Posted by David Huffman on Wed, Dec 29, 2010 @ 09:02 AM
By Phil Brown
Director
Ohio Center for Broadcasting
Cincinnati, OH Campus
brown.p@beonair.com
This part of the Choosing Producing Elements series will deal with the basics on choosing music for your commercial.
As mentioned in the last post - selecting the music should be done after the VO (Voice Over) has been recorded. In that, Music selection should complement and not compete against the VO.
For More Serious Spots
For example, let’s say you’ve voiced a dentist or doctor’s office spot. Depending on the content of the copy, delivery, inflection, the radio station or medium it would run on, the music should enhance and/or be “one” with the VO. If the spot is somewhat serious in nature, then the music would be something along the lines of a soft adult contemporary or smooth jazz piece. Just to toss out a couple of examples.
High Energy Spots
On the other end of the spectrum, let’s say you’re recording a night club spot. The music would then be of high energy, or complement with what’s going on in the spot. I’m often asked to use a current Top 40 song in a commercial. Don’t do it…reason being is that the music is copyrighted.
The club owner may come back and say “well, we play that song in our club so it’s o.k.” Unless that club pays the SESAC, ASCAP or BMI rights to play that music (have yet to see one that does), they’re voiding copyright laws too…especially if they charge a cover charge to get in. You’ll have to explain to them that you’ll choose a piece of music that will sound great.
Choosing a music bed for your commercial is a lot like buying a house. You’ll know when it’s right. You may listen to several pieces before you find the “right” one.
Remember from the previous blog, a “piece” of sound can “visually (theatre of the mind) change” the perception of the commercial production and even play a vital role in someone remembering it!
Next up in the series, I’ll cover SFX (sound effects), voice techniques and utilizing “musical nuances”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Beverly & Pack http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkadog/3353936487/
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Posted by David Huffman on Wed, Dec 22, 2010 @ 01:48 PM
Editor's Note: Just wanted to make sure you took note of this quote:
"When I go to work I am being paid for doing something I love, not many people can say that."
Interview-ish post with Bridget England, Afternoon Traffic for Cumulus Cincinnati.
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I guess I always knew that radio is what I wanted to do. But it wasn't until I decided to go back to college that I made a decision to pursue my passion.
From my first radio-tv class...I was hooked. I will say that living in Cincinnati makes internships plentiful (who doesn't love free labor?).
I was hired by what is now known as Cumulus Cincinnati. Once I got my foot in the door I made sure everyone - and I mean everyone - knew that my goal was to be on air!
So far in my radio career I have been everything from the part-time weekend over-nighter, a morning show producer to afternoon traffic girl. I have chosen to stay in Cincinnati so my options for full time on-air employment are somewhat limited. I keep plugging away until my next big break.
Advice I would give to someone crazy enough to get into this sometime volatile business is to learn as much as you can. Be willing to do anything to reach your goal.
My second piece of advice, find some other job that you can fall back on to make money. For me, it has been serving. I have supplemented my income waiting tables.
Again, radio can be a volatile career. For those of you who aren't terrified, keep in mind that working in radio can also be awesome.
You are a part of something that is fun and entertaining. When I go to work I am being paid for doing something I love, not many people can say that. Now don't get me wrong...its not all roses.
Over the last 8 years I have smelled peoples' breath, had a grown man puke water on my foot, worked crazy hours, and been on the receiving end of some not-so-nice listener emails; but at the end of the day it's all worth it. I have worked with some amazingly talented people.
And continue to plug away, because....I love radio!
Bridget England is the afternoon traffic personality for the Cumulus Cincinnati Cluster. Warm98/ 103.5 WGRR/ 96Rock/ Frequency 94.1
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Posted by David Huffman on Mon, Dec 20, 2010 @ 02:03 PM
By Phil Brown
Ohio Center for Broadcasting
Cincinnati, OH campus
This part of the writing results driven copy series will focus on the Production Elements for commercials on radio or television.
Production elements encompass items such as:
- music beds (the music under the voice over)
- sound effects
- the right voice(s)
- inflection
- delivery
- timing
- vocal effects
There may be a difference of opinion on when and what music should be selected.
In my experience, a music bed should be chosen after the voice over is recorded. Why you ask? Good question…reason being:
The music should complement the voice and not compete against it.
Based upon the inflection, style of delivery, type of product or service - the music selected can sometimes be the “make it” or “break it” on a commercial being remembered or forgotten.
With that said, don’t come away with the impression that the music is the most important thing in producing a commercial. Some people may argue that the copy, the voice or even the sound effects are the most important. When in fact, all these elements are equally important.
Sound in itself can create or kill a commercial.
Imagine a horror film or watching a car chase on a detective show without sound. At least in this form of media, you have the visual of what’s happening on screen. In other words, allowing the eyes and brain to formulate what’s about to or is happening.
Now take that “theater of the mind” we utilize in radio, take away the visual of film and we’re left with sound.
There have even been some movies, for example M. Night Shyamalan’s movie the “Village”, was changed from a PG-13 MPAA rating to an “R” because of a piece of sound.
The next part will “focus” on choosing all these production elements.
You see? By using the word “focus”, I made you think. If I asked you to not to think of a coin, say a quarter…just by your mind “seeing” the quarter, you thought of it.
Gotcha!
Posted by David Huffman on Fri, Dec 17, 2010 @ 11:17 AM
The how you can work in radio interview series continues with Captain Chris Clare of Cat Country in Cincinnati, OH.
Holy moly, that's a TON of C's in that sentence [count 'em 6!]
Chris' advice below!
How You Can Work in Radio: Interview with Captain Chris
OCB: When did you realize a career in Radio or TV was your goal?
CC: I was fortunate to grow up in Buffalo and the Bills play-by-play guy, Van Miller, was a family friend. I saw him call a preseason game when I was 6 and from that point knew I wanted to be on the radio.
OCB: How do you prepare for a show?
CC: Read a lot. Not books. Articles. Any and all. Content is everywhere. I look for the unique angle in them and write a summary.
You have to develop the skill of cutting down a 2 page story into just a few sentences, yet have it make sense.
OCB: One piece of advice for anyone who wants to work in this business?
CC: Dumb yourself down. People will get you're smart when you always have something to talk about. The biggest problem talent has when they're young is they try to prove they are smart by becoming a thesaurus to try and impress people. Listeners only hear about 50% of what you say. Make it easy to follow.
OCB: Funniest or most embarrassing moment?
CC: The Secret Service called because I was calling out the traffic cameras going out as the president came through town. You aren't supposed to do that. Earlier this year I was 10 feet from the President (different one). I needed to have government clearance. I guess they wiped that one from my record. Whew!
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Posted by David Huffman on Wed, Dec 15, 2010 @ 08:28 AM
By Phil Brown
School Director Ohio Center for Broadcasting Cincinnati
Warm 98/Phil Brown Productions
brown.p@beonair.com
With all the commercials the average individual is bombarded with daily from TV, radio or in print advertising, what makes a commercial remembered?
The answer? A slice of life
In other words, commercial copy should be written in a manner that a person can relate to.
Too many commercials are written and produced with the mindset that if we give the consumer a laundry list of things we do or sell, or if we talk about how “great” we are over our competition, we’ll get results!
This couldn’t be farther from the truth.
True, an advertising client wants the most “bang” from the buck they’re spending, but if the commercial is delivered as mentioned in the preceding paragraph, what type of return will they get?
Commercial copy in any form needs to be presented such that it’s not what’s so great about us (client).
Instead it should illustrate the benefit the consumer gets from hearing, seeing or reading the commercial spot.
[read that again. and again]
Focus on one thing only…the mind does not like clutter. We rarely see or hear 60 second commercials anymore. Why? Because some clever copywriter/producers finally realized that if they remove the “fluff” and “clutter”, the commercial is easier understood, retained and remembered.
Effective copy should contain “buzz” words. Words that "tug" on the heart strings.
Copy needs to eliminate “catch phrases” and clichés. Such as “The Biggest Sale of the Year!”… “Year end Blow Out”…”Deep Discounts”… “Sell the Best and Service the Rest!”
These clichés are over used and therefore, are not heard or retained by the consumer.
Other things like “Family Owned and Operated”…even though that shows local ownership per say, it means nothing to the consumer. They’re not a part of MY family so why would I care? A waste of copy…addresses in a radio or TV spot.
Unless I know where 2712 Cooper Rd., how am I going to know where you’re located? But if you were to say “at the corner of Cooper and Reading Rd.", now that’s a landmark I’m familiar with.
How To Write Results Driven Copy for Commercials is a blog series written by none other than the trementabulous Mr. Phil Brown at the Ohio Center for Broadcasting Cincinnati campus.
Stay tuned for more in the series.
And yes we know that "trementabulous" isn't a word ;)
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Take your first step towards a career as a broadcaster in radio or television and connect with us at the Ohio Center for Broadcasting.
Posted by David Huffman on Fri, Dec 10, 2010 @ 08:50 AM
Quick Editor's Note: We try to share plenty of testimonials from Ohio Center for Broadcasting graduates, success stories, thank you letters...
However, there are restrictions in place that keep us from letting current students tell their story (we get that and we like to follow rules)
But nothing that says our instructors can't tell you why they love our students ;) And with that, we'll be publishing a series of posts on why Ohio Center for Broadcasting instructors and staff absolutely love working with the students here...
Below is Lisa Rich's contribution from our Cincinnati campus.
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So you have been looking at our program and its requirements….and you are thinking to yourself, “Do I have what it takes? Will I be great at this? Will I be successful?” Let me tell you—this isn’t like most "traditional" routes in education.
We care if you don’t show up for class. We care if you don’t hand in your work. We are not here to watch you slack until the last week and pray that you pass the final. We are a community that will help you get into broadcasting if you are serious. But you are going to have to work.
Read on for some reasons why I love working with Ohio Center for Broadcasting students.
#1 Our students are realistic.
Just because OCB is a career technical school doesn’t mean that we guarantee our graduates a job. The students have to work the program. They get what they give because the broadcasting industry doesn’t discriminate. None of our students can give half effort and get 100% return—it just doesn’t work that way. Broadcasting is a “show me” business. Each student puts together a body of work that will prove to potential employers that they can perform the job that they are competing for. Realistically, if a student doesn’t work the program, the student will not get a job at graduation. A+B=C. Simple, really.
#2 Our students are listeners.
Often times in the program at OCB, students have to get over themselves. You know, the old, “Shut up and listen” routine. We know that unless the students at OCB hear the truth about this business, they will have a harder road to navigate. That is why all of the instructors at OCB are industry professionals. They do this every day. They know the ups and downs and the ins and outs. They do not tell students what they want to hear—and that can be hard. But listeners who can work constructive criticism into an improved product are successful students. And they will be broadcasters.
#3 Our students are passionate.
Students that want to be admitted to the program tell us that they are passionate all the time. But saying and doing are two different things. Our curriculum is 100% hands-on, and there is only one major: broadcasting. There is no wiggle room here; no Cliff’s Notes. There is no such thing as “Abridged Broadcasting”. Many times in our program even the most committed students throw their hands up and ask, “What did I get myself into? This is hard!” To say that our students are resourceful and flexible is an understatement. The students that succeed in the program and get hired into the industry get it. They are the ones that don’t let anything get in the way of them meeting their goals. They are the ones who don’t make excuses. They are passionate.
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Ready to get started with going to school for radio or a career in broadcasting?
Posted by David Huffman on Wed, Dec 08, 2010 @ 11:26 AM
Next up in the how you can work in radio series is Mr. Phil Brown of Warm 98 in Cincinnati, OH (and the Ohio Center for Broadcasting).
Phil also has his own production company, is signed to Cincinnati based Heyman Talent Agency, and was once cast in the Disney movie Secretariat.
So actually - he's done MUCH more than just work in radio.
Oh, and he's a graduate of Ohio Center for Broadcasting Cincinnati.
Read on to pick up some wise words from Phil.
OCB: When did you realize Radio or TV was your goal?
PB: I realized that radio was my chosen career after my first day interning at 700 WLW. I worked with Mike McConnell and Yancy Dearling, learning the in’s and out’s on producing a talk show.
OCB: How do you prepare for a show?
PB: I currently am on-air with WARM 98 in Cincinnati. I do show prep about 45 min. to 1 hour before my show. This includes doing research on the artists I’ll be playing, i.e. new CD, in town soon for a concert, where their song(s) I’ll be playing charted, local entertainment news, community events, station events, funny kicker stories, etc.
OCB: One piece of advice for anyone who wants to work in this business
PB: Persistence! Done gracefully of course… When pursuing a potential employer, research the company you’re interviewing for. How embarrassing it would be if the interviewer asked what can you tell me about our company? You then had the old “deer in the headlights” look and really couldn’t say anything except maybe, “You’re a radio station?” Allow yourself to stand out from the rest of the applicants.
If you say in an email or voice mail after dropping of or sending your package that you’ll follow up in a few days to ensure they’ve received it, then do so. You wouldn’t believe how many times an applicant would drop off their demo/resume and then you’d never hear back from them because they were waiting for the employer to call them!
One thing I would mention in your cover letter is instead of using the standard closing, “I appreciate you taking the time to look over my resume and demo and look forward to hearing from you soon”….instead try this:
“I will contact you in a few days to ensure you have received this and to arrange for an interview that will be of mutual benefit for both of us”
This incorporates a “positive” from you! Why should you have to have the employer contact you? You’re the one that wants the gig, show them you do!
OCB: Funniest or most embarrassing moment
PB: Probably one of the funniest moments (there have been several), is when I was doing a station remote, a female listener and her 2 daughters, (may have been 2 teeth between all 3 of them) walked up and just stared. After a few moments, the mother blurted out in her best Kentucky accent, “I just wanted to see what you looked like!”
OCB: What technical skills do you need to be successful?
PB: To keep up on the latest trends whether in digital equipment, software, etc. A lot of us radio vets were brought up on analog equipment. In fact, my demo from OCB was on reel to reel tape! We need to embrace the digital age and understand that it’s here to stay. It’s actually to your advantage to make yourself ready for any challenge throw at you. With today’s economy, employers love to have employees that can multi-task and know what the current trends are in software and equipment.
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Ready to get started in your pursuit of a career in broadcasting? The Ohio Center for Broadcasting can get you ready for careers in radio, video production, sports broadcasting, and more.
Posted by David Huffman on Mon, Dec 06, 2010 @ 01:26 PM
The how you can work in radio talent interview series continues with Cincinnati, OH's very own Faith Daniels of MOJO 100.3.
Again - this series is focused on (in a roundabout way) showing you how you can work towards a career in radio by interviewing the folks who are doing it.
If you've kept up over time - with our perform better on camera series and now this one - you'll see a couple of common themes throughout: passion and technical know how.
Interview with Faith Daniels of 100.3 Cincinnati, OH
OCB: When did you realize Radio or Tv was your goal?
FD: I was 14 years old and got a job doing over nights after winning a "DJ for A Day" contest in Louisville. I just knew this is what I was CREATED to do!
OCB: How do you prepare for a show?
FD: The basics are watching the news, reading the paper, the internet infotainment sites and just paying attention to "REAL LIFE" before the show and even during.
OCB: One piece of advice for anyone who wants to work in this business?
FD: Know that you want to do this soooo much that you would do it for FREE! Make this your plan A, B and C. But always have a plan D...just in case! Finally, learn every aspect of the business so that even if you cannot work on the air, you can do promotions, sell advertising, work on the website, produce morning shows or syndication until YOUR time comes. And when it does...BE READY!!!
OCB: What technical skills do you need to be successful?
FD: EVERYTHING!! Learn the most borning parts of this industry..it might feed you one day. YOU MUST BE DIVERSE! Be able to talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime about anything! YOUR MOUTH PIECE will help you get in the doors training will keep you there!
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Ever thought about going to school for radio or television? Ever thought about a career in broadcasting?
Posted by David Huffman on Thu, Dec 02, 2010 @ 10:14 AM
This Letter is to share my appreciation and gratitude to the staff of the Ohio Center for Broadcasting.
I graduated from the Ohio Center for Broadcasting Denver campus in June, 2010, and I was just recently hired as the morning jock at a small station in northeastern Colorado. Before I enrolled at Ohio Center for Broadcasting, my experience as a DJ was limited to years of working at nightclubs and doing weddings for a mobile DJ company.
For me, the desire to go into radio was the next step in creating a career for myself and in an industry that I am passionate about.
At OCB, I was able to make that dream a reality. I cannot thank Mark, Terry and Larry enough for their support and guidance. The help they provided me, first as a student, and then as a graduate, was irreplaceable. If I can offer any advice to current students at the Ohio Center for Broadcasting, it would be to work hard, learn as much as possible and, most importantly, believe in yourself.
Finding a job after graduation was initially very frustrating, as I had sent out resume' after resume' without a response. By keeping in constant contact with Mark [placement director], I stayed in the loop with job openings and contacts.
After a few months and with perserverance, dedication and a never quit attitude, I scored a great job and will be doing what I thought would never be possible.
With my career in broadcasting under way, I'm ready to meet the
challenges ahead, but I'm also ready to reap the rewards of the
education I received.
A big thank you to Mark, Terry, Larry and the entire OCB staff for making my current job my dream job.
Sincerely,
Russ Davis (aka DJ SPICY)
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Posted by David Huffman on Wed, Dec 01, 2010 @ 11:03 AM
Our Columbus, OH campus did a series on how to perform better on camera where they reached out to local television talent with short interview questions. The response was GREAT.
So great - that we thought we'd give it a shot with our other areas.
And here we are! Our Ohio Center for Broadcasting Cincinnati, OH campus did a little outreach to folks in the media community there. Below is a short interview with Angie Irick who does News & Traffic on 103.5 WGRR in Cincinnati, OH!
OCB: When did you realize Radio or TV was your goal?
AI: While taking classes I figured I would end up doing something in TV off camera. Then we took a radio advertising class and when I heard myself on the air for the first time...I thought...I sound pretty good...hmmmm what about radio?
OCB: How do you prepare for a show?
AI: Since I'm a Radio News Director my first priority is news. So I have to keep up on it everyday, even on the weekends because it changes so rapidly. I read the Cincinnati Enquirer online, WCPO's, WLWT' & WKRC's web sites, Pulse Journal, Business Courier and National's like Huffington Post, CNN, Daily Beast
OCB: One Piece of Advice for anyone who wants to work in this business?
AI: Intern! It's the fastest way into any door. Also as with any job your just starting volunteer for stuff and shadow those around you to be able to fill in when asked.
OCB: Funniest or most embarrassing moment?
AI: It involves the grand daddy of curse words on the air. It wasn't a funny moment.
OCB: What technical skills do you need to be successful?
AI: Learn as much as you can about the equipment you'll be using, whether it be TV or Radio, but don't panic because any place you'll end up, they'll have to train you on the equipment they have. Make sure to take GOOD notes when they do though, because you could end up working alone on a holiday with no one to ask for help. But a basic knowledge of the equipment and the lingo is a must.
Hope this helps,
Angie Irick
News Director
Cumulus Media Partners Cincinnati, OH
WRRM/WGRR/WFOX/WYGY/WNNF
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