MADE IN NY PODCAST CERTIFICATE PROGRAM JANUARY-FEBRUARY • 2018 ABIGAIL BEREOLA I’m Abigail and I’m currently a freelance writer and Books Editor at The Rumpus with interests in writing, film, and audio. Previously I worked as a Publicity Assistant at Penguin Random House. I really love podcasts--these days, friends come to me for book recommendations and podcast recommendations. I’ve produced a podcast episode with The Heart and, lately, I’ve been trying to get my feet wet with tape syncs and transcription work. I’m also working on my own independent short-form podcast series which will hopefully consist of eight episodes. The first podcast episode that really showed me what the form can do was probably The Heart’s “Movies In Your Head” (back in 2014!). Lately though, I really love Rough Translation and their episode “American Surrogate” has stayed with me. ANNA PHELAN My name is Anna Phelan and I work at TED, launching and marketing our original podcasts, and providing editorial guidance on the TED Radio Hour, of which the actual production is done by NPR. I’m originally from Ireland, where my focus was on literature and publishing. I’m drawn to audio storytelling because of its more intimate, experiential nature. I’m excited to delve into the trenches with production which I’m still new to, and ultimately I’d like to work on bringing more literary fiction to the world of podcasting. I’m going to cheat here and say that my favourite podcast episode is the No series by The Heart, which is actually 4 episodes – and if I had to narrow, episode 3, Answers. It think it’s one of the most nuanced and beautiful pieces I’ve listened to. ASHLEY LUSK I just moved to New York from Washington, DC, for a job at WNYC where I’m helping grow their podcast audience. I also am one of the editors at The Bello Collective, a bi-weekly publication about audio storytelling and the podcast industry. I’m looking forward to the class for two reasons: first, to improve my own technical knowledge of the production process, and second, to learn the basics well enough to help other beginners feel less intimidated about getting started (a sort of train-the-trainer opportunity, if you will). MADE IN NY PODCAST CERTIFICATE PROGRAM JANUARY-FEBRUARY • 2018 BRAD THORSON I’m currently the General Manager of Moviefone.com where my day to day duties are heavily on the business side. For the better part of two years, my friends and family have been groaning about all the podcasts I’m constantly recommending. I’m looking to get the experience necessary to avoid hearing a boss talk about “pivoting to video” ever again. Since it came out, I’ve been telling people to listen to Reply All’s Man of the People (soon to be a movie with Robert Downey Jr), but their recent episode about the Mexican government skewing social media is amazing. BRANDON HARRISON I’m Brandon Harrison, I’m short documentary programmer at the Brooklyn Film Festival. I also work in accessbility, writing, producing and narrating audio description, a lot of which can be found on Netflix. I dipped my toe in podcasting co-hosting and producing at SLAM Magazine and currently have my own talk/culture podcast, 2 and a Bottle, which I’m in the process of trying to rebrand and take to the next level. I’m excited to learn how to professionalize the podcast passion. One of my favorite podcast episodes ever! Color Lines, from BackStory Radio on the history of passing in the US. I’m a fan of historical pods. CAROLYN MCDONALD I’ve spent my entire adult life in the film industry as an executive, screenwriter, award- winning producer (of HBO’s “America’s Dream” & TNT’s “Freedom Song”), and director. I’m also a writer (memoir, short story, novel) and photographer. I’ve been listening to interview podcasts the last few years as a source of inspiration & instruction. Then serendipitously, I was hired a couple of months ago by Thomas Nelson Books to adapt one of their books into a podcast drama series. As I began my research, I unearthed this whole brave new world of the drama podcast, and quickly fell in love, and a quest to tell my own stories in this platform! One of my favorite podcast episodes is from the series “Homecoming”, featuring Oscar Isaac, Catherine Keener, David Schwimmer & Mercedes Ruehl. The actors own this show -- Ms. Ruehl’s performance in this episode CYPHER, is awesome! And the sound effects production is equally powerful. MADE IN NY PODCAST CERTIFICATE PROGRAM JANUARY-FEBRUARY • 2018 DANIELLE ROTH I’m Danielle Roth, and I recently started a podcast producer position with Vanity Fair. I spent the past six months with StoryCorps as a production intern. Before making the move to NYC, I covered Harrisburg, Pennsylvania as a city reporter for an award-winning community magazine. I’ve worked as a fact-checker with Audible audio documentaries, which is the gig that first sparked my interest to start this whole podcast journey. It’s so hard to pick a favorite episode... I’ll go with Rough Translation: Anna In Somalia. GABRIELLE HOWARD I am an independent producer. My background primarily is in kids media. My tenures include Head of Children’s Casting on ‘Sesame Street’ and Director of Development at the N Network (now TeenNick). I also teach screen and show bible writing. I produced an entertainment podcast and with the help of this course, I hope to develop a short-form news program and audio teen drama. My favorite podcast was the first episode of ’StartUp’ with Alex Blumberg. There was nothing more gut-wrenching than hearing his not-to-smooth pitch for his business idea to a well-known venture investor. I ended up using it as a teaching tool when discussing pitching. GRACE MCCREIGHT I’m a digital radio producer who loves stories about urbanism, sexuality, and music cultures – and the intersections thereof. I’m the former General Manager of WBAR Radio, an occasional live sound technician, and the host of a weekly disco show on Radio Free Brooklyn. I currently work as an executive assistant for the Department of Parks & Recreation, but am looking to change careers. Through this program, I’m excited to hone the skills necessary to transform my passion for radio into a profession. So hard to pick a favorite podcast, but I think about Love & Radio’s A Girl of Ivory a lot. It’s a thoughtful and compellingly written exploration of a situation that could very easily be sensationalized. MADE IN NY PODCAST CERTIFICATE PROGRAM JANUARY-FEBRUARY • 2018 HANNAH SKIBBE My name is Hannah, I’m one half of March Bradness, the world’s only March Madness style Brad Pitt themed podcast. I’ve been playing around with the medium for about a year now, and am thrilled by this opportunity to learn and expand on that self-made foundation. Aside from this, I consider myself a storyteller and amateur media scholar, looking at how we tell stories, what they’re saying with them, and how I want to tell them. I’ve mostly dabbled in teleplays and comics so far, but am fascinated by the return to the radio play that is podcasting. That being said, in terms of listening to podcasts I’ve got a pretty shallow reference point. I just finished the truly excellent Missing Richard Simmons, with the final episode being one of the most compelling looks at celebrity and our sense of ownership of people I’ve seen in a while-- definitely worth a look. JULIA MORLEY My professional career has taken me from content and technical writing in NYC and San Diego, to screenwriting and working in entertainment in LA, to most recently, attending a competitive software bootcamp. I am a full-blown podcast nerd (connoisseur?) and cannot wait to create a podcast of my own. Debbie Millman’s interview on The Tim Ferriss Show, “How to Design a Life” is perhaps the most transformative piece I have listened to. Debbie’s raw honesty about her struggles to overcome hardship and rejection, as well as her resilience and solid life advice, make it the episode I would recommend to anyone considering changing careers or seeking to overcome obstacles, at any age. MAGGI DELGADO My name is Maggi Delgado and I’m a 27-year-old multimedia producer from New York City. I’ve been a media educator for Manhattan Neighborhood Network and a production assistant at Viacom. Right now I’m forging my way through creating my own original content through PinkLeo Productions. My first production is my podcast Mixing It Up with Maggi. I started it last year after experimenting with Youtube and producing and hosting The Feminist Tea Party with Charli and Maggi. Besides this, I love television and often write short films and tv scripts for competitions. Podcasting as an audio storytelling medium is new to me. However, I’m learning to embrace it since I get to have a genuine conversation with my guests. My biggest inspiration in the podcast world is definitely Cafe con Chisme. I love their informality, humor and above all their mixture of Spanish and English. MADE IN NY PODCAST CERTIFICATE PROGRAM JANUARY-FEBRUARY • 2018 MARCUS ROSARIO I’m originally from Southern California and I’m currently a music educator, DJ, radio host and producer here in NY. During the week, I work for Building Beats, an organization that teaches NYC’s youth how to produce music and DJ.