Evaluation
How it all started:
Before I started this project, I had just worked on a short documentary about transgenderism which I genuinely enjoyed creating and producing. Going into this project I was sure I was going to make another documentary as I had done the year before.
When reading an article about possible ideas for a short documentary the writer sited that her initial ideas had come from a podcast about her topic. At this point, I had little to no idea about what a podcast was and decided to investigate by listening to a string of popular podcasts suggested on Spotify, Such as The Adam Buxton Show, Hip Hop Saved My Life with Romesh Ranga Nathan & The Guilty Feminist. After spending a few hours listening to a variety of podcasts in the gym, on the bus and at work, I decided that I no longer wanted to make a documentary but would instead pursue making a podcast. I was intrigued by how accessible podcasts could be for the listener; podcasts unlike other forms of media such as short films or documentaries can be enjoyed in a variety of situations without the demand of being in front of a screen.
Over the last three years being in Stanmore College, I’d never tackled an audio-based project, doing so has made me feel as though I’ve expanded my horizons and I now feel I am capable to take on any project no matter the format or theme. However, at the start of the project I was very intimidated by this venture, as it would be a lot of work and dedication to learn a new skill when I could’ve taken a different root by doing a short film or documentary but that wouldn’t have satisfied me, and I would've beenboredthroughout.
Progression:
To start with the project was going to be purely a podcasting project, after significant consideration and discussion with people around me it was suggested the project should be expanded to a multi-platform project including graphics & active social media pages to accompany the progression of the podcast. It would also be used as a promoting tool for the various episodes and the series itself. Social media is also an excellent way to communicate with my target audience if I wanted I could have asked the audience questions for them to interact with through Twitter and Instagram pages I’ve set up.
Before creating my project proposal, I’d written down four ideas that I considered to be a reliable candidate for my final major project. The four approaches being as follows: An informative documentary focusing on dyslexia, an educational documentary concentrated on knife crime, a documentary about Mental health issues and finally the podcast series.
I decided to do the podcast series, as it was an idea that felt fresh and new to me, so I was excited going into the project. I feel as though the topics that could've been discussed through the documentaries could've been topics to discuss in the podcast if that was something I wanted to focus on. After considering the four ideas, which are outlined on my Idea page, I had decided that I would do the podcast project; I then continued to write my proposal.
After deciding that my project would be multi-platformed with a primary focus on the podcast, I began composing my project proposal. In this document, I had to reflect on what I’d learnt & developed over the last two years also including what pathway I hope to follow in the future.
Proposal:
In the proposal, I explained my goals forShit I learnt in my youthalong with the impact I hope it has on the audience. I want the audience to feel as though they can relate to the content we are discussing or at least learn something from the episode they've selected. I identified the type of research I plan on conducting, outlining the main tasks I prepared to take on for the initial study period. To clearly describe my project development, I created a timetable covering the 16 weeks of the project. In the timetable, I planned specific tasks that I would do on a weekly basis. I also planned on keeping a live calendar of all the commitments to the project as they were done I decided to do this, so I could best reflect on the issues I encountered and how I solved them aiding my problem solving and reflective pages.
Before completing my proposal, I had a firm target audience in mind. I wanted to make a series that would be accessible to people aged 18-25. The topics discussed in the series are things that I’m currently learning in my youth or others have learnt in theirs at this particular point in their lives. Giving humorous advice on real-life experiences that the audience could relate to.
Overall, I feel that my proposal is a dynamic document that outlines the foundations of my project clearly. Giving me a good sense of direction for the weeks to come. I believe this is because I was able to create my deadlines and expectations for the project, which are held to a high standard. Through the topics outlined in the proposal, I was able to make a research plan in the form of essays I planned on conducting. Doing this gave me clear and manageable goals for the project, which I was able to achieve through the use of time management and organisational skills that were initially established through the proposal. However, when it came to completing the tasks, I found it harder than initially anticipated, at that point in the project I wasn’t sure what research tasks would apply to a podcast project.
Before I started this project, I had just worked on a short documentary about transgenderism which I genuinely enjoyed creating and producing. Going into this project I was sure I was going to make another documentary as I had done the year before.
When reading an article about possible ideas for a short documentary the writer sited that her initial ideas had come from a podcast about her topic. At this point, I had little to no idea about what a podcast was and decided to investigate by listening to a string of popular podcasts suggested on Spotify, Such as The Adam Buxton Show, Hip Hop Saved My Life with Romesh Ranga Nathan & The Guilty Feminist. After spending a few hours listening to a variety of podcasts in the gym, on the bus and at work, I decided that I no longer wanted to make a documentary but would instead pursue making a podcast. I was intrigued by how accessible podcasts could be for the listener; podcasts unlike other forms of media such as short films or documentaries can be enjoyed in a variety of situations without the demand of being in front of a screen.
Over the last three years being in Stanmore College, I’d never tackled an audio-based project, doing so has made me feel as though I’ve expanded my horizons and I now feel I am capable to take on any project no matter the format or theme. However, at the start of the project I was very intimidated by this venture, as it would be a lot of work and dedication to learn a new skill when I could’ve taken a different root by doing a short film or documentary but that wouldn’t have satisfied me, and I would've beenboredthroughout.
Progression:
To start with the project was going to be purely a podcasting project, after significant consideration and discussion with people around me it was suggested the project should be expanded to a multi-platform project including graphics & active social media pages to accompany the progression of the podcast. It would also be used as a promoting tool for the various episodes and the series itself. Social media is also an excellent way to communicate with my target audience if I wanted I could have asked the audience questions for them to interact with through Twitter and Instagram pages I’ve set up.
Before creating my project proposal, I’d written down four ideas that I considered to be a reliable candidate for my final major project. The four approaches being as follows: An informative documentary focusing on dyslexia, an educational documentary concentrated on knife crime, a documentary about Mental health issues and finally the podcast series.
I decided to do the podcast series, as it was an idea that felt fresh and new to me, so I was excited going into the project. I feel as though the topics that could've been discussed through the documentaries could've been topics to discuss in the podcast if that was something I wanted to focus on. After considering the four ideas, which are outlined on my Idea page, I had decided that I would do the podcast project; I then continued to write my proposal.
After deciding that my project would be multi-platformed with a primary focus on the podcast, I began composing my project proposal. In this document, I had to reflect on what I’d learnt & developed over the last two years also including what pathway I hope to follow in the future.
Proposal:
In the proposal, I explained my goals forShit I learnt in my youthalong with the impact I hope it has on the audience. I want the audience to feel as though they can relate to the content we are discussing or at least learn something from the episode they've selected. I identified the type of research I plan on conducting, outlining the main tasks I prepared to take on for the initial study period. To clearly describe my project development, I created a timetable covering the 16 weeks of the project. In the timetable, I planned specific tasks that I would do on a weekly basis. I also planned on keeping a live calendar of all the commitments to the project as they were done I decided to do this, so I could best reflect on the issues I encountered and how I solved them aiding my problem solving and reflective pages.
Before completing my proposal, I had a firm target audience in mind. I wanted to make a series that would be accessible to people aged 18-25. The topics discussed in the series are things that I’m currently learning in my youth or others have learnt in theirs at this particular point in their lives. Giving humorous advice on real-life experiences that the audience could relate to.
Overall, I feel that my proposal is a dynamic document that outlines the foundations of my project clearly. Giving me a good sense of direction for the weeks to come. I believe this is because I was able to create my deadlines and expectations for the project, which are held to a high standard. Through the topics outlined in the proposal, I was able to make a research plan in the form of essays I planned on conducting. Doing this gave me clear and manageable goals for the project, which I was able to achieve through the use of time management and organisational skills that were initially established through the proposal. However, when it came to completing the tasks, I found it harder than initially anticipated, at that point in the project I wasn’t sure what research tasks would apply to a podcast project.
Pecha Kucha:
After finalising my proposal, I moved onto my Pecha Kucha. (a Pecha Kucha is a 20 paged slide, each slide must last twenty seconds. So is often described as a 20x20 presentation)Before starting the presentation, I decided that I would include some memes ([49]an image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature.) At the start of the project, I had decided my target audience is people between 18-25 years old. Most 18-25-year olds I know are invested in meme culture, so I felt it was an appropriate way to anchor in my audience into the podcast series before starting production.
I feel as though this was a successful move on my part because I was given many compliments on my home-made memes and the effect they had on the audience during the Pecha Kucha.( SEE FIGURE ONE) Through the Pecha Kucha, I had a clear idea of what would be included on each slide, I had spent a lot of time planning the project so speaking about it felt very fluent giving my audience a clear idea of what I planned on doing for my final major project . The presentation style itself was a mess, I spoke very fast because I suffer from anxiety, so I missed some key points that were cleared up during the Q&A portion of the presentation.
I was later given feedback by the class it wasn’t really constructive feedback, but more so compliments about the idea also commenting that I had a great understanding of my project and how I want to pursue it further. After the Pecha Kucha, I was given the go-ahead for my project, so I was able to swiftly move on.
After finalising my proposal, I moved onto my Pecha Kucha. (a Pecha Kucha is a 20 paged slide, each slide must last twenty seconds. So is often described as a 20x20 presentation)Before starting the presentation, I decided that I would include some memes ([49]an image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature.) At the start of the project, I had decided my target audience is people between 18-25 years old. Most 18-25-year olds I know are invested in meme culture, so I felt it was an appropriate way to anchor in my audience into the podcast series before starting production.
I feel as though this was a successful move on my part because I was given many compliments on my home-made memes and the effect they had on the audience during the Pecha Kucha.( SEE FIGURE ONE) Through the Pecha Kucha, I had a clear idea of what would be included on each slide, I had spent a lot of time planning the project so speaking about it felt very fluent giving my audience a clear idea of what I planned on doing for my final major project . The presentation style itself was a mess, I spoke very fast because I suffer from anxiety, so I missed some key points that were cleared up during the Q&A portion of the presentation.
I was later given feedback by the class it wasn’t really constructive feedback, but more so compliments about the idea also commenting that I had a great understanding of my project and how I want to pursue it further. After the Pecha Kucha, I was given the go-ahead for my project, so I was able to swiftly move on.
Research:
I always find research the most exciting and intriguing part of any project to start with I created an account with Monday.Com (Monday.com is a planning and scheduling website which allows for the user to have a visual list of the various aspects of their record).So I could have a clear idea of what tasks I would be executing. At the start of the project I struggled to begin my research because I didn’t know how to approach researching podcasts, I decided I would consider the key topics that need to be considered when making short or documentary things such as target audience, contextual analysis & industry knowledge. Once establishing the tasks, I took them head-on. I found my contextual analysis essay hard to write. Usually writing a contextual analysis essay is my strong point, so not being able to write one was very intimidating for me. After discussing it with my lecturer, I had a better understanding of what would be required for the task. Podcasting is such a new format of media it has not yet emerged to a standardised set of conventions, so I instead spoke about the codes of different media formats, which influence the format of a podcast.
Regarding primary research, I did four mains tasks. The first being a mock podcast episode with my mother, which allowed me to learn errors, I could make in the final production, and how I could avoid them in the future. The second being target audience research this was done by creating a questionnaire and broadcasting it on various social media pages such as Tumblr (658 followers) & Instagram (301 followers). I was able to get 74 responses which I feel is a small sample, but it is large enough to be considered credible, 63.5% of people who answered my question listened to podcasts. Most people who replied to my questionnaire were within my desired age demographic; this could be because of the type of people who follow me on my various social media pages. Which influenced my target audience demographic I believe that my audience demographic is 18-25-year olds primarily mixed gender, white and middle-class. If we examine those who took part in my project, we can see that ⅗of them are white which would influence the cultures that’d be interested in my podcast. The third being another questionnaire about my logo design which affects the final design. And finally, an interview I’d done with fantasy podcaster Kevin Cryptids, having an open dialogue and a discussion with Kevin Cryptids was very refreshing because it allowed me to understand the real world of podcasting, he also allowed me to understand that podcasting isn’t a main source of income for the team, but is more or less a hobby.
It was also challenging to get hold of him because he lives in America and the podcast isn’t his main source of income so he didn’t pay much attention to my emails as they went through his business email. It took two months to arrange an interview with him, which eventually became sending him a list of questions. The initial idea was to do a Skype interview but neither of us could match a time the other would be awake or not at work. So we settled with a written interview instead, as recorded in my reflective log.
Smaller tasks include researching elements of logos and social media pages. I decided to do breakdowns of the various logos of podcasts I listen to; this allowed me to have a better understanding of the multiple elements of logos, this influenced me to understand logos and how to utilise different types of styles. I also did primary research about what others thought about my initial logo design, using the typeface and design concepts, which I initially put, in place. Which influenced the outcome of the final logo.
Overall, I feel as though my research propelled me through my project allowing me to have a bright idea of where I was going next in the next few stages which allowed me to feel confident through the project, allowing me to work at my best capacity for the following three steps.
Pre-production:
I was able to move onto the pre-production. The pre-production stage was straightforward; I wrote a to-do list of what I’d have to do so it wouldn’t leave any room for error. Podcasts generally have little to no pre-production documents especially in the style of my podcast, which is autobiographical. I decided to improvise my pre-production paperwork instead. I created what I felt would be relevant to my projects documents such as explaining my podcast, creating mind maps covering the various ideas, making consent forms and location scouting comparing the different technical difference between the equipment available in college and what I will have available to me at BigBoss Studios. Furthermore, I developed a daily breakdown of my project, so I could reflect on the process and how I’d been doing regarding my time management. However, This was aided by what I initially planned to do in my project proposal. When planning the logos and episode artwork there were a few tasks to do, I drew ideas and sketched basic shapes to describe the various episodes and how they’ll turn out in the end and why I picked the style I did. The project has a social media aspect, so I decided to make a distribution plan, this outline when I’ll be posting various things on the five different social media pages (Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud, Speakero and YouTube) I’ll also be using it to promote and distribute the project.
Production:
When it comes to the actual production of my work, it was very simple. I had booked the studio months in advance so that it would be secured for my use because the Big Boss Studios has a lot of regular business so is difficult to book last minute. I also booked other days in case the episodes couldn’t be completed.
The biggest setback I experienced was consistently rescheduling episode three and five, either due to family demands or lack of time. It was rescheduled on three occasions, which were very upsetting and stressful. It made me feel as though I had fallen behind on my project, and that I no longer had control over the process which made me feel anxious (however, I hadn’t fallen behind in the project because I had scheduled to finish it two weeks in advance, so I could make up for episodes I didn’t like or rescheduling) Luckily I was able to complete all recordings by the 5th May 2018, giving me a month to write an evaluation and complete the project. Production consisted of me setting up the studio space by moving two chairs into the recording booth, setting the EQ’S using the mixer and setting up presets so the project would be recorded to my liking. Each episode recording ran for 30-45 minutes, so I had a lot of content to cut through. Podcast episodes usually run between 20-45 minutes, so the episodes ran to a podcast regulated time. I intended for episodes to run for 30- 35 minutes, but it was going to different per episode which is a common thing seen in a podcasts series.After listening back to the episodes, I was happy with the final product but what would’ve made it crisper was using two mics instead of one. I decided to use RODE NT2 mic in the setting of a figure 8 so the co-host and myself could record in one place. I would’ve found it difficult to edit two voices together, but in retrospect that’s something I wish I would do. I generally talk louder than most people, which is noticeable in the podcast, however it doesn’t make much of a difference for the final product because the voices are levelled. There is also a quiet buzzing sound, which I was able to edit down, rolling back the EQ settings (see figure two) so that it silently sits in the background which is something that is found in many podcast productions such as the true crime all the time podcast show. This is something I generally like about podcasts, that they aren’t made to be perfect and have a rough edge to them.
I always find research the most exciting and intriguing part of any project to start with I created an account with Monday.Com (Monday.com is a planning and scheduling website which allows for the user to have a visual list of the various aspects of their record).So I could have a clear idea of what tasks I would be executing. At the start of the project I struggled to begin my research because I didn’t know how to approach researching podcasts, I decided I would consider the key topics that need to be considered when making short or documentary things such as target audience, contextual analysis & industry knowledge. Once establishing the tasks, I took them head-on. I found my contextual analysis essay hard to write. Usually writing a contextual analysis essay is my strong point, so not being able to write one was very intimidating for me. After discussing it with my lecturer, I had a better understanding of what would be required for the task. Podcasting is such a new format of media it has not yet emerged to a standardised set of conventions, so I instead spoke about the codes of different media formats, which influence the format of a podcast.
Regarding primary research, I did four mains tasks. The first being a mock podcast episode with my mother, which allowed me to learn errors, I could make in the final production, and how I could avoid them in the future. The second being target audience research this was done by creating a questionnaire and broadcasting it on various social media pages such as Tumblr (658 followers) & Instagram (301 followers). I was able to get 74 responses which I feel is a small sample, but it is large enough to be considered credible, 63.5% of people who answered my question listened to podcasts. Most people who replied to my questionnaire were within my desired age demographic; this could be because of the type of people who follow me on my various social media pages. Which influenced my target audience demographic I believe that my audience demographic is 18-25-year olds primarily mixed gender, white and middle-class. If we examine those who took part in my project, we can see that ⅗of them are white which would influence the cultures that’d be interested in my podcast. The third being another questionnaire about my logo design which affects the final design. And finally, an interview I’d done with fantasy podcaster Kevin Cryptids, having an open dialogue and a discussion with Kevin Cryptids was very refreshing because it allowed me to understand the real world of podcasting, he also allowed me to understand that podcasting isn’t a main source of income for the team, but is more or less a hobby.
It was also challenging to get hold of him because he lives in America and the podcast isn’t his main source of income so he didn’t pay much attention to my emails as they went through his business email. It took two months to arrange an interview with him, which eventually became sending him a list of questions. The initial idea was to do a Skype interview but neither of us could match a time the other would be awake or not at work. So we settled with a written interview instead, as recorded in my reflective log.
Smaller tasks include researching elements of logos and social media pages. I decided to do breakdowns of the various logos of podcasts I listen to; this allowed me to have a better understanding of the multiple elements of logos, this influenced me to understand logos and how to utilise different types of styles. I also did primary research about what others thought about my initial logo design, using the typeface and design concepts, which I initially put, in place. Which influenced the outcome of the final logo.
Overall, I feel as though my research propelled me through my project allowing me to have a bright idea of where I was going next in the next few stages which allowed me to feel confident through the project, allowing me to work at my best capacity for the following three steps.
Pre-production:
I was able to move onto the pre-production. The pre-production stage was straightforward; I wrote a to-do list of what I’d have to do so it wouldn’t leave any room for error. Podcasts generally have little to no pre-production documents especially in the style of my podcast, which is autobiographical. I decided to improvise my pre-production paperwork instead. I created what I felt would be relevant to my projects documents such as explaining my podcast, creating mind maps covering the various ideas, making consent forms and location scouting comparing the different technical difference between the equipment available in college and what I will have available to me at BigBoss Studios. Furthermore, I developed a daily breakdown of my project, so I could reflect on the process and how I’d been doing regarding my time management. However, This was aided by what I initially planned to do in my project proposal. When planning the logos and episode artwork there were a few tasks to do, I drew ideas and sketched basic shapes to describe the various episodes and how they’ll turn out in the end and why I picked the style I did. The project has a social media aspect, so I decided to make a distribution plan, this outline when I’ll be posting various things on the five different social media pages (Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud, Speakero and YouTube) I’ll also be using it to promote and distribute the project.
Production:
When it comes to the actual production of my work, it was very simple. I had booked the studio months in advance so that it would be secured for my use because the Big Boss Studios has a lot of regular business so is difficult to book last minute. I also booked other days in case the episodes couldn’t be completed.
The biggest setback I experienced was consistently rescheduling episode three and five, either due to family demands or lack of time. It was rescheduled on three occasions, which were very upsetting and stressful. It made me feel as though I had fallen behind on my project, and that I no longer had control over the process which made me feel anxious (however, I hadn’t fallen behind in the project because I had scheduled to finish it two weeks in advance, so I could make up for episodes I didn’t like or rescheduling) Luckily I was able to complete all recordings by the 5th May 2018, giving me a month to write an evaluation and complete the project. Production consisted of me setting up the studio space by moving two chairs into the recording booth, setting the EQ’S using the mixer and setting up presets so the project would be recorded to my liking. Each episode recording ran for 30-45 minutes, so I had a lot of content to cut through. Podcast episodes usually run between 20-45 minutes, so the episodes ran to a podcast regulated time. I intended for episodes to run for 30- 35 minutes, but it was going to different per episode which is a common thing seen in a podcasts series.After listening back to the episodes, I was happy with the final product but what would’ve made it crisper was using two mics instead of one. I decided to use RODE NT2 mic in the setting of a figure 8 so the co-host and myself could record in one place. I would’ve found it difficult to edit two voices together, but in retrospect that’s something I wish I would do. I generally talk louder than most people, which is noticeable in the podcast, however it doesn’t make much of a difference for the final product because the voices are levelled. There is also a quiet buzzing sound, which I was able to edit down, rolling back the EQ settings (see figure two) so that it silently sits in the background which is something that is found in many podcast productions such as the true crime all the time podcast show. This is something I generally like about podcasts, that they aren’t made to be perfect and have a rough edge to them.
Final products:
I am generally very happy with the range of final products; I will first talk about the graphics. I actually really like the range of graphics I’ve done for the project. I find the logo for the show very aesthetically pleasing and match the tone of the project itself. The logo idea went through a few adjustments before I concluded the final idea. The yellow is meant to represent the colour of hair I had growing up (which was bright blonde), and the colour blue represents a set of glasses I once had. This series is autobiographical, so the design was meant to be very personal which is also why I used a hand-written style of typography. Feedback on the logo design has been positive all round it’s a very minimalist style, which I find very aesthetically pleasing. I am generally very pleased with the logo design for the series. The graphics per episode went through some phases before the final product. As you can see through the pre-production log, I decided to sketch some ideas to get a strong grasp of what I would want to do. I decided through the logo that I wanted to have a minimalist style with a main focus on a simple design for the audience, so they could glance at the artwork and pick an episode. I am really pleased with the final pieces for the project and I generally think they’re perfect for the series and the series content. The growing up episodes artwork was going to be changed because the subject changed but once showing it to a few people after them listening to the episodes they decided it matched. One representative (Jay) said, “Ilove the artwork as it links with his younger and earlier life. It shows how he has grown up into a solider” which gave me confidence about the episode artwork.
I also made Instagram photos out of pull quotes from the episodes; I used a simple gradient of the two colours I’ve used in the project the same typography and my logo in the corner for it to be identified to the series. I listened to each episode and pulled the most interesting quotes from the content for the audience to pick episodes not only from the graphics but what they can expect from the episodes. Alongside the graphics, I had created two social media accounts. I decided to use twitter and Instagram, so the audience could easily get in contact with me through the sits.
I decided when using twitter, I would use gifs and memes to engage the audiences. I also decided to ask them questions, when recording the future episode my mother was being childish, so I casually called her Edina, which is a reference to the BBC show, absolutely fabulous, which I tweeted about asking if the audience’s parents ever had Eddie days. The Instagram content was made using pull quotes as spoke about above. I’m really proud of the podcast episodes because there actually better than I expected the content is smoother and to a very high professional quality. If I were to do the project again I would use two mics as spoke about above. However, I am very happy with the final products and the content. My three favourite episodes are University, Growing up and Friendship. I think the content is very interesting and if it weren’t my podcast series I would listen to the episodes by choice.
I am generally very happy with the range of final products; I will first talk about the graphics. I actually really like the range of graphics I’ve done for the project. I find the logo for the show very aesthetically pleasing and match the tone of the project itself. The logo idea went through a few adjustments before I concluded the final idea. The yellow is meant to represent the colour of hair I had growing up (which was bright blonde), and the colour blue represents a set of glasses I once had. This series is autobiographical, so the design was meant to be very personal which is also why I used a hand-written style of typography. Feedback on the logo design has been positive all round it’s a very minimalist style, which I find very aesthetically pleasing. I am generally very pleased with the logo design for the series. The graphics per episode went through some phases before the final product. As you can see through the pre-production log, I decided to sketch some ideas to get a strong grasp of what I would want to do. I decided through the logo that I wanted to have a minimalist style with a main focus on a simple design for the audience, so they could glance at the artwork and pick an episode. I am really pleased with the final pieces for the project and I generally think they’re perfect for the series and the series content. The growing up episodes artwork was going to be changed because the subject changed but once showing it to a few people after them listening to the episodes they decided it matched. One representative (Jay) said, “Ilove the artwork as it links with his younger and earlier life. It shows how he has grown up into a solider” which gave me confidence about the episode artwork.
I also made Instagram photos out of pull quotes from the episodes; I used a simple gradient of the two colours I’ve used in the project the same typography and my logo in the corner for it to be identified to the series. I listened to each episode and pulled the most interesting quotes from the content for the audience to pick episodes not only from the graphics but what they can expect from the episodes. Alongside the graphics, I had created two social media accounts. I decided to use twitter and Instagram, so the audience could easily get in contact with me through the sits.
I decided when using twitter, I would use gifs and memes to engage the audiences. I also decided to ask them questions, when recording the future episode my mother was being childish, so I casually called her Edina, which is a reference to the BBC show, absolutely fabulous, which I tweeted about asking if the audience’s parents ever had Eddie days. The Instagram content was made using pull quotes as spoke about above. I’m really proud of the podcast episodes because there actually better than I expected the content is smoother and to a very high professional quality. If I were to do the project again I would use two mics as spoke about above. However, I am very happy with the final products and the content. My three favourite episodes are University, Growing up and Friendship. I think the content is very interesting and if it weren’t my podcast series I would listen to the episodes by choice.
Student Feedback:
Before submitting my final major project pieces, I listened to the episodes and found minor errors, which I was able to quickly fix. I then made a final survey created with my target audience in mind, I asked five people to listen to the podcast and give feedback using the questioner provided. I understand that 5 people is not a big sample in regards to showcasing a media product, but for the project I feel as though it is currently a sound sample. Podcasts usually take years to gain any following so the fact I was able to get five people to listen to it who would subscribe is a small success. The feedback was very helpful and reassured me that the quality of my work was to a high standard. The survey focused mostly on my podcast, all of my respondents felt that the podcast was interesting, humorous and entertaining they also noted that the conversation was easy to follow, consistent and to a professional quality. It was suggested that the show would benefit from an intro to explain the content of the episode and what we spoke about in the last episode, so the show feels consistent and interconnected. After receiving this feedback, I decided I would return to the studio to add an intro. I feel as though this gives the audience a clear indication that the episodes are all from the same series.
Overall feedback from respondents was very positive and kind about my project. I was given a few constructive comments such as the hissing sound, which was in a few episodes, which was easily changed through adjusting the noise gate, so it now sits silently and consistently through the background. I also asked my respondents if they’d subscribe to the series and each respondent said they would, one commented they would, but it would take a long time for them to get through it because it isn’t there usual cup of tea, which I took as a compliment. It was also mentioned that people learnt things about the topics discussed or related to them, which was the aim of making the project. When asking a candidate "What did you enjoy about the episode" (in regards to episode four) the candidate commented "EVERYTHING. I found it really relatable which is unusual to me as people don't often understand how I feel when it come to friendship and equally I’m bad at explaining how I feel something so knowing I'm not the only one is reassuring."(See figure three) Another candidate commented that In regards to episode three “it gives me some knowledge of how a student turns into a solider”Which is what that episode was made to do, the episodes are meant to either teach the listeners on the topic of conversation or for them to relate to the content, so I feel the series was successful in its goal to teach others.
Before submitting my final major project pieces, I listened to the episodes and found minor errors, which I was able to quickly fix. I then made a final survey created with my target audience in mind, I asked five people to listen to the podcast and give feedback using the questioner provided. I understand that 5 people is not a big sample in regards to showcasing a media product, but for the project I feel as though it is currently a sound sample. Podcasts usually take years to gain any following so the fact I was able to get five people to listen to it who would subscribe is a small success. The feedback was very helpful and reassured me that the quality of my work was to a high standard. The survey focused mostly on my podcast, all of my respondents felt that the podcast was interesting, humorous and entertaining they also noted that the conversation was easy to follow, consistent and to a professional quality. It was suggested that the show would benefit from an intro to explain the content of the episode and what we spoke about in the last episode, so the show feels consistent and interconnected. After receiving this feedback, I decided I would return to the studio to add an intro. I feel as though this gives the audience a clear indication that the episodes are all from the same series.
Overall feedback from respondents was very positive and kind about my project. I was given a few constructive comments such as the hissing sound, which was in a few episodes, which was easily changed through adjusting the noise gate, so it now sits silently and consistently through the background. I also asked my respondents if they’d subscribe to the series and each respondent said they would, one commented they would, but it would take a long time for them to get through it because it isn’t there usual cup of tea, which I took as a compliment. It was also mentioned that people learnt things about the topics discussed or related to them, which was the aim of making the project. When asking a candidate "What did you enjoy about the episode" (in regards to episode four) the candidate commented "EVERYTHING. I found it really relatable which is unusual to me as people don't often understand how I feel when it come to friendship and equally I’m bad at explaining how I feel something so knowing I'm not the only one is reassuring."(See figure three) Another candidate commented that In regards to episode three “it gives me some knowledge of how a student turns into a solider”Which is what that episode was made to do, the episodes are meant to either teach the listeners on the topic of conversation or for them to relate to the content, so I feel the series was successful in its goal to teach others.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, I am very pleased with all the elements of my project that I created. I feel as though I created the best content I could with the time scale that was given to us, however I did hit a few bumps across the road such as rescheduling episodes many times and my mental health that got the best of me during the Easter break (all which is outlined in my problem-solving page). In terms of research and planning, I feel as though I did very well as I gathered many relevant sources to aid my knowledge on podcasting, logos and social media pages. I feel as though I created something successful through the knowledge I gained during the initial few weeks of the project. If I would’ve taken more time to possibly plan a focus group I would’ve been able to incorporate topics that were relevant solely to the target audience and not just what I assumed would be relevant. However, I don’t feel as though this hindered my final pieces because the sample that heard it were pleased with the topics and found it interesting.
I was also able to teach myself a new programme and new form of media, which I will carry throughout my education, as it is something I am considering pursuing further in the future. I was able to create a podcast series that spoke to its target audience. I feel as though being passionate and attentive to the project throughout really reflected in my final pieces and the blog itself. In general, I am very proud of this project as I feel it showcases the best of my abilities. I feel as though this project wan excellent way to end my education at Stanmore.
In conclusion, I am very pleased with all the elements of my project that I created. I feel as though I created the best content I could with the time scale that was given to us, however I did hit a few bumps across the road such as rescheduling episodes many times and my mental health that got the best of me during the Easter break (all which is outlined in my problem-solving page). In terms of research and planning, I feel as though I did very well as I gathered many relevant sources to aid my knowledge on podcasting, logos and social media pages. I feel as though I created something successful through the knowledge I gained during the initial few weeks of the project. If I would’ve taken more time to possibly plan a focus group I would’ve been able to incorporate topics that were relevant solely to the target audience and not just what I assumed would be relevant. However, I don’t feel as though this hindered my final pieces because the sample that heard it were pleased with the topics and found it interesting.
I was also able to teach myself a new programme and new form of media, which I will carry throughout my education, as it is something I am considering pursuing further in the future. I was able to create a podcast series that spoke to its target audience. I feel as though being passionate and attentive to the project throughout really reflected in my final pieces and the blog itself. In general, I am very proud of this project as I feel it showcases the best of my abilities. I feel as though this project wan excellent way to end my education at Stanmore.
Footnotes:
[49] Wikipedia. (2018). Meme. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme. Last accessed 5th May 2018.
Figure One: Memes I've created for the pecha kucha.
Figure Two: EQ roll back settings.
[49] Wikipedia. (2018). Meme. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme. Last accessed 5th May 2018.
Figure One: Memes I've created for the pecha kucha.
Figure Two: EQ roll back settings.