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Immersive Audio Storytelling
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Suyashi Smridhi
9:31
Hello and welcome to a special lecture on "Immersive Audio Storytelling" by Michael Epstein.
9:33
Michael Epstein is a Reuters Journalism Institute nonresident fellow for 2019-20. He is also the founder of Walking Cinema, an immersive audio storytelling platform and a professor at the California College of Arts.
9:34
Michael Epstein begins the discussion by asking students at the Asian College of Journalism about audio production.
9:36
9:37
Epstein questions students about the podcast scenario in India.
9:38
A student responds, "With the introduction of Spotify, people have started listening to podcasts. Some listen to news podcasts. But there have been a few attempts at crime, thriller etc. But they are not as full-fledged as compared to the US."
9:44
Epstein says that he has always been interested in the format of public radio and 3-5 minute stories. He discusses about the Comparative Media Studies program at MIT, which gave him a better idea of audio production.
9:47
The students get insights on the movie 'Murder at Harvard', a 60-minute documentary, from Epstein.
9:50
Epstein: "It's not broadcast, it can be called lowcast." He asserts that a movie is meant to be watched indoors, inside the houses.
9:52
By cutting 'Murder at Harvard' into shorter clips, Epstein displays how there is a disconnect in the understanding of the movie.
9:54
Initiating a discussion about his work, Epstein explains how him and his team started exploring the neighbourhood and the environment around to engage with it better.  They also looked into archives- video footages, libraries, etc. to help them tell a story.
9:56
Further, Epstein and his team also paid attention to how a particular neighborhood is trying to tell their own history through science, infrastructure, architecture, etc.
According to Epstein, the most important thing about the story is focusing on the characters.
9:58
9:59
Explaining about his project, Epstein points out how his team focused on a little girl who lived through all the changes in the neighbourhood. He also gives a glimpse of the girl's family background.
Epstein: "The other character was an architect who was caught in the building in the same neighbourhood 50 years ago."
10:01
The clip emphasises on how the concept of total housing shifted to a new California concept. Epstein feels that the issue in the US is, "When you build new housing for people, you end them pushing out."
10:03
Epstein says how augmented reality helped people view the murals in the video. "We also did the whole idea of connecting audio to  an immersive experience with WBUR, a public radio in Boston," he adds.
10:05
Talking about Botob's hidden places of worship, Epstein discusses how interactive 3D models of these places were created during the pandemic, allowing listeners to experience Virtual Reality.
10:07
Epstein: "We are looking at Sketchpad used by architects to make 3D models as well as add audio."
10:08
"Instead of just putting background music, we've added audio journalism," says Epstein. He explains how a viewer can virtually experience sacred places by exploring a cross, catholic signs and symbols.
10:11
Epstein discusses how  these were experiments to show what people can do with their mobile phones. He disclaims his desire to keep exploring possibilities with mobile phones.
10:12
A student asks, "How do you bring in people who prefer video over audio?"
10:13
Epstein: "By finding stories that they love and really want to listen to. Podcasting was around for 10 years before and the way it caught on was because of one podcast called Serial."
10:16
Responding to a question about sponsored ads in the audio medium, Epstein gives an example of Pokemon Go where Starbucks added perks to promote the game.
10:17
Steering the discussion towards Augmented Reality, Epstein says, "So with these projects, what's really amazing is when we bring in a sense of touch. We've done projects about eating. The smell, taste and touch also matters."
10:19
Epstein feels that the activation of the five senses is really powerful. He adds that while the digital media has been growing at an unprecedented rate, analog media will make a comeback.
10:21
Student: "What was the responses that you got from those who experienced 'The Museum of the Hidden City'?" Epstein replies by giving an example of housing. "Housing is boring but we made it interesting. If you sense it, it becomes interesting."
10:23
Discussing about location based stories, Epstein explains how they can take a year. "There are a lot of limitations. People have to go there. You have to work with community."
10:24
A student asks, "Do you think human libraries have the potential to be a possible immersive storytelling forum?"
10:25
Epstein feels that this format, when you are walking around recording human stories, is excellent. "It's interesting to use geography to tell someone's story," he adds.
10:27
By pointing out the New York Times' understanding of the concepts of Augmented Reality, Epstein distinguishes between Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. "In AR, there is a need to sense the world around you."
10:29
Another student questions, "How different is immersive audio from cinematic?" Epstein emphasises how most of the work they do is linear and how they want to include technologies like ALEXA and AR in future projects.
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