Behind One Weird Trick, Part II: Audio Recording and Treatment
Background
OWT was conceived to showcase innovative methodologies, tools, resources, and tactics employed by instructors at MCAD. Subject matter ranges from the concrete or tool-based to more abstract tricks that articulate a teaching philosophy. The goal is to explore education beyond the intersection with technology.
Each OWT installment starts as an idea, often large in scope, that ultimately yields a short, focused audio-visual production. We’ll look at that challenging process of getting from loose concept to honed presentation.
The process consists of three phases: Ideation and interviewing of the subject, audio recording and treatment, and creation and implementation of visual assets. OWT mastermind Alex Mitchell will walk us through the second stage—audio recording and treatment.
Getting Optimal Audio
Eric Kline: We were talking about the process of interviewing and recording the subject. Can you describe specifically what you do to achieve the desired audio quality?
Alex Mitchell: I would say the sound quality of the recorded interview is almost as important as the ideas and information expressed. Clean audio without background noise or confusing crosstalk is really important if you want a professional sounding video.
The better and more useable your audio is, the less work you have to do in post-production. We record in a special room with some noise dampening on the walls, but all you really need is a quiet space with a minimum of background noise and echo.
EK: What about your equipment?
AM: I use a Blue Yeti USB microphone, with a pop filter to reduce the “unpleasant” noises produced when a person pronounces certain consonants. A sound check prior to recording and closely monitoring audio levels during the interview are key. Really, though, a standard built-in laptop microphone can suffice as long as you police your levels.
Post Production
EK: Once you’re assured the audio quality is where it should be, what’s next?
AM: After recording, I spend a few hours editing down the 15–30 minutes of audio to 2–4 minutes, cutting together different parts of the conversation into something that makes sense. I actually enjoy this process quite a bit, it’s fun and somewhat challenging to distill an interview to a few essential statements and examples.
EK: What informs the structure that the edited audio takes?
AM: Our Online Learning team has developed an organic framework of sorts for how an OWT video should come together, consisting of seven distinct parts.
Having this a framework makes it much easier to pull out needed clips from the trove of recorded audio. I also do some audio “patching” along the way for instances of unintended noise, and removes dead air.
First Feedback
EK: So now you’ve sculpted the audio according to the established framework. What’s next?
AM: I share the audio edit with my colleagues. I think it’s always a good idea to solicit feedback on your audio from someone else. You’ve been listening to the same thing a hundred times, and you probably have no idea what it sounds like to an audience anymore. If something sounds off, or doesn’t make sense, or needs to be shortened—you’ll find out here. Other people don’t always know the best way to fix a problem, but they’re almost always right if they say there is a problem.
I think it’s always a good idea to solicit comment on your audio from someone else. You’ve been listening to the same thing a hundred times, and you probably have no idea what it sounds like to an audience anymore.
And then things become more difficult. The big, “brutal” cuts are made. You have to make tough choices in order to keep the very best bits in place while leaving the content lean enough to engage viewers all the way to the end.
I circle back to the log line (as established in pt. I). Tons of really good content gets stripped away, but what remains is hopefully stronger, because it’s not competing for attention.
Stay tuned for the third and final phase of the One Weird Trick process — creating the visual elements!
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