Episode 1 & 2:
About this Podcast
“For the freestyle podcast assignment, I am reaching out to all the guys I’ve had a crush on, and you’re one of them! Congrats, haha.” In Carly’s Crushin’ (it)? I, Carly, the host, sent out a survey to the guys I’ve had (and currently have) a crush on. The results were both informative and surprising, and taught me more about myself than I could have imagined.
About the Podcaster:
Carly Watson attends both Los Altos High School and Freestyle Academy, where she takes English, Digital Media, and Film. She enjoys hanging out with her friends and sisters, cooking recipes from around the world, babysitting, and reading. One of her New Year’s resolutions this year was to be more of a producer than a consumer, and Freestyle gives her many opportunities to work towards this goal.
The picture was taken by her friend Jessica Sun in front of Pizza my Heart moments before she sent out the first survey.
Crushin’ Songs that Remind Me of Y’all
Above is linked the playlist that I made to send out along with my survey. It contains the songs that remind me of various crushes. Pictured on the right is the Salt & Straw cinnamon snickerdoodle ice cream that I got after I sent all the surveys out. it’s like a reward.
Introduction
Podcasting is such a unique medium, and one reason I am so drawn to it is because listening to a podcast while doing something else helps me feel productive. Another reason podcasting is so popular is because it is so widely accessible both to creators and consumers. While choosing what I wanted to make a podcast about, I referred to Rob Rosenthal’s tips he presented on “The Podcast Mindset,” specifically the last tip, which focused on choosing a topic that is meaningful and exciting to you. Even though it was completely out of my comfort zone, I chose a topic that I knew I would put time and effort into and care about.
On the left I am sending the link to the survey to my current crush. If it were a video, you could have seen my hands shaking.
Producing the Podcast & Tips
If I could give a tip to first time-podcast producers, it would be this: choose something you’re excited about. This is the perfect opportunity to do literally anything you want! Take advantage of it. If you do, it won’t even feel like work. I stayed up until three in the morning editing this podcast so that it would be ready in time for Valentine’s day, and I was so excited for it that it was all worth it. Your excitement will translate not only into the quality of your work, but also into your voice and cadence. Happy listening and producing!
On the right is the screenshot of the completed podcast and album art that I sent to my friend for her approval the day before Valentine’s day.
Below is my Adobe Illustrator interface for my podcast album cover.
When I sent my script to my friend, she mentioned that the actual “climax” needed to be a bit more, well, climactic. She recommended that I use my crush’s full name. I have a fear of mispronouncing things, so I practiced his middle name to make sure I said it correctly.
“Presenting” the Podcast
Honestly, this podcast is one of the craziest things I have ever done in my entire life. Had you told me a few years ago that I would have done this, I would have never believed you. It still feels surreal. With each step, I felt like I was being thrown into a realm of anxiety and told myself that, “surely, this must be the most nerve-wracking step.” That’s what I thought when I sent out the survey. That’s what I thought when I waited anxiously for the responses. That’s what I thought when I opened and then read each response. That’s what I thought when I printed out the QR code that linked to my podcast and gave it to my current crush on Valentine’s day. And that’s what I’m thinking now as I sit here, typing this anxiously awaiting our first date, which is tomorrow. I guess whatever happens tomorrow will determine the fate of Episode 3.
The QR code to the left is what I printed out and sealed in an envelope to give to my crush on Valentine’s day. I thought having something tangible >>> to just texting him the link.
upDATE
