Producing a Podcast

Podcast's are becoming an innovative tool for heritage organizations and museums to expand their audience. They are part of the quickly growing field of digital history, and for those who are good at them, a great way to get ideas and concepts out in a fun and engaging way. I had the chance to research, write and produce a podcast of my own for my Digital History class, and it is not as easy as it looks! Below I would like to share some of the steps, tips and tricks I learned about producing a podcast which will hopefully help anyone considering starting a podcast of their own.

Step One: Brainstorm an Idea
Coming up with an idea that can be effectively researched, but is also interesting and appealing to a large audience can be tricky! When I was trying to come up with an idea I thought about topics I liked, things I already knew about, and something that would be interesting enough to hear about for 15 minutes. I decided to combine two of my favourite things: Disney movies, and Greek mythology. Admittedly, for the purpose of my Digital History class this idea kind of missed the mark. It did not really have a strong enough historical connection, and as much as I did a lot of research on the myth itself, and how Disney changed it to fit their movie, I fell into the "So what" trap, where the things I was saying did not REALLY matter. Something I learned here, is that if you are going to take the time to do a podcast, you need to make sure you come up with an idea that both appeals to you, but also has a strong message or point.

Step Two: Complete your Research
Before I wrote any kind of script, or began even thinking about recording I had to know what I was talking about. Fortunately for me my undergraduate degree was in Classical Studies and Religion, and I still have most of my textbooks. This gave me an easy resource for researching the Herakles myth , and making sure I had all my facts right. As for researching the film, this was done with a bowl of popcorn, a notebook to mark down whenever I saw a discrepancy or heard a soundbite  I could use later.

Step Three: Write a Script
While sometimes I am a huge fan of the strategy of "winging it", this is not advisable for a podcast. It will increase recording time, editing time, and afterwards there is a good chance that you will not like what you are saying. Even with writing a script I ended up re-recording my podcast three times...I am maybe a bit of a perfectionist. With that being said, sometimes the way you write will not be the way you speak, and remaining flexible and relaxed while recording will help! It is also advisable to practice your script prior to recording, because this allows you to work out your kinks before you go anywhere near a microphone.

Step Four: Record
It is a really good idea to learn the program you are going to use to edit your podcast before you start recording. This will save SO much time when you are editing! I learned this the hard way. When recording, it is also a good idea to leave a bit of time without talking at the beginning, as it is useful in the editing stages. Make sure you speak regularly as well, instead of trying to rush your way through the script. Learning the equipment you are going to be using is a good idea as well, as there are many different types of microphones available, and some are better then others when trying to get a good sound quality. One thing I learned during recording (all three times), is that tone matters. After my first attempt, I got home and realized upon review that I sounded very monotone, and slightly bored with what I was saying, even though as I was speaking I thought I was sounding professional and academic! I also realized that an academic tone did not suit my topic, which was a lighthearted look at Disney movies and their sources in history.

Step Five: Edit
Editing takes the longest of any of the steps, so do not leave this until the last minute! For a good podcast it is a good idea to take out background noise, normalize your vocals and equalize them so that your sound levels remain regular. I also included sound clips from the film, but this takes longer! Other classmates of mine chose to do an interview for their podcast, but this also takes longer in the editing stage. There are also a lot of tutorials online which can show you how to do a lot of cool effects, how to edit out certain sounds or inflections, or how to smooth out or strengthen your voice.

Step Six: Listen and Enjoy
Here is a link to my newly produced podcast! I would love if you had a listen!
Debunking Disney: Hercules

Enjoy!