Welcome back to the Podcast Academy blog! TWO MORE WEEKS! Sorry, I just get very excited thinking about how far the Academy has come and how much each of these amazing creators has grown and honed their craft. I'm not crying, you are! So this blog follows the journey of our six projects within the incubator. Each week, the Academy will engage with industry professionals, mentors, and one another to produce their very own narrative podcasts. During Podcast Academy’s Live Pitch Event (September 26th), each participant will pitch their projects to industry professionals and a live audience (join us!). Let’s catch up on what the Academy learned during our Thursday session.
An Intro to Gimlet
This week, the class went on a field trip to Gimlet’s Brooklyn office! We got to meet with several Gimlet producers from each team - Fiction; Nonfiction; Creative; even the Marketing team. Each of these producers discussed their creative process, from ideation to editing. We also got a neat tour of the Gimlet office, which includes a built in studio wing and an entire wall of pet photos!
Major Takeaways from the Discussion:
I) When developing graphics and a title for your project, think about “thumb-stopping” and how your podcast can stick out (in positive ways) compared to other podcasts in your genre.
II) When writing for someone else’s voice, try to form trust and pick up on their idiosyncratic storytelling style. Co-writing with them will help with this process.
III) Try to tell your story in one minute, then thirty seconds, then fifteen, and then all the way down to one second. This will help you get down to the essence of your story.
IV) Cross-promotion through other podcasts is a great way to market and amplify the reach of your podcast to similar audiences.
V) Create moodboards for the design and artwork of your project. When in doubt, scout your competition for how they’ve positioned themselves both within their categories and within the broader podcast landscape.
That’s all for us here at Podcast Academy! Stay updated on the latest Academy happenings with the blog. Look at our other pages for a glimpse into how to produce your own independent podcast. Remember to pay close attention to our blog because there may be a special prize given out during our Live Pitch Event for those of you learned with us along the way! Two. Weeks. I’m excited, you’re excited, the creators are excited… It’s gonna be a blast! Until then, we hope to see you again here at NYU’s Podcast Academy!