In the elective course “Podcasts,” students learn the steps that go into making these audio programs by listening to a variety of professional podcasts and then writing a few of their own.
Fiction is as popular a genre in podcasting as it is for movies and books. Stories told through sound alone are like a return to the golden age of radio dramas; but with a much wider range of audio elements available.
Either way, new or old, one element they all make use of is “theater of the mind.” With only spoken words and sound effects, they lead us to picture the stories in our minds – like our own private movies. And everyone’s movie is different.
To experience that idea, one of the first activities asked students to listen to an audio podcast and create artwork based on what they “saw”. They were free to use any medium they wanted to: drawing, painting, or clipping images to build a collage.
The program they heard, called No Place But the Water, is set in the near future – a version of Earth where the sea level has risen so high that most of the world is under water. A family is living in an abandoned resort hotel on a patch of dry land; their youngest daughter has found an old cell phone, and uses it to record a diary. It’s a tale that unfolds slowly, with a dark, moody atmosphere and a sense of mystery. The soundtrack is rich and full with the slosh of rising water, voices echoing through large empty hallways, and an ominous music soundtrack. “And by the way, don’t look in the mirrors,” the girl warns us.
Here are a few of the images it inspired in the students:
Podcasts is one of the elective courses OLS Students can take to obtain their associate degree from OLS. More information about our curriculum is available on our website. To learn more about our program register for an upcoming Information Session.
Last Updated February 18, 2021