|
|
 |
|
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. Click the relevant title to hear the sample.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oral reminiscence
|
|
| 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 |
|
Ashover |
|
| 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. |
|
Today just a farm, High Top House once boasted one or two rather more unusual inhabitants as some local residents explain.
|
|
|
|
| back to top |
|
|
|
Characterisation
|
|
| Below are two samples that illustrate this approach. |
|
| Win Hill |
|
Darwin and the Dinosaurs
|
|
| 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. |
|
Join leading scientist Richard Owen and sculptor Benjamin Waterhouse-Hawkins as they ponder how to build the world's first dinosaur theme park, back in 1852.
|
|
|
|
| back to top |
|
|
|
Characterisation for children
|
|
| Writing for children is not a dumbed down version of adult text. In fact writing for a younger audience should be fun, yet bursting with fascinating information. Many adults prefer listening to an audio trail that is intended for children. |
|
|
|
|
Gwladys is a fiesty little goblin, but she has learnt a thing or two from the humans that tramp to and from the spectacular waterfall after which she is named.
|
|
With the ability to link up with 150 remote-controlled sonar sensory radars (bird boxes to you and me) this boffin knows all there is to know about this Lancashire nature reserve.
|
|
|
| back to top |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| back to top |
|
|
|
| Sensory |
|
|
Through the use of audio we can bring in sound effects, music and the power of the spoken word to bring a place to life or paint a picture for the visually impaired.
|
|
|
|
|
You don't even need to be at this Wildlife Trust reserve to picture the scene outside the bird hide window - the audio tells you all you need to know.
|
|
Thirty years ago this country park in Caerphilly looked more like a martian landscape than a wildlife haven as ex-miner Mike Iles reveals.
|
|
|
| back to top |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| back to top |
|
|
|
| Soundscapes |
|
| Audio, like the sense of smell, is a very powerful tool and the use of everyday sounds woven 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. |
|
|
|
| back to top |
|
|
|
| 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 |
|
Wynford Vaughan Thomas
|
|
| This podcast/radio play was developed to tackle the issue of uncontrolled dogs disturbing livestock and rare wildlife. |
|
The use of music really sets the scene for this sentimental look back at this great Welsh icon.
|
|
|
|
| back to top |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
| back to top |
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
| back to top |
|
|
|
| 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.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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)
Please contact us for more information or download our moblue brochure.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| back to top |
|
|
|
|
