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Hey #AudioDramaSunday! (
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🎙️" title="Studiomikrofon" aria-label="Emoji: Studiomikrofon">is this thing still on?)
I wanna talk a little bit about podcast trailers today. For some strange reason I& #39;ve made like 12 trailers in the past month or so, and I feel like I& #39;ve learned a lot!https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧵" title="Thread" aria-label="Emoji: Thread">1/
I wanna talk a little bit about podcast trailers today. For some strange reason I& #39;ve made like 12 trailers in the past month or so, and I feel like I& #39;ve learned a lot!
1st things 1st: Every podcast should have at least 1 trailer! Fiction, non-fiction, immersive storytelling or Just 2 Dudes Talking About Movies. Everyone! Give people a chance to decide if they like your show without asking them to sit through a whole episode. 2/
And your pilot is not always the best episode ever, it& #39;s just the one you need to be first.
(BTW, a trailer is also a great way to make sure your feed is working & registered on popular apps, so that your pilot actually drops the day you want it to.) 3/
(BTW, a trailer is also a great way to make sure your feed is working & registered on popular apps, so that your pilot actually drops the day you want it to.) 3/
There are generally a few types of trailers:
–Narrated clip montage
–Host-only read
–Longer preview clip
–Original scene / prologue
–[if I missed one plz tell me!]
Each one serves a specific purpose. Which does your show need? Don& #39;t be afraid to make more than one! 4/
–Narrated clip montage
–Host-only read
–Longer preview clip
–Original scene / prologue
–[if I missed one plz tell me!]
Each one serves a specific purpose. Which does your show need? Don& #39;t be afraid to make more than one! 4/
Narrated montages are great if your show lives in smaller moments, but they need context. (Very common in true-crime podcasts, a genre all about giving context to small clips.) 5/
Host-only reads skip the scrounging for clips & dives right for context. Excellent for shorter trailers – think 60-sec spots. Especially good if you& #39;re trying to advertise on other shows, as a lot of pre-recorded ad slots live in that range! 6/
Longer preview clips are great for tantalization. "Like this lil bit? Catch the whole thing!" Excellent if you have a KILLER scene/segment, one that encapsulates the vibe of the whole thing, or teases where the entire story might go. (Tends to be longer though, so careful.) 7/
If your show doesn& #39;t have a scene like that, you can make one! Record a shorter version of your talk show, or write a prequel scene for series. For the most effort(!), it can also make the trailer "essential viewing," so it feels more like part of your show & less like an ad. 8/
All of these different trailers are different techniques to do the same thing: build excitement & anticipation, that leads the listener to go "Oh YEAH, I gotta listen to that!"
To that end, MUSIC IS KEY!! Music choice & placement often makes the entire thing work. 9/
To that end, MUSIC IS KEY!! Music choice & placement often makes the entire thing work. 9/
Your theme song is a solid choice: ideally an intro to your show& #39;s vibe, that you already have. Esp. good for shorter host reads & clip montages.
Get short & long versions of your theme if you can. Separated stems for your theme are GREAT – allows for maximum versatility! 10/
Get short & long versions of your theme if you can. Separated stems for your theme are GREAT – allows for maximum versatility! 10/
But if your theme song doesn& #39;t quite match the trailer& #39;s vibe, don& #39;t be afraid to get a new track just for the trailer!
Eg: recently made a trailer for a workplace comedy w/ later menacing plot elements. But the trailer comes first so for music we swung into the comedy vibe. 11/
Eg: recently made a trailer for a workplace comedy w/ later menacing plot elements. But the trailer comes first so for music we swung into the comedy vibe. 11/
And a big part of this is editing. A trailer is about building momentum. Don& #39;t be afraid to use snappier edits in a trailer than you do in your show! Don& #39;t let things drag; punch in, do your thing, and get them into the main show as soon as possible. 12/
And lastly: Always remember who the trailer is for. Is it for new listeners? Returning listeners after a hiatus? Potential investors/advertisers? People who don& #39;t know what a podcast is?
And if you have more than one answer... make more than one trailer! 13/
And if you have more than one answer... make more than one trailer! 13/
I& #39;ll be able to talk about this more after they drop, but we& #39;ve made a BUNCH of trailers so far for @StarTripperHQ Season 2, in addition to S1& #39;s "The Sale."
A lot of work? Maybe. But we& #39;re zeroing in on our purposes, & making sure we have everything we need to succeed. 14/
A lot of work? Maybe. But we& #39;re zeroing in on our purposes, & making sure we have everything we need to succeed. 14/
And that& #39;s what a trailer is: a tool to set your show up for maximum success!
I wish you all successful shows, and I hope this breakdown has been a little helpful. 15/15
I wish you all successful shows, and I hope this breakdown has been a little helpful. 15/15
