What Makes A Podcast A Podcast?

As I was browsing through the reader today I happened upon a great blog post on Podcasting via Radio Drama Revival. It's very in-depth and lengthly, but touches on many points I agree with, and reminded me of exactly why I love podcasting as a medium above all others (I know, like I need reminding?). An excerpt of a part I sorta-kinda agree with:

Podcasts do not Have to be Polished and Professional

This one is non-negotiable. I was horrified and offended at Podcast Michigan by a presenter who spoke about how podcasts have "lowered the playing field." Among his talking points were many words to the effect of "be professional."

I couldn't disagree more. The podcast world is vast, and contains multitudes. "Polish" is code for "make it sound like everyone else does, or we will look down on you." "Professional" is code for "people without a lot of money need not apply." Oh, and also "people who want to record something important and true to them, but that won't fit into a recording studio, or sound just like NPR, need not apply." Really? I love some of what goes down on NPR, but it ought to be obvious that there is an NPR "style," and expecting everyone to conform to it is just as bad as expecting everyone to conform to the commercial FM radio style.

Read the entire entry here:
http://generalpurposepodcast.blogspot.com/2008/11/what-is-podcast.html

Why do I sorta-kinda agree? Well, the thing I love the most about podcasting is there are no boundaries, no limits. Only what you place upon yourself. That being said, in some cases I agree that there is no need to ever have that polished sound, depending on what you're podcasting about. (See the last entry and the audio on reasons your podcast sucks to get more details on that). It really depends on your audience and the reason you are podcasting (i.e. who you are podcasting for). There are also so many inexpensive and free choices out there to record/edit some very decent audio, which definitely can help anyone have a decent show if they are willing to put even a minuscule amount of effort into it.

Of course in special cases, such as a audio cinema podcast, some polishing is certainly necessary, but even then not 100% required. The beauty of it all is there is no one else you need to answer to other than you.

These of course are just my opinions of one part of a big blog post, and I'd love to know what you other audio addicts think!

Discuss! :-)

~Dani

5 Reasons Why Your Podcast Sucks (and on iTunes!)

I'm finally getting around to posting some of the audio/video links to some of the Podcamp AZ goodness!

Podcast AZ was streaming all day both days, and many guests stopped by to partake in the fun. You can watch some clips from the weekend riiiiight..... here. Dan and CJ of the Love Long and Prosper Podcast were amazing taking on the task of running the podcast all weekend.

Unfortunately audio was scarce (and if you have audio from the weekend please post it in the comments!), but a couple of great sessions were headed by Evo Terra. He also had a cool slide show to go along with his sessions. Click and enjoy!

*5 Reasons Why Your Podcast Sucks
*5 Reasons Why Your Podcast Sucks on iTunes

PS, clicky on the photo to get more photos from the weekend courtesy of the talented Sheila Dee!

Indie Band Survival Guide

Wanted to repost this informative gem for all of you audio and new media addicts out there. Shamelessly swiped from the Fun Anymore blog, which is the home of all things Evo Terra:

If you are serious about new media, I highly recommend this book, The Indie Band Survival Guide.

No, you don’t have to be a musician in an independent band. Yes, it was written with them in mind, but there are a huge numbers of takeaways.

Props to the boys at Beatnik Turtle for craning out an enlightening and enjoyable book that cuts through the bullshit and tells you — specifically — what it takes to navigate the waters of independent media production.

The section on copyright is fascinating. This book gives it all the weight the topic deserves, but explains it simple enough to allow anyone to grok the concepts. Kudos to them for carrying the conversation over to Creative Commons licensing as well.

Podcasters: you need this book.

Video producers: you need this book.

Vloggers and Bloggers: you need this book, too.

Get it.


It's on the list- thanks for the info, Evo!
~Dani

This weekend- Podcamp AZ 2.0

Well here it is- this weekend the 2nd annual Podcamp AZ comes to the valley, and I'm so excited! We've worked so hard this year to put together a first rate unconference, and I think- no, I know- we will pull it off!

This was truly a community effort. I don't think at any podcamp meeting there were less than 15 people. I may hate the summer weather and the politics of AZ, but one thing I love and what keeps me living here is the sense of community and support in the Valley of the Sun.

One of the sessions I'm most looking forward to is Evo Terra's "Five Reasons Your Podcast Sucks". Many others have moved on to video, or streaming audio for their shows, but I remain strictly an audio podcaster for my show. Those are the sessions that are going to interest me the most! :-) However there are many MANY sessions planned on a plethora of topics- something for everyone!

You can register all the way up through the weekend if you'd like to attend- it's absolutely free! Though, if you want one of the cool shirts, a donation would be appreciated!

Still need convincing? The great AZ weather (in November, not the summer!) and all the great sessions isn't enough? Well how about some photos from last year?

See you this weekend!

Audeeoh!

Here's a neat new company to check out from Georgia- Audeeoh!

Actually, they have been around a couple of years now, but are breaking out onto the podcasting scene with original audio dramas, like Butta and the Tower of Bling and The Shyster Club.

Great quality productions and fun in a soap-opera drama sort of way. Check them out!

http://audeeoh.com

Podcast Award Nominees Chosen

Voting for the 4th annual Podcast Awards is underway, and I have to admit it's quite an eclectic mix of podcasters this year! I'm happy to see several of my friends in the nominations:

Buffy Between The Lines
Comedy 4 Cast
Grammar Girl
Extra Points
...and many others!

Somehow even my little political podcast made it through the nomination process! Head over to the site and check out all the categories and nominees!

Voting goes through November 6th, and you can vote once a day, every day until then!

~Dani

Know What I Did Last Podcamp AZ?

I had a really great time- that's what! That time of year is upon us again here in the not-quite-as-hot-now Southwest. Last year was the inaugural Podcamp AZ, and it was such a success it just had to be brought back!

What's Your Source? This year's unconference is taking a look at what is relevant in media today. Whether we are talking podcasting or radio, video or even print, all of these media outlets are a source that is continually changing and advancing. If you want to be on top of it, then you should be at Podcamp AZ November 1st and 2nd. Sessions and interaction focus on the creation of all relevant media sources, and how to use those sources to work for you for whatever you want! It doesn't matter if you are a newbie coming in who has never turned on a computer (and if you are I will want to shake your hand!), or a more 'experienced' person with relevant media sources. There are always new things to learn and talk about- and Arizona is one of the best places to do it.

The speakers lined up this year are also something to look forward to. More referred to as "hosts of an ongoing conversation", they bring their knowledge of a topic to you, yet are just as willing (and wanting) to learn as well. Some of the awesome speakers lined up this year are Evo Terra, Doug Welch, Kathy Jacobs, Francine Hardaway, Brian Shaler, and Chris Pirillo! You can learn more about these speakers and see who else is scheduled by clicking right HERE.

You really can't beat Arizona in November- the price is right and the community is awesome and inclusive. Head over to the website and register NOW and come be involved in the second annual Podcamp AZ!

http://podcampaz.org

If you'd like to help spread the word about Podcamp AZ, here's a little promo you can play on your podcast or radio show:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/audioaddict/PodcampAZ08PromoMix.mp3

... or you can always spread the word in the relevant media outlet of your choice. GO! Register! See you November 1st!

Giallo Podcast Going Offline!

This is a heads-up to let everyone know that "Bloodbath at the Giallo Hotel" will soon be removed from the Afterhell podcast feed. If you wanted to check out our tale of gangsters, zombies, and other strangeness at the dawn of the Afterhell, but hadn't had a chance, go grab any and all of the nine installments now! Copy and paste this address into your podcast-catcher of choice:
http://www.afterhell.com/audio/AHSD.rss

The good news is that "Afterhell Volume 3: Bloodbath at the Giallo Hotel" will soon be released on CD! This is the same award-winning story as on the podcast feed, but with a full stereo mix and without the podcast bumpers. There will also be a bonus track!

Please check out the Afterhell blog at http://www.afterhell.com/news for further updates on Volume 3 … and Volume 4, in work now! As always, thank you for your interest in and support of "Afterhell."

SFF Audio Now Podcasting!

Only several years in the making (hehe!) - my friends Jesse and Scott over at the best blog for sci-fi audio news- SFF Audio- have finally been bitten hard enough by the podcast bug!

Here's what they say about this momentous occasion:
"Hey look! We’ve got our own podcast. This is the very first one, which includes SFFaudio founders Scott D. Danielson and Jesse Willis talking about audiobooks, audio drama, and cease and desist orders. We won’t desist podcasting if you won’t cease downloading them - whatever that means."

Why, it means awesome! You can grab the feed right here:

http://www.sffaudio.com/?feed=podcast

Two Awards Ceremonies This Weekend

This weekend was the ever-popular sci-fi convention Dragon*Con. Many of my friends online and off travel to Atlanta each year to party, dress up, and help bring more attention to podcasting. There are two podcast-related awards ceremonies during the weekend, the Parsec Awards and the Podcast Peer Awards.

The Parsecs awards the very best of sci-fi related podcast content, ranging from stories and podiobooks, to audio drama and fan content. The Podcast Peers are awards given out by other podcasters, and range from all sorts of categories, from podiobooks, to couplecasts and music.

I was honored to be involved in both awards, each in a different way.

To see the nominees and winners for the Parsecs, head to this link:
http://www.parsecawards.com/node/542

To see the nominees and winners for the Podcast Peers, head to this link (the winners are not the top podcast you see for each category):
http://www.podcastpeers.org/finalistsPPA5.html

To see who won for each PPA category, you can go here:
http://www.podcastpeers.org/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=126&sid=0122675bb28cc747020e0515ff97c5c8

Congrats to all!

Misadventures Of Sherlock Holmes

What does it take to crash a website? One really great audio drama! Season 1 of Dream Realm Enterprises summer hit The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes is complete, and awaiting your download!

UPDATE! Now this very popular series is being podcast! Get caught up and subscribe now!

http://dreholmes.blogspot.com/

This isn't your normal Sherlock Holmes mystery series. This series comes from the viewpoint of Doctor Watson, and the view isn't always positive when the light is shined on Mr. Holmes (or himself, actually). It's fun, witty, VERY well written (by Vince Stadon!), and still full of mystery and surprises!

The website also has interesting Sherlock Holmes history when you click on each episode.

Make the site crash again- head over and check it out today! ;-)

Sonic Society Live Call in Show Tonight and They Got an Amazing Voicemail!

The Sonic Society goes live tonight on CKDU in Halifax and will be taking you calls! The Cast of Gate (well some of them) will be there as well! So listen to the show live at http://www.CKDU.ca and look for the "Listen Online" link. You can call them after 8 PM Eastern Standard time at 902-494-2487 to be on the show!
Don't forget to leave them a message on Zug Beud, or email them at sonicsociety AT gmail.com

Oh, be sure to listen for the Zug call from The Big Goram Heroes, Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk. Yeah Those Big Damn Heroes.

National Parks Getting Into Podcasting

Having just returned from 6 weeks of traveling the US and the UK, I took special interest in how the National Parks are jumping on the podcast bandwagon. I found a couple great podcasts to help guide us around England, it's a very useful idea. If you are one who enjoys traveling around, podcasts are the perfect primer. All it takes is a little searching on the Google or iTunes!

From Podcasting News:

The US National Parks Service is getting into podcasting in a big way, and now offers 18 park service podcasts and virtual tours, offering hundreds of audio and video programs that you can get from park websites or iTunes.

The podcasts include:

1. Acadia NP
2. Antietam National Battlefield
3. Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP
4. Canyonlands NP
5. Clara Barton National Historic Site
6. Curecanti National Recreation Area
7. Everglades NP
8. Gettysburg National Military Park
9. Glacier NP
10. Grand Canyon NP
11. Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
    
12. Katmai National Park and Preserve
13. Mississippi National River & Rec. Area
14. Petersburg National Battlefield
15. Richmond National Battlefield
16. Rock Creek Park
17. Yellowstone NP
18. Yosemite N

Many parks offer interpretive podcasts about wildlife, history, and topical issues like climate change and fire management. The most extensive collection of park podcasts is from Yellowstone National Park where they are reaching out to new and nontraditional audiences to spark an interest in visiting the park. The Inside Yellowstone series has more than 50 episodes, which are one to two minutes in length. More episodes are on the way.

“Our podcasts give people from every corner of the earth the chance to fall in love with Yellowstone and become its stewards for the future,” said George Heinz, one of the writers and on-screen personalities for the podcast series. The park has another online series called Yellowstone InDepth that presents mini-documentaries on subjects like volcanoes, invasive species, bears, and wolves.

“While nothing can replace a personal experience in a national park, we think our podcasts will enhance people’s trips or give them the opportunity to learn about a park that they can’t visit,” said Mary A. Bomar, Director of the National Park Service. “Whether people download them to portable devices or watch them on their computers, these free electronic presentations give us another way to serve park enthusiasts of all ages.”

Other National Park Podcasts

Yosemite National Park launched a new monthly podcast called Yosemite Nature Notes. A printed publication of the same name began in the 1920s and existed for five decades. “Just like the earlier version of Nature Notes, our podcasts tell Yosemite’s stories from the perspective of the people who work here,” said Steve Bumgardner, videographer and producer at Yosemite National Park. “I like the idea that we’ve brought this institution back to life and that we use new media to put a personal face on the National Park Service.”

“My favorite podcast about Canyonlands National Park is the one on potholes,” said Carter, an 8-year-old visitor who watched all of the park’s podcasts before his trip. “It was so interesting to learn that tiny creatures are living in a bunch of dirt.” Carter’s sister Brooke, 11, appreciated knowing how to recognize cryptobiotic soils so she didn’t walk on the delicate crust. Their mother, Tiffani, thought the podcasts empowered her kids and said, “they loved being the experts and teaching us ( their parents ) what they learned while we walked around the park.”

At Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, people stop at overlooks along the South Rim Road and watch podcasts about geology, history, life, and recreation at those exact spots. Everglades National Park also has a car tour ( audio only ) that leads listeners on a guided exploration down the main park road. Four civil war battlefields – Gettysburg, Antietam, Petersburg, and Richmond – offer podcasts that allow you to walk or drive along as you listen to an NPS historian talk about decisive and dramatic battles.

Urban parks use podcast tours to reach local residents who may not know much about the parks they pass every day. For example, residents in Minneapolis and St. Paul can listen to information about Mississippi National River and Recreation Area while walking a four-mile loop near the river. Residents of Washington D.C. can download walking tours for Rock Creek Park and people in St. Louis can do the same for Jefferson National Expansion Memorial

Glacier National Park offers videos online about hiking, and rangers say the programs speed up the backcountry permit process. “Rather than having to watch the video at the permit station which is required, more and more visitors have watched it online ahead of time,” said Bill Hayden, Interpretive Specialist.

Other parks help people plan trips with podcasts, too. Visitors can learn about recreational activities at Curecanti National Recreation Area, like fishing, hiking, and camping. Katmai National Park and Preserve has an audio podcast weaving together music, stories, and tips for reaching that remote wilderness area.

Virtual Tours

While not available for download like podcasts, virtual tours are also available. For example, Clara Barton National Historic Site offers a virtual tour of Barton’s home, a building that served as the national headquarters for the American Red Cross. The tour allows visitors to navigate through all three levels of the house and gives access to images, text, and audio clips.

Acadia National Park has an eCruise along the rocky shores of Mount Desert Island and Glacier National Park offers eHikes that take visitors through stunning wilderness areas among glaciers, wildflowers, and bears.

New virtual tours are coming soon:

• Zion National Park will release an eHike for Angel’s Landing;
• Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will launch eHikes that go through the Sierra Nevada foothills or among the giant sequoias; and
• The Statue of Liberty will provide an eTour covering Liberty Island, the inside of Lady Liberty, and a 360-degree view from her crown.

Some worry that creating podcasts and virtual tours about national parks may keep people, especially children, disconnected from the actual places. “Personally, I don’t think that people are going to give up on the real thing,” said Todd Edgar, Media Specialist at Acadia National Park. “After learning about parks from our online resources, people want to get outside and explore on their own.”

For many other national park podcasts and virtual tours, go to www.nps.gov. If a park unit offers online programs, you will find them by clicking on “Photos and Multimedia” in the left navigation bar of their homepage.

Well what do you know

This is interesting, but the Twilight Zone has been made into radio dramas. I have always loved the tv series of course.

Stacy Keach plays the host of the program, with Blair Underwood, Luke Perry and Chris McDonald for starters.

The Twilight Zone™ Radio Dramas feature a full cast, music and sound effects and today’s biggest celebrities in modern radio dramatizations by Dennis Etchison of creator Rod Serling’s classic scripts. Hosted by Stacy Keach, The Twilight Zone™ Radio Dramas will keep you glued to the edge of your seat whether listening in your home or while driving in your car.

The recordings are not a resurrection of the past but new and fresh. Very sound recordings with a high standard in production.

The twilight zone is available in a set, get all the info here. A few are available to listen to. I had just listened to "Long Distance Call". Extremely good.

Get three free downloads here.

-=t=-

"Gate" Swings in for Summer

"The Sonic Society began its Summer Season last week with "Gate". A new ten-part series written by Jack Ward and produced by Jack and Shannon Hilchie.
Gate is an adventure fantasy series about a girl in high school who finds herself selected for a title and a power that she was not ready for.
Gate is another anomaly in the audio drama community as it will has been written almost completely in the month of June, recorded within a month and a half and will be edited and released with a new episode every week in the summer. Gate completes its run of ten episodes with a two-parter.
Tune in to "Gate" Tuesdays in the Sonic Society feed at... http://sonic.rnn.beta.libsynpro.com/rss today!

Oh, and did I mention I'm in it? Well, it's a small part, But I'm in it!

JT

Mark Time/ Ogle Winners!

Yay I can finally spill the beans! (Who said I couldn't keep a secret?) Congratulations to winners of this year's Mark Time Award for Science Fiction Audio, and Ogle Award for Fantasy/Horror Audio productions!

The Mark Time Awards are sponsored by MISFITS, and will be presented at
Convergence on July 3, 2008 in Bloomington, MN.
------------------------------

------------------------------

MARK TIME AWARDS

GOLD
Space Casey
Written & Produced by Christiana Ellis
www.spacecasey.com

SILVER
Androids and You
By Bill Stuart
Adapted & Produced by
David Hinde Chapman
Rattenfanger Radio
members.shaw.ca/ratten

HONORABLE MENTION
Mission Control
By Cynthia McGean
Produced by Sam A. Mowry
Willamette Radio Workshop
www.radiowork.com

OGLE AWARDS

GOLD
The Stuff of Myth
Produced/Written by Roger Gregg
Crazy Dog Audio Theatre
www.crazydogaudiotheatre.com

SILVER
The Dead Girl
Written & Directed by Kyle Hatley
Produced by Robert Arnold
Chatterbox Audio Theater
www.chatterboxtheater.org

and

Something Wicked This Way Comes
Produced by Chris Snyder, Mark Vanderberg, Jerry Robbins
Colonial Radio Theatre
Written by Ray Bradbury
www.colonialradio.com

HONORABLE MENTION
Afterhell, Volume 3: Bloodbath at the Giallo Hotel
Ollin Productions
Produced by Joseph Medina
and Jamie Lawson
www.afterhell.com

---------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Time Awards - http://www.greatnorthernaudio.com/MarkTime/MarkTime.html
MISFITS - http://www.misfit.org/
Convergence - http://www.convergence-con.org/

Congrats to everyone, and thanks everyone who sent in entries. You gave me some awesome audio cinema to listen to!

~Dani

Vindicatum part 1

The incredibly talented people at Pendant Audio have started their 2nd cross over event in their DC Universe. Things are going to explode in this one.... no really. This is a combination of 4 DC Fan shows: Superman The Last Son of Krypton, Batman The Ace of Detectives, Wonder Woman Champion of Themiscrya and Supergirl The Lost Daughter of Krypton. The shows are easy to join in during while not knowing the full story line because they do an awesome job of explaining the history as they go with out disrupting the story. Vindicatum is a great fan production that any addict should be listening to...

Another Zany Season Of 'Botz Comes To Close

It's been a season of ups and downs, but the last two episodes of Robotz of the Company Season 4 are now available on the podcast feed, as well as on the website!

Do they escape from Grease Monkey mountain? And above all else- what about Bob????

Head over now and listen! It's a nail-biter! ;-)

Podcamp Season!

Podcamp season is in full swing now, and thanks to Podcasting News here is a list of all the up-and -coming camps. Find one near you- and go! I've said in the past I prefer the "camp" atmosphere over the expo/conference one. I like being in an environment where I feel a part of something, and involved. Where my own experience in podcasting and relevant media matters, vs. just going and having people tell me how it is, or should be.

If there isn't a podcamp near you- well then, maybe you can be the one to bring a podcamp to your area? ;-)

• PodCamp Chicago Somewhere in Chicago - June 6, 7, and 8th 2008
• Podcamp Austin - Austin, Texas - June 20, 21, 2008
• PodCamp Seattle - June 21, 2008 - Seattle
• PodCamp Ohio - Columbus, Ohio - June 28, 2008
• PodCamp Boston 3 - Boston, Massachusetts, July 19-20, 2008
• PodCamp Michigan - TBD In Michigan, September 2008
• Podcamp Philly - TBA, September 2008 - More Information Soon!
• PodCamp Pittsburgh 3 - The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - October 18-19, 2008
• PodCamp AZ 2.0 - UAT PHX - November 1-2, 2008
• PodCamp Colorado - The Art Institute of Colorado - Denver, CO, November 7, 8 & 9 2008
• PodCampEDU2 The American University, Washington DC November 15 2008
• PodCampSA (South Africa) - 22 November 2008 - Johannesburg, South Africa
• Podcamp and PodCon Brasil in Curitiba, PR, Brazil, December 05 and 06, 2008.
• PodCamp SF - January 18, 2009 @ MacWorld SF
• PodCampWesternMass, Date TBD

You can get current information on upcoming PodCamps as the PodCamp wiki.

Parsec Award Nominations Now Open

Times flies when you're podcasting! It's that time of year again, the 3rd annual Parsec Award nominations are now open.

Oh... all right. They've been open since FEBRUARY. That makes me as big of a loser as this guy. ;-)

A couple of great promos though- spread 'em far and wide! (that's what she said.)

*Scott Sigler/JC Hutchins (totally not safe in any way.)
http://parsecawards.com/node/430

*The more, um, appropriate one!
http://parsecawards.com/node/392


It's always great to browse around the submissions, I always seem to find one or two or ten new things I want to check out!

~Dani

Cool Radio Project For Teens

Thought this little piece of audio news from my end of the planet was pretty neat.
~Dani

Radio project lets teens air their ideas, concerns

Tony Ganzer
Special for The Republic
May. 26, 2008 12:00 AM

Editor's note: This article was submitted by Tony Ganzer, Morning Edition producer for KJZZ-FM (91.5). Send your education news to lori.baker@arizonarepublic.com.

In my limited experience, there's an unfortunate truth when it comes to how and when people communicate with teenagers.

You may have seen them in the mall, or maybe they've cleared your table at the local burger joint, but it seems rare to hear a teenager's point of view about issues that matter to them, in their own words.

advertisement

Earlier this month, the Valley's NPR news station, KJZZ-FM (91.5), gave airtime to a few hard-working teens. Along with my duties as KJZZ's morning producer, I also steer the Sonic Roots program. I introduce students to public radio and to the skill of creating a three-minute, sound-rich radio feature. The topic is chosen by the students, and interviews are conducted mostly by the students (with a follow-up question or two from me.) And after the work, the students make it to air. The shows can be heard at kjzz.org/news.

Matt Butson, a student at Coronado High School in Scottsdale, is soon heading to college, and this transition has left him feeling confused, nervous and isolated.

"I'm not sure that I want to be a starving college student," Butson says in the feature.

That's why Butson chose to speak on the air with an educational psychologist about whether his confusion is "normal" and to Arizona State University's dean of admissions about how important choosing a major really is.

Butson offered a candid view of a young adult finding his way.

"Speaking with these professionals helped me focus on my future," Butson says in his story. "Bring it on."

Two students from Dobson High School in Mesa provided a look at Valley transportation issues. Rebecca Bever and Jessica Testa spoke with representatives from the Arizona Department of Transportation, Valley Metro, Metro light rail and their own peers, exploring how teens get around and how the system should change.

"Many teens, in our informal survey, feel that a more fluid mass-transit system is the Valley's answer," Bever and Testa say in their story. "Until better options come along, students are bound to keep doing what they have done."

These students chose to represent their peers' concerns through this project and to show that the younger generation is thinking about larger issues.

And one of my goals for Sonic Roots is to let students know: That's a good thing.



The Sonic Roots project encourages teenage civic engagement by giving them a voice in the media. It was funded by a grant from the Carstens Family Fund and Mike Minor.

Obsidian Promo Now Available

Coming May 31st- "When the power fails... chaos reigns."

An audio promo for the new 7th Son podcast, Obsidian, is now available for your listening and distributing pleasure: http://media.libsyn.com/media/jchutchins/7sobsidian_promo.mp3

Some of the most well-known names in the podcasting community are coming together to bring Obsidian to life- I'm excited to hear their views from the big blackout in the 7th Son podnovel. Some of the names include:

• Michael A. Stackpole
• Scott Sigler
• Tee Morris
• Mur Lafferty
• Matt Wallace
• Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff
• Christiana Ellis
• Evo Terra
• Dan Klass
• Wichita Rutherford
• TD-0013
• Soccergirl
• The cast of The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd
• George Hrab

Guaranteed to be a surprise every time! If you have not heard 7th Son yet, or need a refresher, you can get all the subscription information at http://jchutchins.net/site/.

~Dani

Dead LIne hit the Sonic Society

The Sonic Society unveils "Time Enough" from the Dead Line Anthology series. This is a podcast premiere of Shannon Hilchie's first hour long script and is already getting high praise for its "creepyness factor". Starring Schoel Strang and Jack Ward in the lead roles, Time Enough looks at murder in modern blogs.
Part 2 launches Tuesday the thirteenth.

New Award For Audio Cinema Excellence

If you are a listener of The Sonic Society, you know they bring a wide range of audio cinema to your ears each week. They have now jumped on the award wagon and are holding nominations for the best of the season, called (what else?) The Unis!

So very much to choose from! Here are the rules:

-review the list they provide at the link of all the audio cinema they've podcast this season.
-under the list you make your nominations (you can choose three)
-click submit!

It's so easy, a Unicorn can do it! Nominations close May 20th, so head over and choose what you think are the best shows SS has put out this season!

Podcasting In Plain English

I did one of these in audio form back in the good 'ol days of Sonic Society, but I have to say this is much MUCH better! Clear, to the point, and VISUALS!

It's TV Turnoff Week!

The perfect week to introduce your child to some great podcasts/audio dramas!

* Giddio Audio Adventures for Kids, featuring Billy Brown the Bear.
* Bedtime Stories My Kids Love Podcast, featuring the Adventures of The Man In The Can
* The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd, which most of the readers know is for the kid in ALL of us!

As for you big kids, you're not off the hook either. How are YOU spending TV Turnoff week? (Yes, you can record your favorite TV goodies like The Office- it will be there next week. Besides, that's Thursday so you don't have long to wait.)

I'm going to check out Chasing The Bard, and I've also been catching up on Metamor City too.

Put that remote DOWN!

Podcast Infection Spreads To Print

UPDATE: The SFGate has a profile of podcasting novelist Scott Sigler that looks at how he’s used free podcasts to promoting his writing career (from Podcasting News).

On 3/27:
Coming April 1st, the successful podcast novel "Infected", by horror writer/podcaster Scott Sigler will be released in print. I am always excited to see podcasters move forward in their successes! Not just excitement for them, but also for the light it brings to the podcasting world.

For the next couple of days, the book is available as a .pdf- for free! There is also an interesting post by Cory Doctorow on the Boing Boing blog about the download and how publishers work in general in promoting book releases. If nothing else, the comments always add to the enjoyment!

If you want to know more about the master of pod-horror, JC Hutchins interviewed Sigler on his latest UltraCreatives interview podcast (which btw is another podcast that you should be listening to, fellow addicts!). He doesn't make Sigler cry, but you are always assured a good time when Hutchins and Sigler are together!

~Dani

Interview of SFF Audio's Jesse Willis

UPDATE: I couldn't wait any longer, so I took a break in the midst of audio drama listening heaven to check out the interview. It took all day to listen to (thanks to my never-ending distracted life), and at the last 15 minutes I locked myself in a room and ignored the "Mom? Maaaahmmm!" coming from the other side just so I could finish it!

This was a great interview! Jesse is one intelligent person, and I thoroughly enjoyed his thoughts about the SciFi/Fantasy world, as well as his thoughts on podcasting and audiobooks. What was especially interesting and appreciated, are his thoughts about podiobooks vs. audio dramas. Jesse is not afraid to express his opinions about authors who decide to use sound effects and casts to podcast their books, but he does it with such class and true objectivity that you can't help but respect what he thinks.

Definitely one of the most enjoyable interviews I've heard in a long time. If you haven't listened yet, and have always been curious about the origins of the successful site SFF Audio, then this is a must-listen.

From 3/26:
I heard rumors there was an interview happening! My awesome
audio-blogging colleague Jesse Willis (which I am sure I do not have to tell you is the founder of SFF Audio), has been interviewed by the also awesome Chris Moody of PodioMedia Chat!

I hear it's a great chat, and unfortunately it's down a bit on my listening list, as I'm in the middle of listening to many, many Mark Time/Ogle entries! It shall be consumed by my earholes very soon, but until then all of YOU should go and listen!

http://podiomediachat.chrismoody.net/archives/73

~Dani

Sonic Society to Hit 100!

The Sonic Society will hit 100 Podcasts this upcoming week! So send your congrats to the Zug Line at 1-206-ZUG-BEUD that's 1-206-984-2383 or e-mail your well wishes to sonicsociety@gmail.com.

This week saw April Fools Day hit the SS with a totally different audio drama show called "Pony Talez". An Audio "Tail" that needs to be "herd" to be believed. So sit back and enjoy.

Happy 100 Jack and Shannon!

JT

Blackout.

BLACKOUT VIDEO - video powered by Metacafe


Yeah, JC knew I'd like this for some reason... ;-)

Go viral, and put this promo on your website of choice!

~Dani