SEASON 2: Many Changes

Reflecting on the redesign activities surrounding Season II of Artist’s Connection, all I can say is we didn’t leave one stone unturned. Here is a quick summary of the major changes:

 Personnel
            Pieter Pastoor, my co-producer and general partner in crime, has turned
            the show over to me so he can pursue other projects. Many thanks to
            Pieter for his imagination, insight, and help in getting this program off the
            ground.

            Peter Bohm, associate producer and general audio wizard, is relocating to
            Southern California. My thanks to Peter for all his help and advice. I’m going
            to miss his calm, almost Zen-like approach to troubleshooting audio
            problems in the midst of chaos.

            Robert Kennedy has joined the team as our new Audio Engineer. Along with
            engineering our recording sessions at DMA, Robert, a graduate of Pro Tools
            training, also produces the radio version of Artist’s Connection. His “ears”
            are amazing, and his editing is top-notch.

Format
            Each episode now features a single artist. This makes each show about 20
            minutes long, which is more attuned to our YouTube and radio audience.
            We start with a quote from the interview, and then proceed to the artist
            intro, the artist performance, and finally to the full interview. For me, this
            seems to flow a little better than Season One’s format, but the jury is still
            out until the viewers weigh in.

Process
            We have gone to a three camera configuration, with all the cuts and dissolves accomplished in 
            post-production. This allows us to be a lot more accurate in keeping up with the flow of the interview. 
            It also makes removing “problems”—traffic noise, a cell phone left on, etc.—much easier because we’re 
            not having to work around the actions of the video switcher. It vastly increases the editing load, but I 
            think we get a better product.

             We’re now using a green screen to put a pleasant background behind the
             host and artist during the interview. This background is an actual video, and
             you’ll notice the horizon getting darker and the Moon changing positions as
             the interview progresses.

             We’re still working audio issues with noise reduction, phase correction, and
             limiting/compression. It’s quite a challenge to make the video version
             sound as good as Robert’s radio production. I’m very impressed with that
             guy.


            All in all, it’s been a pretty dramatic summer. I look forward to our viewers’ response to the redesign 
            with cautious optimism.