Podcast Contest

Overview

The Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media (PCCM) and the Tenzer Technology Center (TTC) are excited to announce their second Podcasting Contest for current DePauw Students. This contest involves participants using available technologies to create a polished 10-20 minute podcast. For this contest, participants will create a "pilot" episode of a podcast, as if they are pitching this podcast to a studio in order to create a series. The audio editing skills that you'll learn, practice and improve are practical and can be applied throughout your tenure at DePauw and/or post-DePauw as a professional. This contest is suitable for students who have never created any type of podcast and/or have never used audio editing software. Your submissions will be kept confidential (being shared only with Pulliam and Tenzer personnel and the judges) so please don't be shy to have fun and explore!

Step 1

Record your audio using a microphone (headphones, laptop, phone, etc.)

Step 2

Edit your recording using any multi-track editing software.

Step 3

Submit your project!

Requirements

General Requirements:

Submit your entry form by September 29th at 11:59PM.
Audio submissions must be in MP3 format only.
Logo submissions must be in JPG format only.
Audio submissions should be between 10-20 minutes long.
One entry will be judged per person/group.

Creative Requirements:

Please utilized copy-right free music, sound effects, or captured sound in your podcast.
The best submissions will have high quality audio, as well as an understandable narrative.

Questions and Resources

How can I record my podcast?

One of the beauties of podcasting is that you can make a podcast with very little equipment. You can use your phone's Voice Memo app, a Tascam recorder, your computer or laptop, or the podcasting studios available on campus.

How can I edit my podcast?

Our suggestion is to utilize the free audio editing software Audacity. However, you are free to use any multi-track editor you would like. Another free option is Wavosaur. If you are interested in looking into more professional paid programs, Adobe Audition is a very powerful audio editing software.

What resources are available on campus?

The Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media has a podcast studio that is available during PCCM hours: 8AM-11PM, with entry from the north door by swipe card after 6PM. The podcasting studio is located on the PCCM lower level and uses Magix Sound Forge, Vegas, and Audacity. Due to Covid-19 precautions, studio space is limited but can be reserved by reaching out to Amy Cherry (amycherry@depauw.edu).

Editing stations equipped with the Adobe Suite can be found at both the PCCM, as well as the TTC. The PCCM editing stations are available during their regular operating hours. The TTC editing stations are available 7AM-11PM, or whenever Julian is open, in Julian 300.

What are resources are available remotely?

Chris Newton (newton@depauw.edu), the Director of the PCCM, and Laurel Tilton (laureltilton@depauw.edu), the Assistant Director of the TTC, are both available remotely via Zoom or Google Meet to discuss project ideas or to answer any questions.

What if I don't know anything about audio editing?

No worries! We encourage you to try out the challenge anyway! There are thousands of YouTube tutorials for audio recording and editing. Part of this challenge is to push yourself to learn new skills that will be advantageous to your DePauw and professional career.

Are there any restrictions on topics?

While we don't want to squash creativity, we do ask that topics be safe for work (no hate speech, harassment, etc). Other than that, please explore any idea you want! Your podcast could be non-fiction and educational, or it could be a fictional story.

Are group entries allowed?

Yes! If you submit as a group, please be aware that you might not submit as an individual with a separate entry. Please note that prizes will be dependent on how many individuals are in the winning podcasts. Group entries should pick a single point person to submit the entry.

How do I submit my podcast and logo?

Please go to the submit tab of this website in the upper right-hand corner. You can submit your entry via the Google Form that's embedded. All submissions should include a podcast title, description, logo, and audio submission.

How are the submissions being judged?

Chris Newton and Jonathan Nichols-Pethick of the PCCM and Laurel Tilton of the TTC will be acting as judges for submissions. If a tie breaker is necessary, we may reach out to a third party to act as a deciding factor. Submissions will be judged based on clarity of audio, attention to detail, and creative expression. Logos will be judged based on originality and the appropriateness given the podcast's content.

Awards and announcements?

Awards will be handed out or mailed to a Grand Prize Winner, a Runner-Up, and two Honorable Mentions. These prizes will consist of various tech gadgets and DePauw gear. Announcements of winners will be sent via email to those who submitted to the contest before being posted publicly on this webpage as well as the two centers' social medias.

Any other tips for submission?

General Tips:

Accuracy of information and clarity of audio is critical, but artistic expression and entertainment is also important

Concise story-telling or succinct analysis of a topic is important (i.e. avoid rambling)
Focus on telling a story; do not try to impress us by overloading your podcast with too many sound effects or musical breaks

Even seemingly small things like pauses, subtle music changes, and strategic sound effects can add a new level of immersion

Check your work carefully; ask yourself if the topic or story you are presenting makes sense to a new listener

Links to Resources:

Editing:

Audacity (free audio editing software)

Audition (professional audio software that students can access at Tenzer)

Wavosaur (free audio editing software)

Copyright free resources:

FreeSound (free sound effects: think dogs barking, creaking doors, things like that)

Free Music Archive (has thousands of background music options for free)

Logo/Marketing:

Canva (free graphic making website - lot's of students use this)

Photoshop (professional graphic making software, students can access at Tenzer)

Ideas for little/no equipment podcasting:

Your Podcast Starter Kit

How to Start a Podcast with Almost No Money

Podcast inspiration from the judges

If you want to listen to some podcasts to get your creative juices flowing, here are some suggestions from the judges!

Chris Newton:

Ask Iliza Anything: Comedian Iliza Shlesinger has a unique outlook on life. From the best way to eat Sour Patch Kids to the least offensive way to break up with a friend, Iliza has cultivated a hilarious take on society's problems, ranging from thought-provoking to rage-fueled. She enjoys nothing more than giving life advice to total strangers, sometimes with a celebrity guest in tow. She's here for you to ask about life and ask about yourself, so ask Iliza anything.
Serial: Serial is a podcast from the creators of This American Life, hosted by Sarah Koenig. Serial tells one story — a true story — over the course of a season. Serial has won every major award for broadcasting, including the duPont-Columbia, Scripps Howard, Edward R. Murrow, and the first-ever Peabody awarded to a podcast. Serial, like This American Life, is produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago. It comes from Serial Productions, which released S-Town in 2017, and has more projects in development.
WTF: Marc Maron welcomes comedians, actors, directors, writers, authors, musicians and folks from all walks of life to his home for amazingly revealing conversations. Marc's probing, comprehensive interview style allows guests to express themselves in ways listeners have never heard.

Laurel:

Rabbits: Rabbits is a pseudo-documentary podcast from Public Radio Alliance. In the show, narrator Carly Parker searches for her missing friend Yumiko "Miko" Takata and finds herself in the midst of a decades-old alternate reality game known as Rabbits or simply "The Game." A main feature of Rabbits is the use of pop culture references, especially to classic video games, books, and historical news.
That's Why We Drink: And That's Why We Drink (ATWWD) is a comedy true crime and paranormal podcast created by Christine Schiefer and Em Schulz. The podcast is divided into two main sections. The first is the paranormal section, in which Schulz discusses a paranormal story, often dealing with suspected haunted locations, alien or UFO sightings, cryptids and occasionally conspiracy theories or creepypastas. This is followed by Schiefer's true crime portion of the show in which she covers murders, serial killers, unsolved crimes and abductions.
The White Vault: The White Vault is a found footage horror fiction podcast created by K.A. Statz. It features an international cast and crew. A repair team is sent to discover the source behind a mysterious signal coming from a remote Arctic research station in Svalbard, Norway. When the team is trapped by a blizzard that fails to subside over the course of several days, they begin to realize that they are not alone, and their situation begins to unravel following the discovery of an ancient village trapped underneath a glacier.

JNP:

99% Invisible: 99% Invisible is an independently produced radio show created by Roman Mars that focuses on design and architecture. Its goal is to expose the unseen and overlooked aspects of design, architecture, and activity in the world. Each episode generally focuses on a single topic or specific example of design, often including interviews with architects, experts, or people who have influenced or been influenced by a given urban, industrial, graphic or other design.
Death, Sex, and Money: Death, Sex and Money is an interview-style podcast hosted by Anna Sale that discusses the big questions "often left out of polite conversation." Sale describes Death, Sex, and Money saying, “It really came down to having a show that goes right at the things that shape our lives and that we have the most difficulty navigating — that I was having the most difficulty navigating."
Code Switch: Code Switch is a race and culture outlet and a weekly podcast from American public radio network NPR. It began in 2013 with a blog as well as contributing stories to NPR radio programs. The Code Switch podcast launched in 2016. In the wake of the George Floyd protests, it became one of NPR's top ranked podcasts.

WINNERS FROM FALL 2021

Page updated

Report abuse