Examples of Podcasts
The Joe Rogan Experience – The largest podcast in the world and my personal favourite which has been described as “A long form conversation hosted by comedian Joe Rogan with friends and guests that have included comedians, actors, musicians, MMA fighters, authors, artists, and beyond.”
Happy Hour – A much smaller UK based podcast described as “a biweekly comedy podcast featuring intimate interviews and celebs”
Brooke and Jubal – Refers to The Brooke & Jubal in the Morning show, which is a popular radio and podcast featuring segments like “Jubal’s Phone Taps” and “Second Date Update”
What is a Podcast?
By definition a podcast is “an episodic series of digital audio files, and sometimes video, released on the internet for download or streaming.” But my view of a podcast is a way people can express their views and emotions by talking to other people that might have similar or contrasting views and allowing the audience to be entertained on their car drive home or study session etc.
Tips on Making a Podcast
- Choose a clear topic – Pick something you’re passionate about and can talk about it constantly
- Know your audience – Decide who you’re speaking to and what they’d enjoy
- Plan your episodes – Outline your content, segments, or interviews in advance.
- Get decent equipment – A USB mic with headphones improves sound and quality drastically.
- Find a quiet recording space – Reduce background noise as much as possible.
- Use editing software – Free options like audacity or paid software on adobe to improve audio
- Keep episodes focused – Aim for a certan length of time per episode and stay on topic
- Be consistent – Upload episodes regularly and consistently
- Promote your podcast – Use social media and publish short funny clips.
- Listen and improve – Look at the biggest podcast and ask yourself why there are so good.
Things to Avoid –
- Poor audio quality – Listeners get frustrated and stop listening
- Rambling or going off topic – Makes the podcast less engaged
- No planning or structure – Feels unprofessional
- Ignoring promotion – Limits growth
- Dismissing negative feedback – Misses chances to improve
Popular Podcasts –
The Joe Rogan Experience – The studio has a pleasant ambiance with red curtains for the walls and good lighting. The podcast uses a large wooden table for mics, laptops, decoration, etc. The podcast can have between 2-4 people talking together and instead of sticking to a subject, Joe the owner of the podcast asks questions about the guests and leads conversations based of the answers. Each episode is around 3hrs long.
Brooke and Jubal – This podcast is a radio show and only uses audio. The podcast runs on games that are played with the viewers such as pranks, phone taps or date updates. The podcast has 3 members. 2 of them ask questions and the other member acts as a backup role
Good podcast episodes –
Joe Rogan Experience #1227 – Mike Tyson
Personally loved this episode because I got to listen to inside info about Mike’s amazing boxing career and also learning about personal struggles that came with it and lessons he has learnt on the way
Joe Rogan Experience #2223 – Elon Musk
This episode was very interesting to me as it allowed me to listen to all of the unique details of his life which is hard to know about as he is an a-list billionaire. Also it was inspiring to hear how he made two massive businesses on his own.
The Joe Rogan Experience
What sort of podcast is it? What happens in it?
It’s a long-form talk show where Joe Rogan interviews guests about topics like science, comedy, politics, and life experiences.
Who makes it?
It’s made by Joe Rogan and his production team.
How well is it produced?
Very well produced, clear audio, good editing, and professional setup.
Does it tell a story? What?
Not a single story, but each guest shares personal stories or opinions.
Do they use music? How?
Only at the start and end for intro/outro.
Is it something you would listen to again?
Yes, especially when interesting guests are on.
Happy Hour
What sort of podcast is it? What happens in it?
A light-hearted, funny podcast where the hosts chat about current events, funny stories, and random topics.
Who makes it?
A small team of friends or YouTubers (depending on the version you listen to).
How well is it produced?
Fairly good, not overly polished but relaxed and fun.
Does it tell a story? What?
Not really, more like a conversation with funny moments.
Do they use music? How?
Yes, they use short intro and transition music.
Is it something you would listen to again?
Yes, because it’s easy to listen to and entertaining.
Brooke and Jubal
What sort of podcast is it? What happens in it?
A comedy radio-style podcast featuring prank calls, relationship advice, and funny segments.
Who makes it?
A professional radio team hosted by Brooke and Jubal.
How well is it produced?
Very well, clear sound, smooth editing, and lots of energy.
Does it tell a story? What?
Each prank call or segment has its own short story.
Do they use music? How?
Yes, they use sound effects and upbeat music to make it lively.
Is it something you would listen to again?
Yes, it’s funny and quick to listen to.
Plan for the Podcast
Equipment
These are the piece of equipment I want to use
- Camera – A camera is essential as it will record us talking. Three cameras would be great as it can record each person and we can rotate the shots in editing based on who is talking. But if we only have on camera we can do a wide shot of all of us.
- Microphone – A microphone is the most important piece of equipment for a podcast. It would be good if we can get a mic for each person but we can use one if that’s all we have, but this will greatly reduce audio quality.
- Tripod – A tripod is required if we are using cameras as it will hold a steady shot for the whole recording.
- Headphones – Headphones aren’t essential but they do improve the quality of the audio as it allows us to hear the audio as we speak.
- Lighting – Lighting is important for video as it allows for better quality. We can either use the normal room lights or use lights that are designed for filming.
All of this combined together will make a good quality podcast episode
Filming
Here are some shots we can use for the podcast
- Wide shot – Establishes the location of the studio and shows all people.
- Mid shot – Shows a single person whilst they are talking
- B-roll – Footage to cover transitions or edits
For the filming I want to be able to switch between camera when editing to show the person who is talking which means we need a camera on a tripod for each person.
Audio
These are the ways we will record and manage the audio
- Recording in a quite studio with minimal background noises
- Do a sound check before recording
- Keep the mic about a hand-length away from the mouth
- Using Adobe audition to edit the audio
- Add intro/outro or background music
Editing
This is how I will peice the podcast togther with editing
- Import the audio to Adobe audition
- Edit the volume levels and trim mistakes or pauses
- Add music or sound effects.
- Transfer editing audio to premier pro
- Then add the video with the audio matched and
- Edit different camera shots depending on who is talking
These are all of the step I will follow to make the podcast
Final Product
Exporting the finished work as a MP4 file then I will publish the work to Youtube.
Weekly Reflections
Week 1 – Research
This week I researched podcasts to understand how they are structured and what makes them engaging. I listened to different examples and looked at how hosts used tone, pacing, and sound effects. This helped me decide what kind of style I wanted for my own podcast.
Weeks 2 – 5 – Working on Vox Pops
During these weeks, I focused on completing my Vox Pops project. I was recording, editing, and publishing that work before moving on to my podcast project. This gave me good practice in recording and audio editing, which helped prepare me for my podcast.
Week 6 – Planning and Recording
This week I planned my podcast and created a structure for what I wanted to talk about. I wrote notes on the main topics, the order I’d cover them, and any sound effects or music I wanted to include. I then recorded my podcast in the studio using professional equipment. The studio environment gave me clear, high-quality audio, and I was happy with how the recording went.
Final Evaulation
Planning
What planning did I do for the project?
I started by looking at other podcasts to see how they’re structured and what makes them interesting. I wrote down topic ideas, who would be in it, and what kind of tone I wanted. I also planned the equipment I’d need like the camera, mic, tripod, and how I wanted the layout to look.
How closely did my project follow my plan?
My podcast followed the plan pretty well but not exactly. I planned to use multiple cameras but only had one in the end. Some questions also changed during recording so it flowed better when we were talking.
How could my plan have gone more smoothly?
It could of gone smoother if I had tested all the equipment before recording and done a practice run. That would of saved time and made setup easier.
What did I find hard?
I found it hard to find a quiet place to record, setting up the lighting properly, and getting everyone to speak clearly at the same volume.
What did I find easy?
I found planning the topics easy, working out who would speak when, and choosing intro and outro music.
What problems did I face and how did I solve them in the planning phase?
The biggest problem was background noise, so I moved to a smaller studio room. I also didn’t have enough cameras, but I made it work with one wide shot.
Research
What research did I do for the project?
I researched different podcasts to understand how they are made and what makes them interesting. I looked at how hosts talk, how they keep the conversation flowing, and how music and sound effects are used.
What sources did I use?
I used YouTube, IMDb, Rolling Stone website, NME website, Wikipedia, and BBC Bitesize.
Which sources were good and why?
YouTube was really useful because it had short videos explaining filming and editing tips. IMDb was good for finding information about creators and popular podcasts.
Which sources were bad and why?
Wikipedia was too wordy and hard to pick out key points. BBC Bitesize was okay but focused more on theory than practical advice.
Production
What equipment or tools did I use?
I used a camera, tripod, microphone, headphones, and studio lighting.
Briefly describe my production process
I set up the camera and mic, checked the lighting, and recorded the podcast in one take. I made sure the mic was close enough to get clear audio and that everyone had a turn speaking.
What problems did I encounter?
There was some echo and background noise. Timing was also a problem in a few sections where people didn’t know when to speak.
How did I solve them?
I moved to a smaller room to reduce echo and re-recorded some parts. I also adjusted the timing during editing.
What went well?
The audio quality was clear, the lighting looked good, and everyone spoke confidently.
What went badly?
Some shots were a bit shaky, a few quiet moments made the conversation feel slow, and a few questions didn’t sound natural at first.
What could I have done to improve?
I could have tested the equipment before recording, used more cameras for better angles, and planned smoother transitions between speakers.
What problems did I face and how did I solve them in the production phase?
Echo and background noise were fixed by moving rooms. Timing issues were fixed by re-recording short sections and editing them together.
Post Production
What software did I use?
I used Adobe Audition to edit the audio and Premiere Pro to sync the video.
What tools did I use? Describe the process.
I trimmed mistakes, adjusted volume levels, removed background noise, added intro and outro music, and matched the audio with the video. I also switched camera shots where needed.
Did I export or print the project? What formats did I use?
I exported the podcast as an MP4 file and uploaded it to YouTube.
What did I find hard?
Syncing the audio perfectly, balancing everyone’s volume, and making transitions look smooth were hard.
What did I find easy?
Cutting out mistakes, adding music, and exporting the final video were easy.
What problems did I face and how did I solve them when editing?
Some clips were too quiet so I raised the volume. Background noise was reduced using filters and editing.
Overall
Is it a successful piece of work, and why?
Yes, it’s successful because it has clear audio, is well-structured, and the conversation is interesting.
Are you happy with the final work you produced?
Yes, I’m happy because it turned out professional even with limited equipment.
What are you proud of in the project?
I’m proud of the editing and how smooth it sounds, the clear audio quality, and how confident I sounded while recording.
What would I do differently if I were to do it again?
I would use more cameras, record in a smaller, quieter room, and plan a more detailed script before recording.
Level 3 Photography & Film 
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