Category: Past Workshops

This workshop focused on non-fiction narrative shows – the documentary-style, often serialized, story-driven podcasts like Serial, Missing Richard Simmons, and Wind of Change that are known for telling expansive, immersive stories. The best ones leave listeners feeling like they’ve been on a journey, and maybe even with a new perspective on the world. This workshop delved into the choices that go into structuring a narrative show that keeps listeners hitting the play button every episode. Instructor Lacy Roberts guided students through the elements of narrative. Participants looked closely at the narrative structures often seen in serialized storytelling. Lacy deconstructed great narrative shows to uncover just what makes them so good, and derive lessons participants could use in their podcasting endeavors. This class also demystified the process of creating a narrative show, discussed what kinds of stories make good narrative podcasts, and provided students with actionable next steps if they think they have a great show idea.

In this online workshop, long-time journalists Courtney Cowgill and Anne Bailey discussed practical tips for conveying a story effectively to the media. Attendees learned best ways to contact journalists, what to do when a reporter calls for an interview and what information television, radio and newspaper journalists need from to best tell a story. Through practice and feedback, instructors helped participants become more comfortable with being interviewed, both on and off camera.

When COVID-19 hit, it brought a whole new set of challenges for the audio production industry.

In this workshop, Lacy Roberts, managing producer at Brooklyn-based Transmitter Media, provided tips on producing in the time of COVID. Attendees learned best practices for remote audio capture, and gained insight on ways to bring remote productions to life, even without field tape.

Here is a preview of Lacy’s remote workshop:

Everyone wants to make a podcast these days. You have a great idea, but where do you begin?

Lacy Roberts, managing producer at Brooklyn-based Transmitter Media, talked participants through the foundational questions they need to answer before setting out — from figuring out whether a podcast idea has legs, to setting a budget, to choosing the right equipment.

Participants left this workshop with a better understanding of how to take their podcast ideas from conception to launch.

Here’s a small preview of Lacy’s remote presentation:

Whether you’re a government official, researcher, business owner or non-profit staffer, telling your story clearly and concisely to the media matters.

In this online workshop, long-time journalists Courtney Cowgill and Anne Bailey discussed practical tips for conveying stories effectively to the media. Participants learned best ways to contact journalists, what to do when a reporter calls for an interview and what information television, radio and newspaper journalists need to tell compelling narratives.

Through practice and feedback, attendees became more comfortable being interviewed on camera and left the workshop with practical skills for better media engagement.

I highly recommend this to anyone who is thinking about pitching a compelling story to the media.

This workshop gave me insights into media relations from the journalists’ perspectives. It also gave me clear guidance on how to pitch my story.

The insights Anne Bailey and Courtney Lowery-Cowgill shared on what journalists are seeking from interviews was insightful.

As was their expert advice on how interviewees should prepare for various types of interviews.

I took away a number of ideas from this workshop that I’ll put into use right away.

Thank you!

Montana Media Lab director and multimedia journalist Anne Bailey introduced participants to the basics of video editing in Adobe Premiere Pro.

Using provided footage, participants learned project organization, importing, cutting interviews, assembling sequences, working with b-roll, incorporating text and exporting final projects.

This intensive, online workshop gave attendees the editing skills to turn video footage, photos and audio into polished, professional videos.

The Montana Media Lab’s Adobe Premiere Pro workshop gave me all of the tools I needed …

… to optimize my use of this complex program in one day.

eli bow
AmeriCorps Senior Leader | Montana Campus Compact

This workshop touched on so many basics, guiding even those of us who had never opened the program.

I left knowing not only the basic components of video, but how to put them together to produce a final product.

Jenny Gessaman
Reporter | Montana Public Radio

Anne Bailey’s expertise and skill level with Premiere quickly lead to a well planned approach …

… to keeping a project organized and efficient.

Mike Post
Assistant Professor of Theatre | University of Montana

I learned many practical tips to create attractive, engaging videos.

As a professor who is redesigning many courses to be more flexible for my students, this course was so helpful to me. I can immediately apply what I’ve learned to my teaching.

Theresa Floyd
Assistant Professor of Management | University of Montana

In this five day workshop, NPR Story Lab senior producer Michael May and award-winning Montana Public Radio reporter Nora Saks taught participants how to produce a compelling audio story — from conducting interviews and gathering natural sound to story structure and script writing. Students also pitched podcast ideas at the start of the week and left with project blueprints to take those ideas from concept to launch.

All participants’ final audio pieces aired on public radio stations across Montana.

Interested in workshops like this? See what’s coming up next at the Lab.

This workshop exceeded my expectations!

Michael and Nora were excellent instructors and helped us produce an audio piece in five days! I highly recommend this workshop to anyone who is interested in learning about audio storytelling.

Erica Zurek
Photographer

By the end of the workshop, I understood the entire flow for putting an audio story together.

It was so incredible to hear all of the stories we created on the last day when so many of us had walked in wondering, “Can we even do this?”

Scott Shigeoka
Producer & Writer

Michael and Nora’s guidance throughout the week was wildly helpful.

Their combined skills helped me make an impossible task to complete in just five days, way more possible.

Amanda Ceaser
Events & Marketing Coordinator | Missoula Food Bank

I can’t believe how much I learned in five days!

Nora and Michael are two of the best producers in podcasting. I left feeling confident in my abilities and with a professional, quality story ready to air.

Damon Moss
Freelance Audio Reporter & Producer

Compelling, concise writing is an art. In this three-day workshop, University of Montana associate professor of journalism Jule Banville taught the fundamentals of solid writing through hands-on exercises and one-on-one edits.

From business and nonprofit communications to writing for the web and social media, participants learned the importance of sentence structure, grammar and writing flow across multiple platforms.

Interested in workshops like this one? Check out our upcoming workshops.

Writing Doesn’t Have to be Boring

Banville used the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are to demonstrate proper syntax, good writing, and simple storytelling.

More From Our 2019 Writing Well Workshop

The Writing Well workshop gave me the boost I needed to fine tune my writing.

Jule Banville presented what could have been sleepy content on commas and editing in a fascinating and enthusiastic manner. I highly recommend the class for anyone who wants to communicate more effectively.

Victoria Emmons
Poet, Writer, Editor

In just a few short days, my writing was transformed.

I’m finally able to put down on paper the story I have in my head; clearly and with correct punctuation! I am no longer putting off the parts of my job that include writing; I’m owning them.

Cassidy Green
Marketing Coordinator | Montana Food Bank Network

Jule’s workshop provided a needed and valuable writing refresher for me.

Her engaging instruction benefitted both new and experienced writers alike.

Bryan Haines
Communications Consultant |
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana

This three-day workshop taught photographers, filmmakers and writers how to add audio tools to their storytelling toolbox.

Participants received hands-on training with digital audio recorders, practiced capturing quality sound in the field, learned how to edit what they gathered and left with a fully produced audio story. Instructor Lacy Roberts, of Transmitter Media, also discussed writing for the ear and the idiosyncrasies of unfurling a narrative in audio—whether it’s a longform narrative or a minute-long news piece.

Interested in more workshops like this? Check out our upcoming workshops.

Lacy walked us step-by-step through the stages of making an audio story and using the technology.

I appreciated that she set up the interviews and got us out in the field doing it right away.

Lori Messenger
English Teacher | Seeley-Swan High School

Excellent hands-on instruction packed into three days.

I loved that Lacy’s workshop appealed to and applied equally to a high schooler and long-time journalism professor.

Matt Frank
Feature Writer | Mountain West News

By the end of the class I felt alive with knowledge and even better creativity.

Learning by doing with a leader in the field, like Lacy, was fantastic.

Genevieve Jessop Marsh
Community Outreach Director | Garden City Harvest