WEBVTT

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- Welcome to AFN Radio Refreshers.

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I'm MC2, Christopher Snyder,

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AKA DJ Chris(sips coffee).

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Refreshing (program upbeat music).

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Radio skills are like anything else.

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If you don't use them, you'll lose them.

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In this video,

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we'll explore interview basics

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to prepare your guests
for on air interviews.

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We'll cover the following topics,

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help guests relax, mic
training, mic preparation

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and nonverbal cues.

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While your studio setup may vary,

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the core concepts remain the same.

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When your guests enter the studio,

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it's super important to
ensure, (door crunching)

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wait, your guests just entered the studio.

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What's the first thing you do?

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You guessed it.

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Start recording the interview

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in audition on your production computer.

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You want every second of
your awesome interview

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to be recorded in all its
glory With clean audio.

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Being live on the radio
can be nerve wracking,

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for some people,

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it's up to you as the DJ
to make your guests feel

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at ease while they're in the studio.

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Otherwise, your guests nerves

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could impact the way that they sound

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and even what they say
during the interview.

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Pre-interviews in studio visits

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can relieve a lot of anxiety for guests

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before the day they go live on air.

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Check out module three one for more.

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Pop culture shows people
moving all around microphones

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with no effect on their sound.

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That's just not how our system works.

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Start by showing your guests

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the pickup bubble your
studio microphones use.

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The goal here is to ensure they understand

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that if they move their
mouth outside that bubble

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or they aim their mouth away
from directly into the mic,

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their audio will drop off.

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Leave room for questions

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as this concept will help
your guest understand

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the rest of the mic mechanics.

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Your biggest ally

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in helping your guests
maintain clean audio

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is to enforce them wearing headphones.

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When a guests can hear the
sounds they make or don't make,

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it helps them police their
mic behavior along with you.

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It also immerses them into
the show in a more full way.

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Have your guests adjust their
headphones to be comfortable

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and show them how to adjust
the volume in their headphones.

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Understanding why you as the DJ

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are concerned with preventing audio goofs

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can help your guests work

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and help you to minimize
these common errors.

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Here are some common pitfalls

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you can help your guest avoid.

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If your guest is too close to the mic,

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their sound will be muddy
and over modulating.

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Being too far away from the mic

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makes your guest voice sound in the end.

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When you have multiple
guests in the studio,

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they want to turn their heads

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to talk to each other while on air,

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aiming their mouths away from the mic.

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When a guest brings materials
to help them on air,

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they often look down away from the mic.

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These common guest behaviors

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make their audio fade in
and out for the listener.

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You can minimize these mistakes

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by mic training your guests
before your interview.

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Here's a solid strategy.

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Have your guests place themselves

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about six inches away from the
mic about a fist and a thumb.

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Ask them to put on headphones

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and adjust the audio
to a comfortable level.

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Take your guests mic out of
your channel one live output.

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Since you already started
recording in audition,

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have your guests to say their
rank name and duty title.

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Adjust microphone input levels

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and repeat as necessary
until the audio peaks

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around the appropriate level.

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If you have multiple
guests in your studio,

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set each guest microphone one at a time.

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Once your guests levels are set,

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pot down and turn off your guest mic,

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then place it back in your live output.

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Keep recording in audition.

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This will ensure your
entire interview is recorded

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and give you a formal ID for your guests

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in any future sound soundbites.

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You'll need to do some

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subtle mic input adjusting when live,

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but preparing your mics
before your interview starts

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will make it much easier.

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Find more information on levels
in the audio levels module.

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While you're live on air,

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you need to communicate with your guests,

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without interrupting a
live interview to tell them

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they need to turn their
head into the microphone.

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It's jarring for everyone,

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especially the listener.

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Cutting off your guest mid sentence

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sounds rude and unprofessional.

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However, letting them
ramble through a break

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can make listeners tune out of your show.

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So what should you do?

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You use nonverbal cues to
communicate while live on air.

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Establish your nonverbal
cues before your show begins.

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While you're prepping your guest mics.

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Take a few minutes to explain your cues

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so that during your show,

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your guests will feel
comfortable following your lead

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And please let them ask questions

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and participate in the process.

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Here are a few hand signals

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you can use to direct your guests

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to help them sound their best on air

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and better adapt to
audio changes while live.

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No matter if a guest has
been coming on air for years

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or it's their first time,

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guests tend to drift away from the mic.

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During an interview

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though, you can compensate
by potting the mic up,

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boosting the mic input gain too much,

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makes your guest's voice
sound thin and tinny.

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Use this hand signal to tell
them to lean closer to the mic.

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When your guests gets too close to the mic

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their sound becomes
muddy and over modulated,

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use this signal to help them ease back

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so their audio is clear on air.

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This is less common,

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but it does happen.

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Explained to your guests
that when they turn

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or lower their head even slightly,

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the mic will not pick up their audio.

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Often when you have multiple
guests in an interview,

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they'll want to talk facing one another

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and not the mic.

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Use this signal to bring
your guests back to the mic.

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You're the director of your interviews

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and sometimes you need to
redirect the flow of conversation.

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Insert a question or
comment or move forward

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so your guests can pick
up on the conversation.

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This is a basic hand signal
that lets your guests know

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you will speak in the next pause.

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This one is a lifesaver.

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Sometimes guests have a
lot to say, like a lot.

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It's your job as a DJ

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to keep on air brakes
to a reasonable length

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and to break up content
into digestible bits.

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Rather than jarring your guests

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with a quick rapid up signal,

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let them budget their
time by letting them know

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how much longer you're
giving them to talk.

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As your break progresses,

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give your guests a cue for
how much time they have left.

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This prevents them rushing
or cutting them off.

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Trust me on this one.

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You'll find guests become
a lot more efficient on air

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when they have time Guidelines.

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Wrap it up is the most
abused nonverbal signal.

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DJs often use this signal to
tell a guest to stop talking

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so they can exit a break.

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That's what it's for,

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but should be used in
conjunction with timing cues

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to ensure your guests aren't
surprised when you use it.

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Also, be sure your guests understand

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that it doesn't mean
stop talking immediately.

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You want the signal to cue your guests

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to finish their sentence

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and give the conversation back to you,

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even if they still have a point
to make or content to push.

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Discuss the signal with your guests

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so they understand you're
engaging in clock management.

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And trust you will come
back to their content

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in a later break.

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Using nonverbal cues will
immediately improve your show.

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Feel free to come up with your own

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and use what's best for you.

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After all, it's your show.

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If you're confident with
using nonverbal signals,

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your guests will be more
comfortable following your lead.

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Get creative, try new things,

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and most importantly, have fun.

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Practice makes perfect.

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Have a great show.

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(program upbeat music).