There’s a big difference between a great idea and a great podcast. Just ask Jeff Emtman, who founded the successful documentary podcast “Here Be Monsters.” Before he ever picks up the microphone, Jeff has an elaborate preparation ritual, a process involving bathtubs, strategic forgetfulness, and good old-fashioned journaling.
Jeff will show you how to zoom in on the important parts of a story and forget the fluff, conceptualize sound and a story’s “dream tape,” and use self-doubt and existential dread as a creative tool. You’ll come away with real-world techniques for preparing for your podcast so that you can make your best work.
In this class, you’ll learn how to:
- Get over your fears of actually starting work on an episode and take the first leap.
- Compartmentalize and benefit from pre-production jitters.
- Focus on research at the beginning, not story structure.
- Prepare for the interview, both practically and conceptually.
- Use sound to deepen the impact of an episode.
- Doubt your story so you can find its flaws and improve it.
- Experiment with and subvert conventional structures.
