Panel: Podcaster Advice
I didn't catch the names of the panelists, apologies, though I remember Happydaiz and Kninjaknitter and Baby Kraken being among them. [Edited to add: And @ramsaybaggins !]
Find a story you want to live in!
Q: Particular piece of equipment that makes life easier? A: Pillow behind microphone, with a character I fancy on it, which I can look at lovingly when I do my Ed voice. A: You have to be comfortable. A: I got boom arms to keep from hurting my shoulder. A: There's an AO3 skin designed for dyslexia that's helpful. A: Environment is important, you want to be in a good position so you don't have to move a lot. If the storytelling is intact, a barking dog in the background isn't that big an issue. A: Sponge over microphone made editing easier.
Q: Do you do anything to get into character? A: Once I've read through a fic once, the story handles that for me. I did spend a couple days walking around the house talking as Archie before recording my first Archie-centered story. A: I say "mate" a lot more than I used to b/c I talk to myself in the voices. A: I talked to nomadsland when I was working on Throat Goat, it's less about vocal pitch and more about vocal placement. A: I narrate more than do voices. I do tone and emphasis. A: I don't do the voices, characters are more cadence for me. Fandom is good at getting cadence. A: Getting Stede's cadence feels like taking the words for a little walk up and down.
Q: What challenges do you enjoy in a podfic? A: I like if there's lots of voices in one scene. Just did one with 14 character voices. When they're having an argument and you have to change between them, that's fun. A: I like ones that make me feel something I want to pass on. A: I have to connect with it to record it. I want to make the long fic I'm recording now accessible to as many people as possible. A: I love in-pod singing in character. I'm drawn to stories where the world is immersive. A: If I break down and cry while recording, I take a selfie of myself ugly crying and send it to the writer. (Smallestchurch and caladria, looking at you!)
Q: What's a challenge you want? A: Smutty Ricky noises. A: I haven't done any smut yet. A: I haven't made a lot of sex noises, and I'm not going to. A: Reading voices of characters as animals (or shrunk) is really fun. A: Stories matched to podficcers to fit their gifts. A: Characters reading as each other.
Q: How do you select what you want to record? A: Depends on what my voice feels like doing. A: If I'm slowing down when reading, that's a sign I want to record it. A: Sometimes I read something and start hearing it in a particular podficcer's voice. A: Occasionally someone says "I've written this in your voice." A: Collabing is fun. A: I keep a spreadsheet of what I'm recording and want to record. I have 12 in progress, rotate through.
Q: Do you ever accidentally podfic the same thing? A: Sometimes we'll communicate to see if anyone is already working on one. In some fandoms, it's common for multiple people to podfic the same story. A: We don't mind re-recording, kind of why we did the podfuckery. A: There's just over 150 podficcers in OFMD fandom, have covered about 2000 fics. Lots of opportunities.
Q: I'm so delighted when my work is podficced. Can Happydaiz / anyone else talk about soundscapes? A: I love adding soundscapes. I make what I hear in my mind. Sometimes once I hear narration I think, "Oh, I've misinterpreted." It's a joyous (and also time-consuming) process. I get earwormed by songs that are included-- Zumba songs, e.g. A: Happydaiz occasionally sends a screenshot of what's involved. Robins wouldn't sing in woods, so if Stede's in the woods, there's not going to be a robin. A: People sending sounds to Boy, use video function! Doesn't edit out background sounds.
Q: Have you done live podfic before? A: Usually when we're reading to you, it's solitary. It means a lot to learn we kept someone company in a thing they needed to do. A: We're staying together, became a bonding activity. A: Everyone I've met in the fandom has been nice! A: I think we like the sound of our own voices. A: Yes, I do! A: If you don't like the sound of your own voice, you'll stop hearing it as your voice after a while. A: Anyone have any Wee John stuff to be recorded? I want to do that!
Q: Any part of the process you dread? A: Editing. Happydaiz: I love editing, send that to me! A: I'm working on a 350k one now, going to be 40+ hours of speaking. A: Some days the time available doesn't align with my ability to record. A: I force myself to take a break after 20 minutes or it messes up my body. A: My job is talking. Podficcing uses your voice differently, and you maybe only figure it out later. A: Especially if you're doing an Izzy voice. A: Badminton voices are hard on the voice-- too constipated.
Q: Those of you who write fic as well, has your writing changed as a result of your podficcing? A: It's slowed my writing a little, made the narrator into another character. I've never written one with a soundscape in mind, though. A: When I'm writing, it's just tumbling out, I write short stuff. But for the Reverse Big Bang, I was thinking about what would make a good soundscape.
A: Having feedback from fandom on podfics has been amazing! This is my one hobby!