November 2001 RAP
November 2001 Highlights
Feature: Who Are You Talking To?
By John Pellegrini
There is a sense among those who do radio programming, as well as
Advertising Executives, that most listeners cannot fathom certain concepts
that go above the basic level of understanding that a 6th grader possesses.
I beg to differ, and quite strongly, that the majority of listeners to any
radio station are far smarter compared to the people who work in radio.
Interview: Dave Green & C.J. Goodearl, Clear Channel
Orlando
By Jerry Vigil
You've heard their zany comedy on many RAP Cassettes and CDs. Their work
has garnered them a nice collection of RAP Awards over the years, as well as
others. And their first commercial comedy CD sold 7000 copies in Orlando
alone. They are Dave Green and C.J. Goodearl, the top production dogs at
Clear Channels Orlando cluster of seven stations, which includes WJRR-FM
(rock), WFLF-AM (newstalk), WMGF-FM (soft A/C), WQTM-AM (sports), WSHE-FM
(oldies), WTKS-FM (talk), and WXXL-FM (CHR). Dave and C.J. oversee
production at these seven stations, doing their share of the work and
administrating the work of seven other producers in the building. The recent
success and popularity of their comedy work urged Dave and C.J. in March of
this year to create their own company, friggen Inc., which includes the
friggen Comedy Network, friggen Advertising, and friggen Records. And now
there's the "friggen" website at
www.moefugger.com.
Radio Hed: Branding - Part 1
By Jeffrey Hedquist
All good radio commercials are designed to capture a share of your
audiences mind. You could call it branding. As Roy Williams says, "Branding
is implanting an associative memory with a recall cue."
As you craft radio commercials for an advertiser hopefully as part of a
continuing campaign keep in mind that no matter what kind of commercial it
is image, event, co-op, item, or sale make sure it brands. Make sure it
tells the story about the listeners involvement with the advertiser,
positions the advertiser, reinforces the advertisers USP (Unique Selling
Proposition), is set within the larger context of the campaign, and not just
a stand-alone commercial.
Technology: How Many Ways Can You Take to Get Where
You're Going?
By Craig Jackman
It started innocently enough a couple of years ago. A group of students
from a local college were going through the station on a tour when they came
into my production studio. I took a couple of moments out of my day to do my
little song and dance explaining the setup, when someone in the back asked,
" where's your editor?" This was before my then little company had sprung
for a DAW, so I was multi-tracking on an ADAT and editing the old fashioned
way with tape and razor blades. My response was that I didn't have one yet,
but that it has been in discussion for a while and I expected one soon. "I
could never work here without an editor," Joe College said. "Well then, you
cant work here," I said. End of tour. They all shuffled out quietly onto the
next stop.
Production Libraries: "Grab Bag" from Brown Bag
Productions
By John Pellegrini
...the answer to your prayers has arrived. Grab Bag from Brown Bag is the
first ever comprehensive and fully cataloged collection of drops that has
ever been assembled. Plus this has to be the largest collection of drops
that I've ever seen. Every one of them, including the old ones from audio
sources decades past, have been cleaned up and remastered for maximum sound
quality.
Q It Up: The RAP Network Speaks - Training Your Voice
By Jerry Vigil
Q It Up: If you do voice work, what training did you go
through, if any, to polish your skills? Did you take acting classes or other
types of classes? Did you hire a voice coach? How did these things help you?
Did you just learn as you go and listen to and mimic other talents? What
things do you continue to do to keep your vocal skills sharp? Please offer
any other tips or comments you might have with regard to being the best
voice-over talent you can be.
Feature: Look Who's Coming
By Johnny George
The copy is written. Your VO guy in another city has just finished his
ISDN session with you, and now you're trying to figure out what music would
sound perfect at this next bridge. An hour has passed and you're still
looking for just the right tempo and attitude. Is it that important? Sure it
is, for you. Is it for the overall sound of the promo? Will anyone else
notice if you found the right tune or not? Does it matter? Did that tribute
to the American tragedy need to be done last night? And the re-write of all
of that weeks promos really have to be done right NOW and produced?
You see, that's the problem. You DO care. You, my friend, are a dying breed.
In this day of consolidation, wearing two and three hats, and cutbacks from
that corporate headquarters -- sometimes it just has to get done. But you've
got to ask yourself at some point: are there any warm bodies working their
way up into this profession as there have been in the past? As YOU did?
Feature: The Whoring of Sorrow
By Andrew Frame
What actually fueled this climb atop the soapbox was a spot -- two of
them actually -- that came in less than two weeks after September 11th. Two
bloody car dealers... a used car lot that I don't like for their screaming
hyped commercials, and a new car lot that's usually non-offensive.
Both of them repeatedly made the point that to buy from them is to "buy
American." They sell "American cars made in America by Americans." To drive
their cars was to "exercise the freedom of the open road," and more. I
hadn't heard so many political catch phrases since the elections.
...And Make It Real Creative:
By Trent Rentsch
The punk rock band rages beneath me. The entire house trembles in time
with the frantic rhythm, windows quivering, one primal scream from
shattering. The dog shakes at my feet on the throbbing floor, his eyes
pained and imploring, "I will never sniff another dogs butt again if you
only make it stop!"
It was our turn again. My stepsons band rotates rehearsals at several of his
band mates homes, but as he's the drummer, this is the most convenient place
for him. During these sonic intrusions, my wife, other stepson and I manage
to find many reasons to leave the house. Often as we flee, the neighbors
give us sympathetic smiles. "Leaving the concert again?" They laugh. "You're
going to miss out. We just invited the police over. Ha! Ha! No really, we
did."
The Monday Morning Memo: It's Party Time
By Roy H. Williams
May the name of Peter Gorner live forever, Amen. On Monday, April 23,
2001, the Chicago Tribune published a story about the brain that Ive waited
4 long years to read. In this story, the Tribunes Pulitzer prize-winning
science reporter, Peter Gorner, wrote, "A study published Sunday in the
journal Nature Neuroscience suggests for the first time that the rules of
music may be processed in the same region of the left hemisphere located
just above the ear, called Broca's area, that handles speech and language
syntax... Music training is known to lead to enhanced verbal abilities and
this may explain why, said psychologist Burkhard Maess, of the Max Planck
Institute of Cognitive Science in Leipzig, Germany, who conducted the
research."
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