Evaluation

Brief: Create 2 advertisements and a radio show

Imaan, Jess and Ned.

How did I record sound?

Radio show:
I recorded sound in many different ways such as using microphones in the radio room and zooms.
When creating my radio show the main way that I recorded sound was through the sound desk and
on the sound desk there is specific dials that helped me start recording, play my advertisements or
music, there was also dials that helped to lower my voice, so if it was too loud I could manipulate the
sound and make it weaker, if it was too low, I could make it higher. This is all extremely important
because if things do not play in order then it will ruin the show and will not flow properly, which we
do not want.

In this image the two red buttons on the side allowed me to play and stop recording, when I pressed
the record on the sound board it came up on the computer screen, that way it allowed me to keep
track of time and this helped me to run through the running order easily and without hassle.
Then when I was done recording I pressed the stop button, after doing this I saved it to my space on
the computer. At first I found this a little difficult since I had no experience with using a sound board
before, however now I know how to use it. If I were to use it in the future I would know how to use it
and what to do.

Radio Advertisement:
The sound desk was easy to use once I got the hang of it, since I was new to this equipment I had to
get used to it.
After a lesson in the radio room it was easy and I now can confidently use the room.
The microphone was easy to use and I knew how to use the mixers that change the volume,
I had already had it on the correct settings so it was easy to use.

How easy it was to use sound:

It was fairly easy to use sound in my advertisements, whether they were my own recorded sounds I
made or music off the internet.
I just had to know how to manipulate the sound so it wouldn't overshadow our voices when we were
talking.
What problems did I encounter:
The only problem I encountered was When talking into the microphone I could monitor our voice
levels, such as if the sound was too loud of our voices I would turn this slider down, or if they were
too low I would turn them up a little. We knew the sound was too loud when we were listening back
to ourselves, so we would turn it down and listen back to check if it was okay. I constantly kept our
voices at level 20 to keep it calm and not too harsh/loud and I also included a sound bed behind our
voices so that if one of us were to make a mistake or lose our words, there wouldn't be an awkward
silence in the background.

Analysis of soundboard:

What did I use the desk for?

I used the desk to record introductions, jingles and
advertisements. Throughout the radio show I had to
keep on adjusting the mixers for the microphones to
turn them on or off and for the volume of the sound
effects and music. I would make sure that my
group's voices were clear and loud, but not too
loud, at the perfect level.

I used the desk to adjust the volume of the music

and our microphones.

How did I change the sound level?

When using the sound bed I would click the drag the sound file into the tabs at the bottom of the
screen, then I clicked the green play button and this would make the sound play, then to manipulate
and change the sound bed to be high enough to hear it, but low enough to hear our voices I kept the
slider at level 10. When I was playing the music I
When I was playing the music I would
also have to make sure that the music
dropped into the right colour player,
such as when I played the music it went
to the 4th box on the bottom of the
screen, this then enabled me to look on
the sound desk and use the yellow dial
to turn up the music or keep it low.

One issue I had when doing the first rehearsal was that I was not confident in using all the buttons
and it was a little odd however I got used to it by the 2nd time. I didn't feel confident using the
buttons because I had never previously used something like this, nor have I done anything related to
radio, so it was a big change for me. However when we did our second radio show rehearsal I got
eager with using it and felt confident using all the buttons.
Another issue I had when recording our radio show was that in one of the rehearsals I had our voices
way too loud, and in the other the music bed was too loud so it was hard to focus on our voices, I
took this into consideration and for our final shot at the show I didn't have these issues. I overcame
this by finding the right volume to set our voices at and the right volume to set the music bed at too.
We kept them at the same levels throughout the show.

The microphone was easy to use and I just had to lean into it whenever I spoke.
When we were speaking we had a running order and a script.
On the running order it gave us cues when to play the advertisements and when to
play songs, the timing for the adverts and songs are important because it helps
keep everything together and running smoothly, and when I was researching real
radio shows, they had running orders to ensure everything was on point.
I also had a script with me and this included points for discussion to help create
conversation. This helped me a lot because it allowed me to talk about a new
subject or topic when the previous conversation had ended. To help not have an
awkward silent pause we had the points for the discussion sheet so that when
someone had finished talking, almost right away someone would introduce a new topic. The script
included relevant information for the audience.
Before doing my radio show I also did a risk assessment which helped not only me, but everyone else
in the radio room safe. It also helped us to eliminate any hazards that could potentially harm us, and
we also knew what not to do/bring into the room such as drinks etc that could spill and cause
something to happen.

Feature:
When recording my feature I used a zoom which was fairly easy to use, the only issues I had were
getting my voice actors to keep the right distance so it wasn't too loud or too quiet.
The zoom uses buttons and a screen which is extremely easy to follow, the zoom also has a set of
instructions on the inside on how to use it. This helped me use it and understand how to use it. I
found it really helpful, and overall I found it easy to use the zoom.
Another small issue I had was when uploading it into my files it had incorrect dates however it was
there, I just had to listen to them all. If I was doing this again I would make sure that I find a place
that is quiet and with no people because, when we were recording the feature you could hear people
in the background since we were in a busy place.

Timing of advertisements:
When recording our radio show the timing of the script was extremely important. Then when
recording advertisements we had a script, and when I would want to use sound effects I would look
at the script and then play the sound effect. The sound effect had to happen on the right time as this
ensured that it kept the advertisement running smoothly. We tried to keep it as professional as
possible, as if we were doing the real thing. When recording my advertisements I needed to make
sure that they have good timing of words, slogans and phrases, I also needed to have a sound bed
that was suitable for the advertisement. I also needed to make sure my slogan was in an appropriate
place, by having the slogan at the end of my advertisement helps to keep it fresh in the audience's
memory. I picked this tip up from listening to real advertisements, they always had the slogan at the
end of the advert. I also needed the slogan to sound fun and short to make it memorable. I felt like I
had achieved this in one of my adverts, if I was doing this next time I would have made sure both of
them had the slogan at the end, not just one. Timing is important because in order to have things
running smoothly and efficiently they need to be timed properly. An example of this is when we
would play a song during the radio show, we had the script beside us and then when it was time to
take a break and introduce an advert we would be able to do this with no problems.
I realise this now because I have had the opportunity to do this.

Assessing my products and how successful they were:

Advertisements:
Overall my advertisements turned out to be good because of how I had edited them. To make the
advertisements I had to use the radio room and get people to talk and record their voices.

Editing:

When editing the

advertisements we used
Adobe Premiere Pro.
When using premiere pro
I had my music bed at the bottom, to keep the
music bed from overlapping the talking of the
voice actors. I manipulated how loud it was, I
also faded it at the start and end to make it
seem more professional and it sounds better
like that. I then could cut what parts of the
music I wanted in the top left box, to cut a
certain part out I would press “i” which stands for in and then “o” that stands for out.

I also made a proposal for my advertisements, when I did research of advertisements the real adverts
also had proposals. So we made our own too. This included things like what I was actually making,
what was I advertising, what the slogan was and when it would launch. I also included a budget even
though I didn't need to since everything I needed was accessible at college.
At first I did struggle with using premiere pro, however I got the hang of it by the end of it. If I was
doing this again I would have a bigger understanding on how to use it and more knowledge which
would help me.

Pros of radio advert

Something that went well was the script ran smoothly and the people who voiced my adverts did a
great job.

Pros of radio show

One of the positives was the volumes were at a perfect level.

Cons of radio advert

Listening back my audio levels were a little too loud, but if I were to do this next time I know what I
did wrong.
Cons of radio show
We were not that fast or smooth when talking about things.

What will I do differently next time?

Advert
Stick to the script.

Show
Ensure everyone can read their script clearly.

How are my products like professional products?

Before creating my show I had done some research on real radio programmes and how they operate.
I had also listened to six hours worth of live radio to help me understand how things such as timing,
using sounds such as music or effects and using advertisements all work together without it sounding
messy and make it sound professional. We also analysed real advertisements, this helped me make
my advertisements seem as professional as possible. We also researched codes and conventions and
this helped to keep the radio show suitable for the audience and appropriate.

Real programmes included things such as running orders and scripts, we had made our own scripts
and running orders to ensure that the show went smoothly and we had backup ideas for if one of us
messed up we could come back from it easily and it wouldn't have messed up the show.
In the script we had things such as points for discussion, this enabled us to have content to talk about
and not only keep us focused and engaged but the audience too. The content we had included in the
points for discussion had things that related to the audience which keeps them entertained and
hooked to the show.

My show and advertisements reflected this.

Skill development:
A skill that I have learnt is how to make a radio show, advertisements, and how to work with people
as a group. I also learnt how to edit my advertisements too. I had no knowledge of radio, however
now I know how to plan a radio show and execute it, not only that but I know how to record and edit
adverts. These skills will help me if I was to have a career in media and will also help me in the future
and will also help me since I will be producing a short film and I will be using the same software. This
is extremely helpful because I now know how to use it and this will enable me to be better and help
me produce better work since I have more knowledge and understanding of it. I also learned how to
communicate with others and work as a group. We would make sure everyone was okay with what
they were doing. I also learned how to be organised and work by a deadline.

Another skill I have learnt is how to get sounds and add them to my adverts or show all together,
when making my own sounds I used the zoom which I had no idea how to use at first. It helped me
with my adverts to make them sound professional and interesting. I also learnt how to add things
such as music, how to use the radio room and be confident in using it. This will help me in the future
if I do work in the radio industry. To gain these skills I had to use the zooms which helped me to make
the advertisements.
I also learnt how to communicate with my peers and I got more comfortable talking in the radio
room, it was a little unusual at first however with each rehearsal I got more confident with it.

I also learnt management skills such as organising everything such as keeping documents such as the
running order and script, printed out and done on time. We also had to work within a deadline to get
things completed and ready.
I also learnt how to control the radio room which is an example of a management skill I have picked
up. This will help me in the future if I was to get involved with anything radio related again.
I also learnt how to work as a team with my partners, communicating with them, if they needed help
I offered, if I needed help they did too.
I would also listen to my other teammates and we would all try to solve an issue if there was one.

What skills could you continue to develop?

I can continue to develop skills such as working with others, and communicating with them. Listening
to and helping people that need it.

I will also continue to develop management skills such as organising everything, working within a set
amount of time and making sure that everything is completed and ready.