Third Coast Pocket Conference

Start from the Beginning (2019)

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 14:54:44 GMT

Most people can recount the facts of their situation, but how do you get them to tell you an actual story? Interviewing for narrative calls for a slightly different set of interview muscles – from the kinds of questions you ask, to helping a source tap into details and emotion of moments long past.

At the 2019 Third Coast Conference, Karen Duffin of Planet Money broke down how to interview for narrative audio in very practical terms. She provided examples from her years of experience as an interviewer, and shared some tools she has used elicit more vivid, concrete, as-if-you-were-there stories.

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez.

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Audio To Film, And Back Again (2019)

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 19:05:46 GMT

Can you make the move from audio to film, without leaving audio behind?

At the 2019 Third Coast Conference, Jasmin Mara López (Silent Beauty) led a conversation about the journey from experienced audio producer to first-time filmmaker. She laid out the steps she took on this personal and professional journey, from the conceptual stage of a project to directing and producing a feature-length film, all while keeping your audio roots in mind.

Consider this an independent filmmaker's guide of sorts to starting out in film, plus what you can steal from the world of visual documentary to make audio even better.

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dark & Funny, Like Your Life: Sound Design With Feeling (2019)

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 00:57:58 GMT

You know about reading between the lines, right? Well good sound design can make you dance between the lines. And when you’re talking about big, uncomfortable ideas — sound can be a super powerful tool to have on hand.

Suicide often reminds us of those four magic words: "just ask for help." But Honor Eastly knows it’s not that simple. She’s been there and back, and has the receipts to prove it — years of phone recordings and diary entries from the inside. From this mountain of source material, a podcast was born/emerged! That podcast: No Feeling Is Final.

In this session from the 2019 Third Coast Conference, Honor and executive producer Joel Werner broke down how they took Honor’s life and turned it into a super-creative & sound-rich six-part series. They shared audio diary tape, and discussed where/when to use it (and when/how to reconstruct scenes). They talked about the power of a first person perspective, negotiating between a compelling narrative and life’s utter messiness, trust, shared taste, and how a sense of humor can shine a light in the darkest places.

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sex Sells (2019)

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 23:45:11 GMT

Sex sells, sure, but who gets to cash in on it? How can journalists honestly and accurately cover sex workers without sensationalizing or further stigmatizing their work? And can the answers provide meaningful & challenging insights for audio producers specifically who make stories about communities they are not a part of?

At thee 2019 Third Coast Conference, Lina Misitzis (This American Life), producer of The Last Days of August and The Butterfly Effect , explained what steps she took to gain the trust of LA's porn industry, what she learned, and how this reporting continues to impact her approach to storytelling. She shared what she heard from pornographers themselves about mistakes documentarians have made while reporting on them in the past. And the writer Sydney Leathers joined Lina to talk about media coverage she received and how she wishes her own story had been covered differently.

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Midwifing the Story: The Art of Editing (2019)

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 19:05:41 GMT

We’ve all heard the old adage: Everyone needs an editor. Whether you’re working in print, film, or narrative audio — you need someone to check for structure, make sure you’re meeting deadlines, and generally help get the story to the finish line. Jen Chien, who works as an editor at Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting, compares it to being a midwife: Editors help people give birth to their projects and make sure they come to life.

In this session from the 2019 Third Coast Conference, Jen Chien laid out what it takes to be a great editor, from the art of nurturing creativity in the people you work with to hands-on project management tips to keep the project moving. She also shared lessons from some of the top editors in the field on how to successfully guide producers through the process, without sacrificing rigor or craft.

Click here to view the accompanying slide visuals for this sessions.

Since this session was recorded, Jen Chien & Casey Miner have created an online survey to see who’s interested in trainings specifically for narrative audio editors.

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Calling the Shots with Steve and Nishat (2019)

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:02:12 GMT

The audio industry is changing -- and your role as a leader might well be changing with it. Making the transition from reporter to editor, from producer to executive producer, or from player to coach isn’t always easy.

In this session from the 2019 Third Coast Conference, Steve Edwards (WBEZ) and Nishat Kurwa (Vox Media) shared their candid thoughts and experiences about the challenges of becoming leader, personally and professionally.

From leading a production team to starting your own podcast shop, they shared tips on how to make the transition successfully - while continuing to foster creativity, and staying connected to the craft. Together, they explained why the same skills that it takes to be a great audio producer are actually the foundations of becoming an outstanding leader, too.

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hearing Outside The Lines: Documenting Beyond Truth (2019)

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 04:48:15 GMT

What does truth look like when everything around us seems to hold the strange gasps of fiction?

At the 2019 Third Coast Conference, this panel delved into a deep conversation about new methods of intertwining documentary, fiction & story to tell, dare we say it, even truer stories. It was hosted by 2019 Third Coast/RHDF Competition award-winner Neena Pathak, and featured award-winner Zoha Zokaei, Bellwether creator Sam Greenspan, and Arwen Nicks, creator of The Big One.

Click here to the subtitled version of Price of Secrecy by Zoha Zokaei.

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gonna Make You Sweat (2019)

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 01:32:37 GMT

What does it feel like when artists challenge conventional radio and allow their lived experiences to inform their work?

In their 2020 Third Coast Conference session, NK, Phoebe, Mara and Ari - the founding members of RADIO (R)EJECTS - employed Sara Ahmed’s term ‘sweaty concepts’ to explore first person narrative stories. Using feminist theory by women of color as a lens for listening, you’ll be part of a conversation that expands upon asking what artistic choices shape “experimental” radio? How and why does it make us sweat? Presented by RADIO (R)EJECTS, a collective based out of Chicago, LA, and New Orleans.

This session intentionally carved out space for POC, femmes, people with disabilities, trans peeps, and queers who want to talk about how, why and for whom we tell our stories.

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez. Special thanks to Madeline Fox!

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Johanna Zorn's Favorite Things (2019)

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 13:05:00 GMT

At the 2019 Third Coast Conference, Johanna Zorn took the stage to share her experiences and her lifelong love of radio.

20 years ago, Johanna Zorn co-founded the Third Coast International Audio Festival with Julie Shapiro. Then last year, Johanna announced that she was moving on from Third Coast to new adventures. We invited Johanna to share her Favorite Things in the audio world as the closing speaker at the 2019 Third Coast Conference.

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Right to Bear Data (2019)

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 13:04:00 GMT

Data has power but also serves power, which means it can be profoundly hard to navigate and understand.

At the same time, the difference between a good investigation and an exceptional one is bound up in data. So how can you use data to transform your reporting, deepen your narrative, and offer creative & entirely unexpected ways of storytelling. How can you use data as power?

At the 2019 Third Coast Conference, veteran data journalist David Eads ( The Chicago Reporter ) presented a session breaking open the uses and limits of data, illustrated with practical examples.

Click here to view the slides and visuals for this presentation.

Want to continue the conversation? Follow David Eads on Twitter (@eads) and sign up for Producer News to stay up to date on the latest from Third Coast.

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bitchin' Pitch Panel - Part 2 (2019)

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 13:03:00 GMT

Hosted by AIR (Association of Independents in Radio), this session pulls back the curtain on one of the most difficult and important skills every producer has to tackle: how to pitch.

Hosted by Leila Day (The Stoop, Pineapple Street Media), the second day of the 2019 Bitchin’ Pitchin’ panel featured the following editors: Jen Chien (Reveal), Erika Clark (Spotify), Kristina Loring (Dipsea)

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bitchin' Pitch Panel - Part 1 (2019)

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 13:02:00 GMT

Hosted by AIR (Association of Independents in Radio), this session pulls back the curtain on one of the most difficult and important skills every producer has to tackle: how to pitch.

Hosted by Leila Day (The Stoop, Pineapple Street Media), the first day of the 2019 Bitchin’ Pitchin’ panel featured the following editors: Catherine Saint Louis (Neon Hum Media), Maiken Scott (The Pulse) and Robert Smith (Planet Money).

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All That Lingers (2019)

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 13:01:00 GMT

Hurricane Maria. The Pulse Nightclub massacre. Charlottesville. Philando Castile. Uproar over racism at the University of Missouri. Adrián Florido (Code Switch) has spent much of his time at NPR reporting on the aftermath of traumatic events in communities of color.

In his 2019 Third Coast Conference session, Adrián spoke about the importance of reporting on people’s pain while avoiding narratives that often strip brown and black people of agency and power.

Note: Sessions are presented twice at the Third Coast Conference (once on Friday, once on Saturday). In this episode, you will hear the Q&A from both presentations of the session.

Want to keep the conversation going? Follow Adrián Florido on Twitter @adrianflorido and sign up for Third Coast's Producer News.

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beat Reporter With A Sneaking Suspicion... (2019)

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 13:00:00 GMT

Some stories start out small, but turn out to be much, much bigger.

Have you ever asked the question: “...is my short news spot better suited to become a multi-part podcast series!?”

Jason Moon, reporter with New Hampshire Public Radio, discovered the answer was yes with the story that became Bear Brook, a podcast about murder in a small New Hampshire town and the invention of forensic genetic genealogy. Along the way, he learned a few things: like how writing for longform podcasts is different than writing for short news spots, how inserting yourself into a story can sometimes be a good thing, and how spending precious minutes developing characters in your story isn’t a pointless detour after all.

In his 2019 Third Coast Conference session, Jason Moon shared what learned along his journey from public radio beat reporter to longform podcast producer.

Note: Sessions are presented twice at the Third Coast Conference (once on Friday, once on Saturday). In this episode, you will hear the Q&A from both presentations of the session. Want to keep the conversation going? Follow Jason Moon on Twitter @jasonmoonNHPR.

Images / slides referenced in this session (click here to view full folder):

5:29 - Seven minute story script
10:50 - Structuring for longform A / Structuring for longform B
15:37 - News feature writing example script
16:20 - Longform writing example script
23:30 - Character description from 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' by John le Carre
47:30 - Bear Brook edit process A
48:00 - NHPR group edit
49:20 - Bear Brook edit process B

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Provocations (2019)

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 23:30:00 GMT

On the first night of the 2019 Third Coast Conference, all 800+ attendees gathered for a series of short, provocative talks.

To view the visuals associated with the following provocations, click here.

"Be Trans, Do Radio: A Provocation for the Cis** / **Cis means you're not trans" - Cassius Adair & Molly Woodstock
"Just Say It: Your Thing is Bad" - Martine Powers
"Ike's Rapid-Fire Bias Check" - Ike Sriskandarajah
"When You Are Very Stuck" - Tom Howell
"You Are Not a Rig and Stories Are Not Oil" - Jenny Casas & Erisa Apantaku
"We're All Losing" - Liza Yeager
"This Happened" - Janey Williams
Audio Benediction - James Kim

Want to keep the conversation going? Sign up for Third Coast's Producer News and follow us on Twitter (@ThirdCoastFest).

The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Update from Third Coast

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 23:00:00 GMT

Because of the situation with COVID-19, we are releasing the rest of the 2019 Third Coast Conference sessions here tomorrow.

The 2019 Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez. Third Coast is: Shirley Alfaro, Maya Goldberg-Safir, Isabel Vázquez and Emily Kennedy. Special thanks to the people who made the 2019 Conference possible: Anya Solotaire, Lynnea Domienik, Neroli Price and our amazing 2019 volunteer cohort.

Questions, comments, wanna get in touch? Reach out to info@thirdcoastfestival.org — we'd love to hear from you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ALL WORKPLACES ARE WORKPLACES ABOUT POWER (2019)

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 20:34:17 GMT

Swirling beneath every single one of this year’s breaking stories and major crises is work and labor: not only of the people in the headlines, but of the audio storytellers, ourselves.

How does the media fail to cover the working class, work, and labor? Why is working class, in media speak, a synonym for "white men?" And how does this impact our culture, our world, and our own spaces of work? Unless we confront the system of media we operate inside of and they way power works within our own industry, we can not properly confront and cover structural power and inequality as journalists and audio storytellers.

This opening panel from the 2019 Third Coast Conference was hosted by Sandhya Dirks, with panelists Carla Murphy, Afi Yellow-Duke and Emily Guendelsberger.

We have a ton more to share with you – resources, events, dates and more. Sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Awards Ceremony (2019)

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 12:00:00 GMT

We're BACK with a new season of the Third Coast Pocket Conference! This season: the 2019 Third Coast Conference.

Inspired by the energy of the 2018 Awards Ceremony, we're kicking off this season with the award-winning producers who took the stage in Chicago in 2019. You can listen to all of the winning stories from the 2019 competition at ThirdCoastFestival.org.

We have a ton more to share with you – resources, events, dates and more. Sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kaitlin Prest's Favorite Things (2018)

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 11:45:00 GMT

At the 2018 Third Coast Conference, Kaitlin Prest, audio artist, radiophile, creator of The Heart from Radiotopia and The Shadows from the CBC, talked about what has inspired her to push the boundaries of audio making.

After ten years creating performances, immersive experiences and an award winning podcast she introduces us into the backbone of her inspiration: art, intersectional feminism, and her best friends.

You can listen to all the sessions from previous years of the conference at ThirdCoastFestival.org. There you can also find a link to the full transcript of the this episode, thanks to Descript (coming soon!).

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Depth Perception: Techniques for two ears (2018)

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 11:45:00 GMT

Just as our eyes work together to create a sense of depth perception, so too do our ears...

And yet, so few radio and podcast productions take advantage of the full stereo field—how differences between the “left” and “right” sides of a mix work together to create an immersive sense of space. How can we use this space to help us show vs. tell in radio storytelling, and create more visceral auditory imagery? In this session from the 2018 Third Coast Conference, Brendan Baker shared ideas, tools, and techniques to enhance our sense of space as both listeners and producers.

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

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I Love Language (2018)

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Behind many audio stories, there’s stacks of paper and documents full of text. Old interview transcripts that predate recording technology. Letters found in a box. Court records. Emails.

In this session from the 2018 Third Coast Conference, John Delore discussed ways to bring these materials to life in the sonic realm. He outlined fundamental differences between how the written word & the spoken word communicate meaning and emotion and shared ideas for using reenactments and adapting from fiction to tell a story.

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

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The Art of Noise (2018)

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 12:00:00 GMT

What does it mean for a podcast or radio story to be “innovative” or “experimental”? Is it in the writing? The structure? The use of sound?

At the 2018 Third Coast Conference, Andrew Leland and Michelle Macklem traced the roots of narrative audio from some of the form’s newest producers back through radio history to the medium’s original innovators, with an emphasis on underrepresented and underheard artists. They made a case for the future of experimentation by exploring a treasure-trove of work that has shaped, and weirdened, the way narrative audio sounds.

There is a treasure trove of extra information and resources that come with this episode. Find them on Producer News and on the Third Coast website. We also have a full transcript of the this episode, thanks to Descript (coming soon).

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Let The Work Be What It Wants To Be (2018)

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 22:47:18 GMT

Using found reels of an old wire recorder from the 1950's, interdisciplinary artist Alison S. M. Kobayashi created her performance piece, "Say Something Bunny!" heralded by the New York Times as “forthrightly funny and briefly pornographic, it is also sneakily moving."

At the 2018 Third Coast Conference, Alison invited the audience to participate in an excerpt of the piece. She then examined the performance as a case study in interpreting archival materials through imagination. We can’t share that performance with you here, but you can go see the show “Say Something Bunny!” in New York through July of 2019.

In this session, Alison shared approaches to unearthing stories in found objects, using structure to embrace chance and discovery, and layering storytelling to engage and challenge audiences.

To following along with the visuals referenced in this session, click here.

Watch the videos referenced in this session:

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

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Writing for the Ear to See (2018)

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 12:15:00 GMT

We make stories for the ear, but there’s no escaping the highly visual nature of the work we produce...

No other medium allows its audience to see as imaginatively, as privately, and as sensitively, as audio. But how do we go about accessing this visual capacity of audio? How do we find those ways of describing a scene, an object, a person, in a way that brings our audience the full Technicolor experience. Focusing on script, this session from the 2018 Third Coast Conference looks at visual language. Australian producer Sophie Townsend shares tips for using narration to allow our audience to see what they’re hearing.

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

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AIR's Bitchin' Pitch Panel - Day 2 (2018)

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 20:05:44 GMT

At AIR's Bitchin' Pitchin' Panel, three producers each pitch directly to a panel of editors to give them a shot at selling their story, while everyone gets some insight into the process. Back for her second year as a stellar moderator is producer Leila Day of Pineapple Street Media and co-host of The Stoop podcast. She leads these sessions, as a guide from pitch to pitch, and as an editor & mentor.

This is the second of two Pitch Panels we’re sharing on this podcast, featuring Nick White (KCRW), Robyn Semien (This American Life) and Irene Noguchi (Today, Explained).

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

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AIR's Bitchin' Pitch Panel - Day 1 (2018)

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 20:02:31 GMT

This is the first of two pitch panels we’ll be sharing, featuring editors Jason DeRose (NPR West) and Hanna Rosin (Invisibilia).

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

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Provocations (2018)

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 11:45:23 GMT

What are provocations? Imagine that you’re hashing out an issue you care deeply about in audio with a friend - except this time, it's live in front of a room of hundreds of people. Don’t be afraid to get shaken up.

The 2018 Third Coast conference opened with provocations from: Stan Alcorn, Stacia Brown, Eula Scott Bynoe & Jeannie Yandel, Alex Laughlin, Ryan Natoli, Aliya Pabani, Sam Sanders and Lu Olkowski.

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

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Podcasting Without a Net(work) Day 2 (2018)

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 11:31:06 GMT

Individual podcasters working with slim budgets and strained resources share how they create their best work while trying to grow audiences and raise money, often while holding down another full time job...

At the 2018 Third Coast Conference, this session explore the “podcasting alone” terrain, including: how to choose a compelling narrative-based podcast concept worth your moonlighting hours, making the most of your limited budget, and how to find partners, audiences, and more support — all while maintaining a sense of creative joy about your show. Hosted by Julie Shapiro of Radiotopia (PRX), who fields questions like these nearly every day, and with panel of podcasters working with big ideas and slim budgets.

Here's the panel from the second day of Podcasting Without a Net(work):

Phoebe Unter (Bitchface)

Tamar Avishai (Lonely Palette)

James Kim (The Competition)

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Podcasting Without a Net(work) Day 1 (2018)

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 11:30:00 GMT

Here's the panel from the first day of Podcasting Without a Net(work):

Nadia Abuelezam (Palestinians Podcast)

David Boyer (The Intersection)

Steve Ray (Deep North)

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

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Beyond True Crime (2018)

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 21:19:40 GMT

True crime podcasts are everywhere. But in 2018, we listened to one murder mystery series that stood out in extraordinary ways. It’s called Missing and Murdered: Finding Cleo. We were so impressed by the work of journalist Connie Walker and her team that we chose Finding Cleo as the winner of our first ever Best Serialized Story Award. So what made the series so exceptional?

Quite simply, Finding Cleo upends the genre of true crime. And in this session from the 2018 Third Coast Conference, Connie Walker & producer Jennifer Fowler share how they did it - how to use one mystery to provide a deeper understanding of the causes behind injustice. By letting subjects lead the investigation, and using empathy and historical inquiry as a guide, Connie & Jennifer show how you can tell a richer, more thoughtful story - and even perhaps, challenge the very concept of 'true crime.’

You can listen to all the sessions from previous years of the conference at ThirdCoastFestival.org. There you can also find a link to the full transcript of the this episode, thanks to Descript.

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

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Immersion Reporting: How to stay in one place and get deeper stories (2018)

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 11:45:26 GMT

Whether you’re a longform documentary maker, or reporting a short news spot, you need to have a deep understanding of the people and places you’re covering. WBEZ reporter Linda Lutton and Snap Judgment producer Adizah Eghan both believe in telling deeper stories through staying in one place.

But it’s not easy. At the 2018 Third Coast Conference, we brought together Adizah and Linda to discuss the peaks and pitfalls they’ve encountered when reporting stories that unfold in real time over months. This session includes practical tips on finding characters, identifying storylines, wrestling with hours of tape, and handling fatigue.

For a full list of resources mentioned in this session, along with a transcript provided by Descript, visit ThirdCoastFestival.org

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Marie Kondo Never Worked in Pro Tools (2018)

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 11:15:10 GMT

Building a radio story often means hours (Dozens? Hundreds?) of tape, reams of written notes, photos, links, and research... It is very easy to get lost in this mountain of material — unsure of what or even where your best stuff is.

Eric Mennel (formerly a producer of StartUp) has reported everything from spot news to serialized narrative seasons. At the 2018 Third Coast Conference, he shared some of the best tools he’s learned for keeping stuff organized. He also make the (strong) case that the very process of organization helps craft a better story, no matter the length. Spreadsheets! Field notes! File structures! It's all here.

You can find a link to the spreadsheet template Eric made here or at ThirdCoastFestival.org.

You can listen to all the sessions from previous years of the conference at ThirdCoastFestival.org. There you can also find a link to the full transcript of the this episode, thanks to Descript.

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

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Jumping Into The Fray: Member stations making new noise in the podcast arena (2018)

Thu, 13 Dec 2018 11:00:00 GMT

Podcasting has shaken up the way public media reporters & journalists tell stories - in some deeply exciting and innovative ways!

How can audio producers in public media, including member stations outside of major markets, continue to innovate storytelling formats - even while taking risks, or working in uncharted stylistic territory? And - how can local public radio stations jump into the fray too, hooking national audiences on stories that they can uniquely report, in their own backyard - and with increasingly fresh takes?

At the 2018 Third Coat Conference, Maureen McMurray of New Hampshire Public radio dove in with panelists from three outstanding narrative podcasts in public media: Jeannie Yandel & Jim Gates of Battle Tactics for Your Sexist Workplace (KUOW), Erika Aguilar of The Bay (KQED) and Shannon Heffernan of 16 Shots (WBEZ).

You can listen to all the sessions from previous years of the conference at ThirdCoastFestival.org. There you can also find a link to the full transcript of the this episode, thanks to Descript.

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who You Talkin' To? Audience & Your Authentic Voice (2018)

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 16:48:22 GMT

Come hang with journalists Leila Day and Hana Baba, co-hosts of The Stoop Podcast: stories from across the Black diaspora.

Born out of the side conversations they had while microwavin' their lunches in the kitchen of KALW where they worked together, The Stoop digs into things Black communities are living, but don't talk about enough. And throughout their podcast journey, Leila and Hana kept hearing the same questions: "who's you're audience?" and "Should audience affect the content and style of a show?"

At the 2018 Third Coast Conference, Leila & Hana led an honest conversation about audience, identity and being a maker of color in an industry that's overwhelmingly lacking in diversity. Drawing from their own work and the inspirations of others, they presented some creative ways they’ve found for producers to own their own narrative.

You can listen to all the sessions from previous years of the conference at ThirdCoastFestival.org. There you can also find a link to the full transcript of the this episode, thanks to Descript.

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

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Beyond the Recording Booth: Partnering with Storytellers Across Mediums

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 22:46:12 GMT

How can audio storytelling translate to — and interact with — media like photography and print, and platforms like public installations and live events? And how to conceive and develop such projects?

At the 2018 Third Coast Conference, independent producer Ruxandra Guidi and Sayre Quevedo, a multimedia artist & journalist, dove into these questions together. During their session, they shared their inspirations, works-in-progress, and tips on how to make successful collaborations that bring stories back to communities.

You can find the visuals referenced in this conference session on our website, ThirdCoastFestival.org. There you can also find a link to the full transcript of the this episode, thanks to Descript.

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spotlight: Family Separation at the Border (2018)

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 10:00:00 GMT

In June of 2018, ProPublica released a piece of audio that would come to define one of the most critical news stories of the year: the separation and detention of families seeking asylum at the U.S. - Mexico border.

The opening panel of the 2018 Third Coast Conference explored the extensive reporting behind this story — and how the it continued to unfold, even after the daily news cycle moved on. Moderated by Sean Rameswaram (Today, Explained), the panel was made up of a group of journalists who had been tirelessly reporting this story: Anayansi Diaz-Cortes (Reveal), Caitlin Dickerson (The New York Times) & Jeremy Raff (The Atlantic). This session took on the realities of translating a complex, ongoing human rights crisis into story.

You can listen to all the sessions from previous years of the conference at ThirdCoastFestival.org. There you can also find a link to the full transcript of the this episode, thanks to Descript.

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ALL STORIES ARE STORIES ABOUT POWER (2018)

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 12:01:00 GMT

Two moments are colliding: An oppressive politics of hate and repression, and a boom in narrative storytelling. So how do we use one to confront the other? It’s time to think deeply, meta-critically, and proactively about the work of narrative storytelling; to challenge the ways that podcasts privilege whiteness, quirkiness, empathy, and centrism, using a critical reframing lens.

At the 2018 Third Coast Conference, Chenjerai Kumanyika (Rutger’s Professor of Journalism and Media Studies, host of Uncivil & contributor to Seeing White) and Sandhya Dirks (KQED reporter and host of American Suburb) offered techniques to explode traditional narratives. How do we reframe the way we conceive, report, and compose stories?

This session challenges the illusion that there is an innocent, objective, or purely entertaining story. All stories are stories about power, and our power as storytellers is to better interrogate the structures that shape, and too often determine, not just our understandings but people’s lives.

You can listen to all the sessions from previous years of the conference at ThirdCoastFestival.org. There you can also find a link to the full transcript of the this episode, thanks to Descript.

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

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Awards Ceremony (2018)

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 12:00:10 GMT

We're kicking off this season of the Pocket Conference with the closing event of the conference: the Awards Ceremony for the 2018 Third Coast / Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition.

This year's Awards Ceremony was historic for a few reasons. First and foremost: when the award-winning producers took the stage in Chicago, they set a new standard for awards speeches — using the microphone to push for structural, political & creative change in the audio world.

You can listen to all of the winning stories from the 2018 competition at ThirdCoastFestival.org. There you can also find a link to the full transcript of the Awards Ceremony, thanks to Descript.

We're sharing so much more each week - sign up for Producer News to stay in the loop!

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Audiocraft 2018: Small Acts of Reinvention

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 11:00:00 GMT

On this episode we’re bringing you another session from the 2018 Audiocraft Conference in Sydney, Australia.

While there's often talk about creating the Next Big Thing in podcasting, Eleanor McDowall (Falling Tree Productions & Radio Atlas) and Helen Zaltzman (The Allusionist from Radiotopia) are curious about small, quiet acts of invention. In this session, they discuss ways they play with form to create something that sounds fresh and surprises listeners, season after season.

If you like what you hear on this episode, subscribe to the Audiocraft podcast or check them out at audiocraft.com.au.

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Audiocraft 2018: Fine Tune

Mon, 20 Aug 2018 11:00:00 GMT

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Experiments in Generative Sound Design (2017)

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 05:01:00 GMT

In this session from the 2017 Third Coast Conference, sound artist and designer Stephan Moore demonstrates his approach to sound design.

He explains how he incorporates generative techniques into a range of unusual projects, including a 500 lb. ear training device, a 40-speaker installation in the Guggenheim Museum, and a system to create a musical accompaniment to the Australian motorway system.

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The Tyranny of Good Talkers (2017)

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 05:01:00 GMT

Often, the first question a show or editor will ask you when you pitch them an amazing story is whether your subject is "a good talker." But what if they're not? What if English is their second or third language? Or they come from a culture that tells stories that under-emphasize the self? Do they have any place in an American podcast aesthetic that is so relentlessly focused on "I"?

Gregory Warner wrestled with this problem in creating NPR's first international podcast, Rough Translation.

In this session from the 2017 Third Coast Conference, Gregory pulls from his own tape to show how you can work with challenging interviews of so-called “bad talkers” to create exceptional stories.

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The Argument of "Objectivity" (2017)

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 05:01:00 GMT

Is traditional “objectivity” in journalism on its way out? In this session from the 2017 Third Coast Conference, NPR editor Alicia Montgomery and reporter/editor Shaya Tayefe Mohajer hash out points of agreement and disagreement over the role of "objectivity" in radio and print.

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No One's Source (2017)

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 06:01:00 GMT

After a lifetime in the system, Noel Anaya got unprecedented permission from family court to record the hearing where he’d age out of foster care--and worked with Youth Radio to, in his words, “blow it up on NPR.”

Noel and two Youth Radio producers, Teresa Chin and Lissa Soep, go deep into the making of Youth Radio stories to share what they've learned about establishing the “rules” of collaboration from the beginning, bouncing back when best-laid plans fall through, navigating challenging moments like when you’re required to fact-check the lived experience of your creative partner, and managing the digital afterlife of a story once it’s aired.

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Playing with Reality & Pushing the Boundaries (2017)

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 06:01:00 GMT

Imagine opening your work to the possibilities of drama and fiction that can bring a rich, more expansive story to life. Think of the elements you could incorporate… dreams, satire, flashbacks, recreations, invented characters, fantasy plot turns, speculative futures, and much more. And what does it sound like when you push the boundaries of reality? In this session from the 2017 Third Coast Conference, Ann Heppermann (The Sarah Awards) and Ellen Horne (Audible) take a look at the wild yonder and the scary and fascinating dilemmas in that space.

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Beyond the Green: Radical Encounters in Interviewing (2017)

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 06:01:00 GMT

Performance art and audio journalism probably don’t seem like they have much overlap. But Multimedia-maker Sook-Yin Lee and audio artist Veronica Simmonds strongly disagree. In this session from the 2017 Third Coast Conference, the pair talked about the unconventional inspirations they used to create their podcast Sleepover for Canada’s CBC. From a seven-hour cinema provocation to a fly-on-the-wall documentary disappearing act, find out how time + space + face-to-face durational encounters with strangers = exceptional audio stories.

You can watch the videos played during this conference session here:

Video 1: Sook-Yin Lee's sleep deprivation experiment
Video 2: Sátántangó
Video 3: Inside Warrendale

These links are also available at ThirdCoastFestival.org

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The Confessional: When is a Personal Story Worth Sharing? (2017)

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 21:52:32 GMT

Turning the mic on yourself is not easy. Baring your heart and soul for anyone to hear can be a bit terrifying.

At the 2017 Third Coast Conference, reporter Sally Herships retraced the making of her story, 'As Many Leaves.' She walked through the process of creating her meditation on loss and explained how to keep your journalistic integrity while opening yourself up to the world. She was joined by Alan Hall of Falling Tree Productions, who commissioned Sally's piece. Together, they shared their approaches to crafting this narrative and the challenges they faced in making a personal tale resonate more broadly.

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How to Become an Investigative Reporter with One Simple Trick (2017)

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 06:01:00 GMT

Madeleine Baran and Samara Freemark of APM Reports' In the Dark, love the intimacy of radio and the power it has to transport us into other people’s lives. But as producers of an investigative podcast, they think audio storytelling can do more. At the 2017 Third Coast Conference, they explained how to use the power of a good question to transform your reporting and writing, and how to turn slice-of-life stories into impactful investigative journalism.

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AIR's Bitchin' Pitch Panel Pt. 2 (2017)

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 06:01:00 GMT

AIR’s Bitchin' Pitch Panel puts three people directly in front of a panel of editors, where they pitch their stories and everyone gets insight into the process. There to help the pitchers and moderate in 2017 was producer Leila Day, co-host of The Stoop podcast. This is the second of two Bitchin’ Pitchin’ sessions from the 2017 Third Coast Conference. In this session, the panel features Shereen Marisol Meraji of NPR’s podcast Code Switch, senior producer of original content at Audible Millie Jefferson, and Sruthi Pinnamaneni, senior reporter at Reply All.

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AIR's Bitchin' Pitch Panel Pt. 1 (2017)

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 15:53:39 GMT

AIR’s Bitchin' Pitch Panel puts three pitchers directly in front of a panel of editors, where they sell their stories and everyone gets a little insight in to the process. There to help the pitchers and moderate in 2017 was producer Leila Day, co-host of The Stoop podcast. This first of two Bitchin’ Pitchin’ sessions we’ll be sharing on this podcast features Alicia Montgomery the Editorial Director of WAMU, Reveal’s Executive Director Kevin Sullivan and Pineapple Street Media co-founder Jenna Weiss Berman.

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Human vs. Robot (2017)

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 06:00:00 GMT

Great tracking is the difference between a piece that immediately moves you and one you immediately forget. It's an artwork that takes time to master, but you have to start somewhere. At the 2017 Third Coast Conference, More Perfect's Sean Rameswaram shared tips for finding your voice, with added advice from Anna Sale, Sam Sanders, Stephanie Foo, Mike Pesca and Kai Ryssdal. Sometimes the solution is mastering script-writing, but it can also involve abandoning your script altogether. At the end of the day, it's all about finding your own style.

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The Fact Checker (2017)

Tue, 16 Jan 2018 06:01:00 GMT

There's an old saying in journalism that goes: "If your mother says she loves you, check it out." This American Life's Christopher Swetala is the fact-checker who calls her to ask, and then let's you know if it's true... or not. In this session from the 2017 Third Coast Conference, Christopher shares tips and lessons for triple-checking your own reporting and writing, and avoiding making mistakes.

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Mudslide Part 2: After the Avalanche (2017)

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 06:00:00 GMT

In November 2016, the Third Coast Conference kicked off with a panel discussion called "Mudslide." It reflected on what journalists had gotten wrong during that year's presidential campaign, only three days after Donald Trump was elected to office. At the 2017 Third Coast Conference, Kai Wright (WNYC's United States of Anxiety) hosted a continuation of this discussion on year later. Joining him were panelists Eve Epstein (Marketplace), Al Letson (Reveal) and Leital Molad (Intercepted). Together they explored the questions facing the media one year into the new presidency.

Note: You can hear the original panel discussion here on the Pocket Conference, episode "Mudslide: The Election of 2016" (Published Dec. 12, 2016).

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The Past Isn't Past (2017)

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 23:11:44 GMT

The year 2017 has been an unsettled time, both politically and culturally, and a lot of journalists are asking, "how exactly did we get... here?"

In this session from the 2017 Third Coast Conference, Delaney Hall considered a range of stories that trace a line from the past to the present, using deeply reported context to understand the world around us. She drew on her experiences as a producer and editor with 99% Invisible - a show that regularly delves into the past - and highlighted work from other history-centric podcasts like Revisionist History, Undone, and others. She also shared tips on how to frame and structure stories about the past, how to source archival material, how to interview and collaborate with historians, and how to bring dead characters and lost places to life in sound.

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Bringing Together Narrative and News (2017)

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 06:00:00 GMT

The Daily podcast has brought rich sound production and narrative storytelling together with daily news and New York Times journalism.

Lisa Tobin, executive producer of audio at The New York Times , discusses what the team learned from nine months of The Daily : defining the storyline, crafting a script without scripting, and making print journalists SOUND good. She will also run through some standard radio practices that her team learned -- and then unlearned in making the show.

Help us keep delivering free session audio on the Pocket Conference by donating to Third Coast today!

https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/ThirdCoast

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Late Night Provocations (2017)

Tue, 05 Dec 2017 06:00:00 GMT

For the last two years, the Third Coast Conference has kicked off with Late Night Provocations: a series of short talks meant to challenge, ignite & inspire. Presenters - or provocateurs - come onstage to share one provocative idea in five minutes or less. The 2017 provocateurs were: Mia Lobel (Panoply's Revisionist History), Martina Castro (Adonde Media), Tobin Low and Kathy Tu (WNYC's Nancy), Maureen McMurray (New Hampshire Public Radio), John Biewen (Scene on the Radio), and Sarah Alvarez (Outlier Media). Plus a very special 'Halftime Rumble'...

Note: Martina Castro's provocation is in English and Spanish. Visit ThirdCoastFetival.org or follow this link to see the subtitles for her bilingual talk: http://bit.ly/2j1LZSt

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Taking Risks in Radio (2001)

Mon, 30 Oct 2017 21:34:37 GMT

From the first Third Coast Conference in 2001, this panel, moderated by Arizona-based producer Joan Schuman, asked the questions about the consequences of taking risks and approaching audio in unconventional ways. Joining Joan to answer these questions were radio legend Scott Carrier and Priya Ramu, formerly of the CBC program Outfront.

This will be the last Pocket Conference episode for a few weeks, but we'll be back in early December with sessions from the 2017 Third Coast Conference.

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Kickstarter for Radio 101 (2012)

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 05:01:00 GMT

When you don’t have the money to make your podcast idea a reality, one way to make your dream come true is through crowdfunding.

At the 2012 Third Coast Conference, art program director Stephanie Pereira gave a primer on how to bring an audio-centric Kickstarter project to life. Joining her was Roman Mars of the podcast 99% Invisible, who shared lessons learned and insights gained while running his own (wildly successful) radio-supporting Kickstarter campaign earlier that year.

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The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Local Radio (2010)

Mon, 16 Oct 2017 05:01:00 GMT

Strong local radio doesn't emerge from a moment of inspiration; it's the product of repetition, experimentation, even failure. It's about habit.

At the 2010 Third Coast Conference, Dan Grech explored strategies for producing consistent, high-impact local radio, culled from his own experiences with WLRN's Under the Sun series. Does success mean getting stories heard nationally? Is local simply about geography? And how can you fit the habit of creativity into a too-busy day? Local producers Kenny Malone, Sylvia Gross and Alicia Zuckerman joined him to share tips from the trenches.

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Stand Tall (2007)

Mon, 09 Oct 2017 05:01:00 GMT

The best "real time" radio sounds live and spontaneous, but requires forethought and structure. This session from the 2007 Third Coast Conference focuses on how to do "stand up" in the field -- what works and what doesn't.With examples of many pitfalls and a few successes, longtime NPR correspondent Elizabeth Arnold shared what she's learned about the practical realities of putting yourself in your piece.

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The Music of Voices (2003)

Mon, 02 Oct 2017 05:01:00 GMT

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.

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Just Listen to Yourself (2008)

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 05:01:00 GMT

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.

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Pushing the Boundaries of Daily Radio (2002)

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 05:01:00 GMT

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.

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Audiocraft 2017: Pod/Life Balance

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 05:01:00 GMT

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

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The Invisible Narrator (2006)

Mon, 04 Sep 2017 05:01:00 GMT

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.

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Audiocraft 2017: Under the Hood

Mon, 28 Aug 2017 05:00:00 GMT

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

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Telling Stories Far From Home (2006)

Mon, 21 Aug 2017 05:01:00 GMT

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.

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The Script Disappears (2010)

Mon, 14 Aug 2017 05:00:00 GMT

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.

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Own Your Thing Part 2 (2014)

Mon, 07 Aug 2017 05:00:00 GMT

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.

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Own Your Thing Part 1 (2014)

Mon, 31 Jul 2017 05:01:00 GMT

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.

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Late(ish) Night with Ira Glass (2012)

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 05:01:00 GMT

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.

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Whose Story Is It? (2012)

Mon, 17 Jul 2017 22:00:00 GMT

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

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Reality Check! (2017)

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 18:57:54 GMT

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?

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Parachuting In (2012)

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 05:01:00 GMT

(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.

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Die, Mediocrity, Die! (2006)

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 05:01:00 GMT

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.

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The Amazing Radio Vertikalisator (2014)

Mon, 19 Jun 2017 05:01:00 GMT

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

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Bring Extra Batteries (2006)

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 05:01:00 GMT

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.

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Documenter and Documentee — Part 2 (2007)

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 05:01:00 GMT

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.

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Documenter and Documentee — Part 1 (2007)

Mon, 29 May 2017 05:01:00 GMT

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.

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These Are a Few of the Kitchen Sister's Favorite Things (2008)

Sun, 21 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT

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.

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How to Rock the Funky Story (2012)

Mon, 15 May 2017 05:01:00 GMT

Here's a conversation about the essence of story. Any story.Through the lenses of radio, video, music and structure, Snap Judgment's Glynn Washington digs into the nitty-gritty of narrative, and explores what it means to impart meaning and inspiration over the air - especially if your method flies against current radio conventions.Recorded at the 2012 Third Coast Conference.

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Turning Investigative Reporting into Artful Radio (2014)

Mon, 08 May 2017 05:01:00 GMT

When done well, investigative radio stories have the power to change the world.But it's not easy. All those documents, numbers and unnamed sources who don't want to go on tape make investigative stories seem like the least friendly radio stories on the planet. NPR's Laura Sullivan breaks down the critical pieces that make investigative radio stories an art form of their own, the structure that brings them to life and the moments that leave other forms of journalism in the dust.Recorded at the 2014 Third Coast Conference.

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In Praise of the Sandbox (2007)

Mon, 01 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT

At every Third Coast Conference we hear from producers and audio makers whose work inspires us. But what inspires them? In 2007, we got to hear a taste from seasoned producer Jay Allison, the co-founder of Transom.org and the Public Radio Exchange. In this session, Jay shared work that is full of play, experimentation and surprise — stories that keep the creative spark alive, even in an otherwise serious radio world. Ok, here’s Jay Allison with ‘In Praise of the Sandbox’.Recorded at the 2007 Third Coast Conference

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Making Radio Against Most Odds (2012)

Mon, 24 Apr 2017 05:01:00 GMT

Imagine reporting in a culture that speaks a language your listeners don't understand, and covering issues your listeners don't totally care about - all in a country that doesn't even want you there in the first place.Add to this unforgiving news deadlines, and you've got the life of a foreign correspondent covering the Arab uprisings and their aftermath. In this session, NPR's Kelly McEvers shares her work and talks about how to tell memorable radio stories, despite limited resources on all fronts.Recorded at the 2012 Third Coast Conference.

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Making News Stories Good Stories (2014)

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 05:01:00 GMT

Guess what? You can tell great stories on the news, too.In a good story, something happens. You care about the person it happens to. There are stakes, an arc. Hopefully some suspense. You know, like the stories you hear on the programs you love. But it's also possible to make news stories... great. Maybe you can't use mood music or fancy sound design. But you can report like you're making a documentary, even if it you have to do it in one day. In this session, Marianne McCune tells you how.Recorded at the 2014 Third Coast Conference.

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These Are a Few of Jad Abumrad's Favorite Things (2012)

Mon, 10 Apr 2017 05:01:00 GMT

Drawing from radio and beyond, Jad Abumrad shares the stories, sounds, people and projects that have most inspired him over the years, and talked about some of the creative challenges he's faced (and embraced) along the way.Recorded at the 2012 Third Coast Conference.

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Audio Code Switching: Tackling Race on the Radio (2014)

Mon, 03 Apr 2017 05:00:00 GMT

We need to talk about race - with humanity and humor.NPR's Code Switch project embraces the themes of race, ethnicity and culture that play out in our lives, but are often overlooked in our radio stories. Code Switch's Shereen Marisol Meraji shares her methods of looking at news stories through these lenses, and leads a spirited and frank conversation about how to tap into dialogues about race happening outside of public media.Recorded at the 2014 Third Coast Conference.

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Blockbuster Sound (2016)

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 06:01:00 GMT

Danish-based producer Tim Hinman, of the podcast Third Ear, finds inspiration for his exquisite sound design at the movies, and in this session he shares how it’s done.Hinman will use a ton of examples to take us through the entire production process, from recordings to final mixes, to demonstrate how to make sound a more dynamic storyteller in your work. What you’ll have, he says, is sound that is bigger, louder and prouder than ever before.Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

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The Only Ten Words That Matter (2016)

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 06:00:00 GMT

What separates a “good” program from a “great” program is often the clarity of its vision: what is the show and who is it trying to speak to?In this session, Audible’s Eric Nuzum shares the process he uses with creators to define their program idea and clarify how it’s different from anything else in the universe. He’ll use lots of examples to show how this process works and teach you how you can do it on your own and with collaborators.Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

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Compose Yourself: a producer’s guide to working with musicians (2016)

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 06:01:00 GMT

It’s becoming more common for podcast producers to work with composers to create an original soundtrack. At this session, producer Michael May and composer/producer Nick DePrey share their techniques for bringing a piece to life with music and sound design.Learn how to conceptualize your perfect score and communicate it to a composer. And don’t miss their live demonstration where they’ll score a piece of tape volunteered by a Third Coast participant.Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

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Embrace the Chaos (2016)

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 06:00:00 GMT

The world of podcasting has become a crowded one. With a bevy of competing styles and purviews, having a unique voice is an increasingly valuable commodity... both artistically and financially.But finding that voice is easier said than done, and requires a willingness to take risk. So how do we take real, calculated risk? In this session, Love + Radio's Nick van der Kolk will examine methods for taking chances, maintaining a sense of play, and experimenting toward new forms and new ideas.

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The Pit of Despair (2016)

Wed, 18 Jan 2017 06:03:00 GMT

For some people, making great radio is easy. Ben Calhoun has no idea what those people are talking about! For him, making radio is hard, beset by self-doubt -- and he finds it’s often easy to get stuck.As a former This American Life producer and Radiolab contributor, and WBEZ's current VP of content and programming, Ben’s had a chance to watch a lot of smart people beat back the forces of creative despair. In this session, he’ll share a few strategies he’s hatched, many he’s stolen, and pass on some concrete tools for un-slumping your situation.Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

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The Bigness of the Small Story (2016)

Wed, 18 Jan 2017 06:02:00 GMT

Never underestimate the power of a finely crafted intimate narrative. These “small stories” of everyday life have the potential to bring listeners in close to reveal the complexities and ambiguities of the world around us.Celebrated author, filmmaker and radio journalist Alex Kotlowitz will share tips on finding compelling narratives, interviewing subjects to elicit unforgettable tape, and crafting a seemingly small story that speaks to something so much bigger.Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

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We'll Drive Till We Find An Exit (2016)

Wed, 18 Jan 2017 06:01:00 GMT

A session about the joy and fear of pursuing stories without any idea of how they're going to succeed, or if they're going to succeed at all.Reply All’s PJ Vogt shares some tricks for making these kinds of off-the-map stories work. He’ll talk about how you gather tape for a story you don't yet have a map for, how to include your original sense of wonder and discovery in your final script, and how to take stories that feel ordinary and insist on them becoming more strange.Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

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The Sound of Breaking News (2016)

Wed, 18 Jan 2017 06:00:00 GMT

You’re sent to cover breaking news – a natural disaster or a large-scale accident or crime. You don’t have much time, or much warning. How do you bring back sound-rich, interesting tape, that makes listeners perk up their ears?The Northwest News Network’s Phyllis Fletcher manages breaking news coverage as an editor for reporters throughout the urban and rural Northwest. Phyllis walks us through a triage system she’s developed to partner with her reporters, and plays excellent examples of telling breaking news stories in sound.Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

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Under the Skin: Making Audio Visceral (2016)

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 06:04:00 GMT

Can a documentary make you dance? Turn you on? Make you jump in fear? We get under the skin of documentary's visceral possibilities, exploring how we edit to impact the listener's body as much as their mind.Falling Tree Productions' Eleanor McDowall delves into audio erotica, unsettling horror and dynamic action sequences to examine the creative possibilities of playing with the physical impact of audio.Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

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First Off... This is in Really Good Shape (2016)

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 06:03:00 GMT

In this session for editors - or anyone who wants to help someone else shape a story – Gimlet Media’s Jorge Just explores the delicate art of making good things better. Jorge walks you through various editorial processes (group edits, one-on-one edits, even walking edits), and plays samples from pieces at different stages of evolution to demonstrate the editor's role in how stories are conceived, developed, and sometimes killed. Learn techniques to help others make their very best work. Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

Follow along with the slides from Jorge's session:

https://goo.gl/iUqcUy

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Bitchin' Pitchin': The Art of the Pitch — Day 2 (2016)

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 06:02:00 GMT

A bonafide Third Coast tradition, this session pulls back the curtain on one of the most difficult and important skills every producer needs to master: how to pitch a story.AIR’s Pitch Panel puts producers directly in front of editors, selling their stories with a little help from hosts, WNYC’s Emily Botein and Katie Bishop.Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

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Bitchin' Pitchin': The Art of the Pitch — Day 1 (2016)

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 06:01:00 GMT

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Finding the People — and Sounds! — Behind the Numbers (2016)

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 06:00:00 GMT

Reveal producers Ike Sriskandarajah and Laura Starecheski will show you how they create gripping radio out of stacks of documents and endless columns of numbers.You don’t have to be an investigative reporter to come away from this session with some jewels of knowledge to set in your radio crown. You just have to be someone who’s ever stumbled across a shocking statistic, had your mind blown… and then struggled to turn it into a sound-rich radio story with characters and a narrative arc.Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

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These are a few of Audie Cornish and Sean Cole's Favorite Things (2016)

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 06:04:00 GMT

Audie Cornish and Sean Cole came up in radio together — smoking on the front steps of WBUR in Boston, puzzling over stories. Now Audie is a co-host of NPR's All Things Considered and Sean is a producer at This American Life.But they still talk all the time about different ways of making radio, and how the divide between "newsy news" and "fun storytelling" might just be in our heads. They bring that conversation on stage and play samples of their favorite things for each other, and for you.Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

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Make Them Care: Crafting Narratives About Entrenched Social Problems (2016)

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 06:02:00 GMT

In this session, Nikole Hannah-Jones (The New York Times) and Chana Joffe-Walt (This American Life) talk about how to build a story structure that will make listeners care about even the most familiar, entrenched social problems.They discuss the narrative and reporting techniques they used to help resurrect a long-dead discussion of school segregation in their Peabody-winning This American Life collaboration, and how to translate longform print journalism into the language of radio.Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

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How to Make Your Listener Levitate & Other Magic Tricks (2016)

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 06:01:00 GMT

You don’t want your audience to listen half-heartedly – you want them to be so deeply engaged, they’re a little surprised when they bump down to earth at the end.So how do we create audio that doesn’t just entertain, but enchant? UK producer Cathy FitzGerald shows how she hooks her listeners: head, heart, guts and soul. In this session, she offers practical tips on creating an intense, tangible world through scripting, structure and surprise – and then considers the magic that happens when we take a step back and let listeners make sense of it for themselves.Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

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Mudslide: The Election of 2016 (2016)

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 06:00:00 GMT

With the ink on the ballots still wet, Third Coast dives into the past year of political reporting. How were journalists most - and least - successful covering the presidential election and its voters? And: where do we go from here?Bob Garfield ( On the Media ) moderates with panelists Zoe Chace ( This American Life ) Maria Hinojosa ( Latino USA ), and Sam Sanders (NPR).Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference.

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