In Need of Title
I don't even know what to file this under. Maybe I need a new category.
I'm starting something new. It's a kind of audioblog of sorts, but it's fiction. It's not the grand multi-actor experiment that I had envisioned for the Blogathon and never followed through, but it's definitely something to cause a stir.
Anyhow, I've been doing some work with my MadPlayer and trying to figure out the best way to accomplish the audio recording. Not having the MadPlayer, MadPlayer cabling, and audio mixing software all in one place is stifling my creativity a bit. Still, the MadPlayer alone is pretty nice for getting some great audio done - no 60hz hum because it's battery-powered, record anywhere to flash card, instant royalty-free generated background music, real-time reverb and doppler shift on the microphone input, audio samples on command, etc.
Sometime tomorrow I hope to have the first segment online. The main character doesn't have a real name yet. Tentatively, I'm thinking either Zack or Gary. The last name is completely in the air for now. This reminds me somewhat of the main character's name in Fight Club. The good news is that the other characters have names, and they're all in there.
Should I publish this as audio only? I have a script. Creative Commons? Maybe, maybe not. And should I use just a link to the audio so I can pick up the enclosure for the newsfeed (and any iPodders who might care to subscribe), or should I just dump it into my Flash audio player, or both? Both is probably good, but I'll need a nice way to deploy everything automatically. Maybe a plugin thing that turns audio enclosures automatically into Flash output? Yeah, that would be cool.
What else I don't have is a real name for the project. The working name is "Roberts and Watson", but after a discussion with Berta, that probably won't do as the real name. I'll need to come up with something better. Unfortunately, none of you will be of any help since you haven't heard it yet, in spite of me having re-recorded it eight times already. Hmm.
I guess this entire post was pointless. Except for, you know, telling you to come back tomorrow when there's actual content. Ugh.
Comments
Comment by valerie on .
I would suggest if you do audio that you also have text. Some of us can't stand to listen to talking on audio and we always flip the radio the second the dj starts talking... Now, if you want to sing the words to music... that's another matter. ;-)
Comment by owen on .
The trick is that unlike the many pointless podcasts I've heard where people just babble like they would on their blog, this is a scripted story, like an audiobook you would buy at the book store. The meanings of the words are tinted by the inflections of the vocals.
For example, here's an excerpt:
What follows is the impression of Ashby, which lends very much to the feel of the story. It's designed for audio.
Nevertheless, I may post the script, especially if I do a CC license. Then other people could record the parts and post them on their own sites.
Today's audio post will be a sample. It's just going to be the first scene of the full episode so I can get a little feedback before I score the whole thing. I think the background audio levels in the recording I have are a little high, but we'll see.
I really need to find my MadPlayer-to-PC cable. I thought it was at work, but it seems not. This is a slight problem.
Comment by valerie on .
Yeah I know what you mean and I didn't mean anything by that last comment... I just personally cannot do the whole audio book thing. I don't know why, I just can't. Easier for me to comprehend if I can read it I guess.
Comment by owen on .
No offense taken. I'm just a big talk radio/audiobook junkie - we routinely drive 200+ miles one-way to visit Berta's family and there's no tolerating central-Pennsylvania radio. On my car's XM tuner, I've got three (four?) station presets set to talk. I listen to KYW all the time for news and traffic. I'm comfortable with the format.
Besides that, I'm an aural learner. It confounds teachers when I don't take notes, but I don't need them if they speak the lesson. The only thing I'll typically take notes on are things they write/draw on the chalk board or overhead and don't say aloud.