Podcasts are increasingly popular, with ‘Serial’ ‘S Town’ in the US attracting tens of millions of listeners. Technology means that programme-making is widely accessible and is bringing a new world of on-demand audio to all types of audiences – big and small.

This one-day workshop covers the production process from A to Z – taking it ‘from idea to ear’. It looks at how to refine the original idea, and the technical demands of recording and producing a podcast. It explains what’s needed to make a programme and how to keep the audience listening.

Content:

• Planning for podcast production – editorial and technical
• The differing types of online audio programmes
• Recording – equipment and technical guidelines
• Editing and production – instruction and guidelines
• Polishing the finished product (branding, music, podcast platforms).

Trainer

Richard Miron has considerable experience as a journalist and strategic communications professional. He was a reporter and producer for BBC News and Current Affairs for 17 years, including several years as a foreign correspondent. He later worked as a senior communications official for the UN in the Middle East and for the World Bank in Washington D.C. He now runs a consultancy ‘Earshot Strategies’ that provides a range of services to support organizations and individuals interested in podcasting. To find out more about Earshot Strategies click here.

Image: via Shutterstock

Final Cut Pro X has redefined the post-production process for journalists and video professionals, and is now the software of choice for BBC News. Until now all non-linear editing systems were based on film editing. FCP X works with new paradigms from tapeless workflows.

This two-day workshop will guide you through this revolutionary new way of editing by taking you through an edit from start to finish.

“As a teacher, I can sincerely say that Simon is a way above par educator. Aside from his comprehensive expertise on the subject, the clarity and structure with which he presented the course, ensured that I took in as much as was possible. . . . It was worth every penny – thank you!”

“Simon is the best teacher that I ever, ever had. He gave absolutely clear, understandable explanations and answered all my silly questions!”

“Simon is an outstanding trainer! I have been on several technical courses and this is definitely the best! Great if you like fast-paced learning.”

We’ll look at how to import and organise your media, create a rough cut, trim and cut, add music/effects/titles and voice over, colour correct and export for multiple platforms.

Workflow

• Importing/transcoding files, creating events, keywords, grouping clips reviewing media and marking
• Sequencing clips: Magnetic timeline, adding clips to the timeline, clip timing, auditioning, story lines and compound clips
• Adjusting video: Speed, scaling, cropping, distorting, keyframing and text
• Music and audio: Editing/enhancement and recording voiceover
• Effects: Template effects, adjusting effects, colour correction, auto balancing/matching colour and manual correction
• Sharing: Quicktime/Apple devices/Vimeo/Youtube and Compressor

About the trainer
Simon Ruben is an award winning freelance editor and video trainer with over eight years of broadcast experience across a range of genres. He has designed and delivered popular courses for the Frontline Club since 2007 including Final Cut Pro, Compressor, DVDSP and Motion. He has also tailored courses for FT.com, Save The Children, Accenture, Medecins Sans Frontiers, LV, Soho Editors and the NUJ.

Podcasts are a great way to engage the public and hook audiences in. More personal and intimate than video, they are also simple to produce. In this one-day workshop, we’ll give you the tools you need to start making your own podcasts. We will be recording on smart phones.

Content:

• Introduction to audio. A few well-chosen words.
• Content and casting. So what’s it all about?
• Interviewing and the art of conversation.
• Editorial control. Who is steering the ship? Some journalism basics.
• Music, actuality, and the special bits.
• Recording basics on smart phones.

What to bring:

• A smart phone to record audio on.
• Pen and paper to take notes.

Trainers

Rosie Bartlett is a journalist and communications trainer with over 18 years of international media training and production experience for the BBC and global NGOs. At the BBC she produced international news programmes for the BBC World Service and digital stories for BBC Radio and Music online. Kate and Rosie are both digital trainees for the BBC’s World Service 2020 project training BBC staff around the globe

Kate Hoyland re-launched and ran the successful BBC Production Trainee Scheme, which receives upwards of three thousand applications yearly. She has 18 years experience as a journalist in the BBC World Service, where she specialised in international news before moving on to manage Radio and Production training, delivering leadership and media training to journalists from 22 international bureaux. Kate is currently producing a podcast series for UCL on interdisciplinary working. She works on social media accounts for the BBC.

Rosie Bartlett and Kate Hoyland deliver training courses for Quattrain. To find out more about their courses please click here. 

Image: via Shutterstock

Join us for a day long masterclass, moving from the basic elements of television and video packaging through to the most sophisticated techniques, making extensive use of tape material. It is designed to work for both newcomers and experienced professionals who want to improve their storytelling.

The session will be led by Vin Ray, a former BBC Foreign Editor, Executive Editor and the founding Director of the BBC College of Journalism. During his time at the BBC, Ray was in charge of on-air talent and recruited and developed many of the corporation’s best known journalists. He was described as ‘a revered teacher’ by Andrew Marr, one of the many journalists Ray trained. In 2004, he was awarded the Dart Centre’s ‘Distinguished Media Leadership Award’ at a ceremony in New York. He left the BBC in 2010 and now works as a writer, consultant and trainer.

Here’s what participants had to say about Vin’s masterclasses at the club:

“Truly inspirational and motivating.”

“Just an excellent, informal course.”

“Everything and more than I expected.”

“I learnt more in one day with Vin than I have in three years at college.”

“Really enjoyed the course. The way he presented things was easy to understand.”

“So much to know, so very interesting.”

“Brilliant.”

“I can’t wait to apply what I’ve learnt!”

You will learn a range of essential craft skills and techniques: how to write sentences that work for TV and online video, techniques the great writers use, how to use natural sound, how to script pictures, how to make stories flow, and how to achieve clarity. You will learn some powerful techniques for structuring stories. We will also look at what makes a good piece to camera, and more personal issues like vocal delivery. Along the way we’ll look at issues like using humour and reporter involvement.

Final Cut Pro X has redefined the post-production process for journalists and video professionals, and is now the software of choice for BBC News. Until now all non-linear editing systems were based on film editing. FCP X works with new paradigms from tapeless workflows.

This two-day workshop will guide you through this revolutionary new way of editing by taking you through an edit from start to finish.

“As a teacher, I can sincerely say that Simon is a way above par educator. Aside from his comprehensive expertise on the subject, the clarity and structure with which he presented the course, ensured that I took in as much as was possible. . . . It was worth every penny – thank you!”

“Simon is the best teacher that I ever, ever had. He gave absolutely clear, understandable explanations and answered all my silly questions!”

“Simon is an outstanding trainer! I have been on several technical courses and this is definitely the best! Great if you like fast-paced learning.”

We’ll look at how to import and organise your media, create a rough cut, trim and cut, add music/effects/titles and voice over, colour correct and export for multiple platforms.

Workflow

• Importing/transcoding files, creating events, keywords, grouping clips reviewing media and marking
• Sequencing clips: Magnetic timeline, adding clips to the timeline, clip timing, auditioning, story lines and compound clips
• Adjusting video: Speed, scaling, cropping, distorting, keyframing and text
• Music and audio: Editing/enhancement and recording voiceover
• Effects: Template effects, adjusting effects, colour correction, auto balancing/matching colour and manual correction
• Sharing: Quicktime/Apple devices/Vimeo/Youtube and Compressor

Please bring your own laptop and software for this workshop. Although this is optional we strongly recommend it in order to make the most of the day.

The Frontline Club will provide media with which to practice editing.

To follow the entire day’s workshop on your own Mac, please ensure you have the following software installed:

Final Cut Pro X version 10.3 (£229.99) can be purchased here.

You will need to have Mac OS X Mavericks (or later) installed first which can be downloaded for free here.

A fully functioning 30-day trail version can also be downloaded for free here.

Please note, Final Cut Pro X is not compatible with Windows/PCs.

In order not maximise training time, it is essential that the software is installed and operational before the course starts.

About the trainer
Simon Ruben is an award winning freelance editor and video trainer with over eight years of broadcast experience across a range of genres. He has designed and delivered popular courses for the Frontline Club since 2007 including Final Cut Pro, Compressor, DVDSP and Motion. He has also tailored courses for FT.com, Save The Children, Accenture, Medecins Sans Frontiers, LV, Soho Editors and the NUJ.

Join us for a day long masterclass, moving from the basic elements of television and video packaging through to the most sophisticated techniques, making extensive use of tape material. It is designed to work for both newcomers and experienced professionals who want to improve their storytelling.

The session will be led by Vin Ray, a former BBC Foreign Editor, Executive Editor and the founding Director of the BBC College of Journalism. During his time at the BBC, Ray was in charge of on-air talent and recruited and developed many of the corporation’s best known journalists. He was described as ‘a revered teacher’ by Andrew Marr, one of the many journalists Ray trained. In 2004, he was awarded the Dart Centre’s ‘Distinguished Media Leadership Award’ at a ceremony in New York. He left the BBC in 2010 and now works as a writer, consultant and trainer.

Here’s what participants had to say about Vin’s masterclasses at the club:

“Truly inspirational and motivating.”

“Just an excellent, informal course.”

“Everything and more than I expected.”

“I learnt more in one day with Vin than I have in three years at college.”

“Really enjoyed the course. The way he presented things was easy to understand.”

“So much to know, so very interesting.”

“Brilliant.”

“I can’t wait to apply what I’ve learnt!”

You will learn a range of essential craft skills and techniques: how to write sentences that work for TV and online video, techniques the great writers use, how to use natural sound, how to script pictures, how to make stories flow, and how to achieve clarity. You will learn some powerful techniques for structuring stories. We will also look at what makes a good piece to camera, and more personal issues like vocal delivery. Along the way we’ll look at issues like using humour and reporter involvement.

Podcasts are a great way to engage the public and hook audiences in. More personal and intimate than video, they are also simple to produce. In this one-day workshop, we’ll give you the tools you need to start making your own podcasts. We will be recording on smart phones.

Content:

• Introduction to audio. A few well-chosen words.
• Content and casting. So what’s it all about?
• Interviewing and the art of conversation.
• Editorial control. Who is steering the ship? Some journalism basics.
• Music, actuality, and the special bits.
• Recording basics on smart phones.

What to bring:

• A smart phone to record audio on.
• Pen and paper to take notes.

Trainers

Rosie Bartlett is a journalist and communications trainer with over 18 years of international media training and production experience for the BBC and global NGOs. At the BBC she produced international news programmes for the BBC World Service and digital stories for BBC Radio and Music online. Rosie has worked with BBC’s Global Women in News to launch their training strategy and leads training for Sound Women.

Kate Hoyland re-launched and ran the successful BBC Production Trainee Scheme, which receives upwards of three thousand applications yearly. She has 18 years experience as a journalist in the BBC World Service, where she specialised in international news before moving on to manage Radio and Production training, delivering leadership and media training to journalists from 22 international bureaux. Kate is currently producing a podcast series for UCL on interdisciplinary working. She works on social media accounts for the BBC.

Rosie Bartlett and Kate Hoyland deliver training courses for Quattrain. To find out more about their courses please click here. 

Image: via Shutterstock

Final Cut Pro X has redefined the post-production process for journalists and video professionals, and is now the software of choice for BBC News. Until now all non-linear editing systems were based on film editing. FCP X works with new paradigms from tapeless workflows.

This two-day workshop will guide you through this revolutionary new way of editing by taking you through an edit from start to finish.

“As a teacher, I can sincerely say that Simon is a way above par educator. Aside from his comprehensive expertise on the subject, the clarity and structure with which he presented the course, ensured that I took in as much as was possible. . . . It was worth every penny – thank you!”

“Simon is the best teacher that I ever, ever had. He gave absolutely clear, understandable explanations and answered all my silly questions!”

“Simon is an outstanding trainer! I have been on several technical courses and this is definitely the best! Great if you like fast-paced learning.”

We’ll look at how to import and organise your media, create a rough cut, trim and cut, add music/effects/titles and voice over, colour correct and export for multiple platforms.

Workflow

• Importing/transcoding files, creating events, keywords, grouping clips reviewing media and marking
• Sequencing clips: Magnetic timeline, adding clips to the timeline, clip timing, auditioning, story lines and compound clips
• Adjusting video: Speed, scaling, cropping, distorting, keyframing and text
• Music and audio: Editing/enhancement and recording voiceover
• Effects: Template effects, adjusting effects, colour correction, auto balancing/matching colour and manual correction
• Sharing: Quicktime/Apple devices/Vimeo/Youtube and Compressor

Please bring your own laptop and software for this workshop. Although this is optional we strongly recommend it in order to make the most of the day.

The Frontline Club will provide media with which to practice editing.

To follow the entire day’s workshop on your own Mac, please ensure you have the following software installed:

Final Cut Pro X version 10.3 (£229.99) can be purchased here.

You will need to have Mac OS X Mavericks (or later) installed first which can be downloaded for free here.

A fully functioning 30-day trail version can also be downloaded for free here.

Please note, Final Cut Pro X is not compatible with Windows/PCs.

In order not maximise training time, it is essential that the software is installed and operational before the course starts.

About the trainer
Simon Ruben is an award winning freelance editor and video trainer with over eight years of broadcast experience across a range of genres. He has designed and delivered popular courses for the Frontline Club since 2007 including Final Cut Pro, Compressor, DVDSP and Motion. He has also tailored courses for FT.com, Save The Children, Accenture, Medecins Sans Frontiers, LV, Soho Editors and the NUJ.

Podcasts are a great way to engage the public and hook audiences in. More personal and intimate than video, they are also simple to produce. In this one-day workshop, we’ll give you the tools you need to start making your own podcasts. We will be recording on smart phones.

Content:

• Introduction to audio. A few well-chosen words.
• Content and casting. So what’s it all about?
• Interviewing and the art of conversation.
• Editorial control. Who is steering the ship? Some journalism basics.
• Music, actuality, and the special bits.
• Recording basics on smart phones.

What to bring:

• A laptop with an installed version of Adobe Audition. You can download a free trial here.
• A smart phone to record audio on.
• Pen and paper to take notes.

Trainers

Rosie Bartlett is a journalist and communications trainer with over 18 years of international media training and production experience for the BBC and global NGOs. At the BBC she produced international news programmes for the BBC World Service and digital stories for BBC Radio and Music online. Rosie has worked with BBC’s Global Women in News to launch their training strategy and leads training for Sound Women.

Kate Hoyland re-launched and ran the successful BBC Production Trainee Scheme, which receives upwards of three thousand applications yearly. She has 18 years experience as a journalist in the BBC World Service, where she specialised in international news before moving on to manage Radio and Production training, delivering leadership and media training to journalists from 22 international bureaux. Kate is currently producing a podcast series for UCL on interdisciplinary working. She works on social media accounts for the BBC.

Rosie Bartlett and Kate Hoyland deliver training courses for Quattrain. To find out more about their courses please click here. 

Image: via Shutterstock

Radio can be an incredibly powerful way to tell a story, and it’s a growing medium. This one-day course will get you started with some of the key techniques of radio documentary making.

You’ll cover the editorial essentials such as spotting an idea, building a narrative structure, finding the right contributors, as well as how to use sound creatively to grab the listener’s attention. There’ll also be tips on pitching ideas to programme editors or commissioning executives.

During the day, you’ll get hands on experience of working out a story and learning how to pitch it. You’ll hear lots of inspiring audio, and analyse the techniques used, and you’ll learn some of the principles involved in capturing the listener’s attention, and how to hold it.

At the end of the course you will have a better understanding of the potential of radio, and should be in a good position to pitch to broadcasters such as BBC Radio 4 and the World Service, or making audio features and documentaries for online broadcasters.

The course would suit those from other media or communications disciplines who are thinking of broadening their skill base as well as those completely new to the field.

About the trainers:
David Prest and Deborah Dudgeon of Whistledown Productions will teach the course. Whistledown is the largest provider of speech programmes to BBC Radio, providing landmark series such as Radio 4’s The Reunion, and Feedback, as well as a wide range of features and documentaries. Whistledown also works with universities and commercial clients to make podcasts and audio guides.

Image: via Shutterstock / MAFord