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Club TNT
"Using the media of entertainment to inform and educate."
Tips & Tricks
Here's a short video, actually a daily
log, of how a student in Australia made his first podcast.
As he reviews the basics of podcasting, he models a process that
more-fully ensures success: (1). Deciding on an
idea, (2). Setting up equipment, (3). Recording
audio, (4), Enhancing, and (5). Publishing.
Our first podcasting tip comes from this video - remember the
4Ps: Planning Prevents Poor Performance!
Here's a listing of suggestions, "tips and tricks," to help you get
started with podcasting.
Know your audience. Just like when writing,
the key to success is to identify who will use your podcast.
Develop presentation and communication styles that work with
your intended audience.
Identify Clear Objectives. Have something to
say - content is king. Everything should support the
objectives of the podcast. A series of short, targeted
resources that cover specific topics will be more effective
than longer segments that lump different concepts together.
Let the content of your segment determine its length - there
is no need to produce 1/2 hour segments. Don't even think
about producing podcasts that are an hour.
Keep Podcast Segments Short. Students are
much more likely to use short resources that specifically
address their information needs. Keep podcasts short and
to the point. If a podcast is going to be more than 15
minutes, its probably better to think about breaking that
segment into smaller "chunks". For K-12 students,
podcasts that are only a few minutes long can be valuable -
break information into "chunks" and keep presentations short
and on-point.
Prepare a Script or Storyboard. Plan
everything that will be said and visualizing any action.
Write a script or storyboard - do not "wing it."
Practice what you will say. A script/storyboard will
save considerable time in production and editing. It
will also make it easier to stay focused on your objectives
and meet the needs of your audience.
Clearly State the Intended Learning Outcome of All
Podcasts. Be sure you have something to say and make
it clear to your audience how you will help them. Use
the following format: State what your podcast will cover
(intro), deliver that content (message), conclude by reviewing
what has been covered (wrap-up).
Record Introduction and Wrap-Up Last. Help
yourself create strong, targeted intros and wrap-upss by
recording them last. This creates messages that
directly reflect the main message of a podcast.
This will help ensure they are specific and on-point, stating
exactly what will be (or has been) covered.
One Voice or Two? One of the best ways to add
interest to an audio podcast (videos too), is to have 2
presenters. A male/female pairing is idea. Not
only do 2 voices add interest, a dialog where 2 parties
converse
can move along quickly, cutting between what each person has
to say.
Be Yourself! Project your personality - this
is what makes a series interesting. Users respond well
to sincere, "real" people. Help your audience identify with you.
Slightly Exaggerate Intonation. Audio-only
presentations don't include facial expressions and
gestures. Be sure to convey meaning with the tone of your
voice. Slightly exaggerate intonation and
expressiveness. Be enthusiastic, this sounds natural in
a "radio-style" presentation.
Strive for High-Quality Sound. Smooth-sounding
audio is the key to all multimedia. Use a pop-filter on
mikes and work with your equipment so that you learn how to
get the best sound possible. Even when images and video
are used, audio is what keeps people's attention. Always
think in terms of "radio with pictures."
Use Music. Nothing adds more to a
professional image than appropriate use of music as a theme,
during fade ins/outs, and when transitioning to other topics
or sections. Be careful, use
podcast safe music
and clips. Do not take tracks from your favorite artists
and songs - that will surely create copyright problems.
Practice With Your Equipment. Create a few
multimedia presentations before you start podcasting.
This will help you learn how to get the most from your
recording set-up.
Do Second Takes. Especially when getting
started - do things more than once. Having choices
between alternative-takes is a real plus when editing - its
much easier to work with well-recorded audio than it is to
try and edit out problems, mistakes, and miscues. Doing things a
second time also provides practice, helping you master the
techniques of getting the most out of your podcasting setup.
Test Your Results. Listen to/watch your media
files on other computers, MP3 players, or even CDs or DVDs.
Be confident they sound and look great when others see them
too. Don't rely on just one computer to assess audio
levels and the quality of videos and graphics.
Record a Few Episodes Before Releasing Anything. Once
you announce a series of podcasts, it is important to deliver
them in a timely manner. Give yourself a "head-start" by
having a few productions completed before creating and
releasing your subscription (RSS feed). This way, you
are sure to get started releasing episodes as you have
scheduled. Work a "cushion" into your production
schedule by having a backlog of material ready to release.
Be Realistic With Your Goals and Objectives. Since
a podcast is really a series of media presentations, be
careful that objectives and production schedules are feasible
and attainable. When in doubt, plan on doing less.
Keep production fun. Don't let yourself become
frustrated because of over-ambitious expectations.
Use an Interview Format Whenever You Can. Getting
others involved with your podcasts adds a great deal of
interest and showcases your skills as a producer. It enhances
credibility and can stimulate additional interest in your
series. Consider uses telephone interviews to increase
your reach and ability to find additional collaborators.
Edit Your Productions. Be sure that music
levels do not distract. Edit out any "dead time" in your
presentations. Video should contain frequent cuts to
different camera angles and shots - this maintains visual
interest. Use edits to keep your podcasts on-topic and
moving at a snappy pace. Remember, people can stop their
players and come back and review as often as needed.
Take Notes About your Productions. Identify
what each podcast covers and write down descriptions and
keywords. You will need these when creating your
subscriptions (RSS feeds).
Most Podcasts are Audio. While video is
becoming popular, there are compatibility issues. A great
deal of support can be done with audio, creating "radio style"
productions.
Quality Matters. We do not need to produce
streaming media to the quality of broadcast productions, but
the content should be strong and the presentation smooth,
without distractions. Pay particular attention to
capturing and editing the best sound quality possible.
Style Matters. Plan presentations, don't wing
them. Try to think of unique, fun perspectives to make
your podcasts as interesting as possible. Use royalty
free, podcast safe music to create a theme and image.
Not Too Long, Please! Because podcasting
resources, especially for education, are designed to deliver
information - don't try to make each "episode" a half hour or
hour, like in radio and TV. Just present the information
with some style. A 2-minute presentation might serve a
useful purpose, 5-10 minute presentations are fine. A 15
minute presentation may be better broken into 2 smaller chunks
of information. Over 20 minutes is not recommended.
Podcasting is Time Shifting. Think of it as
TIVO for your computer/MP3 player - it allows you to watch
what you want when it is convenient for you.
"Push" Technology Can Be Powerful. While
posting resources to a Web page provides access and supports
students (Webcasting), the subscription feature of podcasting (RSS feed)
can have real advantages when students are expected to stay
current with a series of presentations. Think of areas
where this will be an advantage.
