It’s a matter of easing into it and sacrificing the idea of “this is what I need to know by the end of this”. I’m doing interviews in an audio format - all the things you’re going to feel listening to that interview might not be about information per se, they’re about engagement. If people are caught up with what they want to ask and what they want to know, they can get detached from what’s happening in the present, because they want to get at something else. But if you let things unfold, and talk about nothing, that often leads to the bigger thing, and I’m like “Well, I didn’t need to talk about that, it just happened”. We just have a conversation. And the thing is, I’m not a journalist. I’...
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Related posts tagged 'Podcasting'
It’s draining, but it does become a skill. You get good at it, and you start to polish your stories, then you figure out your voice or whatever the hell it is. It’s an art, and it pays well.
The first few episodes, I would have my host prepare their end of it and I would prepare a character, but I found it was more cohesive when they planned both. They don't tell me what they're gonna do until we start recording. I love that built-in element of surprise.
On my show, the ad breaks are about 2 seconds long. I explain to the host that they can return from break as if no time as passed, or as if a ton of time has passed, something crazy happened during the break, or whatever they want, and then we go for it!
he always teaches me so much. i worry I'm a boring guest because I'm always just trying to soak in his knowledge and process it all. i made the mistake this last time of smoking weed before the show so i blacked out and don't remember anything. he's the best
What makes a great guest for me, is someone willing to completely be child like and bare their silly soul. And it's a bonus if they don't mind opening the show talking about some social issues.
I think the first year of the podcast still holds up. I think everyone hates their first 10 episodes, and a lot of people actually take them down and don’t put them back up—mine are up there. But I don’t know, I think the thing the podcast taught me that I wish I knew 10 years before the podcast was how to be a little bit more in the moment of my comedy career. When I first started, I think I was, like, [viewing] myself as more of a craftsman or a writer, and a lot of my performances were very intricately written and not in the moment. I think what the podcast taught me was truly to just be in the moment and not plan anything and know that comedy is essentially meant to be stupid and silly a...
i usually just think of one funny grain of the character's identity and let it build from there. with hoho, for instance, i just wanted to be an elf who delivers toys to naughty kids.
The one that aired was great. Very rarely does my brain come through for me at just the right time. In that case, it did. Marc is very smart, but sometimes he can use his intelligence to be reductive and disrespectful. That's what I felt he did on the WTF episode that I asked him not to air. One of the things about my career is, I used to work the door at a comedy club in the early 90's. Some of the guys from that era (Marc, Attell, Jeff Ross) had to adjust to me becoming a comedian/writer. They still see me as a doorman at times.
Related posts tagged 'Being a good interviewer'
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Related posts tagged 'Being a good interviewer'
The sad truth is, people are only interested in themselves. So, if you just ask them what they are doing or what’s going on or how they feel, they generally go on for hours. I read in an article recently that you should ask people what's challenging them these days and that really sparks them. So ask them that...and then run!
I think it's a matter of approach. I think I'm very comfortable to be around. They know I'm sincerely interested in them. That I will listen completely to their answer, I make good eye contact, and I care about what they have to say.
And I don't use the word "I" because the interview subject is not me.
Stay curious, always be involved in your guests, care about what your guest thinks, and leave your own opinions out of it. That's it.
sometimes it just naturally goes in directions people didn't expect - i'm thinking of pam murphy and will hines on a recent episode. when we take a break, I'll usually ask, "Is there somewhere else you were thinking of going with it, and can i lead you back there?" Most improvisers don't care about where it ends up, because the journey is more important than the destination.
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