Current Events > I've shot some top 100 podcasts and the secret to a successful one is

(+) Yeah! (+)

That they're 85% scripted. Comedy, sports, talk, etc. They're all reading off very extensive notes either from a prompter or a tablet somewhere off screen. Whenever they go off script it completely falls apart.

Scripts are usually written by one of the producers that see themselves as a writer but credits themselves as a producer.

Another secret is that the ads are baked into their scripted dialogue. A good amount of the time when a product or service is mentioned its because they're being paid for it but they work it into the script to make it seem natural. We'll reshoot stuff if the dialogue isn't said exactly as written when it comes to a product.

A 1 hour podcast takes about 4 hours of shooting, which is a 12 hour day for me lol podcasts are the fucking worst, most soulless experience I've had in this industry BUT they pay well cuz everyone involved doesn't know how to set a light up.

Also the last shooting hour of the day is usually saved for the actual ad reads. The first ad you hear in a popular podcast pays top dollar to be the first ad read in the podcast. There's like contractual shit about their ad being the first one read.

You're describing an "oddcast"

What about cumtown?

I'm pretty sure all of the podcasts I listen to are scripted, but that's mostly because they're fictional stories.

It's critical to have a guy whose only contribution is to say "Holy shit, dude," or "Oh my god," after every third line from the other host(s).

HANGtheDJ_86 posted...

You're describing an "oddcast"

Dunno what that is tbh

Yawn_Master2 posted...

What about cumtown?

Never listened to it or worked on it but if it's a comedy podcast that makes money then there's a 99% chance that it's mostly scripted.

pegusus123456 posted...

I'm pretty sure all of the podcasts I listen to are scripted, but that's mostly because they're fictional stories.

Fiction and educational podcasts are pretty much the only ones worth listening to. Any podcasts that are essentially "a few bros talking about stuff" are more scripted than reality TV shows and they're also just selling you a product somewhere down the line.

UnholyMudcrab posted...

It's critical to have a guy whose only contribution is to say "Holy shit, dude," or "Oh my god," after every third line from the other host(s).

Those can be scripted but often they're soundbites taken from other parts of the podcast and edited in lol sometimes they happen naturally but it's rarer than you'd think!

Smashingpmkns posted...

Fiction and educational podcasts are pretty much the only ones worth listening to. Any podcasts that are essentially "a few bros talking about stuff" are more scripted than reality TV shows and they're also just selling you a product somewhere down the line.

Eh, I know a few by the Yogscast and Jesse Cox that are obviously not scripted.

pegusus123456 posted...

Eh, I know a few by the Yogscast and Jesse Cox that are obviously not scripted.

Idk who either of those are but if the podcast is averaging 500k+ views per video then they're most likely scripted and heavily edited to look like they're not. They're not leaving that sponsor money up to chance or depending on their likability. You also have to think about how you may be seeing 2 or 3 people on screen but behind the camera in the building there's like 15+ people getting paid to be there on these huge podcasts lol

If they ever do a live podcast compare the two and see the difference. I've worked on pre-rec and live podcasts of the same shows and they're always vastly different. Not because of the format but because they have to go off script way more.

Smashingpmkns posted...

Idk who either of those are but if the podcast is averaging 500k+

lol

pegusus123456 posted...

lol

Idgi

So...yes... Some of this is situational, and not indicative of all "Top 100" Podcasts. Scripts for reads are a must, because...well, that's where the money is. And you gotta work it in when it's supposed to be in.

Some people use notes of the general topics, because they are just plain awful without them. But others only need bulletins. 'These are the topics we are discussing today. Here is the rundown. Here is the hard out for these topics. Here is where this read goes, etc.' But their opinions on the subjects, depending on who you are watching of course, are generally theirs.

There are a number of people that just film live Podcasts. You can watch the stream as it happens, or catch it any other time. Yes, it requires producers(or at least one, sometimes filling many roles), but the smart ones know to work the producer in if they want to and they don't hide the fact that they have written notes and have sponsor reads.

The thing is, some people just record their podcasts like a live TV/Radio show. So they are recorded live, the clock is running, and aside from their sponsor reads, and the general subjects they are talking about, they just go. Some people need a lot of others working on them. Others don't. A team of 4-6 can do the work. By why cheap out when crazy money is coming in?

What some of you may not get about the scripting we are talking about, the thing is, even people that are passionate about a particular subject, usually don't have encyclopedic recall of it to the point of doing essentially a little TED Talk about it on the fly. Now imagine it isn't about a subject that you LOVE and it's about something that recently happened in the news. This stuff has to be researched. A writer(or usually a writing team) has to go through and get the 'facts' and give a coherent run down of what the story is about.

One of the things I like to do is on some subject have one person "not know" what the subject(usually a news article) is about, so someone else can "explain" it to them. You see this technique used often, and it works better than the host reading a news piece, versus hearing them explain it to you in their own voice. It's not a full line for line script. Just the hot points in chronological order. It sounds and feels natural as hell.

The thing is, there would be so much dead air for some of these folks if they weren't given a script. So for them, they have to record and have it edited. Some people are kind of low-key worthless live. It would be like 45% 'um's and cursing that couldn't even be bleeped enough! lol

Worked on another one today. One of the most famous comedians in the world. Reading off a teleprompter. Producer was making script changes live.

Smashingpmkns posted...

Another secret is that the ads are baked into their scripted dialogue. A good amount of the time when a product or service is mentioned its because they're being paid for it but they work it into the script to make it seem natural. We'll reshoot stuff if the dialogue isn't said exactly as written when it comes to a product.

That really doesn't seem like a secret.

Maybe some? I dont really listen to popular podcasts so theres that. Most seem too small for a script writer and I have a hard time believing they would be good enough actors to pull that off. They certainly edit though.

I am sad that Griffin Newmans ad reads have been stripped out of old episodes of Blank Check.

The best podcasts go into it knowing what the subject will be, and have some prepared talking points to address each topic as they come up.

Taking notes and having prep time isn't the same as "scripting" a podcast, in my opinion. If it's fully "scripted" down to the exact wording, that would seem pretty lame to me.

DrizztLink posted...

That really doesn't seem like a secret.

I don't mean for the ad reads. I mean like when a product comes up in a conversation 'naturally'.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Never listened to it but there's a good chance it is.

ablegator posted...

Maybe some? I dont really listen to popular podcasts so theres that. Most seem too small for a script writer and I have a hard time believing they would be good enough actors to pull that off. They certainly edit though.

I am sad that Griffin Newmans ad reads have been stripped out of old episodes of Blank Check.

That's the thing. Most of the time they're awful actors. Recording them is a whole different experience. The entire time I'm like why tf would anyone watch this shit they're just reading off a script but then I see the edit and it's literally magic.

I'm also talking about the big podcasts. The smaller podcasts I've worked on are also mostly scripted because they want it to be their job but the I've been on some unscripted ones and they're just absolutely awful lol basically if they're trying to make money off of it and have sponsors then they're totally scripted.

Gobstoppers12 posted...

The best podcasts go into it knowing what the subject will be, and have some prepared talking points to address each topic as they come up.

Taking notes and having prep time isn't the same as "scripting" a podcast, in my opinion. If it's fully "scripted" down to the exact wording, that would seem pretty lame to me.

They're fully scripted. The one I was on today had printed talent scripts prior to the shoot and a teleprompter that was updated live for example. And that's like usually the case. Teleprompter depends on the budget. Budget for today's was like over $1 mil tho

Actually I'm bad at guessing budgets so I'll say it's over $500k pushing $1 mil. There was at least 40 people on set if not more plus 5 $100k cameras but those are rented. 10 ton grip truck filled with gear and professional staging and set design.

Smashingpmkns posted...

I don't mean for the ad reads. I mean like when a product comes up in a conversation 'naturally'.

I stand by my previous statement.

DrizztLink posted...

I stand by my previous statement.

I feel like most people aren't as skeptical about that stuff when it comes to two bros broing down on a podcast. Tbh I never listened to many podcasts outside of NPR and Conan, some film stuff here and there. But now I'm fucking engulfed in this shit and it's awful seeing how th sausage is made lol

Smashingpmkns posted...

They're fully scripted.

Sounds like a trash podcast

some friends have a successful comedy podcast with sponsors that i know is unscripted. maybe some minor talking points every once in awhile but its rare
just 4 friends in a discord call shootin the shit for an hour talking about their day and thats literally all it is lol
no fancy schmancy "producers" or camera angles or anything... barely even any editing

thats all i have to add