Crafting the Perfect Event
A deeper exploration on the topic of my audio project
I am currently employed with Culpeper County Parks & Recreation, and I absolutely love my job there! Working towards the future, I hope to continue my career with the Parks & Recreation department. Therefore, I found it fitting to create this project around a crucial element of my job – public event planning. More specifically, our annual Moonlight Halloween Candy Hunt!
Crafting my Perfect Audio Project
The outline, script and equipment I will use to create my audio project
I’m beginning this project by creating an outline and script to follow – this is a pivotal part of my project because I am planning on interviewing several co-workers. Due to the conversation of AI in the previous weeks of my DGST 101 course, I found it intriguing to use AI as a resource to help create my outline. To explain, I used Microsoft’s Copilot to help produce a two minute outline for public event planning. Copilot’s suggestions were very helpful, and I did use it as a foundation for my project. However, I did tweak the outline to be bigger chunks due to my project being interview-heavy.
Click the title below to view the final outline:
Title: Crafting the Perfect Event Introduction (0:00 – 0:15)
Introduction (0:00 – 0:15)
Opening Sound: Background music with cheerful, upbeat tones.
Narrator’s Voice: “Welcome! My name is Summer Koontz and today we’re diving into the art of creating a successful social event for the public. Let’s explore the key steps to making your event unforgettable with advice from the department of Culpeper Parks & Recreation.”
Point 1: Planning, Conceptualization, Budgeting & Finding the Right Vendors (0:15 – 0:54) (54 seconds total)
Sound Effects: Pen scribbling on paper. (3 seconds).
Narrator’s Voice: “A successful event starts with a solid plan. To help further explain this concept, Culpeper Parks & Recreation’s Tabitha Riley is here to help as she is currently prepping for this year’s Moonlight Halloween Candy Hunt.” – (11 seconds)
Interview – Tabitha, Recording in Parks & Recreation Meeting Room:
“Explain to me how you produce an event like the Moonlight Halloween Candy Hunt? (What was your process for the Moonlight Halloween Candy Hunt specifically?) How do you budget for an event like this while also choosing the best vendors to make the Moonlight Halloween Candy Hunt a lively event? – (answer: 40 seconds)
Point 2: Marketing and Promotion (0:54 – 1:24) (30 seconds total)
Sound Effects: Typing on a keyboard/Clicking on a mouse. (3 seconds)
Narrator’s Voice: “Culpeper Parks & Recreation’s Director, Andrew Hardy, utilizes social media advertising to reach their audience.” (6 seconds)
Interview – Andrew, Recording in Andrew’s Office:
“So tell me the process for creating (what do you use to create) an eye-catching advertisement for an event like the Moonlight Halloween Candy Hunt? Why do you choose social media as your main source of advertisement for an event like this? (Benefits??)” (answer: 20 seconds)
Point 3: Creating your Event Hands-On, Execution and Engagement (1:24 – 1:49) (25 seconds total)
Sound Effects: Joe Instructing his Team. (3 seconds)
Narrator’s Voice: “Having the right team to make the event come to life is crucial. The department plans logistics with the help of Parks Superintendent, Joe Koontz and his team.” (7 seconds)
Interview – Joe, Recording in Work Vehicle, Outside, or in Workshop:
“So how do you prepare your team to help physically make Tabitha’s plan of the Moonlight Halloween Candy Hunt come to life?” (answer: 15 seconds)
Conclusion (1:49 – 2:00) (11 seconds total)
Sound Effects: Fading Upbeat Background Music & Children laughing/running. (Bleed into narrator’s voice)
Recording: Outside
Narrator’s Voice: “And so, with careful planning and execution, your social event can be a memorable success. Thanks for listening, and a special thank you to Culpeper Parks & Recreation’s team for joining me in this episode. Happy event planning!” (11 seconds)
Now that my outline is complete, it’s time to find the right audio recording equipment to capture my interviews. Unfortunately, I am on a stricter budget with not easily accessible means of reaching UMW’s Fredericksburg campus. So, I decided to follow the advice of Katie Thornton that sometimes less is maybe not more, but just enough! I went to my local Target store and bought a pair of wired headphones that my interviewees could wear to capture the audio and I was pleasantly surprised with how clear the audio was!
Below is a fourteen second test recording of an interview I did with Tabitha: