For the Story Time Fun Time audio assignment, I decided to share a true story from my life. I really wanted to attempt layering different sound effects to help the listener visualize the story. I attempted to mimic some of the effects I’ve heard on the numerous podcasts I listen to on a regular basis.
I recently watched Our Father, a Netflix documentary about a fertility doctor who used his own semen to inseminate an extremely large number of his patients. His crimes were ultimately revealed when his patients’ adult children took DNA tests from 23andMe and matched with their half siblings.
I also took a DNA test five or so years ago, except I chose to use Ancestry because I had already done extensive genealogical research through their website. While my own experience with DNA testing is not that crazy, it still included a few surprises.
Tutorial
For this assignment, I started by writing the script for my story in the Notes app on my iPhone. I recorded myself reading the script using my Voice Memo app. I recorded the script in multiple different clips in order to move them around easier. Then I imported them into Soundtrap for editing.
It took a lot of time to edit out a lot of the noticeable breaths I took in the middle of clips. I also had to add a lot of extra pauses in between words and sentences. I noticed that my reading voice is not paced well.
Once I was satisfied with my narration, I search Freesound.org for sounds to enhance my story. For example, I added typing sounds whenever I mention logging into Ancestry.com. I added in suspenseful music and sounds, as well as a few other sounds that added to the mood.
If you’ve never used Soundtrap before, I highly recommend that you watch a few tutorials, such as the one I linked in my Cruising Around the Campground post.
