A couple of years ago I was employed to help an organisation start a podcast. The format involved the company CEO having business related conversations with others in a related field over Zoom. The launch episode featured the most high profile guest which I then edited, converting the MP4 video to MP3 audio. As I was listening the guest said, “I did it like this…..” The host said, “Oh I tend to not do it that way I would instead put that there.”
I had no idea what this or that were.
When I went back to the video recording the pair had shown each other this and that. As a result I had to go back and delete all the pertinent lead up to that point, and the resolution, as I knew listeners would be as lost as I was.
This story illustrates one of the key issues in multiplatform audio at the moment. Those who haven’t had radio training sometimes forget that there will be always be someone listening who cannot see what you are pointing to or miss a gesture or nuance in a face to face conversation. As my mum would say:
“Things ever seen are never seen”
I have always interpreted that to mean the typo that remains in my articles despite the fact that I’ve read it five times. Or the critical connective link that is missing in an audio conversation that you are unaware of because you were there when it happened and saw exactly what went on.
Yesterday, via ABC Radio Adelaide on social media, a woman called Mary Adams told the radio station’s roving reporter Troy Sincock the most extraordinary story about the legacy of a sweater she had knitted.
You can watch via this link: https://www.facebook.com/reel/681089877861086
She starts by saying:
“Hi I’m Mary Adams and this sweater changed my life.”
The reel goes on to explain visually what ‘this sweater’ was, but I felt certain that starting the radio version with ‘this sweater changed my life’ was only going to annoy that audience not privy to the same images.
But I had underestimated Troy. He had prepared a different telling of the amazing story especially for them:
Mary talks about about archival footage of her sweater onstage being available on YouTube, which naturally made me go looking for it. It is below. If you have an extra 5 minutes, please also enjoy Lou Reed derailing his Australian media interview.
Time and resources are also reasons why a fantastic visual story doesn’t land for an audio audience, but it this instance, across all media, this yarn works.
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo. The Transformer album is my own. I sadly don’t possess the sweater.