PRODUCING A RADIO FEATURE

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Detail the elements needed to produce a radio feature.

In radio, you are primarily responsible for all stages of feature production. In commercial radio, particularly in smaller markets, the DJs of the station are responsible for producing features. The same thing applies at NBS detachments. Once you are assigned a production, the entire process, from researching the subject to putting it on tape, belongs to you.

In this section, "radio feature" and "audio production" are used interchangeably.

SELECTING MUSIC

Music is used to set the mood for a production. It can create a feeling of excitement, tranquility, suspense or sadness. The following four types of music can be used in audio production:

Theme

Background

Bridge

Fill

Theme

If you are doing a series of spots on a particular subject or using a particular character, theme music will lend identification to that subject or character. Avoid using familiar songs as themes; for example, "Gonna Fly Now" from the Rocky movie series or the theme from American Gladiators. These selections tend to distract the listener and ultimately lessen the effect of the message.

Background

Background music helps set the mood of the feature production and it increases audience appeal. A voice-only production can be very boring, especially if it is just one voice. For example, a few strains of dramatic fanfare might heighten listener anticipation of a story climax. Conversely, you could use light, melodic music to support a comical subject. There is instrumental music to fit almost any mood. It is just a matter of listening to the selection, perceiving the emotion or mental image it creates and matching the appropriate mood to your subject.

When you are selecting music for background, instrumentals are preferred over music with vocals. Vocal songs tend to distract the listener from the message of the production. Vocal music may be used, but only if it contributes to the message. When vocals are used, level balance becomes critical so that the music does not override the message.

Background music should be unrecognizable and match the subject. By adding the right background music, you add to the aesthetic appeal of the feature.

Bridge

Bridge music connects or "bridges" two ideas or thoughts. Bridge music, also called transitional music, was used in radio theater to change the scene. A short instrumental fanfare can signal a change in topics - or, a new scene can be introduced with a short musical theme that suggests a particular location.

Fill

Fill music is often called "pad" music and is usually an unrecognizable instrumental song. If your feature production is required to be a certain length, you can use fill music to eat up time at the end. This also allows the person airing the production an opportunity to transition to the next program element gracefully with less chance of lapsing into dead air.

SELECTING SOUND EFFECTS

The use of sound and sound effects works much the same way as music. The purpose of sound effects is to enhance the spoken word.

Creative use of sound can help develop a vivid picture in the mind of the listener. The success of an audio production often depends on the mental picture conjured up by different sound effects. Good examples are the spots produced for the Radio Ad Bureau promoting radio advertising. By using sound effects, the producer created a visual picture in the listener's mind by doing such things as draining Lake Michigan, filling it with chocolate and topping it off with a 750-foot mountain of whipped cream and a 10-ton maraschino cherry. This versatility is available for any radio production and is limited only by your imagination and ability to locate or create sound effects.

The following are the three main types of sound in audio production: . Real l Simulated l Rerecorded

Real

Real sound effects are produced in the studio using the actual source, such as papers shuffling or scissors cutting cloth. You are limited to the availability of the particular item to make the desired sound.

Simulated

Simulated sound effects are those that do not recreate reality, but merely suggest it. Crinkling cellophane can suggest a campfire, and running your thumb across the teeth of a comb can suggest casting a fishing line.

Prerecorded

Prerecorded sound effects are those available on tape or compact disc (CD). The two types of these are the ones that create a sound picture, such as a city street or factory, and the ones that create individual sounds, such as footsteps or the opening of a door. When using prerecorded sound effects, you are limited to the recordings available in the tape or CD library of your station.

USE OF THE VOICE

The voice is the essence of most radio productions, because it conveys the message. Each announcer interprets copy according to his style of delivery and the type of delivery needed to communicate the message effectively. Voice characterizations may be used if it is appropriate to the production, but make sure the characterization is realistic and portrayed well.