How to Make an Audio Documentary
A six-week course designed for anyone interested in learning the art and craft of great audio storytelling.
Perhaps you’re an aspiring podcaster, radio reporter or family historian. Whatever your audio storytelling goal, this class is for you. You’ll learn effective recording and interviewing techniques, how to use simple editing software and guidelines to help you create your story.
You’ll also have fun listening to great stories and learning tips from some of the masters of the craft, like Ira Glass. This class is conducted like a workshop which means you’ll get lots of helpful feedback from the instructor who has over twenty years of audio storytelling experience.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
- How to use an recorder and microphone (including smartphones)
- How to define what your story is and is not about
- Finding the best people to interview
- Crafting good interviews
- Ethical considerations and use of release forms
- Hindenburg editing software
- How to weave narration and music into your story
- Ideas for marketing/promoting your story when it’s finished
WHAT YOU WILL GET:
- In-person detailed coaching from the instructor in every class
- A chance to interact with an audio producer on her/his story producing process
- Lots of audio, text, video resources to supplement what you listen to, watch and discuss in class
- Ongoing support from CMN staff to achieve your personal goals, including access to our exclusive jobs database
- Official CMN Certificate of course completion
WHAT YOU WILL DO:
- You will keep up with weekly reading and listening assignments by masters of the craft
- You will complete weekly assignments designed to keep you on track with producing your own story
- You will complete at least two interviews
- You will develop a story outline and a script if needed
- You will produce a final story that is at least 3 minutes long.
- You will offer positive feedback to your classmates
COST:
$400. A $100 deposit, which is applied to the cost of the course, is required to reserve your seat. Enrollment is limited.
COLLEGE CREDIT:
If you are enrolled in a college or university and can get academic credit for this course, the CMN team will work with you to complete the required paperwork and evaluations Full details on college credit can be found here.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Meg Lindholm is an award-winning multimedia program innovator, producer and manager with experience in broadcast and digital media. She has taught at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University and worked for NPR. She has managed projects from idea generation to story writing, interviewing, editing and supervising production teams.