sound recording

Improve your interviews and voice-overs by learning to acquire the best-quality sound for audio documentaries and multimedia productions. In this four-part class, we'll discuss the best gear to use (and some good-enough alternatives) and techniques for using that equipment. Learn when to use an omni-directional mic, a shotgun, a lavalier, or a boundary microphone, and where to place them. Do you need a pistol grip, or a boom, or will a firm grip on the mic suffice? When are the built-in mics on the recorder good enough? We'll talk about avoiding background noise and distortion, and what to do when you can't. We'll also cover computer-based processing and editing techniques for improving your recordings once they've been made.

This workshop is at capacity! Please call us at 215-222-4201 to be put on a waiting list. We will contact you if space opens up. Thank you.

Novella Nelson’s extensive acting career has involved wide-ranging roles in film, theater and television. She also has a highly successful career as a voice-over artist. This Master Class is designed for actors, authors, performers, radio hosts and anyone who wishes to learn the craft of being a professional voiceover artist. Through a variety of exercises, recordings, critique and discussion, participants will explore the process of shaping and shifting your voice to embody characters and moods. Nelson will also share personal experiences of entering the business and how to prepare your resume and voice-over reel. Space is limited. Advance registration is required.

How do you prepare for documenting live-music, spoken word or theater? Through hands-on exercises in real-life music and other performance recording situations, you will learn how to record high quality live audio efficiently and inexpensively. The different challenges of acoustic and amplified audio will be explored, as well as the pros and cons of using live-sound mixing board feeds and using your own microphones. We will discuss selecting the best microphones for each situation, and whether to record to a computer or a hardware recorder.

For more information, please call 215-222-4201 or register online now.

This workshop provides students with an introduction to the technical and aesthetic languages of video production. Shooting with Flip cameras and Zoom audio/video recorders and editing with Final Cut Pro, each student will produce a short piece investigating a subject of personal resonance and social relevance. Past subjects have included racial identity, young motherhood, and cultural segregation. Diverse approaches are encouraged, from traditional documentary to lyrical essay. An emphasis is placed on "new media" distribution via YouTube, blip.tv, and other websites.