Co-op with 89.7 WSHC Part 6

The Co-op is about to come to an end, and so is doing work on "the Underground Hour". The show will have one more week, and after that it will be finished due to finals week coming next and graduation occurring after this semester. I feel that my previous internship had more to offer and gave me more experience than this, but I am still glad I did this. Helping with a show is a valuable opportunity, and can offer a lot for someone in the future.

I was absent from last week due to being sick, but returned to do more recording with "the Underground Hour". This was the first week where we did not have a live guest with us, instead the interviews with the guest were recorded prior to the live broadcasting. The show ran smoothly, as to be expected since the last few shows have been major improvements in technical terms. The show has been focusing more on hip-hop than rock music lately, so it feels like a specific demographic is being targeted. Now that this week went smoothly we just have to make sure that the last show goes well, so it ends on a high note.

I'm always hoping to have more experience in the field of radio, and I'm sure there will be more opportunities in the future. I may not stay in West Virginia after graduation, but I know there are plenty of places where there is work to be done in radio.

Dry Land

Abortion is one of the most controversial subjects in today's society. People both for and against abortion have strong feelings for the position they stand on, and are usually not afraid to give their thoughts on the subject. This play tackled a lot of the different subjects about abortion, such as teen pregnancy, pills, and more. "Dry Land" is a play that tackles many controversial subjects, some of these are handled well, and others could have been done better.

It is best to start with what the play did right. "Dry Land" does take it's subjects seriously, but it is also not free of lighter material, which is a good thing since if the entire thing was centered on controversy, it would be hard to sit through. The actors did a good job, and gave performances that were good enough for the audience to be invested in. The weaknesses of the play come from the writing perspective, as there were some lines that were cringe worthy, and could have used some revising. There is also implied lesbianism in this play, the problem is that it goes nowhere and could have been cut from the play completely and nothing would have been lost. The play handles the subjects at hand seriously, but it does have flaws that hinder the over all quality.

Despite the flaws in "Dry Land", I would say that I am glad that I went and saw it. The subjects it tackles are ones that are major in today's society, and for the most part, it handles them well. Abortion and the controversy that surrounds it has been a big subject for years, and it is likely that it will remain that way for years to come.

Co-op with 89.7 WSHC Part 5

The school year is coming closer to an end, and with it, so is the end of the co-op. There were a few things that were to be highlighted about this week, such as the, "Underground Hour" having what I would consider its best week so far, and the possibility that my documentary from Capstone may play on WSHC. It might be me having my expectations too high, but having my documentary be played on the station might be a first step for possible opportunities for me in the future.

I now have to be extra careful with what I do in regards to finishing, "Life of Radio" as I don't want to get carried away and end up making a mistake on it that will ruin everything I worked. "The Underground Hour" being more successful this week came from having less technical difficulties and a lot of interaction between the host and the guest. I feel we are now very close to the show having a strong high point in the upcoming weeks.

I'm hoping that these successes will lead to something both inside and outside of this co-op. The time being spent at this station is coming to a close, and it is time to start thinking more about the future, as it is almost here.

Life of Radio First Impressions

I was not sure how the board was going to react when they heard the documentary for the first time. Sadly, because of time limits, I was only able to show them the first two minutes of the ten minute documentary. The good news is the presentation went well. The board was happy with the audio quality of my project, and thought that the overall content was good. My project is almost ready for the end of the year presentation, there are only small tweaks that need to be made.

The major thing that I need to add to the documentary is introductions to myself, and the people I interviewed. I didn't think much of it at first, but the board brings up good points, people are going to want to know who they are listening to or they my not care about the documentary. I never intended not to give credit where it was do, but this is an important point that needs to be done for the future.

I have been nervous and lacking confidence for the majority of this procedure. I am glad for the reception that I was given, as I now feel more proud of what I have made, and more confident in this project's future.

  

Life of Radio Final Preperations

The scripting is finished and the voice recording is at it's final stages. The last major part of completing the project is the editing process. As much as I would love to go back home for spring break, I am staying on campus to have access to the school radio station, which has Adobe Audition and a professional microphone. The final product is not going to be how I envisioned at the start, but it should be able to meet the expectations that are set, so long as everything that I have been told is true.

During my last discussion with my director I received the background music that I needed, as well as being given some direction for the length of the project. He was really set on a quality over quantity mindset for this project, so the idea of the project being twenty to thirty minutes long is essentially gone. The more appropriate length in the end is going to be around ten to fifteen minutes, which at first I thought would be too short, but the point is to get across what I need in the documentary without unnecessary filler.

One week remains before the final project is due. Everything will be in place, and the presentation will go as smoothly as possible.

Career Fest

I am on my final semester of college, so if there was ever a time to attend Career Fest it was now. Shepherd University's Career Fest offered a lot of opportunities for students to find potential sources for employment. It didn't matter what major someone was taking, there was something there for just about everyone. We are in a time where finding a decent job is not the easiest thing in the world to do, and an opportunity like this is something that everyone in college should do at least once.

Even if you don't find the right job right away, there were jobs at the fair that would allow for valuable experience and opportunities that would lead to better things. The people at Career Fest were friendly, it was nice to see some of them openly communicate with some of the students, and not always having the students make the first move. The employers were more than willing to take questions and go into details about the type of jobs that they had to offer.

Many people today will take what they can get in terms of jobs, and some people have to work multiple jobs just to get by. The economy today is at a low point, and things like Career Fest are needed for people like college students to get started with their careers and secure themselves an honest living.

Co-op with 89.7 WSHC Part 4

For this week, the second showing of "The Underground Hour" happened, and the live broadcast went rather smoothly. Everything was going over the air, and we had another guest with us, though sadly he could not do a live performance this week. But of course, we can't be completely free of problems since the recording of the show was having issues. The computer in the lobby was not picking up the sounds from the music and the microphone through Adobe Audition, even though it was able to last week. Hopefully we can get this resolved so that we can have at least one week of our show with no problems occurring.

Not much has happened regarding the recruitment poster, though I am still hoping that by the end of this, the poster will be going somewhere. The entire thing does not have to be completed, but I would like to have enough progress so that I know for a fact it will be made by the beginning of next semester. Even though there have been a lot of issues regarding this Co-op I'm still very glad that I am doing it. It is giving me valuable experience, and not just teaching me how to do things but also learning that there are times when things are going to go wrong.

Life of Radio Voice Recording

I am pleased to say that voice recording for the documentary has finally gotten started. I knew for awhile that I was going to have to do scripting and voice recording at the same time, and while it does provide a lot of work to do at once, it is not impossible to do. My goal at this point is to finish the scripting and voice recording by the end of next week, so I will have a full week to do the editing, which I am going to need that entire week for. I did have my doubts about completing the project on time, but with the way things are going it should not be a problem.

I have done the recordings for the first few pages of the script, and it sounds promising so far. When doing voice recording, you are going to be doing more than one take for your lines for a variety of reasons like messing up lines, and delivering the lines better. For something like a documentary, you don't have to worry too much about acting, since it is likely you are not playing any sort of character during narration. You are allowed to speak casually in your normal voice, and even in moments where your voice changes it's tone, you should still sound natural.

The end of the project is coming up fast, and I am hoping for the best. I can't promise that the documentary will be perfect, but I am doing what I can to make sure it is at least a quality project.

Co-op with 89.7 WSHC Part 3

This week was the first one where the show I produced for went live, and I was hoping for a much better start. The beginning of the hour started with some technical difficulties that lead to us being put behind schedule, and defiantly did not make a good first impression. Thankfully, once everything was sorted out, the show ran fine, but I fear that too much time was wasted on figuring out how to get things running. There is a lesson in all of this, not everything in life will go smoothly, and there are times where you have to be prepared for the unexpected.

After not sleeping the previous night, I tuned in early in the morning to listen to John Case's talk show. Many topics were discussed on the show such as local news, politics, raising children, and much more. I feel this was something that I needed to see and take notes on, as it gives me the experience to listen to someone basically just talking to people live on radio about current things going on in the world. Shows like this are one of the ways that radio can still get messages and news across to the public, and seeing as how multiple people called in live, it leads me to believe that this style is still effective.

Life of Radio More Scripting

There has been more progress on the script this week then there was last week. The intro to the documentary has been written, interview segments have been planned out, and the subjects that I want to cover are being put in place one by one. There is a lot to cover in one script; anyone who has ever done any sort of script writing in the past will tell you how much time and thought is needed to make a good script. Scripting and even writing in general is something that should not be taken lightly, as it often makes or breaks a project.

 I'm still thinking of some things to add to the script at this very moment, as I feel my writing could always use some improvement. I've mentioned before how I wanted to incorporate both elements of history, and details about working in the field of radio. It has become obvious to me that by the end of this script working in radio is going to be the focus of the script, with history only having a minor role. It is important to know what it is you want to talk about in your script, and not to put in things you don't need; it will only lead to your script being a cluttered mess of writing.

Know your topic, and keep the main focus on it. Writing is not an easy task, but with enough thought put into it, I know I will finish this script and make it at least a decent one.

Life of Radio Interviews and Scripting

After a number of weeks and setbacks, the interviews needed for the documentary have finally been done. These interviews will provide discussions on topics such as inspiration, jobs, personality, radio's future, and more. The people interviewed were professionals, and will offer a lot to those who are interested in radio. The first major part of the project has been finished, and since the other parts don't require meeting with other people, they will go by a lot faster.

The next major part of the documentary that needs to be done is the scripting. This part is still in the early stages, but it will not take as long as the previous stage did. Writing is something that will take a lot of thought, as I want to make sure I cover important aspects about radio, with some history to go with it. What I have learned from my research, as well as from my interviews are going to be a major factor in the scripting process of this documentary.

I have made some major progress in this project, but there is still a lot that needs to be done. The amount of time I have left, and my available resources will provide me with enough to finish the project on time, and in good quality.

Co-op with 89.7 WSHC Part 2

Problems with weather; among other circumstances, have certainly slowed things down. Time with the station is finally going back on track, since I am now producing a show that will involve music, interviews, and even live performances. I am doing this show with another student, who has some experience doing radio shows with the station in the past, which is certainly helpful for someone who is doing something like this for the first time. I was even shown the room in which the show will be done in, while also learning bout the functions of the sound board, and all the other technology that is used to make sure the station's live broadcasts are functional.

Plans for the posters to promote the station to students on campus have also started to move along. Ideas have been discussed for what would be best to help make the station more noticed by students, and for what would be best to put on the poster. We need a good hook, a nice picture, and to address some things that the students can do while volunteering for the radio station. There is still a lot that needs to be decided before the posters will be made, but we are finally making progress that should be beneficial to the radio station in the long run.

The coming weeks show promise, and as long as we are able to stay consistent with our work, and have a strong form of communication, then everything should turn out fine.

Deadpool

It is pretty save to save that society today has grown a huge love for superhero movies. Many of these movies do very well in theaters, and the amount that have been coming out in the past few years shows no sign of the success stopping. Now a superhero movie like "Deadpool" comes in with an R rating, mocking many of the superhero movie tropes, and the main character is more of an anti-hero than an actual superhero. The movie is very self-aware, and mentions many of the aspects we come to expect from these kinds of movies.

The movie takes full advantage of its R rating. The movie has blood and gore, nudity, foul language, and everything else you would expect and uses them to the full advantage. As most fans of the character would come to expect, there is a lot of forth wall breaking in this movie, which is another thing that has been becoming more common in many forms of entertainment. People now seem to really enjoy when a movie can speak to us directly, and make it a humorous moment that breaks the flow of the world the movie is set in. All of these factors lead to an entertaining movie that is not afraid to mock the genre it is in and have fun with it.

It is nice to see a movie like this come out and acknowledge some of the things we both love and hate about a popular genre that is still growing. Superhero movies will continue to keep coming out, especially with massive hits, like the movies in the Marvel universe. This was a movie that was entertaining and self-aware throughout the entire time, and I look forward to seeing another "Deadpool" movie being made.

    

National Air and Space Museum Visit

My visit to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. was one that I certainly enjoyed. I want to primarily focus on the space exhibit, as I feel there is a lot that can be discussed on the topic of space and culture. There was a lot of different things to see and experience at the museum; simulations, models, and even videos about some of the most historical moments about space, like Apollo Eleven and the shuttle Discover. I feel that the topic of space has grown more popular over the years, and will likely become much more popular in quite possibly a short amount of time.

There has been a lot of talk recently about Mars and the possibilities it has. There are many people who are excited to here more news about Mars, because there may be a time when we are finally able to colonize the planet, and create another home for the human race. We may not be at the state where we can make Mars livable yet, but years into the future the day will come with enough study and interest going into the planet, and I know the talk about Mars has certainly been growing with all that we have learned about it.

The exhibits were very well detailed, and even had some nostalgic value for me, as the little by who once dreamed of going into space. There were some immersive environments in the museum, and even a section where you could test your knowledge about space through trivia. The topic of space does have a large crowd of people interested in it, and with groups like NASA at work to expand human interaction with space, there will be more to humanity than just the planet Earth.

   

Life of Radio Mass Communication

Even to this day, radio still has a large amount of people who listen to it on a daily basis. In the sixth edition of the book Radio Production, the book mentions radio's, "potential for communications" I feel that this is something worth discussing. It is no secret that radio has been used as a mass form of communication in the past, and is still used that way to this day. Radio has been used so effectively for communication and continues to show its potential, because of how wide spread it is, its easy accessibility, and how effective it is overall.

The communication of radio has been used in a variety of different ways over years, ranging from listening to music in one's daily life, all the way to being used to communicate with soldiers in a war zone. Today, radio is something that is not hard to access at all; the first thing that comes to a lot of people's minds is listening to the radio in their cars. Radio's easy accessibility also plays a part in its effectiveness, since some many people have access to it, and with the field of radio having its own reporters and news broadcasts, it is able to get messages across to the masses.

Despite things such as television and the internet being made, radio still remains one of the biggest forms of communication in our society. The potential is clearly there, and there still may be more to be discovered, but radio is effective at what it does.

 

Life of Radio How Long Radio has Lasted

Radio has been widespread in the United States for nearly a century now, hitting many breakthroughs as time went one. Radio's first major start in the Untied States was in 1922 when broadcasting was happening all over the country, "from small town amateurs to major electrical firms" as mentioned in a article by the Genesis Amateur Radio Society. Radio had hit mainstream decades before television did, and has still managed to be a major part of many peoples lives.

The country still has many radio stations spread across many different areas; cities, small towns, and more are all accessible by radio stations. From well orchestrated music to common noises, sound is something that people have common experiences with everyday, and some people use it for necessary comfort and enjoyment, which are things that are provided by radio. The radio industry has promoted musical talent, delivered important news broadcasts, and has even showcased fully thought out shows that are radio exclusive.

Radio has lasted for so long for reasons such as it's easy accessibility, innovation, and the amount of variety it has in it's content. Even with fields like television and the internet coming in later years radio has still lasted, and will likely be around for the one hundred year mark and many more years to come.

Life of Radio Jobs

When people think of those who work in the radio industry, likely what first comes to mind are the djs who go live. The live djs are a major part of any radio station, but they are far from the only form of occupation in the field of radio. Radio is a field that offers  many different positions such as managers, producers, filing, and more. There are many different kinds of jobs that can be found in the field of radio, and they are all important for making the station a success.

Not everything you here on a radio station is done by the dj that is live. The songs that play on the station are often planned out ahead of time for the whole day, unless the dj is doing song requests live. Things like the ads that play on the radio are made by the production staff using programs like Adobe Audition, unless they were ads made by the companies that paid the radio station to air them. Many radio stations often broadcast news reports, some of these are made ahead of time and are placed in the daily timeline along with the music, while other stories that were done live were done by the stations reporters.

A successful radio station requires more than just a person with on air talent, it also requires proper management, resources, and hard work from the rest of the station's employees. There is a lot to do in the radio industry, and people should be aware of all it has to offer.

Life of Radio Planning

My project is still in the early stages, but after a discussion with my director, I have a much greater idea of where it is going to go. The original plan of having the documentary going up to an hour has been scrapped to aim for more of a thirty minute marker to meet more appropriate expectations given the amount of time available for this project. The interviews are going to be a major part of the project, while the amount of history covered in the documentary will likely be focused on less than the interviews and narration of working in a station.

There is a lot of things that can be done in the field of radio, but there are factors such as the FCC that do keep certain things in check. Stations may be commercial, or non-commercial, there are certain things you can't say live on radio, and there are a variety of different jobs in this field of work; more than just going live and music, and these are some factors I plan to cover in the documentary.

My research is far from over, and there are many more things that I know I need to cover for the final project, but I know that I have somewhere to go with this project. I feel like this could be something that provides education, thought, and even a more personal aspect to a field that is mostly reliant on sound.

Co-op with 89.7 WSHC Part 1

There is certainly a differently feeling working with this radio station then the last one, since this one is much smaller and has one channel instead of three. Based on what I have been told, much of the work that the co-op will involve is encouraging students to participate and work in the radio station during their spare time, as well as making the content of the station more appropriate for college students. I am happy to have another opportunity to gain experience in the field of radio, as well as being able to make a difference for this station.

As of now we are more along the lines of the planning phase for this co-op. The goal right now is to come up with ideas for the station to help get the attention of the students at Shepherd University. The two current best tactics for the station as of right now are to put flyers across campus as well as using social media sites like Twitter to help promote the radio station. Once these ideas are fully put into motion, I feel that the station will at least be at it's first step at achieving it's goals and getting the attention of the university's students that it needs.

There is plenty to do over the course of the next few months and if all goes well, this may be a big step for me to finally get into the field full time after graduating college. I want the radio station to be successful, and I will do all I can to help it.

Life of Radio Introduction

When I first entered the communications department, I was not entirely sure what I was going to end up doing. A lot of what I wanted to focus on was film oriented, however, after a few semesters of doing things such as the radio practicum course and an internship at a radio station, I found a field that I was capable of doing well in. When I saw on the syllabus that a documentary was an option for a final project, I figured I could make it a radio documentary talking about what it is like to work in the field of radio, with some history to go with it.

A lot of work will need to be done on Adobe Audition for the project to be completed, but it is nothing that is incapable of being done. The documentary will not only feature narration but also segments of discuss with people who are working in radio, and I can come in contact with these people through the Shepherd radio station, as well as the one I did the internship for in Martinsburg. The length I am looking to aim for is between half-an hour to an hour; which is the usual length span for a single documentary.

I really want to be able to start a career in radio after I have finished with my final semester, and I feel something like this may be a ticket to being noticed in the field.