Podcasting 101:
Starting a Podcast

It was a good idea, but a talk show (inspired by the morning student news show in Spiderman: Homecoming) wasn’t the main goal of my party. Long story short, I lost the position I was running for, so my dream of a podcast went down the drain.

You know how in movies there’s that one character that inspires another so greatly that the second character gets a lightbulb or an idea? In my movie, that character was no one other than Io Carpiso, The Mover Editor-in-Chief from 2020-2022. I always associated Io with The Mover, and she was constantly joining it even when I personally thought it wasn’t worth the effort. But come AY 2020-2021, Io, along with our moderator, Ms. Precious Daluz, gave The Mover a much-needed makeover. The Mover became what an official school student publication should be: it had social media accounts, a website, and active members who specialize in writing and art!

But going back to that lightbulb moment: in one of our earlier conversations, I remember how she was telling me that if I had any proposals for the club, I should just tell her and Ms. Precious. At this time, I was making the club's launch video, and as I searched through templates on Canva, the lightbulb flicked on.

Fellow Mover staffer, in this three-part guide, I will be teaching you the fundamentals of podcasting. From start to finish: starting a podcast, pitching ideas, scriptwriting, shooting, editing, and publishing. First, let me tell you how to start a podcast and how On the Line was born.

Back to the narrative, Io and Ms. Precious loved the idea! It would be a great venue for our audience to actually see who we, the staffers, are. We would be some of the public faces of the club but the voice of all of the members. Ms. Precious asked for a sample video before actually approving it. So I went to work, but I needed someone fun to do it with me, and this leads us to the first step of starting a podcast.

A photo of hosts Richard Park, Angelo Copon, and Jacinda Alonso from the official first episode of On the Line, "New Beginnings".

I couldn’t do it all alone of course, so I needed someone to be my partner-in-crime. Fellow Mover staffer, there are lots of things to consider when it comes to finding your co-hosts, whether it be dynamics, age, personality, and so much more.

Podcasts are like TV shows: there’s a setting, a goal per episode, and characters. The only difference is that in podcasts, we aren’t acting (unless of course you want to start an audio drama podcast!). Generally speaking, podcasts are like a recorded conversation, so look for hosts who you are comfortable with enough to have prolonged conversations. A weird suggestion I know, but trust me having someone you know well cuts all of the awkwardness and makes the podcast feel even more authentic.

For the sample episode we made, my partner-in-crime was the amazing Jacinda Alonso, resident cartoonist. Jackie was a new student that year, and as I already had the opportunity to work with her in other video projects (the infamous Jackie Holmes short films) she was down to start the podcast with me. Later, Park Hyuk Jin (Richard), a writer, joined along the way in the official release; and Jaeda Johnson, first a guest volunteer and then an editor-slash-pod leader, became an official host in our second season.

As a variety talk show, On the Line featured an assortment of segments, themes, and activities that changed per episode, like in the second episode, "There Are Impostors Among Us".

1. The Theme
   What is your podcast about? What genre would it fit into? Who are your target audience? What would it look like?

If you have seen On the Line, I’m sure you can figure out how Jackie and I were able to create OTL with just those questions: think of us as your after-school friend group hangout at the tables of the school basketball court, here to entertain the student Monarch with fun conversations and activities. The more specific you are, the easier it will be to get an idea of your goal.

2. The Title
   Your podcast needs to catch the attention of your audience. Make it something specific to your niche!

Since we are students online, On The Line was a catchy option which could mean lots of things like online, on the phone, and many more up to your imagination.

3. The Visuals
   Your podcast needs to look the way it sounds. This includes the cover, promotional videos and posters, or even a video accompaniment.)

On the Line is meant to be like an after school hangout with friends, and that is exactly what we tried to bring to life. If your podcast is about sports, you can create sports-themed layouts and designs. If your podcast is about theater, imagine how cool it would look if you and your co hosts were on a digital stage. The options are literally endless.

While being marketed as a podcast, On the Line also maximized its visual medium constantly, often changing themes per episode. The team took heavy inspiration from the show WandaVision for the episode "GeloVision".

So, Jackie and I had everything planned out and the video was made and approved! We got the green light and had permission to officially launch in 2021. We only had one thing left to think about: where would we publish our podcast? As our loyal viewers may know, IGTV and Spotify were our platforms of choice in our first season, while our second season platformed on Instagram reels and YouTube.

The platform you choose is completely up to you but make sure to take into account your options. Make a list of pros and cons and how you could benefit from each platform. Little by little, the answer should be in front of you... or you may read about them in our guides below!