Case Studies

On this page you will find the different styles of audio trail we provide and details of other services we offer.

Have a look and a listen at the examples below to help you decide what elements you would like us to produce for you.

For clarity the case studies are separated into distinctive styles but of course you can include more than one element in your audio trail. Many of our productions include a mix of newly recorded interviews and archive material, such as existing oral history recordings and quotes from books etc. These are weaved together with a narrator to provide a seamless and informative guide. Scroll down or select a link below.

Audio		Print	Wireless

interview-based script-written archival	narrator soundscapes podcasts	maps and directions activity sheets podscrolls	bluetooth

Interview-based

Hearing the stories of people who know a site well really brings a place to life. Their passion is evident in the audio and the tales they tell are often the ones you wouldn't find in a traditional guide. This style is our most popular and we can either use existing oral history recordings or undertake new interviews for you. Below are two samples that illustrate this approach.

Cley Marshes		Holmewood

Compiled from 13 short interviews, this audio trail provides a holistic understanding of the country's first county wildlife site. Here the experts talk about reed cutting.		Presented in a style similar to Radio 4's 'Open Country', this trail has an informal conversational approach. In this excerpt we hear one expert talk about the local wildlife.

Script-written

Below are two samples that illustrate this approach.

Cudham		Win Hill

Set in 1859, this audio trail for 11-16 year olds reveals what life was like for Charles Darwin's children. Here the children joke with their father about his 'big book'.		A fictional story was created to present three very important eras in the Peak District. Here we pass from the Anglo-Saxons to the Dambusters in one swift move.

Archival

If you have access to archive information (e.g diaries, publications) relating to your subject then the use of well-chosen short excerpts can really enhance an audio guide.

German Forest (Hughenden Manor)		Downe

Extracts from Benjamin Disreali's diaries provides a glimpse into this Victorian prime ministers mind. Here he talks about his admiration for his staff.		Extracts from Charles Darwin's revolutionary publications and his autobiography bring this tour to life.

Narrator

In some circumstances you may just want one narrator to tell the full story. Music and sound effects can be added to enhance the spoken word.

White Horse Hill		Ashover

Selecting a suitable actor to narrate the audio trail is important to engage the listener.		Here the narrator provides concise directions to enable the listener to confidently reach the next point on the audio trail.

Soundscapes

Audio, like the sense of smell, is a very powerful tool and the use of everyday sounds weaved together can really define an area and provide a sense of place.

Mansfield		Cairnsmore of Fleet





All the sounds on the full 10 minute track were recorded on one day in June 2008. The example is just a short sample of this.		How many sounds can you recognise? This track was commisioned for the local information centre at this Scottish Natural Heritage reserve.

Podcasts

Podcasts provide a way of regularly keeping those interested in your work up-to-date. These audio magazines can be produced as often as you feel appropriate and may contain your latest news or seasonal information relevant to your site.

Paws on the Moors		Parklife

This podcast/radio play was developed to tackle the issue of uncontrolled dogs disturbing livestock and rare wildlife.		This audio version of the Peak District National Park community magazine contains extended interviews.

Maps and Directions

Whilst we add directions at the end of each audio track, we often find visitors benefit from having something that they can also read to help them find their way. Maps and directions provided as a PDF and included with the audio download can be printed off to take with them. The inclusion of this material also enables people who cannot download the audio to still enjoy the route.

Keston		Ashover

A simple but clear map with directions to each stop plus travel information to the start is important for a teenage audience.		All the information needed to navigate your way around the route is provided in this two page document.

Activity Sheets

The provision of activities at each point along the trail provides the opportunity for the visitor to learn more about the site and enhance their visit. The two examples below are part of a series of audio trails for 11-16 year olds developed for the London Borough of Bromley.

High Elms		Beck Corridor

Each activity expands on the information found in the audio trail, but also works as a stand-alone document.		Teenagers are encouraged to think how things have changed in this very urban environment over the years.

Podscrolls

A podscroll is a digital booklet that you can download onto iPods and other Personal Media Players with a colour screen. Using the devices controls you can scroll forward and backwards through the booklet. An emulation of a podscroll is provided to the right. In this example, it contains the directions and map for the Downe Audio Trail, but the possibilities are endless. Why not visit our new microsite - www.podscroll.co.uk - for more information.

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Bluetooth
Your mobile phone is a multimedia device that can present an array of media to its user. Text, images, video and audio can all be transferred to it to enhance a visit, and this is exactly what the 'Discover Grassington' guide aims to do. This particular application, developed on behalf of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, is like a mini-website that visitors can download for free - no reception needed. The guide contains information about the town, 2 self-guided trails and a 'find the feature' game too. The screenshots to the right illustrate just a sample of the content, but why not download the application itself to your own mobile phone? Either click the link below, save the file to your computer and transfer it to your mobile (using the software that you may have got with your phone)), or if you have an internet connection on your phone, then why not navigate directly to this page and install it? Download 'Discover Grassington' (this file is 500kb - please ensure you are familiar with the data transfer costs that may be incurred in downloading this via the internet on your mobile phone)

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