Third Coast Pocket Conference

Creative sound projects are increasingly blurring the lines between radio, audio documentary, sound art, and music. In this session from the 2003 Third Coast Conference, Ben Rubin focuses on the history and more recent practice of artists who challenge the traditional definitions of these fields, including composer Steve Reich, artist Janet Cardiff, and maverick pianist and radio producer Glenn Gould.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A bad editor is a curse. Having a good editor is a blessing but can often be a luxury. In this session, Deborah George explains how to work effectively with the editor you've been dealt and how to be your own editor if you don't have one. It's all in the listening. Recorded at the 2008 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Diamonds are made under pressure! For this session Priya Ramu and Steve Wadhams, both formerly from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, presented their advice on how to make daily radio that shines and delights. Using examples from a wide range of daily information programming, they offered ideas and approaches that make interviews, news spots, and long-form reports more lively and memorable, no matter how tight the deadline. Recorded at the 2002 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode we’re bringing you another session presented at the 2017 Audiocraft Conference, in Sydney, Australia. This talk features American producer Megan Tan, host and creator of the podcast Millennial, and Australian podcaster Sophie Harper of the show Not By Accident. Not only do they both share their own personal stories on their shows, but they also have no commute from sofa to studio. In this session they’ll unravel their podcasting lives and talk about how they got started, their production processes, and the pros and cons of putting themselves centrestage. If you like what you hear, subscribe to the Audiocraft podcast for more great sessions from down under, or check them out at audiocraft.com.au  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This session explores "found narration" - archival tape, interviews, audio diary entries - and sound that can all be used to perform the job of the narrator. What do you gain and what do you give up when you throw away the script? Producer Joe Richman breaks down the process, from getting tape to editing to producing.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode we’re bringing you a session presented at the 2017 Audiocraft Conference, in Sydney, Australia! This talk features Jesse Cox and Belinda Lopez, who are part of the production team behind ABC Radio National’s podcast This Is About… a show that digs deep into issues that matter and tells stories of all the beautiful, awkward and messy stuff that happens to people. Through sharing their favourite works and techniques, Belinda and Jesse touch on how to produce compelling narratives through careful story pacing, structure and sound. And they dive into what a good pitch looks like. If you like what you hear, subscribe to the Audiocraft podcast for more great sessions from down under, or check them our at audiocraft.com.au  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How can a producer prepare to make radio stories about distant lands and the people who live there, and why tell those stories anyway? Stephanie Guyer-Stevens shares her experiences working in remote areas with Outer Voices, and talks about issues ranging from the pragmatic to the philosophical.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

You've pitched your story; you've collected tape; you've gone through your edits; you're ready to track. But how should you sound when you lay down your narration? What words to emphasize? What tone to take? Watch and listen while Emily Botein leads the way, as producers get "tracked" in real time by coaches with different styles and approaches to voicing. This session includes the brave trackers: Jesse Dukes, John Biewen, and Colette Kinsella.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Now more than ever, you can own your podcast - make it, distribute it, sell it. How is it done? Discover if you have the interest - and the stomach - to be a radio entrepreneur, and learn what it takes. Own Your Thing (Part 2) was hosted by Lea Thau - who built The Moth from a small local series to a nation organization - with panelists Chris Bannon (WNYC), Alex Blumberg (Gimlet Media), and Kerri Hoffman (PRX/Radiotopia). Recorded at the 2014 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Now more than ever, you can own your podcast - make it, distribute it, sell it. How is it done? Discover if you have the interest - and the stomach - to be a radio entrepreneur, and learn what it takes. Own Your Thing (Part 1) was hosted by Lea Thau, with panelists Daniel Alarcón (Radio Ambulante), Hillary Frank (Longest Shortest Time), and Nick van der Kolk (Love + Radio). Recorded at the 2014 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ira Glass brought the first day of the 2012 Third Coast Conference to a close by sharing his favorite moments from the year's Third Coast winners and other stories. He also mused about why, despite the popular opinion at the time that the medium might soon disappear, it was - and now even more so - actually an awesome time to be making radio. Recorded at the 2012 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Over the past several years, we've seen the journalism world take a hard look at itself. Reporters and documentary-makers have had to confront the relationship between cold, hard facts and the push to make compelling stories linger long after they’re heard. Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute moderated a panel at the 2012 Third Coast Conference to address the ethical dilemmas that pop up for journalists when producing stories. She was joined by Matt Thompson, now the deputy editor at The Atlantic, and documentarian Alex Kotlowitz. Together they discussed the common, shared ethical values of reporting and whether those values are absolute or if they can be bent. Recorded at the 2012 Third Coast Conference. Note: This session features a clip from Alex’s film, The Interrupters. You can watch it here: http://bit.ly/Pocket33  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In June, Third Coast went to Brooklyn where we hosted a frank discussion at the Bell House for aspiring and current podcasters about what it takes to make it in today’s podcast landscape. We were joined by some of the top people behind some of the biggest story-based podcasts: Jenna Weiss-Berman (Pineapple Street Media), Alex Blumberg (Gimlet Media), N’Jeri Eaton (NPR) and Julie Shapiro (Radiotopia). Picking their brains was Third Coast’s Johanna Zorn, with Nick Quah of Hotpod keeping them honest. We asked the following questions and more: What makes a successful podcast? How do you market it? What are the benefits of hosting live shows? When and how do you join a podcast network? What new innovations are on the horizon?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

(aka: State of the Re:Union's Secret Recipe for Serious Place-based Storytelling... in Practically No Time!) From 2010 to 2015, the Jacksonville-based WJCT program State of the Re:Union took listeners on a tour of America one city at a time. In this session, host Al Letson and producers Tina Antolini and Laura Starecheski reveal their secret recipe for how to arrive in an unfamiliar place, stay for 5-7 days and leave with a whole hour's worth of sound-rich, scene-based radio stories. Recorded at the 2012 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Do your own radio scripts ever bore you? Or frustrate, confuse, and deflate you? Nancy Updike, who has written stories ranging in length from 50 seconds to 59 minutes, presents easy approaches to making your writing sharper, more memorable, and more engaged with the tape. Also, learn how to make drab tape beautiful through writing, and along the way, enjoy some schadenfreude: instructive stories of mistakes and failure are shared for the benefit of all. Recorded at the 2006 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Inspired by a Lego time machine her son built, Iceland-based independent producer Rikke Houd created a tool to help producers take advantage of the vast space radio offers. In this session from the 2014 Third Coast Conference, Rikke demonstrates how thinking about your story as an exercise in time travel can add depth, perspective and pleasure to your work. Note! You may want to keep a drawing of The Radio Vertikalisator handy while you listen. And you'll definitely want transcripts of Rikke's non-English language audio examples. You can find both here: http://bit.ly/pocket30  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Attention new producers! Before heading out into the world with headphones on and mic facing forward, what do you need to know? Here's where you find out. Armed with a multitude of audio examples, Rob Rosenthal discusses story-making preparations - from research and interview planning to thinking in scenes and collecting ambient sound - and shares thoughts on making a go of radio for a living. Recorded at the 2006 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Documenting somebody else's life is one of the hardest challenges producers face in their work. Over an extended period of time relationships intensify, stories often change drastically, and the line between personal and too personal blurs easily. In this two-part session, producers talk with the subjects of their work about the stories they've documented, the struggles they faced together throughout the process, and what they've learned from each other through the experience. Documenter and Documentee (part two) is moderated by Joe Richman, and features Michele Norris (NPR) and Sharon White, the subject of two pieces Norris produced on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Recorded at the 2007 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Documenting somebody else's life is one of the hardest challenges producers face in their work. Over an extended period of time relationships intensify, stories often change drastically, and the line between personal and too personal blurs easily. Two producers talk with the subjects of their work about the stories they've documented, the struggles they faced together throughout the process, and what they've learned from each other through the experience. Documenter and Documentee (part one) is moderated by Joe Richman, with producer Mary Beth Kirchner and Rebecca Peterson, the subject of Kirchner's A Year to Live, A Year to Die. Recorded at the 2007 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ever wonder what inspires, obsesses and ignites the Kitchen Sisters? Find out during this hour-plus showcase of audio (and other less-evolved art forms) culled from their accidental archive and the stirring work of others. Among other surprises you'll hear shards of sound, music, film clips, and many, many stories. Recorded at the 2008 Third Coast Conference.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.