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The sequel begins with what’s known as a mindfuck, I’ve been assured that it’s a very technical and widely accepted literary term. I’ve been assured many such things in my lifetime. While listeners may be dismayed to find before them a “Podcast about Podcast” as opposed to an aforementioned “World of Knitting” rest confident in the quality of what has been offered. It means well. And while success, relative though it may be, has yet to go to our heads, we have learned of fame, and its discontents. An unfortunate and unwanted fan had encroached upon our chitchat around the 7-minute mark. Like a creative child in an orphanage, please pay it no attention. We apologize for the inconvenience.
0:00 – The World of Knitting!...for another time alas. Greeting and Salutations from the Namu, a fortress of solitude if there ever was one.
0:22 – My cohort and I wish to explore, “Where Podcasts fit in the sphere of drama.” Come along for the ride will ya?
1:27 – The intro music, a mainstay among many an episode, be it Podcast or not. Here our chosen anthem presents what I’d refer to as audible “sleight of hand”, though others may coin “bait and switch”. Nevertheless, it’s evident how the chosen tune establishes some expectations for the audience. Our initial entrance was christened with the triumphant score of a nerd classic, quite fitting for the subject at hand. Though its successor cannot lay claim to the same rabid fanbase, we had hoped that it would echo the same “tongue in cheek” style of commentary we dish out by the bowlful. Surely if the episode were to being with a decidedly more somber ditty, the conversation would start off on the wrong foot.
The ebb and flow of the conversation too lends a hand in establishing a frame of mind for the performance. What interesting is that even when constrained by the necessities of a working interview, some podcasts maintain that loose structure. John Siuntres of popular “Comic Book Interview Show” wordballoon, sits down with different prominent authors from the medium. Though it takes on an admittedly question and answer vibe, the atmosphere of two friends geeking out is surely in full force. A few listens to an episode or two, and its easy to see how the form of podcasting keeps the conversation at a relaxed pace, shirking off any restrictive formality found in other such interviews.
5:35 - Our often cited Diggnation enjoys the benefits of being a video Podcast. With this they still share podcasting’s gift and curse of limited funding. Said lemons, when properly utilized, create a lemonade of decidedly sparse arrangements. The Diggnation crew opt for a relaxed social environment resembling a basement, or restaurant, or whichever. These pedestrian settings we believe only strengthen the conversational tone they seek to achieve. Making the best of what little you have, a tenant surely shared within other dramatic mediums.
The social atmosphere created by these sparse sets facilitates a sort of dialogue between the performance and the audience. A peer to peer conversation is had, and I suppose is thus appreciated more by the audience. You’d believe a friend’s opinion more than some guy in a suit a thousand miles away, or I should hope so. If not then I’m in need of a suit…
6:40 – The audience beings to learn the show, and understand what exact role they play in the performance. Not only does this serve to improve the show, but it succeeds in making the audience care more about it, as they are after all a part of it. For instance the 1up Yours, podcast is named as such because its intention to be defined by the audience. 1up Yours. A similar dynamic can of course be seen in performances such as the thoroughly discussed, Dionysis 69.
8:24 – I feel I should clarify what was meant by “performing to” and “performing for”. It’s a tough distinction to make, but the motivation spurring it is as follows. The audience is readily acknowledge and spoken to, where as in other mediums are aware of their audience and the content is aimed at them, but they are rarely, if ever, explicitly refer to. The back and forth provided by the former style brings the audience directly into it, and thus they are complicit in its quality.
10:15 – This dialogue between the audience and the performance is enabled, in some way, because of the lack of a true script. If we define the playwright and by extension the script, as an authority, the general lack of script in podcasting can be construed as a general absence of authority. With this comes many implications, most evident is the conversational dynamic it allows. In a group of peers no one stands as an authority, there is no set dictation for the dialogue. Thus a looser, freer discussion is had.
In the spirit of namedropping, I reference popular movie producer Judd Apatow. He’s known for leaving the cameras running after a scene, and letting the actors take it from there, improvising many jokes, a habit that has seen his movies reaching of a million feet of film. Seth Rogen, the star of many an Apatow production, shares his views on why improvisational dialogue is important.
15:58 – We briefly mention the nature of podcasting recording, the intensified manner of discussion, serving as a catalyst for character (persona) creation. A topic we hope to explore further. Upon dark clouds?
16:48 – Being Earnest, and the Importance thereof…or however it goes…
18:11 – Where exact podcasting fits within the aptly coined “Dram-o-sphere” is a question we may not have explicitly determined. What ever the location may be, our discussion, and further reflection upon it, has led us to see it in these broad terms.
Regardless of its particular form, and in truth large distinctions lie within this, podcasting can be seen as a window into the Social and Culture mindset of a particular group, performed to be greater understood. …phew!
18:34 – Knitting Norah’s Knitting Natter, said 3 times fast, for your tongue-twisting pleasure.
And there you have it, the sequel, in all its glory. Stay tuned for the History of Podcasting, and don’t touch that dial.
who knows what that’ll do…
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