Prologue
A Podcasting Lesson from Marvel Studios
I had an interesting interaction with an animator from Marvel Studios this week, getting some behind-the-scenes info on how they make their "superhero" movies.
Most scenes in these movies have real-life actors in motion capture suits with the "animation" added in post-production.
How long does it take? He said he once spent an entire month on three-minutes of tape.
Remember MTV's Celebrity Death Match? I knew a guy who worked on it and he told me similar stories of how tedious the creation process was.
Art takes time. Building an audience takes time. You're in the arena!
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Steal This Idea
Today Is My 38th Birthday ...
Not me ... this guy.
You've heard me say how important it is to fly your flag and his is a great example of that in action ... Twenty bold statements to both attract and repel.
You could do something similar. For example, my 10 Podcasting Rules does this. You'll never believe the first one, by the way.
I'm kidding. If you've read this far, you'll definitely believe the first one. See for yourself.
Podcasting News
How Sound Works - A Lesson for Podcasters
A gas-powered leaf blower is so noisy the sound can carry over an average suburban block. Because of this, leaf blowers are a top cause of podcaster stress.
Fortunately for podcasters, some supernerds at Johns Hopkins University have figured out a way to reduce the volume of leaf blowers. It's a cool story and worth looking at for podcasters, because it's a good lesson in how sound works.
SPOILER ALERT: The trick is an attachment that cuts the machine's noise almost like a silencer on a gun or a muffler on a car.
Podcast Production
Subtract
Derek Sivers and I go back 30 years. I was working in the music industry and he sent me a CD of his band, Hit Me.
Even then, he was sharing thoughts about creativity online. And I've probably read them all ...
I really like his views about "subtraction." And I think you'll find it relates to your podcasting.
The least successful people I know run in conflicting directions, are drawn to distractions, say yes to almost everything, and are chained to emotional obstacles.
The most successful people I know have a narrow focus, protect themselves against time-wasters, say no to almost everything, and have let go of old limiting beliefs.
More people die from eating too much than from eating too little. Most of us have too much baggage, too many commitments, and too many priorities.
Podcasting Deals
BreezeDoc - Free Tool for "Guest Agreements"
It's always a good idea to have a "guest agreement" in place to clarify your use of interviews you record. Doing so helps make sure this doesn't happen.
BreezeDoc is a free tool that will allow you to easily collect electronic signatures for any agreement related to your podcast—guest agreements, sponsor agreements, etc.
Podcast Humor
Don't Let This Happen to You
Keeping track of time zones is tough. Fortunately, TidyCal is free and will handle this for you.
Even if everybody involved is in the same time zone, an automated booking calendar makes things so much easier—no more back and forth trying to set a date and time!
If you're not using automation for your guest booking, give it a shot.
Classifieds
Podpage
Join over 25,000 podcasters and automatically create a beautiful, listener-friendly podcast site from your RSS feed.
Podpage is the simplest way to create a podcast website.
Riverside - Remote Recording Studio
Riverside records high-quality audio (and video) directly from your browser. No special equipment is needed and connecting with your guest is as simple as sending a web link!
You can try Riverside free (no credit card is needed) and, if you like it, save 15% on any paid plan by using the coupon code BIGPODCAST.
$100 Podcast Studio from Focusrite
This $100 Podcast Studio from Focusrite includes:
- Vocaster One audio interface
- Vocaster DM1 mic
- Focusrite HP60v studio headphones
- XLR mic/interface cable
It's perfect for a solo podcaster or somebody doing only remote interviews.
Have two people in the same room? This $200 Podcast Studio with Vocaster DM14v mic, studio headphones, and XLR cable will do what you need.
The Wrap Up
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