On the Podcast

So it seems one of the Youtube managers published the first episode of the podcast prematurely – those buttons are confusing so we’ll chalk it up to oversized thumbs – but whatever the reason, it’s out there, so I guess I better talk about it.  The podcasts will focus on specific subjects – gameplay, voice acting, music, mods, writing, and very niche shows like lore and history.

The goal is to get an episode out each week, and by having a number of shows on a variety of different topics, it’ll keep the workload low and the content fresh.

You’ll notice the main theme of the podcast network is retro, old timey radio. As I mentioned previously, I’m trying to transition the blog away from Skyrim toward Fallout, and when one of the podcasters suggested silent film cards, it was as if the heavens opened up and light bulbs fell from the sky, or something like that.

Here’s a graphic Jessica Osborne came up with. The whole goal is something retro but at the same time tongue-in-cheek. Of course, it’s not entirely easy to transition this kind of theme given the diverse personalities involved in this project, so here are a few examples of how we plan to make it work.

The episode that was made public is Non-Player Characters, which is hosted by Matthew Dixon and J.T. Decker. You’ll notice the cheesy horror movie font (Gill Man font) and Mystery Science Theater vibe. I think it goes well with the tone of the show.

Most podcasts won’t feature gameplay, and will just have buttons to allow the conversation to proceed. Here is a sample and tentative graphic for Strings Attached, a music and composition show run by Anna Castiglioni and Ronja Monto.

These are some promo shots I was planning on displaying as a preview before launch to help set the tone for the network. This is a spoof of a vintage ad that talked about the virtues of feeding babies cola. But why drink cola when you can get the same nutrients and personality by teaching them to be professional voice actors?

I’ve also been working on the following graphic for myself and Alice Bell. We’re planning on recording something next Saturday, and about once a month thereafter.

You’ll also notice that each podcast has a distinct color pattern, which should help distinguish each show while still keeping it under the same brand. I don’t know how “vintage” you can call this graphic, but it has Batman fighting a dragon with a lightsaber, so to be perfectly honest I don’t care if it is. It’s close enough.

Lastly, you’ll notice the end screens will feature the one and only Viridiane. I’m considering having multiple actors do the subscribe shilling in either their normal voice or in their various roles, but given how much work that would be I’m also okay with just using Vi.

This one, for instance, is a sample I whipped up using music and imagery from Bioshock, which are set in the same period, albeit without the satire and irony. In the actual episodes, the end screen and accompanying music will be tailored to the main topic/subject of discussion or the podcast itself.

For instance, for Anna Castiglioni and Ronja Monto’s podcast, I’m thinking of using a harp version of Fly Me to the Moon for the end credits. Since we went with the horror movie shtick for Non-Player Characters, the first episode features music from Creature from the Black Lagoon for both the OP and ED.

Anyhow, that pretty much sums up how we’re going to dress the channel. As for the actual content, I’m basically leaving that up to the individual pairings. Matt and JT’s podcast will vary drastically from Anna and Ronja’s show because their personalities are completely different. But like the NPCs in the mod, hopefully they’ll all be interesting in their own way.

And lastly, while I’m in charge of editing, keep in mind the opinions expressed in the shows are the opinions of the hosts. I, for one, love Oblivion, so don’t send your hate mail to me.