Audio Slide Shows

In the multi-media world the audio slide show is often seen as the poor relation in comparison with videos and podcasts.  Audio Slideshows can be an invaluable resource and a stunning way to showcase some stories.

Here are some of our top tips:

1/ Take the photos like you would a video with a variety of shots – audio slide shows are particularly good for close-up studies.

2/ Do the interview first – listen and make note of what you need to shoot. It sounds obvious but then you can match the photo and the audio in the edit.

3/ Make use of NatSot – or natural sound. Record at least a minute if not more and use it to cover natural breaks in the interview. Use NatSot at the beginning of your Audio Slideshow as a way of adding atmosphere and a sense of place. This stunning Audio Slideshow about a snake safari in India makes fabulous use of NatSot: http://gu.com/p/3v3pe

4/ Don't have the interviewee introducing themselves. Use your written lead-in to introduce your interviewee, include introductions in your voice over or use titles like this  http://gu.com/p/32575

 5/ Audio matters – use your headphones every time you record, use fades and monitor your levels during editing to make sure multi-layers tracks are balanced.

6/ Use care if you use the Ken Burns effect in iMovie or pan and zoom effects in windows based editing systems. The effects are a great way to add movement into your photos but don't use it to try and recreate video

7/ Don't make your Audio S too long especially if you have limited photographs – I only lasted 4 minutes into this 12 minute monologue by Tracy Chevalier on Rubens painting The Family. http://gu.com/p/32e9q

I'm not sure I can listen to anyone talking solidly for so long, the photos do not change enough, there is no NatSot to add atmosphere and because of this the recording sounds tinny. It sounds like it was recorded in a echoing gallery, which of course it was, but without the NatSot to introduce us to the fact that it was recorded in a gallery it just sounds dreadful.