Never underestimate the power of a finely crafted intimate narrative. These “small stories” of everyday life have the potential to bring listeners in close to reveal the complexities and ambiguities of the world around us.Celebrated author, filmmaker and radio journalist Alex Kotlowitz will share tips on finding compelling narratives, interviewing subjects to elicit unforgettable tape, and crafting a seemingly small story that speaks to something so much bigger.Recorded at the 2016 Third Coast Conference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bigness of the Small Story (2016)

The Third Coast Pocket Conference is the start of the next great story — featuring sessions from Third Coast Conferences and more.Subscribe to learn about creating audio stories from some of the most creative and innovative minds from the podcasting world and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Most people can recount the facts of their situation, but how do you get them to tell you an actual story? Interviewing for narrative calls for a slightly different set of interview muscles – from the kinds of questions you ask, to helping a source tap into details and emotion of moments long past.
At the 2019 Third Coast Conference, Karen Duffin of Planet Money broke down how to interview for narrative audio in very practical terms. She provided examples from her years of experience as an interviewer, and shared some tools she has used elicit more vivid, concrete, as-if-you-were-there stories.
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The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Start from the Beginning (2019)

Can you make the move from audio to film, without leaving audio behind?
At the 2019 Third Coast Conference, Jasmin Mara López (Silent Beauty) led a conversation about the journey from experienced audio producer to first-time filmmaker. She laid out the steps she took on this personal and professional journey, from the conceptual stage of a project to directing and producing a feature-length film, all while keeping your audio roots in mind.
Consider this an independent filmmaker's guide of sorts to starting out in film, plus what you can steal from the world of visual documentary to make audio even better.
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The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Audio To Film, And Back Again (2019)

You know about reading between the lines, right? Well good sound design can make you dance between the lines. And when you’re talking about big, uncomfortable ideas — sound can be a super powerful tool to have on hand.
Suicide often reminds us of those four magic words: "just ask for help." But Honor Eastly knows it’s not that simple. She’s been there and back, and has the receipts to prove it — years of phone recordings and diary entries from the inside. From this mountain of source material, a podcast was born/emerged! That podcast: No Feeling Is Final.
In this session from the 2019 Third Coast Conference, Honor and executive producer Joel Werner broke down how they took Honor’s life and turned it into a super-creative & sound-rich six-part series. They shared audio diary tape, and discussed where/when to use it (and when/how to reconstruct scenes). They talked about the power of a first person perspective, negotiating between a compelling narrative and life’s utter messiness, trust, shared taste, and how a sense of humor can shine a light in the darkest places.
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The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dark & Funny, Like Your Life: Sound Design With Feeling (2019)

Sex sells, sure, but who gets to cash in on it? How can journalists honestly and accurately cover sex workers without sensationalizing or further stigmatizing their work? And can the answers provide meaningful & challenging insights for audio producers specifically who make stories about communities they are not a part of?
At thee 2019 Third Coast Conference, Lina Misitzis (This American Life), producer of The Last Days of August and The Butterfly Effect , explained what steps she took to gain the trust of LA's porn industry, what she learned, and how this reporting continues to impact her approach to storytelling. She shared what she heard from pornographers themselves about mistakes documentarians have made while reporting on them in the past. And the writer Sydney Leathers joined Lina to talk about media coverage she received and how she wishes her own story had been covered differently.
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The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sex Sells (2019)

We’ve all heard the old adage: Everyone needs an editor. Whether you’re working in print, film, or narrative audio — you need someone to check for structure, make sure you’re meeting deadlines, and generally help get the story to the finish line. Jen Chien, who works as an editor at Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting, compares it to being a midwife: Editors help people give birth to their projects and make sure they come to life.  
In this session from the 2019 Third Coast Conference, Jen Chien laid out what it takes to be a great editor, from the art of nurturing creativity in the people you work with to hands-on project management tips to keep the project moving. She also shared lessons from some of the top editors in the field on how to successfully guide producers through the process, without sacrificing rigor or craft.
Click here to view the accompanying slide visuals for this sessions.
Since this session was recorded, Jen Chien & Casey Miner have created an online survey to see who’s interested in trainings specifically for narrative audio editors.
Sign up for Producer News to stay up to date on the latest from Third Coast.
The 2019 Third Coast Pocket Conference season was co-produced by Neroli Price and Isabel Vázquez. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bigness of the Small Story (2016)

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