I have to admit as a complete nerd and long time fan of "This American Life" that I actually own this comic already. However, reading it now in the context of our class, I am able to think about how the concepts Ira discusses relate to what I have already learned from project 1 and hope to accomplish in project 2.
The text does a really great job of outlining the interview process that Ira Glass uses. It was helpful to see how Ira organizes his interview notes and then move through the live event. In interview notes, you would expect to see a list of questions, but instead he pretty much has the story that he wants to hear outlined. This is broken down into big plot points, details, and revelations or hypothesis. It's evident within this technique that you would need to do a pre-interview and have a pretty good idea of the anecdotes that will make for an engaging piece.
I enjoyed the quote "Doing an interview is like hosting a party" from Noah Adams. I am used to teaching which takes a similar philosophy and can relate to the idea of setting the tone for participation. Although, I have a bit of a harder time applying this concept to interviews. I think a part of it is that I'm still intimated by the equipment. This probably shows through when I am frustrated during the process of getting the mics set up and adjusted. The other part of it may be that I'm nervous that my enthusiasm for the story isn't as easily shown through facial expressions and nodding. I want to let them know that I'm listening and appreciate the story, but I am so used to doing that with verbal affirmations. I guess this is something that takes practice.
It's interesting that Ira suggests that you tell your own stories in order to get people to open up. I am currently working with some young people and I can see how this might be a helpful tactic. I don't want to take up a whole bunch of time, but it might be useful to engage them in an idea with my own example. It might also model the type of descriptive details and anecdotes I'm looking for in their stories.
I'm intrigued by the ethics of documentary work and I like how Ira stated, "my obligation is to undertand and document their point of view." I think we have a sense of responsibility with this work to tell others stories with a sense of respect and care. The ease of editing allows us to potentially alter what the interviewee may have intended and I think it's important to place this value up there next to our desire to engage audiences.
The form of this guide really serves it's content and function. The visual medium of comics and the way in which it uses frames, symbols, and time relates to some of the unique attributes of radio. While comics are visual, they are not quite as vivid as theatre or television. They rely on a limited amount of words and images, forcing us to fill in the rest of the story. I think Radio's intimate storytelling and ability to be a visual medium without the use of any pictures pushes our brains to work in a way similar to comics. There was a book that came out a few years ago called "Understanding Comics" and it really made me think about other artistic mediums. I'm curious if Ira Glass maybe read this book and was inspired to make his radio guide in comic form.
It could also be that Ira just wants to have that DIY hipster kind of appeal that comes from making a comic or zine about making stuff.
No comments:
Post a Comment