Thessaloniki Doc Fest this week organised a three-day professional online workshop on the subject of podcasts (March 8-10), inviting key contributions from producer Delphine Saltel, audio engineer Peter Leonard, and Gordon Firemark who has practised media and entertainment law.
Documentary producer Delphine Saltel discussed content and narrative techniques. Key points of her address included:
• The importance of sound and soundscape in podcasts, the judicious use of which will render the subject (and the language) more immediate and engaging.
• Try to find stories everywhere, ones in which you can be a part, as an observer. Think along the lines of “a fly on the wall”, but for radio.
• Don’t be overly proscriptive. Allow the audience to think what they want, to let their imagination free. There is no need to apply specific meaning or deliver a lesson. Everyone should be free to draw their own conclusions.
• Try to be as direct and honest as possible. Use first-person narration and seek to create a direct and intimate relationship with the audience. The best story always starts with the simple events in everyday life.
On Tuesday, March 9, audio engineer and educator Peter Leonard talked about technical issues, and especially sound engineering and production:
• In post-production, don’t overdo the sound effects or background music. Continual musical accompaniment is a no-no. And avoid music or songs with lyrics.
• Determine which are the elements that will attract your audience. Often, even a simple pause could cause someone to pay attention. Unlike cinema or television, a podcast does not always hold the listener’s full attention as he/she is usually doing something else at the same time. Use the simplest way to attract attention. Usually, it is the most effective.
• In order to start podcasting, you need three things, a digital recording device, good software and a shotgun microphone. But don’t focus too much on your equipment, focus mainly on the story you want to tell. And quite often, a cell phone is enough.
• Try to create your own sound effects. If you buy them from a database, always make sure to have the rights for the sound you use.
• Use breaths and pauses within dialogues to create the most “natural” human tone possible.
Finally, on Wednesday March 10, Gordon Firemark, who has practised media and entertainment law, analyzed podcasts from a legal standpoint, focusing on copyright issues:
• A podcast is a production similar to a film production. Unfortunately, legally speaking, many traditional media don’t take podcasts seriously. Even worse, a lot of podcasts do not take themselves seriously when it comes to copyright issues.
• Respect the right to privacy and at the same time pay attention to the disclosure of personal information. The same applies across the use of photographs, sounds or video.
• If you decide to invite someone to your podcast, get an agreement regarding the use of content from this podcast.
• By using any kind of music in a podcast, you should first obtain the license from both the composer and the music distribution company, i.e. the record company.
• Plan early what you want to do with the podcast you want to create and make deals not only with the platform on which the podcast will broadcast but also the distribution company.
• Secure your intellectual property rights through a contract.
• Podcasts have flooded our daily lives. There are over 1.5 million active podcasts at the moment. So, remember: respect the work of others, work within the bounds of ethics and respect the privacy of others. But above all, have fun!
The workshops will soon be available to watch online, via the festival’s YouTube channel.
