Fresh Produce: Erika

"Why should I hire you when I could hire a college student? I mean, no offense."

I laughed a little. I wish I could say this was an unusual sales call. It is never the best feeling but these conversations do get me thinking. Producers, especially in podcasting, need to do a better job of explaining what the hell we do. It's definitely more than booking guests and cutting tape but I thought I'd ask Rococo Punch producers to tell us in their own words.

So let's start with Erika Lantz , host and producer of "The Turning" series (as well as a lot of other things).

JA: When did you realize you wanted to become a producer?

EL: I realized a few months out of college that radio and podcast production perfectly combined my interests. I loved writing, music, and talking with people about their lives. The lightbulb moment was that producing audio stories brought those three things together. Done right, it could bottle the best parts of human conversation, revelation, and experience to be shared with others.

JA: In your mind, what did the job entail?

EL: I didn’t know what it entailed when I started. I figured I’d have to find and interview people with interesting or illuminating stories, which I’d done before for print. And I knew I had to learn how to record and edit audio well. That meant learning technical skills, as well as the editorial “soft” skills that would make the technical work pay off. I knew what I liked to listen to, but I knew I didn’t understand yet how to get there.?

JA: Now that you know what the job entails, tell us what you do.

EL: So much more than I thought going in. What doesn’t a producer do? Become a pseudo PI, track people down, convince them to talk to you, coordinate schedules and timing across the world, assess research and arguments in unfamiliar fields, triage problems, learn new technical skills on YouTube at a moment’s notice to troubleshoot when everything crashes, calm down an anxious host or interviewee, help them find their unique voice, coach them to make them shine. It's easy to get a basic interview, but a producer has to be strategic to help an interviewee tell their story in a way that pulls listeners in.

The most important thing I do is understand what is compelling for a listener: what makes a good story, and how to create suspense that leaves them craving more. That sense has taken more than a decade to develop, and it’s something I must always continue to hone to keep my work fresh, to respond to new norms and tropes that listeners become accustomed to. There are ancient pillars of storytelling you can always rely on. At the same time, what worked five years ago won’t work as well today.?

JA: Your favorite part of the job?

EL: My favorite part of the job changes.?

Sometimes it’s during an interview: that almost sacred moment when you and the interviewee discover something on tape together.?

Often, my favorite part is near the end of the production process, when we’re making final polishing edits that turn the story from good to magical. There are these small shifts in pacing that completely and often subconsciously change the experience for the listener. You’ve spent so much time to get to this point -- and you could stop now -- but a final few touches, the shift of the musical timing, cutting out a sentence here and there, and suddenly the whole thing feels right.?

JA: Your most memorable moment?

EL: It might be the first time I ever made my own radio story. I’d just gotten back from reporting on a state senate hearing for the first time. With a few basic Pro Tools pointers and my recorder in hand, I went through the audio from the day and cut tape for the first time. The radio station slowly went dark and everyone left. Hours passed. As I fumbled through this unfamiliar software, I entered this flow state I’d never experienced. I didn’t eat, didn’t stand up, didn’t do anything but cut tape. By early morning, I awkwardly recorded myself reading the narration I’d written.

The thing is, the story I cut together, looking back, was absolutely terrible. I had no idea how to frame and unfold a story. I didn’t know how to write for audio. Apparently, based on the narration I recorded, I barely knew how to talk. I realized I had a lot to learn. But I was hooked.?

JA: Best advice for people who want to become producers or people who are acting as their own producers??

EL: Unless you’re producing for an extremely niche audience, assume that the people listening to your podcast aren’t inherently all that interested in your topic. That mindset will help you identify which parts are the most compelling. Start with those. You’ll entice the skeptics and produce the best kind of candy for those who are already in.?

Listen to Erika's amazing work on "The Turning" HERE. Check out our other projects HERE.