radio – go for it! And anyone who has done it, you’ll understand exactly what I mean.

WHERE ELSE TO FIND ME:

 

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