top of page

Pick Up Some Tips

The 2019 Podcast Academy Cohort will learn plenty during the next eight weeks, but that doesn't mean you won't be able to learn the same nuggets of wisdom they will pick up along the way.

​

This page is dedicated to posting weekly tips about the production process, ranging from equipment help to writing tidbits. Be sure to follow this blog to stay updated on the latest lessons from the incubator.

Week 1:

Brand:

  • You might not know what truly draws an audience to your story, so play around with themes, genre, and structure to help your narrative stand out.

  • Always have an audience in mind. Audio is an intimate medium, so making a podcast with an audience in mind helps you instill a sense of intimacy and investment within your listeners.

  • Tone and aesthetic will emerge naturally because they come from your personality.

​

Production:

  • The best way to craft a narrative or story arc for a non-fiction project is to first gather tape and let this tape reveal insights and themes

  • Always have a plan for your interviews. What do you want to glean from this conversation?

  • When editing and going through audio, use “filters” for the type of content you want/look out for.

​

Worldbuilding:

  • Ambient sounds construct and introduce the listener to your world.

  • Worldbuilding can take a variety of forms, like through other characters or through a well developed soundscape. Whatever the case, it is imperative to build your world at the onset of your narrative and episode.

​

Writing:

  • Audio is a medium unlike others. While film and print leave room for inference, audio must be explicit in most, if not all things, lest these details be lost to the listener.

  • When considering the structure of the narrative, think about centering each episode on a central theme.

  • Nonfiction introductions usually take the form of “Who Am I; What Is This; Where Are We Going.” This helps set up the stakes for the whole story.

  • Sometimes you cannot really make a project entirely fact-based; therefore should lean more into the “inspo” mindset and take creative liberties when creating auto-fiction.

  • Narration helps internal thoughts emerge for a character, especially the protagonist.

  • When in doubt, use the “but… therefore” structure. This will help you craft a story out of your tape.

​

​

Week 2:

Brand:

  • Within a teaser or sizzle, you must clearly convey plot and your message for maximum effect.

​

Post-Prod:

  • When sharing or converting audio, always use WAV files for best quality.

  • Know when things do not work out and move on. There is no use wasting resources and time.

​

Production:

  • Record everything, gathering room tone and get “on location” sounds.

  • Ease into the interview. It’s a conversation and it will help your subject feel more comfortable.

  • Always wear headphones when recording, as they can help you adjust levels accordingly.

  • Don’t forget to press record!

  • Collaboration is crucial in a creative space, especially in team-oriented production like audio.

​

Writing:

  • Strong supplemental tape could sometimes substitute narration.

  • Recurring tension is crucial for narrative continuity and audience investment.

​

​

Week 3:

Brand:

  • A podcast’s voice is composed of its plot, style, sound design, and music.

​

Post-Production:

  • The best way to transfer and save files from Pro-Tools is by using the “Save Copy In” function into an external harddrive.

  • Though ProTools is a great way to edit audio and is considered the industry standard, it is still a computer program that is subject to over-processing and unexpected crashes, so set up the auto backup feature in the Setup tab to ensure all recent edits are saved automatically.

  • Exercise caution when switching between the shuffle, slip, and grid functions as they have vastly different editing settings.

  • Every voice in an audio recording, especially in podcasts, should be in its own track to streamline the editing process.

  • When sending and saving a ProTools session, you must send the entire folder to ease the editing process.

​

Writing:

  • Nonfiction storytelling needs to have ethical guidelines, like journalism, to maintain integrity.

  • A great way to structure episodes is to define what question you are trying to answer with this story.

  • What a podcast is “about” encompasses the thematic and emotional journey while “what happens” is plot and action oriented.

  • When casting, consider how different characteristics like accents, gender, and even race, could provide understanding and clarity for the listener.

​

bottom of page