Leading up to this project, I really had never been a part of a podcast. For the capstone I was drawn to it as this class is perfect for trying new things, so I thought why not a podcast? I had listened to many before, mostly centered around sports, and this medium seemed more informal and genuine to me than writing an essay or creating a video series. However, there were so many things that I did not know and had to learn.
First, I learned that brainstorming and planning is even more important for a podcast than in an essay. In an essay, the headings you brainstorm can almost automatically be filled with material. I have written out topic sentences for each paragraph to lay out a piece and then fill in the body of each thought and offer transitions, and the job is basically complete. However, with a podcast it is completely different. I outlined a list of questions to ask each respondent and planned to follow that script. However, each person offered their own unique narrative as for how they follow sport and how it has effected their own life. I realized quickly that it was incredibly more important to follow the conversation rather than my set of questions. This made my preparation even greater as I tried to prepare for any and every way the conversation could go.
Second, aside from contacting each respondent, planning a time to meet, and conducting the interviews there was so much more this creation process. It took me some time to tinker with and learn about the technology to most successfully record the podcast. It is so much more than pressing play and talking. I wanted my podcast to offer musical transitions and provide smooth alleyways between each interview. This objective had me spending a boatload of time on youtube trying to learn and mimic the ways that others have done this.
Overall, making a podcast was a lot of fun and taught me so many things that I never thought i would know. This was all possible through the minor of writing. While the process seemed laborious at times, it was definitely worthwhile.