Gabriel C. Pérez

This week was about the stories

by Sean Cronen

 

Participating in this program has been a fantastic opportunity for me. Coming from a musical and studio-oriented background, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the chance to contribute my skill set to projects with a wide range of impact.

Throughout the week, I found myself drawing upon experiences that I’ve had while playing other Sound Engineer/Producer roles. I’ve always been an avid field recordist, but this week allowed me to take that a step further. Capturing field interviews has parallels to coaching vocalists and the act of recording them feels somewhat like a studio tracking session. As the week progressed and editing became the frame of mind, I realized how helpful it is to participate in the interview in order to deliver a cohesive project. Pacing, feel, and intelligibility are all things that don’t fit on a musical grid.

This week was about the stories—technical know-how took a back seat, which I found refreshing. Noise bleed and other artifacts in the recordings stopped being a nuisance waiting to be removed, instead becoming the charm of each story, dropping the listener right into the world that each journalist explored.

Nothing would have been possible without the fabulous direction of Doug and Traci. Functioning as editors in a miniature newsroom, they lead the way and encouraged us to help each other with everything from refining pitches to chauffeuring each other to wherever the story was. Additionally, it was inspiring to see the tangible impact from each mentor’s wealth of experience.

I highly recommend this program for journalists and creative people that want to learn how to thrive in a true multimedia environment.

Stories mixed by Sean:

America’s Tattoo Godmother defies expectations with her 47-Year Career

by Elizabeth Gabriel

Meet the retiree saving Austin’s injured and orphaned bats

by Evelyn Moreno