How audio editing is like fine dining

Precise cuts: an almost four-second pause between bits of narration for dramatic effect.

In the book The Soul of a Chef: the Journey toward Perfection, there are a lot of transferable lessons from cooking to podcasting: the importance of mentorship. Hard work and discipline. Putting your heart and personality into your work. Persisting despite obstacles. And lots more! For any of you who enjoy cooking, and learning about how people do it at the highest levels, it's a fascinating read.

But today, it occurred to me that there's this intriguing parallel between fine dining and audio editing: precise cutting of ingredients! Commenting on his first meal at Michelin 3-star restaurant The French Laundry, author Michael Ruhlman notes the incredible, perfect precision of the brunoise-cut vegetables: 16th-of-an-inch cubes, "like confetti, but cut by hand."

And just as precise cutting of ingredients helps them cook right and look great, precise cutting of narration and interview tape is what makes key moments of a narrative podcast be most effective. Too short of a pause after a key thought? The listener doesn't have enough time to absorb it. Too long of a pause? Their attention starts to wander, it feels awkward or like a mistake. But just the right amount of space after a key line? It has the intended dramatic, climactic effect.

Is there a simple rule about length of an effective pause after a punchline? Not quite. I'd say it's often in the .75-1.25 second range. But if you want to add a sound effect, or cut or fade in music, it might be longer. (Like in the example in the image — I wanted to include a theatrical "boom!" so it was almost 4 seconds at :45. Listen to the piece here — “why create.”) But it's an editorial sense you develop with practice.

So here's to great cooking, and great audio editing! Let's work on our precise cuts.

(Oh, and if you’d rather hear me talk about this instead of reading, see below.)