Vox Pop CurriculumVox Pop Curriculum
What is a Vox Pop?
A Vox Pop is a fun introduction to broadcasting project that helps students develop interviewing, recording and sound/video editing skills. Short for Vox Populi-- "voice of the people" in Latin--a Vox Pop seeks to gauge public opinion around one central question. The question you pick could be connected to something in the news, something silly or something reflective.
Example: Listen to this Vox Pop featured on PRX about favorite musical genres.
Example: Listen to this Vox Pop featured on PRX about stealing
- Vox Pops are usually short audio or video collages of multiple voices and are under two minutes long.
- Vox Pops are created around one central question
- Interview subjects can be random people on the street, around the school or even within a classroom.
- The more interviews, the better the vox pop. There should be at least 10 distinct voices in a Vox Pop.
- Edits are quick and soundbites are short to keep things interesting
- Producers can add music and sound for effect and tone.
Curriculum
Lesson 1.1 What makes a good Vox Pop? Choosing a question.
- Materials: Vox Pop Presentation
- Vox Pop Explainer Article
- Professional Vox Pop (Invisibilia Podcast): Dark Thoughts
Lesson 1.2 Recording multiple voices
note: KQED can only air vox-pops that have attributed names. These don't need to be edited into the piece. Often the host says the names at the tail. This lesson includes an attribution catcher to include with the piece.
- Video: Radio Rookies "How to Make a Vox Pop."
- Handout: Interview note-catcher
- Audio Recording and Editing Presentation
Lesson 1.3 Composition, editing and mixing
- myreports.mp3 (soundclip from Back to the Future link)