A lovely snail mail newsletter

A Goodman sends out a monthly newsletter called Free-Range Thinking.  Besides Current, it’s the only professional publications my postal carrier delivers anymore.  I’m so attached to my newsgator feed reader I have pretty much moved everything to it. Consider adding our fine blog to your rss feed, and you won’t miss a post.  But I digress…

If you haven’t checked out A Goodman I reccomend you do, and sign up for this newsletter.  And if you are attending the PRDMC next month in Reno, you will be able to hear Terrence McNally from A Goodman speak in a session called Storytelling as Best Practice.

How fitting with the PRDMC quickly approaching this month’s edition of Free-Range Thinking gives the 10 immutable laws of storytelling.  As I was reading the 10 laws, it struck me how well Andy Goodman’s 10 laws fit in line with our efforts to integrate the elements of programming core values into our fundraising practices.  Here’s a couple highlights of what I mean, but really go check them out for yourself.

Stories are about people- Regardless of the cause an organizaition supports, it’s people that drive the action.  Pub Radio example:   A great on-air testimonial about a listener or reporters first hand account of a driveway moment or a breaking news event. 

Audiences bore easily- Who of us hasn’t written an appeal or made a pledge drive pitch that has way Too Much Information (aka.. TMI).  Sometimes we get stuck stretching out a pitch break or a fundraising letter just to fill the space.  When storytelling works well, Goodman suggests the message of your case needs to leave the audience asking “what happens next?” and “How is this going to turn out” make certain your story makes the audience, “sit up and take notice”.

Stories have clear meaning - to quote Goodman directly, “When the final line is spoken, your audience should know exactly why they took this journey with you.  “If your audience cannot answer the question, ‘what was that story about all about?’ it won’t matter how dilligently you followed rules one through nine.”

Cool online ideas for pledge from KEXP

When I’m not working for DEI I still have the fortune to play/work at KEXP here in Seattle.  I wanted to share a couple cool things they are doing during their current pledge drive.  Both were generated with the help of volunteers, and dedicated station staff who are always looking for ways to keep pledge time interesting.

 

For about a year the station has been putting up a splash page during pledge drive, so the first thing you see when you go to KEXP.org was a call to action to make a pledge with some listener testimonials.

 

They’ve expanded the idea this time to make an automatic updating splash page that reports the results of their hood to hood fundraising challenge. 

 

http://kexp.org/summer07.asp?noflash=false

 

Second one of the Dj’s (the talented Quilty 3000) made a little pledge themed animation for all the DJ’s and station myspace pages to feature during the drive.  The KEXP team has tens of thousands of friends on my space so this is a great visual reminder of the importance of listener support.

 

 

 

http://www.myspace.com/quilty3000  

 

 

While the fundraising results are hard to measure, the staff feels these efforts to make an impact and help build the case for belonging to the community. 

 

Melanie Coulson - Coordinator for Online Individual Giving

Email Deliverability and Non-Profits

Here’s a great post on The Agitator blog interviewing the CTO’s of GetActive & Convio about non-profit email deliverability.  Recent reports have noted as much as 25% percent of email campaigns are not being delivered.  Bill Pease of GetActive and David Crooke from Convio offer advice and insight making sure constituents receive the messages you send.  Are your Email Camapaigns Getting Delivered?

And while you are there sign up to get feeds or e-newsletters from The Agitator.  Not only is it a really great blog for non-profit fundraisers and advocates,  but you have to love a blog that categorized posts by  You Otta be Fired and You Deserve a Raise.

Great Sounding Pledge - WNCW

DEI and PRPD have been encouraging people to listen
around to other station's fundraisers this fall.

I've spent the past few days listening to WNCW in
Spindale, NC and they sound great.  The messaging is
clear and tightly focused on the value of the
programming, and the pitch teams sound relaxed and
just like the station does during "regular
programming."

You can listen in at www.wncw.org

BTW - Their music mix sounds pretty great too.

Congrats to PD Ele Ellis and DD Kate Barkschat.

You can find updated listings of who's fundraising
when this fall, and links to listen right here on the blog.

Just scroll down.

What are you hearing that sounds good out there?

Thanks - Izzi Smith for the DEI/PRPD On-Air
Fundraising Partnership

Secrets Revealed - Great Membership Testimonials Pt 3

The Basics
by Jay Allison

The Tips
One advantages to working in radio is that you are low-impact. When setting up interviews by phone, remind your interviewees that you are not a film/TV crew. It’s just you and a tape recorder — non-intimidating. (They’ll still ask you what channel it’ll be on.)

Become comfortable with your equipment. If you are, everyone else will be. Check, clean and test all your equipment before you go out. Put in fresh batteries. Make test recordings. Be over-prepared. Be a Boy Scout. Have everything set up before you walk in. Sit in the car (or the subway station, or the bushes) to load and label your first tape, prepare your next tapes for fast changes, set your levels, etc.

For Vox Pop, go where people are waiting. If it seems appropriate, walk right up with your sentence about what you’re doing and attach the first question to it. I’ve heard it suggested that the best tape comes from people in funny hats.

Remember eye contact. Don’t let the mic be the focus — occupying the space between you and the person you’re talking to so you have to stare through it. I usually begin by holding the mic casually, as though it’s unimportant. Sometimes I’ll rest it against my cheek to show it has no evil powers. I might start off with an innocuous question (”Geez, is this as bad as the smog ever gets out here?”), then slowly move the mic, from below, into position at the side of the person’s mouth, but not blocking eye contact. You’ll find your own way of being natural with the mic, but it is important.

Don’t be afraid to ask the same thing in different ways until you get an answer you’re satisfied with. Remember you can edit the beginning and ending of two answers together, but be sure to get the ingredients. If a noise interferes with a good bit of tape, try to get it again. You can blame it on the machine, but it might be better just to wrap the conversation back to the same place so you don’t get the quality of someone repeating himself.

For repeat answers or more enthusiasm, try: “What?!” or “You’re kidding!” or “Really??” Remember the question: “Why?”, especially following a yes or no response. Don’t forget the preface: “Tell me about…” Let people talk. Allow silence. Don’t always jump in with questions. Often, some truth will follow a silence. Let people know they can repeat things– that you’re not on the air– it’s ok to screw up. And remember to offer something of yourself. Don’t just take. Think of the listener’s innocence; ask the obvious, along with the subtle.

If you’re recording more than one person at a time, get them to gather around you and follow the conversation with your microphone. In general, it’s risky to let the interviewee hold the microphone. Sometimes lavaliere mics can be helpful, but they attract noise and eliminate your control. Try to interview away from hard surfaces — walls etc. For example, don’t record across a desk because you can get phase cancellation from the reflected sound.

If you want a quiet interview, try to get on a couch in a room with curtains and a rug. Set everything up the way you like it before you start. Be sure to check for interfering noise, like air conditioners, florescent lights, refrigerators, traffic, radios, noisy crumpling of candy wrappers in front of the microphone, etc. Get away from noise or have it turned off. A musical background is very difficult to edit. Loud hums are annoying, because they add nothing and don’t make sense.Often a noisy environment is exactly what you want. And be sure also to get the noise by itself without any talking over it.

I often like to move around during interviews. Get people up and walking– “Show me”. This can relax people and take their minds off the recording. Have the person describe where you are and what you’re doing. Refer to objects and sights around you. But try to keep the mic close to them. All this will reinforce a sense of place, action and immediacy for the listener. Moving around also gives you a variety of acoustical environments as structuring options in your final piece… possibilities for movement in time and space.

If you interrupt or overlap your voice with your interviewee’s, you won’t be able to edit yourself out. This will eliminate that sense of the interviewee communicating directly with the listener; instead the listener will be an eavesdropper on your conversation. It commits you to a production decision. If you want to leave your production options open, don’t laugh out loud, or stick in “uh-huh” or other vocal affirmations. You must let your subjects know you’re with them, but use head nods, eye contact and develop a silent knee-slap and guffaw.

If you do want your presence in the interview, think about perspective. Do you want your voice to be very on-mic? If so, then you should move the mic up to your own mouth for your questions. Do you want to defer the primary focus to the interviewee, but have your questions legible? Then, pull the mic back half-way to yourself or speak up loudly. Close-mic…about six inches from the speaker’s mouth and a bit off to one side to avoid P-pops. Go closer if they speak very quietly, or further away if they are loud. Use micing distance as a volume control, i.e. move in for whispering and out for loud laughter. Don’t change the volume at the machine for this kind of quick change. You can use the built-in limiter or automatic gain control (AGC or ARL) in very changeable level situations.

If you are in a very noisy background that you want to reduce, mic your subject even more closely (2-4 inches) and re-set your record levels.

If you use your own recorder, have it set-up by a technician for the type of tape you’ll be using, and use the highest quality tape (Maxell XLl-S or XLll-S or similar) in 60 or 90 minute cassettes, nothing longer. In general, use noise reduction if you have it.

Wind, handling, and cable noise are some of the most common recording problems. Use windscreens/pop-filters and try to get out of the wind. With the body of the microphone, as with so many things, learn to have a light touch. Don’t let the mic cable bang around or rustle on your clothes. Check that all your cables have good, noise-free connections at both ends. Monitor with headphones to check for these problems.

For recording most sounds or voices you want the meter peaking a little above zero, never pegging at the limit. Some machines are more forgiving than others. In general, shoot for a record level between 5 and 8 on the mic input knob. Recording levels are critical. You are trying to keep your levels as high as possible without distortion — by recording at a nice hot level you rise above tape hiss and electronic noise. Setting levels is a balancing act between distortion at the top and noise at the bottom. Don’t use the pause button. It uses up the batteries, and if you’re listening through headphones, it can fool you into thinking you’re recording when the tape isn’t moving.

Once in while, during recording, look to see that the reels are turning. If you have a three-head machine, put it in tape mode occasionally to make sure it’s recording properly. If you have a two-head machine, wind your tape back at some point and listen to make sure everything is ok. Omnidirectional, dynamic mics are the best choice for all-purpose interviewing and basic sound-gathering. Unidirectionals are good for noise rejection from the sides and rear and for stereo in pairs, but they are sensitive to wind and handling. Powered mics (electrets and condensers) have good response and high output, but they are sensitive to wind, handling, humidity and dead batteries.

Try recording with headphones. They are almost essential for stereo recording. And they’re always helpful for catching wind noise, handling noise, cable rustle, RF interference, P-pops, hums you didn’t notice, nervous scratching, and other hazards like forgetting to turn on the tape recorder. If for some reason you must conserve batteries, unplug the headphones.

Make idle conversation when you must turn over or change the cassette, so you don’t break your flow or re-attract attention to the recording gear. But don’t take that moment to inspire a wonderful response. Sometimes I make a list of questions before an interview and half-memorize it. I don’t follow it during the interview, but keep it handy to check before the end to pick up anything I forgot.

Get all the sundry sounds, like phones ringing, dogs barking, clocks ticking, etc. — they can be useful for editing. Leave the machine running for stuff that seems irrelevant…it might not be. Yes, leave the recorder running. If you turn it off, they’ll say the most perfect thing you ever heard. Don’t pack up your stuff until you are gone. Allow people the chance to say things in conclusion. Ask them who else you should talk to. You might want to record them saying their names and what they do. Record sounds from various distances and perspectives. Experiment. For example, a toilet flush is very different recorded from five feet away than it is with the mic resting on the plumbing.

You can’t record too much. Tape is cheap. Collect and catalog sound effects and ambiences. Save everything, including your notes. Don’t erase. Take plenty of extras — spares of everything, depending on how long you’ll be on location — tape recorders, assorted microphones, cables, tape recorder batteries, microphone batteries, tapes, AC cord/adaptors, extension cords, windscreens, headphones, lots of plug/jack adaptors, patch cords, mic stands, shock mounts, Rowi clamp, gooseneck, duct tape, electrical tape, cleaning and de-magnetizing gear, pens, paper, labels…. Label everything. Pop out the safety tabs in your cassettes after you’ve recorded, so you can’t accidentally erase them. Never throw away a master. Make safety copies of precious stuff.

Keep all tapes and recorders away from metal and magnets (this includes speakers, amplifiers, electrical equipment, power cords, etc.) Keep them out of the heat, humidity and direct sun. Protect them in a clean, dry, dust-free place. Be good to them.Remember you can always use your recorder like a dictating machine, either for on-location narration or for note-taking. Don’t forget to look as well as listen. Note specifics about what you see and feel. Immediately after an interview, make some notes about what you remember… what mattered.

Don’t be afraid to ask the same thing in different ways until you get an answer you’re satisfied with. Remember you can edit the beginning and ending of two answers together, but be sure to get the ingredients. If a noise interferes with a good bit of tape, try to get it again. You can blame it on the machine, but it might be better just to wrap the conversation back to the same place so you don’t get the quality of someone repeating himself.
For repeat answers or more enthusiasm, try: “What?!” or “You’re kidding!” or “Really??” Remember the question: “Why?”, especially following a yes or no response. Don’t forget the preface: “Tell me about…” Let people talk. Allow silence. Don’t always jump in with questions. Often, some truth will follow a silence. Let people know they can repeat things– that you’re not on the air– it’s ok to screw up. And remember to offer something of yourself. Don’t just take. Think of the listener’s innocence; ask the obvious, along with the subtle.
If you’re recording more than one person at a time, get them to gather around you and follow the conversation with your microphone. In general, it’s risky to let the interviewee hold the microphone. Sometimes lavaliere mics can be helpful, but they attract noise and eliminate your control. Try to interview away from hard surfaces — walls etc. For example, don’t record across a desk because you can get phase cancellation from the reflected sound.
If you want a quiet interview, try to get on a couch in a room with curtains and a rug. Set everything up the way you like it before you start. Be sure to check for interfering noise, like air conditioners, florescent lights, refrigerators, traffic, radios, noisy crumpling of candy wrappers in front of the microphone, etc. Get away from noise or have it turned off. A musical background is very difficult to edit. Loud hums are annoying, because they add nothing and don’t make sense. Often a noisy environment is exactly what you want. And be sure also to get the noise by itself without any talking over it.
I often like to move around during interviews. Get people up and walking– “Show me”. This can relax people and take their minds off the recording. Have the person describe where you are and what you’re doing. Refer to objects and sights around you. But try to keep the mic close to them. All this will reinforce a sense of place, action and immediacy for the listener. Moving around also gives you a variety of acoustical environments as structuring options in your final piece… possibilities for movement in time and space.

If you interrupt or overlap your voice with your interviewee’s, you won’t be able to edit yourself out. This will eliminate that sense of the interviewee communicating directly with the listener; instead the listener will be an eavesdropper on your conversation. It commits you to a production decision. If you want to leave your production options open, don’t laugh out loud, or stick in “uh-huh” or other vocal affirmations. You must let your subjects know you’re with them, but use head nods, eye contact and develop a silent knee-slap and guffaw.
If you do want your presence in the interview, think about perspective. Do you want your voice to be very on-mic? If so, then you should move the mic up to your own mouth for your questions. Do you want to defer the primary focus to the interviewee, but have your questions legible? Then, pull the mic back half-way to yourself or speak up loudly.
Close-mic…about six inches from the speaker’s mouth and a bit off to one side to avoid P-pops. Go closer if they speak very quietly, or further away if they are loud.
Use micing distance as a volume control, i.e. move in for whispering and out for loud laughter. Don’t change the volume at the machine for this kind of quick change. You can use the built-in limiter or automatic gain control (AGC or ARL) in very changeable level situations. If you are in a very noisy background that you want to reduce, mic your subject even more closely (2-4 inches) and re-set your record levels.
If you use your own recorder, have it set-up by a technician for the type of tape you’ll be using, and use the highest quality tape (Maxell XLl-S or XLll-S or similar) in 60 or 90 minute cassettes, nothing longer. In general, use noise reduction if you have it.
Wind, handling, and cable noise are some of the most common recording problems. Use windscreens/pop-filters and try to get out of the wind. With the body of the microphone, as with so many things, learn to have a light touch. Don’t let the mic cable bang around or rustle on your clothes. Check that all your cables have good, noise-free connections at both ends. Monitor with headphones to check for these problems.

For recording most sounds or voices you want the meter peaking a little above zero, never pegging at the limit. Some machines are more forgiving than others. In general, shoot for a record level between 5 and 8 on the mic input knob. Recording levels are critical. You are trying to keep your levels as high as possible without distortion — by recording at a nice hot level you rise above tape hiss and electronic noise. Setting levels is a balancing act between distortion at the top and noise at the bottom. Don’t use the pause button. It uses up the batteries, and if you’re listening through headphones, it can fool you into thinking you’re recording when the tape isn’t moving.Once in while, during recording, look to see that the reels are turning. If you have a three-head machine, put it in tape mode occasionally to make sure it’s recording properly. If you have a two-head machine, wind your tape back at some point and listen to make sure everything is ok. Omnidirectional, dynamic mics are the best choice for all-purpose interviewing and basic sound-gathering. Unidirectionals are good for noise rejection from the sides and rear and for stereo in pairs, but they are sensitive to wind and handling. Powered mics (electrets and condensers) have good response and high output, but they are sensitive to wind, handling, humidity and dead batteries.
Try recording with headphones. They are almost essential for stereo recording. And they’re always helpful for catching wind noise, handling noise, cable rustle, RF interference, P-pops, hums you didn’t notice, nervous scratching, and other hazards like forgetting to turn on the tape recorder. If for some reason you must conserve batteries, unplug the headphones.
Make idle conversation when you must turn over or change the cassette, so you don’t break your flow or re-attract attention to the recording gear. But don’t take that moment to inspire a wonderful response. Sometimes I make a list of questions before an interview and half-memorize it. I don’t follow it during the interview, but keep it handy to check before the end to pick up anything I forgot.

Get all the sundry sounds, like phones ringing, dogs barking, clocks ticking, etc. — they can be useful for editing. Leave the machine running for stuff that seems irrelevant…it might not be. Yes, leave the recorder running. If you turn it off, they’ll say the most perfect thing you ever heard. Don’t pack up your stuff until you are gone. Allow people the chance to say things in conclusion. Ask them who else you should talk to. You might want to record them saying their names and what they do. Record sounds from various distances and perspectives. Experiment. For example, a toilet flush is very different recorded from five feet away than it is with the mic resting on the plumbing.
You can’t record too much. Tape is cheap. Collect and catalog sound effects and ambiences. Save everything, including your notes. Don’t erase. Take plenty of extras — spares of everything, depending on how long you’ll be on location — tape recorders, assorted microphones, cables, tape recorder batteries, microphone batteries, tapes, AC cord/adaptors, extension cords, windscreens, headphones, lots of plug/jack adaptors, patch cords, mic stands, shock mounts, Rowi clamp, gooseneck, duct tape, electrical tape, cleaning and de-magnetizing gear, pens, paper, labels…. Label everything. Pop out the safety tabs in your cassettes after you’ve recorded, so you can’t accidentally erase them. Never throw away a master. Make safety copies of precious stuff.
Keep all tapes and recorders away from metal and magnets (this includes speakers, amplifiers, electrical equipment, power cords, etc.) Keep them out of the heat, humidity and direct sun. Protect them in a clean, dry, dust-free place. Be good to them.
Remember you can always use your recorder like a dictating machine, either for on-location narration or for note-taking. Don’t forget to look as well as listen. Note specifics about what you see and feel. Immediately after an interview, make some notes about what you remember… what mattered.