(PRODUCTION) Enhance Features With Added Production Values

9-11-2013

Last week you might have read the post about "best practices" for using music beds to enhance your show. This week we tackle produced stagers for any regular or recurring benchmark, feature, or even guest.

Any regular feature on the show -- whether it's daily, weekly, monthly, or as needed -- will cut through more, be stickier, and have more impact if it has a produced intro to set it up for you...and, at times, a produced close as well.

Stagers get the listener's attention. Even if it's simply a music bed of some kind, it serves as a trigger that a popular feature is imminent. If you're a show that plays little music, a stager can also serve as "pattern disruption" to re-engage the listener's attention when you shift gears and change the subject.

Stagers are particularly helpful in PPM markets for two reasons. They establish the feature quickly by consolidating the description in the produced piece. Also, stagers allow for the host to come right in with the meat of the segment -- a hook headline for the top stupid news story, for example -- without having to give the station, show, and feature name first.

Here are some things to consider when adding production value to regular features:

-- Include the name of the station, show, and feature, along with a brief descriptor of the feature if necessary.

-- Resist the urge to constantly freshen or change the signature to established features. We get tired of production pieces long before the audience does.

-- On the other hand, if you use drops or topical clips in a stager, particularly for features that run regularly, update those regularly or they'll get annoying. Humor, in particular, burns faster than more "generic" material. (You know how a trailer for a comedy stops being funny after you've seen it several times?)

One last thing to consider: Produce a "close" that time-stamps any regular daily or weekly feature for appointment setting (e.g., "That's your Hollywood Buzz, weekday mornings at 6:30, 7:30, and 8:30.")

Angela Perelli is a SVP at the The Randy Lane Company (www.randylane.net). She can be reached at angela@randylane.net  www.facebook.com/TheRandyLaneCompany  www.twitter.com/TheRandyLaneCo

(9/13/2013 3:17:21 AM)
abquUi Wow, great blog post.Much thanks again. Want more.
(9/11/2013 8:04:34 AM)
I love that phrase "pattern disruption." I even shared your words with my pastor, saying "this is what most sermons need, some pattern disruptions to regain the attention of people who have settled in for the long haul and their mind has wandered."
Thanks for the wisdom.

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(PRODUCTION) How To Use Music Beds On Your Show

9-6-2013

Randy and I are going to devote the next few posts to production values -- stagers, beds, show opens, promos, etc. If you have any specific questions about production elements, comment on our blog and we'll try to include your question in a future post.

Today let's talk music beds.

Why use music beds?

Music beds can help lift the energy of a break and add dynamics. Music stagers for features establish a signature that adds entertainment value and memorability. Familiar, funny "mood" songs like "Mission: Impossible," "Let's Get It On," or the "People's Court" theme, for example, cue a specific emotion (suspense, romance, etc.) that primes the audience. Beds during contests add drama and tension.

Here are some basic rules of thumb for using music beds:

? Let the music establish for a beat before you start talking.

? Never use a music bed with vocals. It's like two people talking at the same time. You will compete with the lyrics for the listener's attention.

? Use a bed that is repetitive. Stay away from music with horns, foreground guitar licks and changes in the music (chords, tempo) that will take attention away from what is being said.

? Avoid beds under callers (outside of contests). It's already challenging enough to hear a caller due to phone quality and background noise. A bed adds to the noise.

? This might be rare, but just a caveat...Watch out for using licensed songs for commercials or anything with a commercial tag. We got sued by Herbie Hancock at KYSR/Los Angeles for using US3's "Cantaloop" (a great bed, by the way!!) for traffic reports because of the sponsor tag. You know we couldn't give up the tag so we had to stop using the song.

? Stay away from beds (especially looping a song intro!) from popular current songs. "Blurred Lines" has a great bass line but if you use it as a bed, listeners will be frustrated you're not playing the song. Try listening to the whole CD of a popular artist to see if there are beds from other unreleased songs.

? And just for Randy and me, just because we are asking nicely, please stop using the Jeopardy theme for your trivia contest. Maybe it's just a pet peeve, but there has got to be a more contemporary song to use!

? This recommendation is the most controversial: Once the segment is established (8-10 seconds), fade the bed. This is particularly important outside of features when you, or a listener, might be telling a story. Steve Jobs never used a podium. Good managers step out from behind their desk to have a conversation. These are barriers to connecting. So are music beds. Beds can take away from a story's impact by hiding raw emotion -- pauses, non-verbal sounds like sighs or even a crack in one's voice. A good story with no bed is impactful. Pauses and silence make people lean in toward their radio.

Do you run music under entire breaks? What are your favorite beds to use to establish a particular mood or scene? Feel free to chime in on our blog here.

Deborah Parenti is EVP/Radio for Radio Ink. E-mail: parenti@aol.com

(9/6/2013 2:46:10 PM)
Like so many other little tricks & gimmicks that have come down the pike over the years, this one also has a limited shelf life.

Consider: The technique is being used to either cover or attempt to enhance the delivery of some kind of content.

It is an easy step to conclude there is an assumption that neither the presentation or the content is perceived as enough to maintain listener-interest. If, indeed, that is the case, it's the delivery and the content that need the work. "Tuneage-under" is hardly a substantive technique, particularly when it gets overused - as they all do.

(9/6/2013 9:58:24 AM)
I do recommend using modern music on beds. Helps establish communication with younger, more fickle audience and helps you sound modern. For older songs (10-years and older) only stick w/recognizable hits. Generally use these for Talk/Sports formats. Mike & Mike do a great job of following these ideas.
(9/6/2013 8:09:27 AM)
Great advice. Steve Jobs did use a podium, however. A podium is a stage, something you stand on (pod, feet, podiatrist, etc.) Maybe he never used a lectern, but he certainly used a podium. I wrote this while whistling the Jeopardy theme.

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(PRODUCTION) How To Use Music Beds On Your Show

9-6-2013

Randy and I are going to devote the next few posts to production values -- stagers, beds, show opens, promos, etc. If you have any specific questions about production elements, comment on our blog and we'll try to include your question in a future post.

Today let's talk music beds.

Why use music beds?

Music beds can help lift the energy of a break and add dynamics. Music stagers for features establish a signature that adds entertainment value and memorability. Familiar, funny "mood" songs like "Mission: Impossible," "Let's Get It On," or the "People's Court" theme, for example, cue a specific emotion (suspense, romance, etc.) that primes the audience. Beds during contests add drama and tension.

Here are some basic rules of thumb for using music beds:

? Let the music establish for a beat before you start talking.

? Never use a music bed with vocals. It's like two people talking at the same time. You will compete with the lyrics for the listener's attention.

? Use a bed that is repetitive. Stay away from music with horns, foreground guitar licks and changes in the music (chords, tempo) that will take attention away from what is being said.

? Avoid beds under callers (outside of contests). It's already challenging enough to hear a caller due to phone quality and background noise. A bed adds to the noise.

? This might be rare, but just a caveat...Watch out for using licensed songs for commercials or anything with a commercial tag. We got sued by Herbie Hancock at KYSR/Los Angeles for using US3's "Cantaloop" (a great bed, by the way!!) for traffic reports because of the sponsor tag. You know we couldn't give up the tag so we had to stop using the song.

? Stay away from beds (especially looping a song intro!) from popular current songs. "Blurred Lines" has a great bass line but if you use it as a bed, listeners will be frustrated you're not playing the song. Try listening to the whole CD of a popular artist to see if there are beds from other unreleased songs.

? And just for Randy and me, just because we are asking nicely, please stop using the Jeopardy theme for your trivia contest. Maybe it's just a pet peeve, but there has got to be a more contemporary song to use!

? This recommendation is the most controversial: Once the segment is established (8-10 seconds), fade the bed. This is particularly important outside of features when you, or a listener, might be telling a story. Steve Jobs never used a podium. Good managers step out from behind their desk to have a conversation. These are barriers to connecting. So are music beds. Beds can take away from a story's impact by hiding raw emotion -- pauses, non-verbal sounds like sighs or even a crack in one's voice. A good story with no bed is impactful. Pauses and silence make people lean in toward their radio.

Do you run music under entire breaks? What are your favorite beds to use to establish a particular mood or scene? Feel free to chime in on our blog here.

Deborah Parenti is EVP/Radio for Radio Ink. E-mail: parenti@aol.com

(9/6/2013 2:46:10 PM)
Like so many other little tricks & gimmicks that have come down the pike over the years, this one also has a limited shelf life.

Consider: The technique is being used to either cover or attempt to enhance the delivery of some kind of content.

It is an easy step to conclude there is an assumption that neither the presentation or the content is perceived as enough to maintain listener-interest. If, indeed, that is the case, it's the delivery and the content that need the work. "Tuneage-under" is hardly a substantive technique, particularly when it gets overused - as they all do.

(9/6/2013 9:58:24 AM)
I do recommend using modern music on beds. Helps establish communication with younger, more fickle audience and helps you sound modern. For older songs (10-years and older) only stick w/recognizable hits. Generally use these for Talk/Sports formats. Mike & Mike do a great job of following these ideas.
(9/6/2013 8:09:27 AM)
Great advice. Steve Jobs did use a podium, however. A podium is a stage, something you stand on (pod, feet, podiatrist, etc.) Maybe he never used a lectern, but he certainly used a podium. I wrote this while whistling the Jeopardy theme.

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Blue Picked For Production In Peoria

6-27-13

Stephanie Blue becomes production director for Advanced Media Partners' four-station cluster in Peoria, IL: Sports WZPN-FM, Top 40 WPIA-FM, Triple A WWCT-FM, and Adult Hits WHPI-FM. She'll also host middays on WPIA, starting July 1. Blue was most recently in afternoons for Beasley/Ft. Myers, and before that was morning co-host at Cumulus/Peoria's WZPW (Power 92.3).

"We're fortunate to have someone with Stephanie's abilities and experience," AMS GM Michael Rea said. "She has fantastic creative skills and a great ear for production. As an air personality, she has a proven track record of success hosting a number of top-rated shows. One of her greatest attributes is her ability to connect with her listeners."

Blue said she's excited to return home to Peoria. "My time in Florida provided me a great radio experience," she said. And it wasn't too bad that I lived only five minutes from the beach! But that couldn't compare to the wonderful people in central Illinois."

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