Masterlist! (Because apparently they are a good idea.)
NOTE: I have moved to tumblr! All of my fandom flailings can now be found there, and I'm on there very regularly! All of my fic is archived at Archive of Our Own and my all of my podfic is archived at the Audiofic Archive. Thank you so much, and I'll see you around!
Podfic Masterlist!
( Inception )
Podfic Masterlist!
( Inception )
Of course I can give you some tips. :) And I definitely encourage you to give podficcing a try. It is TONNES of fun, and very rewarding. It's kind of incredible to create something and know that so many people are listening to your voice across tonnes of countries, telling them a story.
Tips!
1.) Equipment. Make sure that you're recording on something other than your laptop's mic. This sounds a bit pretentious, but the laptop/computer's internal noises kinda destroy audio tracks right off the bat. The quality of microphones ranges, but I picked up a nice one for $30 Canadian, which has served me very well. I personally prefer a standing mic, but it varies for everyone!
Also, making your own pop screen can remove some of the syllabants and plosives from your speech! Here's a little guide:
http://www.jakeludington.com/project_studio/20050321_build_your_own_microphone_pop_screen.html
(Mine is an old nylon stretched over a cross-stitch hoop, stuck into an old toilet roll. <3)
Audacity is a great program for recording audio for podfics. There are TONNES of tutorials that exist about it, too, although it's a fairly intuitive program. If you use a Mac, I understand that people generally use Garageband. But I have NO idea how to use that one, so you'll have to look to tutorials there. ^^;;
2.) Technique. I generally record my audio (hitting shift+record so that it's all one big track), backtracking when I know I've made a mistake and recording that bit over. Then, I listen through the whole thing and edit out any mistakes, mispronounciation, mouse-clicking sounds, or bad performance, etc. HOWEVER. This is different for everyone! So many people have SO MANY different ways to record and edit, so just do whatever works for you! There is no bad method.
When I encounter a word I don't know, I look up a spoken pronunciation online. This doesn't get rid of all mistakes, but it certainly does help! Also, make sure to speak at a pace at which your reader can understand you. You don't want to drone, and you don't want to rush. Take a listen to a published audiobook like Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter if you need an example! :D
Most importantly -- for me, at least -- is to PERFORM. An audiobook of any type is, to me, a one-person performance. Inflection, tone, attitude -- these are all SO IMPORTANT to getting your reader into the story. I generally do character voices, as well, but you don't have to by any means. But a monotonous reader kills a podfic for me every time. Know the story, know what you're saying, and know how to speak that aloud.
Don't be embarrassed to record sexy bits, too. ;) It's weird the first time round, but eventually it too becomes normal. Just charge right in, and don't hesitate!
3.) Editing. Without a doubt the longest and most tedious part of recording. Do not despair! A well-edited podfic is worth its weight in gold, my love. I generally break my editing up into several chunks in order to not want to kill myself with boredom. But it's worth it, hon, I promise.
Also, you can feel free to check out the Podfic Tips LJ group! (http://podfic-tips.livejournal.com/) They have lots of performance AND technical questions, and it's a jolly good read anyways. Definitely have a peek before you begin recording!
WELL. I hope you were looking for a novel-sized response, dearie!! ^-^;; I am so not brief... but I really do encourage you to give podficcing a try! It's a really wonderful and fun thing to do. Give a shorter fic a try first -- maybe something in the half-hour range? (My general guide is 10,000 words = 1 hour-ish of podfic, depending on the speed at which I read.) Best of luck, my love!!
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