It is very exciting to be a part of this award winning campaign and I am grateful for Fraser Communications for including me.
Again, Big Congratulations! Frasers rule!
Radio Imaging -- Something A Little Different
Friday, 24 February 2012 15:03
I love doing Radio Imaging.
I think probably everyone who does get to produce radio imaging, does it because they love it. This is where being creative and pushing the envelope are more than accepted, they are encouraged.
Why then, does most radio imaging sound the same?
Why do Rock, AC, CHR and Talk Radio stations all have the same slams, whooshes and rewinds? I have gone to websites and listened to demos that, if they didn't mention they were country or alternative or Hot AC, would be indistinguishable from each other. Lee Abrams has been making the rounds lately talking about radio's outdated playbook and how radio is still using "Star Wars laser sound effects complete with ‘man in the box’ filtered effect. (The Empire was destroyed in the 70′s…time to move on...)" Which is not to say that I am not a fan of the filter, or any other effect. But what MTV and John Frost pioneered 20 some years ago has now become the mainstream. While MTV now brings us Jersey Shore and Teen Mom, John Frost's stuff is still as sharp as ever and I am fortunate to be able to listen to his work on 98.7 in Los Angeles (and his Facebook posts are legendary!). But radio stations, for the most part, imaging-wise, sound a lot alike.
It used to be, the main purpose of station imaging was to aid in call letter recall. Reminding the listener between every song, (and sometimes even between commercials) what station they were listening to, would hopefully ensure that the listener would write down the correct call letters in their Arbitron diary and thus reflect in the station's ratings. The advent of the Personal People Meter has changed things. Witness the return of the segue. Now that the PPM is measuring actual listening (or hearing, as some might argue), the need for the constant bombardment of station posturing has lessened. It is now possible to play two songs in a row without worrying that the listener is going to forget what station they are listening to! I personally, think this is a good thing.
For the past few years, I have been re-thinking the role that radio imaging plays. There is still information that a station needs to convey, so imaging still has it's place. In imaging CBS interactive Music Group's online properties, I also took into consideration the 800 pound gorilla in the room, Pandora. Here is a service that totally dominates the online radio experience, and does so without one lick of imaging! The goal then was to create imaging that was less intrusive to the listening experience, yet still worthy of listening to.
What I have come up with is a more melodic form of imaging. You can hear it in some of the pieces in my imaging demo, and more prominently in the montage of imaging below, that I produced for KCSN/Los Angeles. I still utilize basic techniques like filtering and delays, but each piece is individually "scored" in Acid, so while there may be elements shared between different pieces, no two pieces are the same. The goal is for the imaging to flow with the sound of the station, not be a jarring interruption. It also helps that KCSN is a AAA radio station (and a damn fine one at that), a format that I think lends itself especially well to this type of imaging.
Maybe you have a AAA station of your own that could use something "a little different" for its imaging. Give me a call. I would love to help you out.
In the meantime, enjoy some 21st century imaging.
My Goodness!
Tuesday, 15 November 2011 12:57
Welcome to my parallel universe.
I've been involved with a bunch of projects lately on-air, online and on the QT.
Mystery and audacious hope abound!
Until I get a solid grip on the tea leaves spinning in front of me, here are a couple of golden nuggets of me "singing." See if you can guess which one actually aired.
Inspiral Song
Korn Solicit
Labor Day is Over, Must be Time For...
Saturday, 24 September 2011 09:10
CHRISTMAS!!
Yeah, well you'd think so wouldn't you?
Getting a jump on the holidays in at least one area of my life, here is some Imaging I produced recently for several Radio.com Holiday stations:
Xmas Imaging Montage
Looking for some fresh, new imaging for your station for the holidays? Give me a call: 818-257-1974. Or email me at
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Now, where's that eggnog?
Spooktacular Commercials
Thursday, 15 September 2011 17:20
Yeah, I said "Spooktacular."
If you're looking to scare up a little business for your haunted attraction this Halloween, you've come to the right place!
For 8-years I produced the radio commercials for the epic terrorfest, "Shipwreck" at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, the ONLY Southern California haunted attraction to actually take place at a bone fide haunted location. I have also had the dis-honor of producing frighteningly effective advertising for "Scareplex" at the LA County Fairgrounds, attractions in Orlando and Fresno and, after a 5-year hiatus, the return of "Frightmare" in Reno.
I managed to dig-up the remains of a few commercials for your listening dis-pleasure. I do hope you will be sufficiently horrified:
Shipwreck '04
Scareplex
Frightmare
Shipwreck '05
So, if you've waited until you're within an inch of your life to get your radio spots together this year, CALL ME NOW!
818-257-1974 or email me at
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.
Surely you could use a few more bodies at your event this year.
