Audacious Audacity

When I think about Audacity I automatically think....

"How DARE you have the AUDACITY to speak to me like that!"

Anyway, I think I would like to take this moment to say that to my podcast.

" How DARE you have the AUDACITY to be so freaking difficult!?"

My podcast at first was so much fun. Looking for cool sound effects, interviewing my friend, hearing how funny my voice sounds on the computer. Yes, it was all fun and games before the dreaded editing.

Even a second of sound can make a difference I have realized. One second of awkward pause or cut off words can really break the flow of the podcast. Going back in and editing and re-editing little bits of sound was a major pain.I interviewed my friend on the phone so listening to all the scratchy sounds and distortions in voice was definitely not ideal. I aimed for crystal clear sound and I wanted to blow everyone out of the water only to find out that I have zero equipment and skill for that.

On a lighter note, I would have to say the rewards for learning how to use Audacity are as plentiful as the headaches. Using Audacity, I can mix music for let's say a dance performance or if I wanted to record a song I could do that. I don't think I will make a podcast ever again, to be honest, unless I hire an editor to do all the dirty work for me. But, I can use this program for other purposes and it makes me feel really technologically advanced.

As for audio tied in with text, I feel like the text is like a story-board and the audio works to embellish and bring it to life. The text provides a clear, linear point of view. This is me, this is my podcast, this is what we're going to talk about. The audio on the other hand, fleshes out the script. It makes it believable and brings out the speaker's personality. I guess it would kind of represent left brain and right brain. The text is the left brain whereas the audio is the right brain.

Podcasting 101

This week was definitely a little crazy thinking about all the things we looked at in class. I felt like I was being pumped full of information on new multimedia forms of expression. While a little overwhelmed, I really did enjoy all the new things I'm learning.

To respond to one of the readings, I thought Podcasting 101 was the most encouraging and informative on how to actually successfully write and record a podcast. I was confident in things like gliffy and screen-cast-o-matic but an actual podcast? It was a truly daunting task.

The author states that podcasts are a form of expression where you can cross traditional boundaries. Its free, its easily accessible and an interesting way to express your creativity. It sounded easy enough in the article.

Coming up with the topic was the easy part, all I had to do was pick something I liked and I wanted to talk about for five minutes. I thought the time limit was a joke and I thought my podcast was going to be at least 10 minutes long. I was so enthusiastic and pumped up for my topic that I felt supercharged and overconfident in this podcast. My topic, dance, is something that I've lived and learned since middle school. I was seriously so so so so naiive.

When it came down to the actual part of writing the script. I realized I'm so boring! My script at first sounded so proper and didn't have any personality. Its probably because I'm supposed to write academically and proper for all my classes that I was stuck in this boring rut. So I changed it up a bit, added a bit of my own flavor and it turned out better. But, the best script was the one I didn't write but the one that flowed naturally from my lips.

Podcasting is not so easy. Writing a script for a ten minute podcast? *SCOFF How could I have been so stupid. But, it did teach me a lot about how we are so gifted. People are able to really connect to others simply by voice and that takes some talent! Through a simple string of words and letters, humans are able to communicate their passions and there's real beauty in that.

I always have a hard time writing these "about me" sections. I try to come off as witty, engaging and charming but I find that I'm not really all that eloquent in person, so why should my "about me" take so much time and thought? So, here goes..about me.

Hello!
My name is Christine Han.
I'm 21 years old.
Fourth year Global Studies major.
My name means "Follower of Christ",
and it's become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Been living in SoCal since birth
A proud Korean-American! :)

I really enjoy reading all types of books except, you know, readings required for classes. I guess I have a tiny little bit of a rebellious spirit because when it comes to things I don't have to read for credit, I can get lost into it with a snap of a finger.

I wanted to learn more about multimedia writing because our society has become increasingly more digital. I hope to work with NGOs or organizations passionate about social justice. By utilizing social media, I hope to raise awareness of various issues and encourage social involvement.