How Do You Build a Scene Around Old Tape?

Most archival recordings arrive with no setting, no context, no nothin’. You can hear what someone said, but not what the room looked like, who else was there, or why that particular moment mattered enough to record. And helpfully, the person who could tell you all of that is often gone, retired, or simply doesn't remember. Building a narrative around old tape usually means reconstructing what the recording can't tell you, and doing it honestly, without inventing details you don't actually have.