This series is all about showcasing Libsyn podcasters. Its sole purpose is to introduce these awesome podcasts to the world as well as share their podcasting insight to empower the community!
Q & A with Cheryl from Movies Made Me
When did you start podcasting?
March, 2015.
I’d been thinking about it for half a year or so, but kept putting roadblocks in my own way, thinking that I needed to have an expensive equipment set-up to get started.
As soon as I really committed to the idea, I read lots of information online about how to do it, bought some inexpensive USB microphones and got started!
I posted my first episode with only one more ready to go behind the scenes. After posting three episodes, I submitted to iTunes. And now I’m getting close to my first anniversary of podcasting!
Why did you start podcasting?
I’d been deeply influenced by a couple of films in my life and kept thinking that other people must have had similar experiences. I wanted to hear those experiences, from all kinds of people, and thought that a podcast would be an effective way to share our conversations for others to enjoy, too.
I thought about starting a podcast for a few months, then began to see the concept of the influence of films in our lives popping up in all kinds of places and realized I’d better start my show, before someone else came up with the same idea!
What’s your show about?
Movies Made Me is about exploring the films that make us who we are.
Each of us has experienced a film that has altered us in some way, and while the influence may not always be hugely evident, it’s become part of who we are, part of our personality, our motivation.
Each episode, we have a guest join us to discuss the five films and three other items they feel have most influenced them to be the person they are today.
Each guest approaches the idea a little differently; some have been influenced personally, some professionally, some in very unique ways. And the films that have had an impact are sometimes very surprising!
We take the idea one step further, by also discussing three other influential items chosen by the guest; family, books, TV shows, events, anything goes in this portion of the show.
It’s a great chance to get to know more about how the movies we see and the experiences we encounter are incorporated into our deepest sense of self.
You’ll learn more about our guests you’re already familiar with and get to know new, interesting people you’ve never met, all through the shared experience of film.
What’s your podcasting set-up?
I record at the location of my guest’s choice, with two Blue Snowball USB microphones and my Samsung laptop.
On location, I use VoiceMeeter software to mix the audio and send it into Audacity to record. Later, I edit the file in Audacity to remove any stray audio or interruptions, and clean up the sound, sometimes including a bit of leveling or noise removal.
I then save the finalized audio as an mp3. File tagging is done with MP3Tag software.
Everything then gets uploaded to Libsyn (of course) and is posted to my WordPress site every other Monday at 12:00 noon, and to iTunes and Stitcher shortly thereafter.
How have you promoted your podcast?
I promote primarily through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I have dedicated accounts for the podcast on all three services. Twitter and Facebook automatically update from WordPress when a new episode is released.
I create images using guest quotes from each episode and post those to all three services, one quote in advance to tease the episode and another a few days after release to provide additional promotion, always with related hashtags to aid discovery of the show.
On non-release Mondays, I post a film-related question to encourage interaction from listeners.
For episodes with notable guests, I post as appropriate on social media pages related to the guest and their work.
Additionally, I attend local comic conventions and film related events wearing a t-shirt to promote the show (I love seeing people read the shirt!), invite potential guests I meet, and provide business cards to potential listeners.
I have also cross promoted by guesting on other podcasts and inviting their hosts to be a guest on my show. My guests have also been great about promoting my show to their followers and have recruited potential guests for me on their own initiative!
I’ve had some amazing people on the show, who’ve been sent my way by previous guests, because they so enjoyed the experience!
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
It’s important to keep an updatable list of guest invitations and their status. It can be difficult to remember everyone I’ve invited to be on the show and what point each is at in the booking process.
I just recently purchased a whiteboard, so I can track invitations sent, those who’ve responded that they’re interested, those I’m in the process of scheduling and those who’ve been finalized.
It helps a lot.
I also wish I’d known how difficult it is to get listeners to interact with the show on social media. Still haven’t cracked that nut.
And I wish I’d known that I wouldn’t much want to do anything but work on my podcast! It’s fun, it’s time consuming, and it’s been a positive experience far beyond my expectations!
You KNOW that you’ve at least watched one movie that has in some way changed or impacted your life – listen to see if that same movie has been the same for someone else! Or you can remember movies and other media that did mean something to you by SUBSCRIBING to Movies Made Me!
You can also engage in the conversation via Twitter and Facebook!
Do you have an idea in your head that keeps on popping into your brain – about a podcast? Hurry up and get started before someone else takes it! Host your podcast with us!
