Tag: interview

639A- Podcast interviews — the same old song retold again

Post author By fcastaneda
Post date January 19, 2023

In this episode of The Podcast Reporter show, we discuss the old tale of how to conduct an interview — since I feel that many today are especially boring and not well informed. I say this, as I have been interviewing in podcasting since 2006. And this is a skill that I learned and developed over the past 17 years.

Here, we review an article in the podosphere on conducting a “good” interview at this link: https://www.morningbrew.com/sidekick/stories/art-of-interviewing-work-life

and we summarize the steps that we have known about for the past 17 years (as if they were new). The subtitle is “Tips and tricks for asking good questions that get good answers.”

The steps are the following from duo interviewers and contributors of this article — namely “Sidekick spoke with legendary journalist, author, and contributor to the New Yorker, Ken Auletta; Spotify podcast host and storyteller, Lea Palmieri; and former CNN executive editor of international features and current editor of Spotify-owned channels, Neil Curry.”

Here are some more tips from these “experts”:

Listen carefully. You may have scripted questions, but be sure to let the conversation flow. “[When] you’re really listening to that person, at that point, you’re having a dialogue. And you’re taking them into areas maybe they hadn’t been. So you may get some surprising answers,” Auletta said. But also read the room, Palmieri advised. Evaluate whether the person is comfortable with sharing more, and then ask questions accordingly.
Don’t rush to fill the silence. Wait when there’s a moment of silence during your interview, Auletta advised. Often interviewees will speak more to fill the void themselves. “They’ll sense that you’re not happy with their answer…and they’re going to want to satisfy you with an answer,” he said.
Know your questions well. Connecting with your subject and maintaining an easygoing back-and-forth is important, but having a clear understanding of what answers you want to elicit helps keep the conversation on track, Palmieri said. If a subject steers off-topic because they connected with you, indulge for a moment and then bring it back.
Be agreeable. “When people are comfortable with someone in a conversation, they tend to be more open,” Auletta said. Palmieri and Curry agreed: Set the scene and make small talk or ask someone about their interests, but make yourself approachable. Let your body language and your demeanor reflect that you’re open-minded and willing to listen to their story without judgment.
Interview with confidence. “No matter who you’re interviewing, don’t be overawed,” said Curry. “You have a right to be in that room. They’re sitting down with you and they’re listening to your questions…and don’t be afraid of a cliché question [like] ‘How did you feel?’ That is the essential question of most interviews.”

Now, in the past, I have done literally hundreds (if not thousands) of creative podcast interviews. And I did listen to those who really knew the subject in the podosphere, some of which who had their own podcast shows and who really are “experts.” And here is a partial list, in my opinion:

Tom Schwab
Paul Colligan
Jason Van Orden
Dave Jackson
Rob Walch
Adam Curry
John C Dvorak
Daniel J Lewis
Ray Ortega
Jim Collison
Tee Morris
Bill O’Reilly
and many others since 2004…

However, the initial list in this article forgets to mention that you must know your subject very well by doing the right research ahead of time and knowing how to pursue the recording to make it sound natural, informative and interesting.

From my perspective, if you really want to be a good interviewer, then check out the value that the real “experts” (whom I have listed, above) can deliver to you, instead of the recent newbies that say they know how to conduct an interview.

And finally, if you wish to see the other side of being in the interview, there is an evergreen episode that describes how to be a great guest by Max Flight (see a prior episode in this podcast show with the title of the episode called “Being interviewed” — it is activated by the following audio player).

As a side note, you yourself may be called upon to be the GUEST and BE INTERVIEWED. And we have a past audio episode from this series that is delivered by Max Flight on the issues and the preparation of being interviewed:

And so we deliver the podcast content from episode #20 of this series, you will notice that Max had a very good ear for quality content, and he brings his suggestions and experiences from being interviewed on the previous show.

Thank you for your attention, and we shall see you next time.

Tags being interviewed, interview, Ken Auletta, Lea Palmieri, morningbrew.com, Podcastreporter.com

podcast

461- Live podcast interviews face-to-face

Post author By fcastaneda
Post date December 2, 2020

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we discuss the contents of a recent article from thepodcasthost.com.

The name of this article is “How to Record Face-to-Face Podcast Interviews: The Full Guide.”

As the beginning of this article states: “In a world saturated with electronic media, face-to-face, in-person communication is more important than ever.”

How right that is, and how important that is. Especially when the world right now is dominated by the radical left and the media, where the mandate to stay at home and NOT to meet with others is due to the restriction that the left wingers desire, so that no one could discuss politics or have ideas or rational debate and discussion. Why? With the fearmongering caused by the media and the hype of contagion of a Plan-demic, the radical left only wants you to be exposed to a quarantined environment where the only news and discussion you will hear would be from your television, where the media would be spinning its narrative and giving you propaganda that they desire, so that you can be used and abused in an election year as mind-controlled slaves (you may want to see the documentary titled “The Social Dilemma” to see how closely our world today resembles that of the George Orwell world in his novel “1984.”

So now, it is most important to create content when you and your guest (or co-host) may be IN PERSON and debating or discussing the key topics of importance — and you can then prove the “plan-demic” for the hoax and hype that it is.

So, if you wish to really get good content, you should plan on face-to-face interviews or podcast audio episodes with a guest. This can include scheduled episodes with topics to have your interviewee or guest in your “studio” (where ever that may be), or perhaps in a trade show where you may be interviewing a guest in an exhibit area, or a conference room or ballroom, or a “roundtable” discussion, etc.; or you may be interviewing someone in your studio or in that individual’s studio (e.g., Joe Rogan Experience podcast show).

Now, this article pronounces that they have the “Full Guide” to the face-to-face interviews. I applaud them for the topic and idea, but I am always skeptical of any one person or group saying that they have the “complete” anything.

So, if you want to research what this article is saying, here is a short list of the topics covered with appropriate links to the full details and the examples given:

Now, for myself as a podcaster, I have always preferred the live, in-person, face-to-face interview. And I have last conducted one of these at the recent Podcast Movement – Evolutions conference in February of 2020 in Los Angeles, California, with many podcasters — e.g., Gordon Firemark, Dave Jackson, Todd Cochrane, Rob Greenlee, etc. This conference was the last time that this organization held an inbound, in-person event where people would come in from out-of-town, stay at a hotel and meet in separate rooms for presentations, panel discussions and keynotes where everyone could actually meet others and interview each other face-to-face.

However, when I saw the detail from this “Full” Guide, I was rather disappointed because all that was mentioned was the equipment — especially microphones. As for myself, I chose to attend the PM Evolutions conference with only a Zoom Q3 video and audio recorder built in one compact device. This battery-powered unit served me well and delivered the results that I wanted for allowing me to create a final, finished mp3 with great audio after post-production. And although this unit is dated after several years, it is the function and result that it delivers more important than the most recent Zoom products.

Also, there are some steps and processes and procedures that a podcaster should be aware of before conducting a face-to-face interview (either at your “studio” or on the street or outdoors or at a live conference, etc.). I would have hoped that these processes would have received some mention other than just the microphones.

However, if you plan on doing face-to-face interviews, it is suggested that this overview may be the first that you can examine for planning good interviews with your guest or co-host. Then you should also see about how to prepare your interview, how to plan your post-production, and how to use good mic techniques to get the best audio. I myself do plan to provide some of these in a future episode of The Podcast Reporter — but after I attend the NEXT in-person podcast conference where I can then use my own practical application as examples of recording face-to-face.

So, if you wish to create content with face-to-face interviews, I wish you success in preparing your equipment, as well as preparing your content and workflow for creating great value for your listeners.

Thank you for your attention.

Tags co-host, conferences, face-to-face, guest, interview, keynotes, lavalier, live, microphones, Podcastreporter.com, presentations, thepodcasthost.com

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460- Interviewing a celebrity for a podcast- a case study

Post author By fcastaneda
Post date November 27, 2020

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we discuss a case study of how a podcaster can get a live interview with a CELEBRITY at a live event, even though it was not planned and just happened to be done on a moment’s notice — with only a business card as an introduction to the celebrity.

In this case, I did an interview with Joseph Galloway, celebrated author, speaker and correspondent. One of his most famous works was the book We Were Soldiers…and young. It was co-authored with General Hal Moore (RIP). It was then made into a motion picture (with the same name, almost), starring Mel Gibson in 2002.

Now, as a case study for a podcaster, you may want to know about the tasks of getting on the radar at a live event, in an impromptu situation to get a live audio interview with a personality that is being surrounded and mobbed by the fans.

Here are the issues that I encountered and met:

Have your business card available and ready (you never know when you may need one). In my case, I had been a Public Relations officer of the local chapter of the Combat Infantrymen’s Association (since I did serve as a combat infantryman in the Vietnam War).
Make your way politely to the celebrity and get his attention, so that you can be recognized quickly;
Plan in your mind what questions you will ask and what the key points of his background are so that you will hit upon the issues that are most important to him, while being of interest to your audience;
After introducing yourself, ask for 5 to 10 minutes of time for a quick interview — and you do this while you pull your Zoom H2 (or similar portable recorder that has a very small footprint) recorder and power it on so that it can be ready to record;
Many times, the celebrity will be flattered and see that you are prepared; and he may not point you to his handler or agent for a very quick 5-minute interview;
Give the quick intro to the recording and praise the celebrity with his fame and his relevance (i.e., WHY he is important to your audience);
Ask the questions and take the lead from the celebrity’s answers to get a reaction and quickly go to the next point;
Do NOT go over the time that was granted by the celebrity for the interview; respect the time frame;
Finalize, summarize and thank the celebrity for his time and trouble;
Let the celebrity know that you will deliver the final mp3 file with the interview to him in the next day or two;
End the conversation with a good phrase, slogan or other relevant saying that is part of the celebrity’s positive past.

In this case, Mr. Joseph Galloway was the keynote speaker for the unveiling of the permanent memorial (a permanent “wall” with all 58,000+ inscriptions of the names of the fallen soldiers during the Vietnam War). He was always surrounded by hundreds of veterans after his presentation.

But he granted me the 5-to-10 minute time frame for a quick interview. And I was grateful.

As you will hear in this audio interview, I had my Zoom H2 portable recorder — and with the background noise of a live event outdoors (especially with a Huey helicopter taking off in the background as we spoke) and I tried to get the best audio that was possible as I was reading the audio indicators on the device for his mic and for mine.

Afterwards, I tried to get the best quality audio with the tools available at the time in post-production. However, because it was live, impromptu and outdoors with ambient noise, most of the time, your audience will understand and will not be bothered by audio that is not studio-perfect.

Now, I have used this same technique for interviews that were not planned or done over the internet with either Skype or via double-ender. And this process seemed to work well, with the celebrity being appreciative once the final mp3 was received and reviewed.

Just a word of warning — if the celebrity reviews the final mp3, then please make the edits that are requested by him, and then send them back again for a final review and approval.

So, we hope that your interviews that are done in a live and unplanned environment can become good VALUE for your listeners — as well as for the celebrity — and that these will help to make your podcast show a success.

And at the end, we deliver to you the complete episode from a prior podcast that contained the 8-minute interview with Joe Galloway.

Thank you for your attention.

Tags celebrity, interview, Joseph Galloway, Podcastreporter.com, We were Soldiers

podcast

459- A guest form for your Podcast

Post author By fcastaneda
Post date November 24, 2020

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we discuss a post with the title of “Creating a Guest Form for Your Podcast” from the site called “Podcast Creation and Marketing for Businesses and Brands.”

In this post, the following topics are discussed and explained in much more detail (some with examples):

Why create a guest form?
Some suggested templates available;
Preferred title or role of the guest;
Organization of the guest;
Bio of the guest;
Release from the guest;
Headshot of the guest;
Optional questions;
Links that highlight the guest, the topic and other resources;
Exciting topics for the guest;
Expectations of the guest for the interview or discussion; and
Aspects of embedding your form with hints, tips and examples of environments in which to embed the form

Now, for this podcaster, I have been recording podcast episodes with guests as interviewees. I have had a good workflow, and even some commentary and recordings have been done by other podcasters who have been my guest — and the results and analysis of BEING INTERVIEWED have been published in various episodes (including a show, by Max Flight. As a side note, you yourself may be called upon to be the GUEST and BE INTERVIEWED. And we have a past audio episode from this series that is delivered by Max Flight on the issues and the preparation of being interviewed:

Thus, I would agree with this post that a good checklist is great to have handy when you are doing the pre-production work for your episode — and handy also for your post-production tasks. The guide or map of the themes and topics and questions to be discussed is vital. The other aspects — including the headshot, the bio, the links, the release, the expectations by the interviewee — they are all important and deserve attention.

One aspect that I would add is to include in your conversation or your written release that an edited version of the mp3 file will be available to your guest for review — and that edits can be made only to that version of the audio file with the request of the guest. In this way, you can allow yourself the luxury of having a complete agreement as to the final content of the guest’s audio during the interview.

But you may also have additional details, tasks, aspects, etc., for your guest that you may include in your own guest form, should you create one on your own. If so, we wish you the best in having great guests, creating good content and seeing success in growing your show and delivering VALUE both to your guest and to your audience — for your guest will want to spread the word of the interview by word of mouth and by reference. So you will have success in more areas for your show.

Thank you for your attention.

Tags guest form, interview, Podcast Creation and Marketing for Businesses and Brands, Podcastreporter.com