This semester I am taking a Sound module in which we learn how to capture sound (with microphones and recorders) and how to edit it (with protools).
We had a project briefing that consisted on making a Vox Pop. A Vox Pop is a short audio exercise used by a lot of radios all over the world. There is an interviewer asking the same questions to a lot of different people and at the end he mounts them together!
First of all, we had to find a theme in order to come up with the question we wanted to ask. Then we learned how to work with professional recorders.
My main question was “what is your main goal in life? what is your role in the world?”. After I got my recorder from uni I spent the whole day asking people those questions and came up with about 30 or 40 answers. It wasn’t easy due to the windy weather but I tried to always put my back against the wind and the recorder in front of me. It was a good exercise because I had to deal with a lot of people and some are shy or don’t have the time or simply don’t want to answer. At home, after listening to all my answers. I chose the ones that were usable. I also thought about the soundFx that I wanted to include and got them at freesound.com
After this stage, the next step was to record my questions and my radio opening on a studio. At uni we have access to the studios and with Francisco Dias, a colleague of mine, we recorded our questions, radio opening and closing. I don’t really like how my voice sounds but I made an effort to do everything I could with this project so I would feel how it’s like to be in the different positions.
I drove my scooty to uni and started editing!! First I had to arrange and cut my voice recordings. I did the same for every other recording of the answers. There was a moment where I had to think which meaning or which type of vox pop I wanted. My questions were rather serious but the answers I got weren’t as deep as one would expect so I decided to go with a comic vox pop.
Some sound FX were added and I managed to make an effect with a recorded voice with the help of this video!
At the end I was happy with the outcome and learned a lot more about sound editing and capture!
Here is my Vox Pop so you can listen 🙂