In and Out of the Studio with Amber & Lucy

During one of our workshops a few week ago we were challenged with the task of creating two styles of interviews (informal and formal) with the use of the HTC ZOOM device. This activity ended up being incredibly helpful to me, as I did use the ZOOM in my own project to record audio, and having this experience added a lot less to the day of recording.

I performed these interviews with my friend Lucy, working with friends can be quite a challenging when recording audio as it’s hard not to laugh at each other when you make a mistake. We decided to hit up the RMIT Swanston library first. this was our informal interview, so we were able to capture the backing noises of the library as we trailed through and out the doors whilst speaking of our surroundings. Our spot sounds were done outside RMIT along where the construction work is currently taking place, we thought this would really add to the atmosphere and contribute to really placing the audience here in “the heart of the city”.

Next we had to record the formal interview clips, these were a little harder to get done. Firstly, finding a place in RMIT that is ACTUALLY QUIET (without construction sounds) is INCREDIBLY HARD and really, really frustrating. We ended up up going to a “silent” (that right silent) part of the library, and literally disrupted everyone within our vicinity, they wanted to kill us by the time we were finished.

It was interesting to see how different of a vibe I got by listening to the two types of interview; Like how the formal interview felt a lot more secluded and intimate between listener and participant, whilst the informal interview was very our in the open, and allowed me to feel as if I was actually in the location of the recording.

Overall I believe this activity really allowed me to gain an understanding of the technicalities regarding audio recording, and also was quite a fun way to learn how to use the HTC ZOOM.