4th Gen. Focusrite Scarlett Series Interfaces – Solo, 2i2 and 4i4
October 19, 2023
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When transitioning between two ads, or between content and ads, or coming out of ads back into content – how tightly cut should those edits be?
Your answer to this question solely depends on the experience you want to provide for your listeners.
Tight cuts (leaving very little silence) maintain the energy and flow, but can also feel rushed and negatively impact the listeners comprehension of the ads.
Longer gaps of silence bring the energy down and sort of “cleanse your pallet” before going into the next section. Longer gaps can also cause the listener to feel bored and more annoyed by how long the ads are going on and on.
What are your ideas on this topic?
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3 Responses
Coming from UK, I find it really weird on American TV and Radio when it cuts straight into an ad without any warning. It’s like ‘have I changed channel without realising?’
I guess it’s what you are used to.
So, from my view, there always ought to be a gap or a sting to say – here’s an ad.
Chris,
There is one scenario that I feel you don’t have much of a choice …
It’s fairly common for Ads to exist as independently recorded/produced (discrete) clips slated for insertion in post. The particular Ads may be recorded by the actual program host, co-host, or even a program participant. What if the context of the Ad(s) is totally unrelated to the context of the program? IMHO you need to establish and/or fabricate some sort of a transition. Otherwise the listener will experience confusion and have difficulties with contextual comprehension.
Think about it … imagine manually inserting a host recorded Ad referencing let’s say a technology product in the middle of a discussion regarding spirituality → without establishing some sort of transition. This would baffle the audience. Reasonable gapping IMHO is unavoidable.
One option would be to ask the program host to record a set of discrete generic transitions that may be inserted in post *before* Ads (e.g. “… just a quick word from our sponsor …”). In this case the timing attributes are much more subjective and flexible.
In any case – there are obvious differences when dealing with Ads that exist as discrete clips vs. Ads that are recorded in-line with natural transitions. Also, regarding discrete Ads – producers must be acutely aware of the significance of consistent perceptual loudness between Ads and additional audio components. That’s another story …
-paul.
@produceNewMedia