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This is gonna be a "so you want to start an audio fiction podcast" thread with general advice for people who haven't made a show but are thinking about it, or just starting one!
(Also disclaimer this is just my experiences not the only way to do stuff)
(Also disclaimer this is just my experiences not the only way to do stuff)
I've noticed people overlook a lot of the same stuff when they first start an AD show, so I'm dropping a bunch of random thoughts here to try to make people's lives easier. There's 15 points but I might add more later, who knows.
1) Write for sound. If you're coming to AD from another medium, some things don't translate. This is especially true if you don't have narration. For example, if you write "SFX: they pick up a mirror," that's not going to come across. How will the audience know it's a mirror?
(To answer my own question, it'll probably have to be in the dialogue. It's a restraint you wouldn't have in a novel or in theater - sure, you can add a metallic "shing" but how will people know it's not a knife?)
2) Finish your scripts before you cast anyone, unless you are intentionally working with no backlog (in fairness, there are reasons to do this, just look at @needsanamepod). But if you've got a set schedule, please please please finish season one before you cast.
I have been on many many shows where, once cast, I sat around for months before recording started. Or, we recorded the first episode and then sat around for months. Everyone will have a better time if you bring on your cast when you have all of your scripts.
The most common reason I've seen for delays are scripts not getting written fast enough. It's really hard to write a new episode every two weeks! If you've got a schedule, you might want to consider finishing the scripts before production starts.
3) If you've got a release schedule, have a backlog. Delays will happen, things will go wrong, people will need more time. I'm ignoring my own advice here with @SidequestingPod and this only works because I'm the producer/writer/sound editor and I'm willing to postpone releases.
4) When you've cast people, tell them how you're recording (synchronously? asynch?), if there's read throughs, what format you want recordings in, and where to send them. Also consider telling them more about their character(s).
The number of shows where I've been cast, joined the discord, and then been told nothing is.... high. I'm fine chilling there until I get information, but honestly it's kind of a red flag.
Also, tell your cast about the show! Is there social media? Is there a website? How are you crediting them? Ask your cast for the name/pronouns they want to be credited with.
5) Credit your cast in more than just the episode audio! Put them in the show notes. Put them on the website. Include pronouns and some sort of link to contact them (website, twitter, etc).
6) You should have a website! http://carrd.co is free and easy to use.
7) You should have transcripts! At minimum, put your script on your website for access. (carrd can do this)
7) You should have transcripts! At minimum, put your script on your website for access. (carrd can do this)
8) You should have a rss feed. I'm looking at you, youtube and soundcloud podcasts. I believe you can enable a rss feed on soundcloud, and if you're just on youtube? Anchor is right there and it's free.
9) If you have the money, pay the people helping you make your show. If you're making money with your show, PAY THE PEOPLE HELPING YOU MAKE YOUR SHOW.
10) If you can't pay people, you've got to realize they're doing you a favor. You're not entitled to people's time if you're not paying them. I've seen shows demanding hours of voice or audio work every week and acting like the exposure people got would be obviously worth it.
What does not being entitled to people's time mean? Give actors a several weeks to record their lines. Have flexible deadlines. Don't require in-person calls every week. When someone says something's come up, you change your schedule, you don't make them change theirs.
You should also be nice to the people working on your podcasts with you. I mean, you should be nice even if you're paying them, but it's way easier to leave an unpaid project if it sucks to be there.
(If I'm doing something for free and for fun and it stops being fun, why they heck should I keep doing it?)
11) In a similar vein, not everyone who joins your project is there to be your friend. Don't require people to hang out if they don't want to. If someone just wants to send you lines and be done, let them. (Sometimes I am just very busy and cannot spend extra time on a project.)
Please think about the purpose of a venting or nsfw channel in your podcast discord before you add it. Do you want the things they will bring? Maybe the answer is yes, I'm just saying to think about it!
12) Put effort into the things you make if you're asking people to help you make them. What do I mean by this? Don't put "idk lol" in your casting call club description. Don't have a bunch of typos in your audition lines. I've seen this so much and it confuses me a lot.
13) Have a legible script! Brad made a great thread of what not to do. https://twitter.com/HolographicVA/status/1316524228468977667?s=20
14) Okay this one is for the theater kids - you don't have to do live recording all the time and make your voice actors read three monologues to audition I promise. Audio fiction can be like theater but it doesn't HAVE to and some of those differences can make things easier.
15) Here's a bunch of free tools I found for making and promoting podcasts in a different thread. https://twitter.com/SidequestingPod/status/1183965064451092481?s=20
Big disclaimer time! I found most of these shows via CCC and many are not on twitter I am not trying to subtweet anyone. You do you!!!
