what ira glass taught me

My notes from his graphic novel that no one read - Radio: An Illustrated Guide

overall:
--character driven.. character changes, grows, learns something new--comes to a conclusion YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT
--structure is: 1) a SEQUENCE of events (this happened, then this happened.. makes you inevitably want to know what happens next), 2) then REFLECTION on what it means, 3) repeat 1 and 2 for however many short stories you have
--notice how you tell the story when you tell your friends--the things you say, and the order you say them in. write the way you talk; if there's any phrase in your script that you wouldn't actually say to a person in a dinner conversation, rewrite. "..." is OK in your script.
--the key is to express your own personality. it's boring if you try to sound like someone else. people who are the most fun to listen to sound only like themselves.

interviewing:
--don't give interviewees questions ahead of time but tell them "i'm going to ask you about x, y, and z"
--tell interviewees not to be afraid to interrupt
--if you want your interviewee to tell you something real, tell them a personal story and they're more likely to open up to you (try to make them feel less nervous)
--make it feel like a natural conversation. he says stuff and i react and he reacts to my reactions
--we're making a narrative so we want the interviewee to lay out the anecdote, step by step
--when you get a good anecdote, you want the interviewee to not to tell you about it, but show you (radio is visual!). go to the place where it happened and the interviewee will tell you "i was standing there, making a cup of coffee, when..." him: "the shot came through the bedroom, see right there." me: "wow, you could put your finger through that!" him: "i could put my thumb through it!"
--ira: if im going to criticize the interviewee, i do it to their face to give them a chance to respond. this also makes for better radio; their response will be a dramatic moment. ira: "you think people feel like you've come to town and you're telling them what to do and they don't like that? how much of your problems do you think have to do with the fact that people see you as an outsider? do you feel you actually went around the people and actually understood what it is that they wanted?"
--REFLECTION piece: try out hypotheses on the interviewees... "you think it's this or do you think that people always do this..." Eventually something will stick & you'll have something.
--never stop thinking about pacing. if an answer seems boring, politely move things along. charm. cajole. react with amazement when they say something amazing. laugh if they say something funny. don't forget that YOU are a part of the interview
--location: carpeted living room ideal (hotel room: heavy drapes, sound absorbing bed). wear headphones to be sure recording's OK
--hold the mic 3-4 inches BELOW (not in front of) the interviewee's mouth. when you ask a question, point the mic back at you. at the end of the interview, record half a minute of room sound without anyone talking

interviewing/editing:
--insert a pause (quiet room sound) after the interviewee makes a particularly poignant point
--the key is to keep moving btwn different kinds of moments: funny, emotional, raising questions (presenting a trouble town, included a story of what was good about the town as well)

editing:
--think about when you are going to have people tell their story and when you are going to quote thing they have previously said or written back to them
--music begins w a vamp (a non-melodic motif) that's about 12 seconds long, then the song's real melody comes in. we start the vamp while a person talks. right when they stop talking, melody comes.
--music is the frame around the picture. with music, his points are divided into sections. when he finishes presenting an idea, the music plays for six or seven seconds--it gives you time to understand him better
--you can add music that speaks to a new character or event or feeling that somebody is introducing
--we use music when a sequence of action begins or starts to build
--take out the music when there is a big idea that you really want people to pay attention to; you lose the music so it stands out

random:
--quotes are called "acqualities" in radio
--the top of the show's opening is called "DAT"
--she just kept going back and saying no, you really need an intern, i know you're going to need an intern. hung up and said i'm just going to come down there and be your intern