It’s bizarre to think that 13 weeks ago I was barely familiar with the technical elements that were required to develop a podcast or web series for a demographic audience. This studio has taught me several skills when it comes to creating content through these modern media platforms. The studio has enabled me to engage with peers, guest speakers, class activities and online research for project brief presentations.
We began the first few weeks of the studio focusing on different genres of podcasts including true crime and everyday life. I had listened to Serial before entering the studio and therefore was eager to explore why it is that humans are fascinated by evil? Serial became the first podcast to reach over 5 million downloads on iTunes, creating wide audience discussions across the the internet. I feel that storytelling plays a key role in the success of Serial as the listener can relate to author, Sarah Koenig. Each episode is cleverly crafted to focus on a new character, introducing another possible suspect to the case. Whatever the truth is, somebody’s lying which is what makes the podcast so captivating, it always leaves the listener wanting more. True crime has definitely been a key attraction for me amongst podcasts this semester!
Another aspect which I have enjoyed is listening to a different duo present a particular web series or podcasts each week, opening the classroom up for discussion. Jack and I were one of the earlier groups to host a class discussion about podcasts for children. We focused on two podcasts, the first being an educational ABC series ‘Short and Curly’ and the second, an entertaining stage production ‘The Thrilling Adventure Hour’. It was interesting to explore how both podcasts were so different despite capturing the same demographic. Short and Curly is targeted towards adults who want their children to be educated as well as entertained. The podcast discusses topical world issues in a basic, humorous way for children to understand. Many School’s play it in class to open intellectual discussion amongst peers after each episode. In contrast, The Thrilling Adventure Hour is a fictional melodramatic performance targeted towards adults and children. This podcast is commonly played aloud on family car trips, appealing to a family-friendly audience. It’s interesting to analyze how most people listen to podcasts, whether it be via smartphones whilst commuting to and from work, or on computer devices at home. This is important to know when creating our own podcasts as It can help to determine the length of each episode. I felt that our presentation to the class kept everyone engaged and led to an informative discussion.
In week four we were asked to create an audio essay between 3 – 5 minutes on a particular aspect of podcasts. The term “aspect” confused me a little as to how broad the topic could be. I quickly was assured that the assignment was flexible, giving us space to focus on anything to do with podcasts. I decided to explore the popular UK podcast, My Dad Wrote a Porno, delving into such aspects including style, character and target audience. Given that this was my first audio essay I wasn’t too pleased with the final result. I felt that I focused on too many aspects that didn’t go in-depth enough whereas if I had spent more time researching one specific topic of interest I could have produced a clearer and more concise essay for the listener to engage with. Unfortunately, I forgot to record 30 seconds of ‘room sound’ to fill in any gaps that were interrupted with unnecessary noise.
The next assignment was to create a group video essay between 3 – 5 minutes focusing on an aspect of web series. I find that I am more organized and efficient when working within a group as there is more pressure for me to complete work on time so I don’t let my peers down. My group decided to analyze the idea of distribution amongst this comedy web series, basing our focus on the popular ABC iView series, Get Krack’n. I was thankful for the previous mixed-media workshop exercises that taught us how to set up a frame, use a camera and experiment with positioning and lighting. We filmed Jack and Sarah as the hosts of our video essay using the techniques we had learnt. The roles were divided up equally amongst the group, ensuring everyone was dealt an even amount of work. I interviewed the producer of Get Krack’n, Sue Evans, who was able to provided me with an insight of working on web series as opposed to television. Despite the fact that I personally find the humour of Get Krack’n weak, I still respect how both female hosts began their concept together at home on YouTube to share their content, proving that television networks aren’t the only media-services sharing talent.
My initial practice pitch for the final assignment changed from creating a parody podcast on how millennials are depicted in the media to focusing on why music evokes a memory or emotion of a specific moment. This concept sparked from having a chat with my Mum in the car when a seventies Fleetwood Mac song began to play on the radio. The next 20 minutes were spent listening to her talk about how every time she heard the song it reminded her of being 21 and having her heart broken by her first boyfriend. This conversation gave me a great insight to the memories that everyday Australians may share with treasured songs. During the semester I spoke with Elizabeth from Triple R about my new idea, LifeSong! She was able to provide me with feedback about aligning with APRA AMCOS to gain rights for me to incorporate music into my podcast. We also discussed how the episodes short be short and sharp, targeted at a commuting audience. To create my 1 – 4-minute teaser I interviewed a family friend on three songs that captured moments over his lifetime. Despite the fact that our conversation ran for 24 minutes, I had the tricky task of editing the audio down to just over 3 minutes. I really enjoyed creating a pitch for my podcast and am considering spending more time developing it after the studio comes to an end.