Storytelling through Digital Audio Day First!

An exciting new unit for an exciting new semester! Elizabeth started off the day with the learn@UW quiz - the class had a few difficulties getting connected to the internet and remembering their passwords, and poor Diana had trouble again not being added to the learn@UW class, but soon things were running smoothly!

Throughout the Education section, Elizabeth explained a little of the rationale behind this unit. Storytelling through Digital Audio she explained is really mostly about . . . telling stories!! She connected this for students to ages past as cultures have been passed down for generations aurally. She also explained the excitement of letting our imaginations run wild through audio storytelling - no longer will the class be restricted by the limitations of props and sets to tell the stories they desire! Now, they can tell stories at any time, any place, anywhere! Their imaginations are the limit!

After a brief review of saving files (including having the students create their very own folders for this class) and an intro to equipment use of the H2s and H4s, Paul took over the class! Paul, an experienced actor, got the students in a circle, and proceeded to take the class through breathing and relaxing exercises. Students got a chance to forget what others were doing around them (for the most part!) and just relax, making funny faces and noises to 'loosen up'. At one point, Paul asked how many students had done acting before; several raised hands! Next, Paul led the class through an acting game - Paul started the game by making a startled sounding noise - then everyone had to go around the circle quickly and imitate what he had done, with the same energy and emphasis :) Then, as soon as it came full circle, Paul did it again and then Taylor, who was to his right, made up her own noise that the whole circle imitated. Jose had a little difficulty in the otherwise all-girl group imitating the high pitched squeals some classmates were able to produce, though he was able to hold his own with a low-pitched growl that the girls weren't able to recreate quite as well! Overall, everyone was able to come out of their comfort zone a little and enjoy a little unconventional education!

In the Exploration section of the class, Paul led a discussion on old-time radio broadcasts, using old epidsodes from the Golden Age of Radio (the example used in class was Doc Savage - listen here: http://www.archive.org/details/otr_docsavage_fearcay). He also had examples of modern re-enactments of radio drama (from the videogame, Fallout 3: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D733CF970DB1143C&search_query=herbert%20daring%20dashwood). After listening to the Fallout 3 clip, Crystal queried, "Was that a girl or a guy?" Paul had explained earlier how often times in older radio shows, actors would really have to double up characters! Apparently this sometimes includes overlap between male-female roles! Though also, Elizabeth chimmed in, this could be for comedic effect :)

Afterwards, students commented on the storylines they had witnessed a little through these clips. A general class consensus was that actors need to be positive and have a good attitude - Keke commented that "you need stories that you can relate to". Paul connected this well to relatablility in story, explaining the reason that Shakespeare has endured in popularity for so long: his stories really touch the heart and soul of what makes a good story.

Anny raised her hand during the discussion and brought up the fact that characters are really important in audio, more so than in movies where you can rely on images. Here you really have to rely on quality of storyline and fun personalities to keep an audience interested.

Keke remembered a bit of what non-diagetic and diagetic sound as Paul began to explain them to the class before showing a clip from a South Park episode that illustrated the point. Good job Keke! Elizabeth certainly didn't know what those words meant when she was preparing the lesson ;)

Later, Paul explained to the students how to think of and create story ideas through the "Create Scenarios" activity, giving them 20 minutes to think of story ideas individually. Students asked a few clarifying questions going in, Michelle asked some good questions about what kinds of stories were apropriate to get some ideas, but then everyone got to work. Paul told everyone to send three story ideas to his e-mail by the end of the day.

Diana's beautiful word document :)

Afterwards, Elizabeth released the class to experiement a bit with the H2s and H4s - the class split themselves up into groups of 3 or 4 and each group got either an H2 or H4. Anny, Tenzin, and Diana seemed especially excited as they talked about recording each of them saying 'hello!' in the different languages they all speak! Crystal, Malibu, Taylor, and Michelle each went around and recorded their name and favorite food. Overall, the class got good experience using the equipment and extra excitement about using professional level recorders for their projects.

After a break, everyone came back to hear about their live performance projects for next week - after getting into groups, they were to come up with one story idea from all the different ideas they already came up with from the 'create scenarios' activity earlier in the day. Over the next two weeks, they are to write a script together and come together next class ready to run through it and be recorded!

After going through the PLC schedule and working a bit together in groups, the students ended the day blogging about the day and what they are thinking of doing for their live performances. Yay! Another successful ITA session! And next session will be the live performances!