Assignment 2: Radiolab Mini                        Draft:  10.6  |Final:  10.13  

Description: In this assignment, you will create an exactly 5-minute-long audio essay discussing your research topic in the style of NPR’s Radiolab. You must combine at least 1-minute of your own narration with clips from 2 or more other sources online (think about stripping sound from TedTalks, RadioLab episodes, etc.), and 1 interview that you perform yourself. Your narrative must also include the Radiolab introduction stripped from a Radiolab episode, not spoken yourself (“Alright…You’re Listening to Radiolab from WNYC and NPR”) and at least 2 music tracks (we are not worrying about copyright for this assignment).

Style:  While producing this piece you should think carefully about its auditory style. Are you creating a smooth interview? A fragmented collage art piece? What auditory techniques are you using to your advantage? Overlapping sounds? Juxtaposition? Music? Volume? Texture? Suspense? White space? You might consider the ways in which the visual rhetoric terms from the last unit transfer to audio. As we will read/hear, what makes these pieces really work is extended examples and building pictures of things happening for your listener. Though some kind of critical reflection/narration is important, the majority of your essay should be showing (extended example and description) rather than telling and moralizing.

Requirements § Exactly 5 minutes § At least 1-minute of your own narration § Clips from at least 3 other audio sources § 1 interview you do yourself § Some kind of coherent story arc, argument, or topic § At least 2 music tracks § Radiolab introduction § Music must create a soundscape, mimicking the mood of the topic being discussed and marking

changes in topic Possible Layouts* The Essay Proper Starts with a description of what you’re talking about, possibly a quote from some technology theorist. Muses briefly on the topic. Then introduces the first speaker. After first clip, analyzes the clip briefly then introduces the second clip and so on. Concludes with a synthesis of each clip and a final thought on the topic. ��� The Personal Narrative Works as a personal story about an experience you’ve had with technology. Uses clips from technology experts or people in the story as a way to analyze the technological theory behind the story. The Bricolage Rather than directly analyzing clips for an extended period, the goal of bricolage is to juxtapose interesting clips with each other in the hopes the listener will make their own comparisons. Your required 1-minute might be one of these snippets or a longer conclusion clip that brings things together. Other: A news story including interviews on a topic. A technological literacy narrative (how I learned…) of yourself or someone else. Something else you come up with on your own. ���                                                                                                                *  Warning: In the past a few students have attempted to edit their audio file to sound like they were interviewing the source clips that they took from YouTube or Radiolab, this rarely works. Further, when you interview a subject of your own, please make sure to actually interview them rather than having them read a written script (another mistake of students past). Reading a script sounds very unnatural and rarely results in a clip that is more interesting than just asking your subject to tell you a story.  

Assignment 2: Rubric

For full description of grading criteria, see above. _______Technical Skill (20 points)  

§ Audition is utilized effectively—doesn’t sound sloppy, isn’t hard to hear § Audio levels are well balanced § No distracting background noises § Skills taught in class as well as skills learned on students’ own are well-demonstrated

 _______Complex Content (20 points)  

§ Content is complex and specific, not broad—it passes the Scattegories test § Clips are well integrated and make sense together § The listener is left thinking about something § Primarily consists of examples and description § Each piece adds something new—it doesn’t repeat itself

 _______Narration (15 points)  

§ Narration sounds natural—not read (even though it is read) § Narration is clean—no stumbles, coughs, etc. § Narration adds something, it’s not redundant or just repeating what the other audio clips say

 _______Structure and Pacing (15 points)

§ The narrative does not move too fast or too slow § The listener has time to understand the subject matter without becoming bored § The clips progress in some logical order—speaking to one another

 _______Transitions (5 points)  

§ Purposeful, use Fades, cued by something § Clips are not cut off as you switch between sources

 _______Music (5 points)  

§ Not too loud or soft, fits mood and tone, Fits Subject Matter, Used for Rhetorical Effect, Adds doesn’t distract

 _______Assignment Requirements (10 points)  

§ See above  _______Design Justification (10 points)  

§ Explains the project effectively and rhetorically, using language from the readings and class discussions. Explains how you fulfill the assignment criteria and why you did so in the way you did.

 ______Total (100 points)