I have never imagined myself talking on TV or radio and was always pretty sure that print journalism was completely my thing. I could never stand my voice and I knew – there is no place for me at the radio. Six weeks ago I couldn’t even imagine, how wrong I was. Even though I listened to radio pretty often back home, six weeks ago I knew nothing about it. And now I know, how much it all changed during this time.
No, I still can’t stand my voice. But, at least, I’ve learnt not to be afraid to record it anymore and to react adequately when listening to it. Even though there are loads of things and skills to see and to gain, I got a little bit closer to radio – I know how it works, what amount of effort should put in to recieve a qualitative piece in the end and how to structure properly. Oh, have I mentioned that Adobe Audition is now my new best friend? I have never thought I would find myself in editing – but I have. Cutting, putting together, searching for approrpiate clips and music – I was never a technician, but I enjot all of this for reason. And I really hope I’ll get a lot of chances to do that again in future.
Speaking of the gained skills and knowledge – I can’t say I know much. My editing limps sometimes – sharp and sudden gaps in the text, uneven volume of the voice in different parts of one piece, even grammatical errors (when I was in a rush or didn’t pay enough attention to what I am doing). There are loads of mistakes, but I am quite sure that they can easily be corrected.
To be honest, when I first saw that I’ll have to be at the university for seven hours on Tuesdays, I panicked. What a waste of the neurons! I would like to thank David Spencer, the module leader, for the best introduction to radio ever and for making me fall in love with it. As I have mentioned before, six weeks ago I was pretty sure about my professional path. This module made be doubt, but, at the same time, broadened my spectre of choice. And I am really glad, because there is now one more thing in the world I enjoy.
Next stop – television. Now I’ll have to get used to not only hearing my own voice, but also seeing my own face. Wish me luck, and, probably, in a few years there will be one more broadcaster in the country.
The Diary of a London Newbie 