Series 3: FAQ & questions post

[behindthepod]

Some FAQs, but also your questions - please feel free to ask any questions you have about this challenge here, and we mods will do our best to answer! (If you think you have the answer to a question you see in the replies, then please do jump in and respond!)

1) What is podfic meta?

Podfic meta is any discussion (including monologues) about how and why we make podfics!

That could be a specific aspect of podficcing like equipment, acting, the use of music, a particular editing technique… but also less-discussed things like hosting, cover art, sound effects, reccing or modding. It could be the backstory of a specific podfic or project, or some piece of podfic fandom history or analysis. And so many other things!

However, there are topics that we would consider falling outside the umbrella of podfic meta, for example, discussions of fandom-wide issues, fandom- or ship-specific primers, discussions about pro audio fiction/narration… If you find yourself approaching one of these topics, please focus on the ways in which it intersects with podfic and podfic fandom. And if you have any questions about whether your idea would fit under the umbrella of podfic meta, please don’t hesitate to talk to us about it!

In terms of different formats/structures, we probably wouldn’t accept something like oral not!fic, but other than that, it’s up to you! You could interview someone or be interviewed, do a vox-pop-style series posing the same question to multiple people, host a round-table discussion, record a solo monologue, make a tutorial or a documentary, do a personal Q&A… Or something else we haven’t thought of!

The way you organize and record it is also pretty open. You could record it live over voice chat, send voice recordings back and forth, read a chatlog or your own meta post, or another way that works for you.

The only exception on that is that we are not accepting recordings of already-published meta. You can use excerpts from meta pieces or podfics that have been published before (eg, for reference, or in order to discuss it or to give context), but please don’t reproduce in its entirety meta which has been published before in any format. We want to emphasise the creation of new content! For example, recording a written meta post that’s already been published would not qualify for this project, but your thoughts and reactions to that post would. And similarly, discussion of the process(es) behind a specific podfic would qualify.

Last, but not least, there is no minimum or maximum audio length. A five minute long episode and an multi-hour long episode are equally acceptable.

2) I don’t think I’m interesting enough to be involved in this? Hasn’t it already been said?

Short answer: no and no.

Long answer: any meta is worth recording, and every voice is worth hearing. This series is about archiving, furthering and reboosting the existing meta discussion around podfic. So whatever you say, even if it’s already been said, will at least hit the goals of archiving and reboosting! And in any case, you will have a different way of saying it, or a different perspective, or a different audience than anyone else. But insecurities are bullshit, so here are some more suggestions: try interviewing someone else, or letting them interview you! After all, that means they think it’s worth saying. Or pick a topic that has already been covered, see which questions they raised or which points they didn’t cover, or even which points you disagree with them on, and go from there! Or just take this round to gather up your courage and ideas, and sign up for the next series.

3) Now who does what?

For group projects, the workload of this project can be divided between you as you see fit, but we recommend discussing it before you sign up. But even for solo projects, it can help to set a schedule. We see it as three sections of work:

- Planning: What is the topic going to be? What questions are you going to ask or answer? How will it be recorded? Preparing notes in advance can help the process go more smoothly and decrease the amount of dead air for thinking, etc, but doing the recording without rehearsing can make it more dynamic. Ultimately how much you want to plan should depend on your comfort zone, but we recommend having at least a rough structure.

- Recording: However you want to do it, and however works for you. Freetalk into your microphone or over voice chat, recording and merging several audio clips, recording a script, meeting up in-person…

- Editing:
For episodes: you will be responsible for doing the basic editing of your audio (putting the audio together if you record in several takes, editing outtakes or background noise to your own personal comfort level, editing for pacing and flow), and then we will be making an episode out of it. You do not have to worry about making a professional-quality interview, but do know that we aren’t planning to edit the content of your interview a second time, so submit something that you are comfortable being the final product. We will be adding an intro and outro, with music, and messing with the final volume.

For party favours: you will be responsible for everything including posting. See the party favour rules post for all the details!

- Posting:
For episodes: we’ll take care of it. Once we add you as a co-creator to the AO3 work, you’ll be able to add anything extra to the additional notes/links section.

For party favours: everything to do with posting is in your hands, although we’ve given you (we think) pretty great instructions on how. We’ll be here if you need help, and we’ll check it over before it goes live.

4) What happens if I can’t make a deadline or need to drop out?

First option: turn it into a party favour! If you miss a check-in or the submission deadlines, you will automatically drop out of the episode timeline. However, you can still submit your episode as a party favour.

Second option: wait until the next Series. We have every intention of running this as a yearly project and we’ve put a lot of thought into how to evenly distribute the modding workload to make it sustainable in the long run.

We will not be granting any extensions for missed deadlines or check-ins.

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Important links: Intro & Rules post - content moderation policy - sign-up & submission post - party favour rules - contact post