Interview:Rob Jorgensen (March 2001)
- In March of 2001, Rob Jorgensen answered several questions I asked relating to him as a production engineer. He discuses everything from his daily routine, his toughest tasks, and his weird attraction to antique microphones. Below are his answers
- When did you join the production team for "Adventures in Odyssey"? How did you join and what did you first do?
I started with Odyssey in early May of 1999, so I'm approaching my two-year anniversary with the team. Before making the leap into the world of Odyssey, I worked in several other positions at Focus on the Family, including editing Doctor Dobson's daily program, and producing promotional materials for Focus' internal advertising agency.
When it comes to how I got the job with Odyssey, I think Dave Arnold and Mark Drury chose me because they felt sorry for me. I'm really not qualified to work with such talented guys! They heard a couple of the commercials I did for Briargate Media, and they thought I could produce Odyssey. HA! I guess I tricked them, huh? Your sarcastic comments about #459: “Slumber Party” go here ...
My first project in this job was "Passages I & II". There was a type of "sink or swim" mentality in assigning me such a colossal undertaking. They figured if the new guy could create an alternate world with thousands of soldiers attacking a mythical town and blowing up buildings and stuff, he could handle a "normal" show.
- How early are the voices recorded for the show (when compared with the actual air date)?
It depends. We usually record four shows every time we go to California, and the air date of those shows can be anywhere from 2 to 5 months away. It all hinges on our lead time back here in Colorado. We like to be a few months out, but that doesn't always happen.
- On average, how much time is spent on the production aspect of any one particular episode? Can you briefly describe the process you go through?
Our target is 3 weeks to produce one show, 6 weeks for a two-parter. There have been some, like The Great Wishy Woz, that take quite a bit longer. On the Woz, I spent quite a bit of time with John Campbell on the music. Whew!
The process is broken up into sections. First is the voice track edit. We go through the rough tracks, choosing the best takes, and taking out stumbles and goofs. Then we go through the whole thing again and replace bits and pieces of words and phrases to incorporate the best of all the takes. Then we go through it all one last time and tweak levels on each word and phrase, making the yelling less loud, and the whispering more loud.
Next, we go through the script and mark the sections where we want music for our composer, John Campbell. For each music cue, we give direction as to what emotion we want accentuated by the music.
Then we begin filling in the voice track with ambient sound effects (outdoor birds, inside air conditioning, etc.). We use sound effect libraries for general sounds, like doors closing or horns honking, but for specific sounds like walking or sitting, we create those ourselves in a process called Foley. That means we act along with the actors, creating the sounds of their bodies moving through the scene. Whatever they do with their voices, we bring to life by actually walking, shaking hands, falling into a river, getting hit by a snowball, and any other action you can think if in an Odyssey episode.
The final step is the mix. That involves adjusting the volumes of every element to place it in the proper location on our "sound stage". When you hear Rodney Rathbone walk from your left speaker to your right speaker, that was created with our mixing console in the studio.
- Are you currently working on any other projects at the moment? (Kathy has her novel, Marshal has Kidsboro, John has his computer animated show, and Paul has Radio Theatre)
I am proud to say that I am strictly working on Odyssey. When you've got passion about something, it's hard to concentrate on other things. I am, in fact, the only one on the Odyssey team who strictly concentrates on Odyssey. Everybody else has their fingers in some other pie. Sound like a good way to get a stomach ache...
- Do you have any strange or bizarre collections we should know about?
Judging by your next question, your already know of my passion for antique microphones. Yes, I have a weakness for old broadcasting microphones.
- What specifically is it about microphones that interest you?
Mics are a very tangible piece of broadcasting history. If you see any old movie or TV show, the microphone was a huge visual cue that something was being broadcast - that whatever that person was saying was important. Microphones are the visual symbol of a non-visual medium.
Some of the microphones in my collection come from the thirties and forties. Imagine what news was broadcast through them, or what sporting event, or whatever. Beyond sentimental reasons, I think the incredible diversity of design and style is fascinating. I have nearly fifty mics, and none of them are the same. Incredible.
(Shameless plug alert) Feel free to send any old mics you have to me, care of Focus on the Family. I'd be happy to take care of them for you.
- Is there any sound effect in particular that you found difficult to produce?
"The Great Wishy Woz". No, I mean the whole show. Both parts.
- Overall, is there any program that stands out in memory as being tougher to work on than any others? Why?
"The Great Wishy Woz". And #466: “Snow Day”. Oh, and The Big Deal. Do you see a pattern here? (hint: John Beebee)
- From a production standpoint, exactly how much input do you have in regards to plot development and ideas?
We sit in on writer's meetings, and our input is equal to the writers at that point, although I've noticed they're giggling most of the time when I make a suggestion. Come to think of it, I don't think any of my ideas have ever been implemented. OK, so maybe our ideas aren't so good, but at least we're part of the meetings.
- How would you describe a typical day at work?
Let's see, coffee at 8:00, doughnuts at 9:30, pre-lunch at 11:00, lunch at 12:00, and an afternoon nap from 1:00 to 3:00. That pretty much sums it up. But if you were to come here and sit with me for a day, I'd probably actually work just to show you what we do. You would see me doing any of the several things I listed above in the production process. Really, every day is different because we're on a different part of the show.
- Do you have any advice for anyone who might one day want to pursue a career in working on "Adventures in Odyssey", or a show like it?
Start working toward it now. Volunteer at a radio station. Get a part time job with a local production company. Ask for a tour of your local TV station and watch a live newscast. Download some audio production software and start working on a drama of your own. The most important thing, however, is not to work alone. Never isolate yourself from criticism. Having others critique your work is the only way you'll grow.
- Do you ever wish you could go back and change the way you handled a particular scene or effect?
Absolutely. I'm almost never satisfied with any finished product. If only I had a couple more weeks to work on it, I could …
- Of all the many great moments in Odyssey, is there any one in particular that has touched you more than others?
The flashback scene in #330: “The Time Has Come”.
- Thanks, Rob, for taking the time to answer my many questions, and I'm sure we'll all be listening closely to what goes on in the background of an episode next time we tune into Adventures in Odyssey!