Perfectly Imperfect

Reading and Writing

Have you ever heard a podcast or listened to a video that just didn’t sound right? Perhaps the audio seemed muffled, or there were a lot of noises in the background. Sound is an important sense, and it plays a big role when it comes to communication. After all, we listen to a lot of different messages every day. If the audio file isn’t produced to the best quality it can be, it won’t be communicated as effectively.

As someone who has dabbled into podcasting myself, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Chapter 8 of The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video, which has to do with sound. Author Tom Schroeppel goes over the science of sound – including sound waves and how they act like ripples in a pond – as well as different types of microphones that can be used for audio.

“Microphones are imitators of our ears,” writes Schroeppel. This idea makes sense to me. I remember when my high school band director would talk about audio production. He would mention something along the lines of the perfect sound mix being loud enough for the sound to be amplified, but not too loud that it’s obviously being played through a speaker. If microphones are indeed like our ears, we need to be able to effectively produce audio that seems natural, clear, and seamless.

Different microphones have either an omnidirectional or cardioid pickup pattern. An omnidirectional mic does exactly what it sounds like: it “picks up sound equally well from every direction,” as Schroeppel writes. A cardioid pickup focuses solely on a single direction, and the “pickup pattern looks like a heart.”

With that, Schroeppel discusses various different types of microphones, one of which is lavalier. It is a small mic which can be clipped onto a person’s shirt. According to Schroeppel, “The lavalier is a small, electret condenser mic, normally designed with an omnidirectional pickup pattern. (Some lavaliers have cardioid pickup patterns.)”  I was first introduced to lavalier microphone at my current job, and I found that they work very well. Inspired by this, I recently purchased a set of lavalier microphones myself to vlog my trip to Seattle, and they’ve been a great investment. 

Aside from Schroeppel’s book, I also read through some articles on thepodcasthost.com. As a podcaster myself, this website truly piqued my interest. One article on this website that I specifically liked in particular is on “The Art of Creating an Invisible Podcast Script” by Mike Anderson, which goes over some key points in writing an episode script. I really needed this article, and I’ve recently been trying different scripting techniques myself. 

Personally, I tend to like the flexibility of knowing what I want to say while recording, while keeping the ability to say it naturally in the process. “So, when we say you should script your podcast episode,” writes Anderson, “we mean a bullet point plan for the entire show, with some sections fully scripted for clarity and slick delivery.” It turns out that to a certain extent, I had tried the indivisible podcast scripting method once without even knowing it! (Check out Episode 11 of “The Conversasean”)

Another article I read from the website is called “Best Podcast Format? Easiest, Popular, and Most Sustainable Options” by Colin Gray. These format options are outlined by Gray, and include:

1. Solo
2. Co-Hosting
3. Interview
4. Roundtable
5. Documentary
6. Fiction

On my podcast, I initially started with interviews. However, at this moment, I’ve been exploring solo episodes, since I find it hard to coordinate times to meet with people. “Again though, this podcast format isn’t without its challenges,” writes Gray, as “constant scheduling and finding guests become the order of the day.” 

But on the flip side, solo episodes are tough too, because everything is dependent on me! According to Gray, “This format means you only ever need to rely on yourself – but it can also be quite intimidating for the podcasting beginner.” And as a beginner, I do have to admit that it truly is a difficult hill to climb.

One day, I hope to have either a co-host or a roundtable with different people. Documentaries and fiction really aren’t my thing, but if I can get a person or a group of people to talk to, I think this podcasting thing just might work out for me…

Research To Inform

Content plays a huge role in my life. Not only do I create content as part of my career, but I am also a large consumer of content.

I listen to a lot of different podcasts regularly. A lot of them are great, with quality audio that is seamless, clear, and well-edited. Some of them are not as professional in terms of audio quality, but still have an engaging host or topic that make it worthwhile to listen to.

Still, I prefer high-quality podcasts. “The Futur with Chris Do” is one of them. I first got exposed to “The Futur” searching for graphic design videos to watch on YouTube. Chris Do is a graphic designer from California, who has made the transition into content creation and business consulting. The podcast verges on somewhat of the longer side, with Chris interviewing different guests in the creative industry. One recent episode of the podcast that I liked in particular was “301 – Discovering the Seven Frequencies of Communication,” where Chris Do talks to Erwin McManus, a megachurch pastor from Los Angeles, about his new book about communication styles.

Another well-produced podcast that I have listened to from time-to-time is “The Angry Designer,” which advertises itself as “No BS Graphic Design, Branding, Marketing, and Business Operations to Get Your Worth and Avoid Burnout.” The podcast is hosted by designers Massimo Zefferino and Shawn Charlisle, who are the founder and senior art director, respectively, of an agency called zfactor. These two individuals don’t hold anything back – many of the episodes contain expletives – and yet, their banter is engaging and unique, especially within the creative agency. I particularly enjoyed this particular episode, “The Canva Conundrum: Are DIY Tools Undermining Graphic Design?” Designers love to hate on Canva, but this episode seems to put everything into perspective.

As a person who loves leadership and personal growth, I am particularly drawn to podcasts about entrepreneurship. “The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett” is one of them. Steven Bartlett is a creative entrepreneur from the U.K. who was a “dragon” on the BBC show “Dragon’s Den” (which is the original basis for the American “Shark Tank”). One of my favorite episodes of the podcast is with entrepreneur and leading social media creator Gary Vaynerchuk.

Create

With all of this knowledge regarding podcasting and audio recording, it makes sense for me to make another podcast episode. Using a podcast planning template, I outlined my plan for an episode talking through my LinkedIn tips and tricks for college students and recent graduates.

I chose this topic because it is one that I am passionate about, and can easily talk about without a significant amount of prompting. As a content creator myself, LinkedIn is one of my favorite platforms. However, I constantly run into profiles that aren’t effectively utilized. In planning this episode, I was in the mindset of providing valuable and actionable insights that people my age can use to optimize their use of the platform.

There are some challenges that I have to face, however. For starters, doing a voice-only podcast with no video will require me to have a very engaging and charismatic tone that gets the audience’s attention. Additionally, I have a lot of content to cover in a short amount of time. I want to provide listeners with as much value as possible, without overwhelming them or rushing through important material.

Podcasting is a fun way to share your ideas and insights – I know it has been for me. When audio is produced so that it is clear and seamless, you know you have a quality production. But more importantly, the content has to be good, which is why planning is essential. I’m excited to make this new podcast episode, and to see where the podcasting world goes into the future.