Half 6: Manufacturing Logistics | So You Wish to Make a Fiction (or Any) Podcast?

Be aware: Multitude is a podcast collective and manufacturing studio. This piece is a part of a ten half collection by them that will help you create a fiction (or any) podcast. Did you see Half 5? Be sure you examine that out and are available again subsequent Tuesday for Half Seven.

In the previous few components of this collection, we gave you recommendations on casting, scheduling, and dealing with actors — now, it’s time to wrap all of that along with a chat about manufacturing logistics.

Props are a good way to provide your fiction podcast a extra genuine really feel. Because you’re utilizing them to file within the precise house of the scene, the sound results they produce will really feel extra pure to the listener and built-in into the world of your story.

Additionally utilizing a prop for a sound impact will typically prevent money and time. For instance, it could take an unbelievable period of time — and an extremely expert sound designer — to make it sound like your actor is ringing a gong. When you think about how a lot that course of would value, spending 25 {dollars} on an actual, albeit mini, gong is extraordinarily value it. Plus, recording with actual props is enjoyable, and permits your manufacturing crew to get inventive, which is nice for morale and the performances of your voice actors.

Then there are sensible results, which we’re massive followers of as properly. Within the audio world, a sensible impact is the title of a sound that was recorded in actual life, versus one which was created digitally. Like props, we like sensible results as a result of they’re low cost to provide — but in addition, emulating an actual life scenario in your story with mic placement, and blocking can do wonders to your actors’ performances. For instance, if the characters in your script are side-by-side at a bar speaking glumly into their drinks, have your actors replicate that within the studio! Utilizing a sensible impact may be as straightforward as having an actor lie down if their character is susceptible on a mattress.

Let actors eat whereas speaking if the script requires it. Have them mime texting on their telephone if their character is verbalizing a textual content. And in the event that they storm out of a room or yell by means of a door, use your studio door to attain that impact.

Every of those requires a unique mic configuration and blocking, so be sure you be aware of mic setup and mic selections as a part of your shot checklist and manufacturing calendar.

Talking of which: what mics must you use to file your podcast? When you’re renting an expert studio, you possible have entry to a variety of apparatus. You possibly can select condenser mics to seize dialogue, an ambisonic mic in the midst of your recording sales space to seize complete room sound and actor motion, and perhaps even a binaural mic to seize the best way we hear sound in the true world. That is what we used when recording Subsequent Cease:

• Heat Audio WA-87 condenser mics for capturing the dialogue
• Heat Audio WA-84 stereo mics for stereo area protection of the complete room
• Zoom H3 360-VR ambisonic mic for recording binaural (3-D) audio for the entire room. We ended up utilizing a mixture of this mic and the WA-84 for results like crowds cheering, group booing, and excited mayhem after a proposal.

We spent about $2,000 on these mics. Since we personal a studio that we additionally hire to different podcasters, shopping for these mics was an funding that made sense for our enterprise. If we didn’t intend ever to make use of these mics once more, we might have rented gear or gone with what we already had as a substitute.

When it got here to the recording software program we used to file Subsequent Cease, we went with Professional Instruments. We began a brand new session in Professional Instruments for every episode, after which used markers and loads of exact labels inside every session to maintain our scenes and takes organized. To make sure nothing was misplaced from manufacturing, we saved between scenes, and backed up all the pieces once more after every four-hour session. We backed up our information each on the cloud and on two completely different arduous drives. This may sound extreme, however you might solely have one shot to have this mix of actors, manufacturing employees, and tools. It’s a lot inexpensive to finances a couple of minutes for saving and again up throughout lunch than to re-record later.

As an alternative of giving every of our actors a paper script to learn from, we had them learn their strains off of tablets. Educating actors to show pages silently takes loads of time. Slightly than doing issues the quaint manner, we sourced some previous iPads from pals, household, and Craigslist. Every morning, we loaded the day’s script onto the units, and hooked up them to mic stands, so actors didn’t have to carry the tablets whereas performing.

With all of our logistics in place, we had one final thing to do earlier than manufacturing started: we needed to be sure that everybody on the staff was clear on their function. Clarifying duties and job descriptions for every function is important for ensuring all the pieces must get accomplished, and that nobody is left feeling like their toes are being stepped on. Right here’s how our roles broke down once we recorded Subsequent Cease:

• Engineer: Make certain tools is functioning, swap mics between scenes if wanted, run and monitor recording session
• Director: Arrange actors earlier than scenes, give notes after takes, determine when to do extra takes and when to maneuver on
• Script Supervisor: Make certain each phrase will get recorded as written and maintain monitor of modifications to the script if they occur. Additionally, maintain the manufacturing on monitor time-wise and talk with the director if there’s not sufficient time to do one other take.
• Author: Hearken to the actors’ performances and advise director if one thing sounds off-story or mistaken
• Govt Producer: Hold an ear out for a way the recording as a complete adheres to the texture and mission of the present
• Line Producer: Hold monitor of schedule and adherence to union guidelines
• Studio Supervisor: Keep cleanliness and luxury of studio and ready space
• Manufacturing Assistant: Arrange meals, restock snack and drink space, clear up after mealtime

As we had hoped, our manufacturing week went very easily! The actors completed on time, nobody waited round between scenes for greater than an hour, and — most essential of all — the forged and crew had a lot to eat and drink. For every of our 5 days of manufacturing, we offered breakfast, lunch, snacks, and occasional/tea for 6-12 actors and 5 crew members. We had to do that as a result of we had been a SAG manufacturing, but in addition it’s a pleasant factor to do. Dealer Joe’s was essentially the most economical place to supply our meals, which ended up costing about $800 complete, plus $200 for snacks and drinks at our wrap celebration. Shopping for in bulk from a high-quality however cheap retailer helped us maintain our complete spend properly beneath what we initially budgeted. And everybody received hooked on Topo Chico.

Since we didn’t have the finances for a Studio Supervisor or Manufacturing Assistant, our Govt Producer took over duties like organising meals, emptying trash, directing individuals to the toilet, greeting actors as they arrived, protecting the espresso/tea bar stocked, and managing the temperature of the room. Generally, the toughest a part of our week was protecting the recording sales space cool sufficient. Our DIY studio doesn’t have its personal HVAC system, so to maintain the workplace cool, we used a fan to flow into air into the studio between takes. If we had double the finances, this could have been a worthwhile addition, however as a substitute we used a $25 fan and an everyday window AC unit to maintain the temperature manageable.

If the worst factor you’ll be able to say about your manufacturing week is that the sales space received heat, you’ve accomplished properly. Finances for some glowing wine, toast together with your actors after the ultimate take, after which relaxation up for the following section of creating your podcast: post-production. Extra on that subsequent Tuesday, however till then, be sure you make amends for half 5 for some recommendations on working with actors.

Be aware: Our manufacturing course of started in January 2020 and this information is written from our in-person views. Many components of this course of may be accomplished nearly for social distancing; though we emphasize the significance of getting everybody collectively in the identical room. Do what is correct to your manufacturing and the well being and security of your staff.