It’s no secret podcasts are “in” right now. Recent advances in technology and shifting consumer tastes have elevated podcasts as a social, on-the-go medium. At Flavorlab, we’re constantly trying innovate and expand the way audio intersects content, so podcasts present the perfect opportunity. Launching their Voiceover podcast series, Joan Baker and Rudy Gaskins, co-founders of the Society of Voice Arts & Sciences (SOVAS), asked us to collaborate. Naturally, we were beyond excited.
SOVAS’s “Get Out There” features success stories and tips from top voiceover artists and other industry professionals. The podcast demands a diverse set of audio skills, requiring a Flavorlab team effort. Joan and Rudy wanted the project to have a sonic identity. Thus, Erik Blicker and Glenn Schloss of Flavorlab Score stepped in to create a theme, show package, and ID to reflect the “positive, vibrant aesthetic of the hosts.” Glenn created the sonic ID by compiling voices of many of the show’s guests (as well as his wife and kids) atop a bed of sound effects to produce a cascading, multilayered tag.
“Flavorlab’s monster sized creativity brought all kinds of magic to the process.”
-Rudy Gaskins, SOVAS & Podcast Co-Founder
The podcast’s lead engineer, Eric Stern of Flavorlab Sound, reflects on the challenge of recording guests in other cities live while at the studio in New York: “There are logistical and technical limitations when recording a high fidelity conversation over the Internet, such as inherent delay or the fact that the hosts and guests can’t see each other. We remove lag, add room tone, and edit strategically. As a result, it sounds and feels like a natural flowing, face-to-face conversation.”
We sat down with Joan and Rudy to discuss the ongoing project and its impact. You can read the interview here. New episodes of the podcast will be released bi-weekly through Backstage. Listen to episodes 1 -3 below.
