(naturally we’re biased, but here’s some important points to bear in mind)
You may have seen Baby Driver, the brilliant Edgar Wright movie from 2017, what stands out, apart from the excellent soundtrack, were those thrilling getaway car driving scenes. The stunt driving is mindblowing in it’s own right, but the cinematography and some of the shots are incredible.
What might not have occurred to you at the time was how they actually captured those shots. Director Edgar Wright shared this photo on his Instagram feed of how they’d rigged up the car with cameras, lights, and even a stunt driver on the roof who’s in charge of the controls, showing the lengths the crew had gone to get the perfect shot.
So, what’s this got to do with podcasts? Well, for us it makes us think about the value that getting in the experts can bring.
The reason we love audio is it’s simplicity, even some of the greatest radio or podcast productions have been made with minimal, affordable equipment, a single-producer or tiny production team. But, in a similar way the crew of Baby Driver applied their skill, knowledge, experience (and a lot of creativity) to capturing just a few internal car shots, when it comes to developing and producing podcasts, there’s a lot to think about and a lot to be gained from working with the right people:
Help take your podcast in directions you may not have considered
It could be coming up with innovative approaches to recording, bringing your podcast to life with fantastic sound design or developing a fresh, unique format. A big part of what we do at 18Sixty is working closely with brands to understand the goals for their podcast and of their business and coming up with an approach that not only meets those goals but also helps to create the best podcast for the audience. Involving experts from the start means you get access to their knowledge and experience, and the podcast idea you thought you had may well have evolved into something bigger and even more impactful.
Knowledge and experience of different podcast formats
The chances are that the podcast experts you work with live and breathe podcasts and will draw experience of working on all sorts of different formats and projects, whether that’s for brands, radio or major podcast networks. The best experts will be able to work with you to shape the best podcast format for you and your audience, but also from experience, also feedback on what might not work and why.
Access to the best talent, in front of and behind the microphone
In much the same way that you have access to the best people in your own sector, getting specialists in to help can give you access to a whole host of audio professionals who can help give your podcast the edge. Whether it’s experts in their field, such as professional presenters, journalists, producers, sound designers or editors, or those with particular expertise in a specific area (like nature, science, business or technology), working with experts like us at EighteenSixty mean you’re instantly plugged into a bigger network.
Help to lay the foundations for a successful podcast
It’s easy to get bogged down the details when it comes to an exciting podcast idea and how it’ll be produced, but equally important is how it fits into the bigger picture and a wider content strategy. As a brand, the chances are you already have talented people or teams in place to help get your podcast out there in the world, and the experts you bring in can help tie all those strands together to make sure that you’re not only going to have the best podcast out there, but it’s reaching the ears of the people that matter too.
Don’t get us wrong, there is always going to be a place for a DIY approach to creating a podcast, spontaneity and cost are important factors that spring to mind, but the value that experts can bring shouldn’t be underestimated, especially when the bar in podcast quality is being constantly raised.
If you’re looking for experts to help with your next podcast, drop us a line, let’s start the conversation!