Context
For this week on the FMP, my main focus was moving on from the previous research page into the first stage of production, writing, recording and editing my first episode for the project being, “Why do we miss the past?” The aim of this episode was to bring in the theme of nostagia, and help the listneer understand what the feeling actually is. Making sure to tailor it to my primairy audience of 16-24 yer olds with a secodary audience of 25 – 36 years old.
Research
Story
This week the main priorty was making sure the script was completed which is now in the practical skills section of my website. And also making sure the theme was properly introduced and answering the main question. I wanted the episode to feel reflective, informarive while still sounding natural and easy to follow.
The script and the recording had to establish Echoes of then ads a concept and also act as a strong opening to the three part series.
I further ensured to link back to my previous research of memory, media and nostalgia, while using my connection to the Back in the dayz podcast to keep the topic grounded in real podcast culture. This helped the documentary feel more authentic.
Stylistic
Stylistically, this week ws about making sure Episode one had the right atmosphere. Taking a lot of the sound design techniques from a previous audio documentary mini series of mine, The playbook, mainly the first installment The revival of british basketball.
I wanted the tone to feel calm, reflective and layered so that the audience could properly understand the rmotional side of nostalgia before flipping the script in later episodes to show them a more anylitical side. I used a mixture of narration, ambient sound design, old school effects and music beds to make the episode feel more immersive rather than simple spoken all of the way through.
Technical
The tehcnical focus was making sure my main vocal was serisouly on point along with all of the other effects. I recorded the narration in a treated space and editied the episode on Adobe Audition on my Macbook Pro M2 . I used a full vocal processing chain, all of the screenshots of the process has been attached below. This was all to improve clarity and includes the, De-Esser, Parametric EQ, Dynamics Processing, Hard limiter and the multiband compressor.
Practical Skills
The skills this week were fully based around production and post production. I first scripted the entire episode then recorded and edited the final peice. In the intro I ran a focus group too to help me select a specific sound track for the intro.
Below I have attached the 3 options to focus group could choose from, for context, I wanted to evoke a warmth feeling alongisde nostalgia etc. The group selected the second one which I did agree with.
I further used techniques such as bricking and stepping to keep the session irginised, layered with so many different sound FX. This was all to create a powerful opener to the series. I also adjusted fades and volume automation to make key moments so much more effective.
Evaluation and Reflection
What Went Well (WWW)
1. The script translated well into the final documentary.
The script gave the episode a clear structure and made it easier to build a professional documentary flow. The final piece stayed close to the original intention and successfully introduced the topic of nostalgia in a calm and reflective way.
2. The vocal processing improved the quality of the narration.
Using the de-esser, EQ, dynamics processing, multiband compression and hard limiter helped make the narration cleaner, clearer and more consistent. This gave the episode a stronger overall finish and made it sound more polished.
3. The sound design and multitrack structure were effective.
Layering multiple sound effects, music beds and transitions helped the episode feel immersive and well-produced. The use of markers, bricking and stepping in the multitrack also kept the editing process organised and easier to manage.
Even Better If (EBI)
EBI (Even Better If)
1. The editing process could be made slightly quicker.
Although the final outcome was strong, some of the editing took longer than expected because of how detailed the layering and refinement became. In future episodes, I could make this process more efficient by preparing the track layout earlier.
2. Some sound effects could be refined even further.
While the sound design worked well overall, a few effects and transitions could still be balanced more carefully so that they support the narration without taking too much attention away from it.
3. The vocal chain could be tested earlier in the process.
Although the final settings worked well, testing and locking the vocal chain earlier would make the workflow smoother for future episodes and save more time during post-production.














