1
HIS DRAMA
Year 9
Students’ GUIDE to Starting Your Podcast:
We don't expect you to be experts. In fact, we expect that most of you are putting a
podcast together for the first time.
And even though this is a contest, it's also about learning new skills in a fun way. We
want to make that learning easier — so we've put together a guide to help you along
the way.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Each student will be able to;










Complete set up (headphones on, cables and microphone attached)
Turn on recording device
Set recording levels to mid-range*
Demonstrate Proper mic placement (fist-width distance from mouth, slightly
off to side of mouth)
Start recording
Gather room tone (ambient noise)
Turn off recorder
Complete breakdown (headphones, cables and device stored properly)
Upload completed recording into Garageband
Edit podcast in Garageband, adding music and sfx.
1.Getting Started
1a) Introduction pg1
1b) Your Toolbox pg3
1c) Podcast Examples pg4
2.Planning Your Podcast
2a) Getting Your Ideas Together pg4
2b) Brainstorming Sounds pg5
2c) Podcast Structure pg7
3.Podcast Production
3a) What Makes A Good Interview? pg7
3b) Preparing For Field Recording pg8
3c) Scripting Your Podcast pg9
3d) Voicing The Podcast pg10
3e) Production Tips pg10
1
2
GETTING STARTED
1a) INTRODUCTION: Before we get started, we know you might have a few
questions. Let's talk about a few basics.
WHAT'S A PODCAST?
Podcasts come in all shapes and sizes. That's good news for you, because it means
that you have lots of room to be creative and make something you're excited about.
Some podcasts, like Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History and Logically Critical, are long —
sometimes an hour or more. Others, like Professor McGintys Amazing Time Travel
Detective Tales, a podcast from the BBC, are less than 5 minutes. Some podcasts,
like Welcome to Night Vale, are only about 20 mins in length and weekly stories
about the strange and bizarre. Some podcasts give reviews. Some feature people
having conversations. Some are closer examinations of the News and many are
educational: They teach listeners about a specific topic. The (NPR) National Public
Radio's Hidden Brain is about science and human behaviour. And there's also Planet
Money, a podcast all about money and life.
Teacher’s Advice:
Think about sound. We're challenging you to work with sounds — interviews,
narration and recorded sounds from the world around you.
Don't I need fancy equipment to make a podcast?
Nope! There are ways to make a podcast without buying expensive microphones
and recorders. We're writing this guide with the idea that you can make a podcast
with just two tools: a smartphone or an iPad and a computer.
How many people do we need, and what roles are involved?
There isn't a set number of people needed to create a podcast, but it helps to have a
team of people who work in different roles.
The role of producers frequently varies between podcasts and radio shows. Often,
producers are in charge of the sound: They record the sound and edit it to put the
podcast together. You'll also need writers to write out questions for interviews or
the script. (Sometimes, producers or hosts pitch in to help write for podcasts.) Hosts
also "voice" the podcast by acting as the narrator and conducting interviews with
subjects. Depending on the size of your class or group, some team members may
work as researchers or spend time organizing interviews. After you record the
conversations or interviews, your team will want to make sure you talk about what
you want to cut out and keep in — that's all part of the editing process. You might
choose to have editors on your team or assign editing duties to teammates who have
pitched in in other ways. You can divide up these duties in a way that makes sense
for the size of your team. You might decide to have multiple people host and multiple
people work as producers.
2
3
What do we mean by mixing audio?
Mixing is the process of editing and arranging audio clips in a way that sounds
seamless and natural to a listener. After you and your team record sounds from
interviews, events or other sources, you'll need to arrange them in a sound-editing
software, like Garageband, which you should already be downloaded on your iPad.
VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT:
This glossary from NPR's training site has lots of words that you might come across
if you're reading up on podcasting.
1b) YOUR TOOLBOX
Before you think too much about your podcast, you're going to need to think
about how, exactly, you'll record the sounds you need.
Here at HIS, we are very fortunate to have lots of equipment available to us to record
interviews or sounds for our stories and podcasts. But we don't expect you to have
all that equipment — and you can make a podcast with a few basic tools that you
already have.
An iPad or cellphone
If you carry a iPad or cellphone with you, chances are, you've got a recording device
in your pocket. And if you use it the right way, you can record high-quality sounds
that work just fine for your podcast.
You can record sounds, conversations or interviews with sound recording apps on
your iPad/smartphone.
You can also use your iPad’s/phone's built-in recording app. If you've got an iPhone,
go to your "utilities" folder and click on "voice memos" to begin recording. You can
also use the same in iPad or better yet Garageband.
You'll want to make sure you have enough storage on your phone to do this and that
you can either email the sound file to yourself or plug your phone into the computer
to upload the recording.
3
4
*Here is a handy guide to recording audio with your phone. You can find it here.
If you're recording a person speaking, hold the phone a few inches from his or her
mouth. Not too close, but not more than a few inches away, either.
An iPad with sound editing software (refer to your Garageband handout on
Google Classroom).
Once you've recorded your interviews or the sounds you want to use, you'll need to
put them all together into your podcast. To do this, you need to use audio editing
software to "mix" the sound files together. The good news is that you already have
this installed on your iPad, it’s called Garageband.
1c) PODCAST EXAMPLES:
“Have you ever listened to a podcast or radio show before?”
If you've listened to podcasts before — take a minute to think about them.
What keeps you listening?
What bores you?
Let's take a few minutes to hear a few examples. You can listen to the ones we have
in the What’s a Podcast above (just click the link). Listen and think about the
different ways that these podcasts are structured.


Is there a host/hostess or both?
Is it an interview style — or is a narrator telling a story, with clips of interviews
in between? Or even a group discussion/review?
4
5



Do you use music as an intro/ending or both?
What techniques do they use to break up the show between segments?
Do they use sound effects to indicate scene or topic changes or for effect?
2. PLANNING YOUR PODCAST
2a). GETTING YOUR IDEAS TOGETHER
Now that you've listened to a few examples, start to gather ideas. We've given you a
list of a few prompts below to get you thinking. They aren't required, but you may
choose to use them.
1. Tell us a story about your school or community: about something that
happened there — recently or in the past — that your audience should know
about.
2. What is a moment in history that all students should learn about?
3. Show us both sides of a debate about an issue that's important to you.
4. What do you want to change about the world? What's a big change that
students today will make in the future?
5. Explain something to us that only people your age understand and grown-ups
don't.
2B) BRAINSTORMING SOUNDS
Before you settle on one idea, take a few minutes to brainstorm. Try to come up with
an idea that might work for each of the prompts above. Be sure to think about how
you might structure your podcast.
Here are some tips from the pros about starting a podcast on your own. (Click the
embedded link)
Will you do an interview with someone? Will you have one host narrate the podcast,
using clips of interviews to tell a story? What sounds will you use to give listeners a
full idea of the story you're telling?
Before you settle on one idea for your podcast, ask yourself:

Is your podcast idea realistic?

If the idea involves traveling somewhere far away or interviewing someone
famous, it might not be feasible. Make sure you can do it before you settle on
one idea.
5
6

Does the timeline work? Can you complete your interviews or record other
sounds well before the podcasts are due so that you have time to edit the
audio and submit it?
Our friends at YR Media have a handy list of sounds that all podcasters should
consider recording while planning their podcast. Scroll down to "what sounds to
gather" on this page to find that list.
If you're telling a story, it may help to think of the parts of the story in separate
sections.
Check out this guide to structuring your story — and another about telling a story in
three acts.
GREAT! You should be Making Excellent Progress in Creating your Podcast
now.
OK, so you've settled on a topic or idea for your podcast.
Now it's time to start thinking about the sounds that you'll use. Regardless of how
your project is structured, it helps to feature a variety of sounds.
Try to record sounds relevant to your story. If I'm telling someone a story about the
policeman from my town, I'll try to get a recording of him making an arrest, talking to
his fellow officers, and even doing day-to-day activities like going on patrol, that I can
play during my podcast.
Let's say you're heading to a political rally in KL city centre. You're heading into a
"scene" that you might want to describe — and include sound from — in your
podcast. What sounds should you include?
Compile a list of sounds you'd like to record — and bring that list with you when you
go into the field.
Here are a couple of examples of radio pieces that use sounds to add to the
story.
Listen to this "Radio Field Trip" from New Hampshire Public Radio. What sounds do
you hear? There's narration from the show's host, Rick Ganley — but there's a lot
more than that.
And here's this one, from Radio Rookies, a series from WNYC. Listen to the sounds
that Radio Rookie Edward uses and weaves between his narration.
6
7
YOUR PODCAST WILL NEED AN IMAGE (For BRAND RECOGNITION)
It should have the Title of your podcast in it and or an appropriate eye-catching
image which can be made into a thumbnail. Here are few from of some of my
favourite podcasts.
2C) LET'S TALK STRUCTURE
Now that you know what your podcast is going to be about, and you've got an idea of
the sounds you want to use, it's time to think about how you will structure it.
Before we start planning the podcast — before we get to scheduling interviews or
scripting pieces — let's ask a few basic questions. (see image below)
Of course, the structure of your podcast will depend on the idea you've chosen. Will
hosts from your class narrate the podcast? Then you'll start differently from the way
you would have a regular conversation on tape.
3. PODCAST PRODUCTION
7
8
3A) WHAT MAKES A
GOOD INTERVIEW?
There's a good chance that
you might interview
someone for your podcast.
Maybe you're even talking
to lots of different people.
It's important to make the
most out of the time you
take to record them.
Before you start ...
Do your research!!!!!

Make sure you
understand why you're
interviewing this person.
Read up on who the person
is, what he or she does, and
the subject you're making a
podcast about.

PREPARE QUESTIONS.

Come up with a list
of open-ended questions
you'd like to ask during your
interview. It's OK to veer off
course and also good to ask
follow-up questions that you
haven't planned. But a list
will help get things started
and help you find your way.
Make sure your interviewee
knows you're talking to him
or her for the HIS Student
Podcast Challenge. The person should understand that you're recording audio.
When you arrive ...
Meet somewhere quiet (unless you want to record the noise!).

Don't choose to meet for an interview in a busy mall or a windy park. If you're
indoors, head to a quiet room and close the door. If you're interviewing someone at
an event, it's OK if there's some noise in the background — as long as it's the sound
you want to have in the background. But try to avoid recording when there's music in
the background — it's hard to edit around that sound.
8
9
When you start recording ...

Ask the interviewee to introduce him/herself on tape.

The person should give his/her name and job title (what he/she does). A
student should give his/her age and grade.

Record your own questions.

You'll want to hear these questions when you listen back to the tape later on.

Be curious.

You'll have some questions prepared — but that doesn't mean you're
following a script. If the person says something you're interested in, ask
questions. That's why you're there.
Remember: It's normal to be nervous. The person you're interviewing is probably
nervous, too. It helps to be prepared. The better you know your questions and the
better you know your equipment, the better you'll feel.
3B) PREPARING FOR FIELD RECORDING
Before You Record Sound ...
Make sure you set aside time to:

Contact and reserve time to interview guests.

Write out possible interview questions.

Compile a list of sounds you'd like to include.
Whether this is your first podcast or not, some basic tips can make your project a lot
easier.

Test your equipment before you start.

Don't get stuck in an interview with a iPad that doesn't have any storage, isn’t
fully charged or a microphone with no batteries. Check to make sure
everything is plugged in correctly an turned on.

Bring a teammate along to help when you're going to an interview or to record
sounds.

Ask this person to time the interview and make a note of the interesting or
compelling moments. Make a note of the time at these moments. This will
help when you're cutting the audio and looking for these moments later.
9
10

Listen to the audio soon after you record it.

Save it somewhere you'll remember, and label it so you know exactly what
your recording includes.
Checklist For Field Recording
Before you head out for an interview or sounds for your podcast, make sure you've
got everything you need.
Download a checklist for field recording here to take with you when you're getting
ready to head out to record.
3C) SCRIPTING YOUR PODCAST
At NPR, some podcasts are scripted. That means that we plan the order that
everything will be in before the host gets into the recording studio and records the
narration. That can happen only after getting "tape" — sound from lots of interviews
and audio from other recordings.
Let's take a look at the script of an audio segment. Here's one from the NPR Training
team featuring a story from NPR's Ailsa Chang. There's not one correct way to write
a script for a podcast — but it helps to indicate where your narrators will speak, and
where you'll be using sounds or interview clips recorded beforehand, and how long
these clips last.
Starting the story
First things first. So, you've figured out how you want your podcast to be structured
and you've gathered the sounds you need. Whether you're scripting the entire
podcast or not, you probably need to write out at least one part: the very beginning.
Here's a post from a National Public Radio Training workshop with some ideas about
how to start, no matter how you're structuring your podcast.
3D) VOICING THE PODCAST
After you've scripted the podcast, it's time to record the narration from the host or
hosts from your group or class.
If you're hosting or narrating the podcast, you might be a little nervous about
recording your voice. But here's something important to remember: Your voice is
what makes you — and your podcast — sound unique. You want to sound natural,
alert and energetic. You want to sound like you — the real you. Everyone stumbles
over their words. And when that happens here in Drama lessons, we often go back
to the script and write shorter sentences that are easier to read and won't end up
leaving you feeling out of breathe. The key is to try to sound how you would if you
were talking to a friend.
10
11
Here's another tip: Keep the frogs out of your throat by keeping a glass of water
next to you while you're recording.
3E) PRODUCTION TIPS
Mixing is the process of editing and arranging audio clips in a way that sounds
seamless and natural to a listener. After you and your podcasting team record
sounds from interviews, events or other sources, you'll need to arrange them in
sound-editing software, like Garageband, which is available online as a free
download.
Some tips:


Don't leave audio mixing until the last minute. Mixing is time-consuming,
especially if you're using new software or listening to long recordings. It can
take many hours just to edit a few minutes of a podcast. Give yourself
sufficient time to mix audio before you need to submit the podcast.
Remember, the deadline for this contest is TBC.
Take the mixing process step by step. Prioritize things you need to do to
make your podcast sound the best it can. Before you can do anything else,
you need to cut your sound down to the clips you need, get them in order and
adjust their volume levels so they're not too loud or too soft in a listener's
ears. These are all things you can do in your Garageband audio editing
software.
11