Power Your Podcast with Storytelling
Power Your Podcast with Storytelling
Class Description
Join Alex Blumberg, award-winning reporter and producer for This American Life and co-host of NPR’s Planet Money, for Power Your Podcast with Storytelling, and learn podcast tips on how to tell powerful, memorable stories through audio.
Storytelling is in our DNA – integrating its principles into a podcast not only helps you tell better stories, it allows you to authentically and emotionally connect with your audience. In this class, you will learn the unique approach to interviewing and story composition, which has made This American Life a fan favorite on public radio stations across the country. Alex will share production techniques you can use to create a multi-layered sensory experience and share tips for standing out in the ever-growing field of podcasts. You’ll learn:
- How to develop your narrative instincts
- How to prepare for an interview to get the best answers
- The elements of a good story
Alex will teach you how to create a “driveway moment” — that experience when the story is so good, it makes the audience pause what they are doing just to listen through to the end.
Whether you already produce a successful podcast, are a creative entrepreneur looking for a new marketing method, or just a public radio-loving audiophile – this class will help you tell better stories.
Lessons
- Why Audio is Perfect for Storytelling
- Audio: Power of Emotion & Connection
Every medium needs specific elements to move audiences – audio needs emotional honesty. Learn to convey it.
- The Art of the Interview
- The Power of the Right Question
- The Nuts & Bolts of Interviewing
- What Makes Interviewee Interesting?
- Demo: Pre-Interview with Ann Rea
- Mapping Out the Interview - Part 1
- Mapping Out the Interview - Part 2
- Demo: Conducting a Killer Interview - Part 1
- Demo: Conducting a Killer Interview - Part 2
- Demo: Conducting a Killer Interview - Part 3
- The Elements of Story
- Putting the Story Elements Together
- Making the Story Work for the Audience
- The Story Formula
- The Power of the Story Formula
- Workshopping YOUR Story
- Get to a Finished Piece: The Script
- Get to a Finished Piece: Music
- The Finished Ann Rea Audio Story
Reviews
Matt James Smith
The best storytelling resource I've come across bar none. I've read all the books, paid for all the online courses, listened to all the podcasts but for me none have been anywhere near as useful, engaging, moving, fun and outright inspiring as this course. If you're trying to tell stories with factual material, whatever your medium, this is as good as it gets. Regarding those reviewers saying it was haphazard and underprepared - huh? He doesn't offer strict formulas and perfectly structured, detailed approaches, but that's because he's the real deal. Those things only exist for snake-oil-merchant online "story gurus" who charge through the nose for "the perfect strategy" (*cough* Patrick Moreau *cough*). Alex offers what he can of tricks and formulae, but where it's about experience and gut feelings, he's honest. Thank god. Superb.
Gregory Lawson
This class is great on multiple levels. Are you interested in interviewing? There are great tips and techniques. Interested in Storytelling? Great insights into the basic structures and tools to test how compelling your story idea is. Interested in podcasting? Great tips and ideas here too... Alex is a seasoned pro, has an easy, approachable style and allows his class (and you) time to really consider and work through the concepts. Excellent all the way around!