An Updated New Look, Courtesy Of Chris Pearson

by Peter Beck on November 11, 2007

in BLOGS

Once again, I’ve updated the look of the blog, with a new Wordpress theme: Neoclassical, by Chris Pearson.

If you’ve followed Podcasting For Medical Professionals since it started in late 2006, you’ll know it’s gone through a few iterations on its “skin.” I’ve been real partial to Chris Pearson’s design work, using Cutline up until now, and think this is his best work, yet.

I use another of his themes, Copyblogger, on my other site on electronic medical records. That theme really kicks it, bigtime, and is truly my favorite — but Neoclassical gets the nod when it comes to elegance, a 3-column design, and a large header image space (with random shuffling between selected images, no less).

Let me know what you think!

{ 0 comments }

Show #10: Interview With Tee Morris and Cirina Catania, From The Podcast And New Media Expo 2007

by Peter Beck on October 13, 2007

in PODCASTS

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

When is a medical podcast not a medical podcast?

When you’re interviewing two folks who blow standard definitions right out of the water. From the OC Podcasters‘ booth at the Podcast And New Media Expo, I was lucky enough to snag Tee Morris of Podcasting For Dummies fame, and Cirina Catania, a multimedia film and video content creator. Both brought years of experience to their interpretations of audio and video podcasting: what the media has become, where it’s headed, and what it does best.

Tee Morris is arguably the best known front man for the podcasting movement at the grass roots level. In addition to his passion for family, scotch of debatable quality, writing, writers, and public speaking, he loves teaching people how to podcast. Together with the equally prolific and Web 2.0 savvy Evo Terra, he co-wrote the book Podcasting For Dummies, soon to enter an updated print run as THE book for entry-level podcasters.

As you can hear in the show, interviewing Tee is like using a firehose: point him in a direction, away he goes, and you hang on for dear life. That exuberance is what can make podcasting from an event — be it a New Media expo or a health faire — such a riveting experience.

As he calls out to passersby, friends or total strangers, everyone stops to listen. Set up a podcasting rig at an event, with the headphones and the pro-looking mics connected to a PA system…and passersby are, as Jason Van Orden would say, “reeled in like helpless little fish.” There’s no better way to draw attention to your table — or a cause you care deeply about. Tee specifically refers to Give Us A Minute, his medical podcast on leiomyosarcoma dedicated to his friend and fellow podcaster, Joe Murphy, who passed away this April from the disease.

Cirina Catania has years of broadcast radio experience in college and the Armed Forces Radio Network, as well as Hollywood and independent film and video production, event promotion, and celebrity interviews. Chivas Regal, The Discovery Channel, and Microsoft are among her corporate clients; she recently produced the Mission Impossible 3 “Making Of” featurette; and her 50+ celebrity interviewee list includes Halle Berry, Danny Glover, and Whoopi Goldberg.

Like Mark Jensen of PodSqod with his broadcast radio background, Cirina has the advantage seeing a lot of this before, both the best beginnings and the worst decays. And thankfully, she radiates confidence and enthusiasm for podcasting as the newest-but-now-maturing communication medium with legs.

Otherwise, I’d be looking to sell some podcasting gear on eBay.

If you liked this post and show, leave a comment! Sign up for email updates! Tell a friend! Or leave a voicemail comment at (949) 242-0202!

{ 0 comments }

From The Podcast And New Media Expo

by Peter Beck on September 30, 2007

in BLOGS

The 3rd annual Podcast And New Media Expo is proving to be as much of a blast as last year — shame on you if you couldn’t attend.

The sessions, or classes, are very much like a medical convention’s: you can attend any of them, and different themed sessions are all running simultaneously: Podcasting 101, Attracting/Growing Your Audience, Business & Monetization, Advanced Creation Techniques (like videocasting), and New Media For Special Interests (like education, or non-profits). Combined with the Podango network’s mini-convention sessions on the showroom floor, that makes about 60+ sessions over the two and a half days of the conference, and all are applicable to some aspect of medical podcasting.

I’ll discuss the Expo in future posts, but here are some notable highlights:

  • an emphasis on production streamlining, and getting a pro sound
  • making and distributing videocasts
  • liability issues when speaking to the public
  • Jason Van Orden’s stellar talk on providing value to your audience
  • the Aphex 230, omigosh (full review to follow)

This second year, I spent less time in the classes (they are all recorded and available to attendees for later download), and more time networking on the floor. Seeing familiar faces and how they continue to evolve with the medium, like David Lawrence of Finding Your Natural Voice and The David Lawrence Show, Mark Jensen of PodSqod, and the aforementioned Jason Van Orden of Internet Business Mastery and Podcasting Underground, is always heartening.

I’ll also be posting a podcast on my interview from the floor of Tee Morris, of Podcasting For Dummies fame, and Cirina Catania, who will bring years of radio and video production experience to her new podcasting efforts. I mention Cirina specifically because of her unique perspective on becoming a podcasting “newbie,” given her current video production work, her Hollywood experiences, and her radio background going back to Armed Forces Radio overseas.

To her, podcasting is a joyous and vibrant medium, that brings back what she loved best about terrestrial (non-satellite) radio before it became too corporate and creatively restrictive. It allows an interested, passionate individual to podcast about any topic of their choice to similarly interested listeners. And these can be anywhere on earth, listening at any time and place they want to hear their shows.

It’s exciting for the listener, hearing about relevant and riveting material, from someone they trust. But it’s no accident that it’s incredibly exciting for the podcast creator as well, and that there’s a buzz on the Expo floor and in podcasting gatherings worldwide.

We could all of us use some more of that mojo.

If you liked this post, please Leave A Comment, or Click Here to get future updates by email!

{ 8 comments }

Show #9 - Better Medical Podcasting Using…Your Car

by Peter Beck on September 24, 2007

in PODCASTS

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today’s show is about becoming a smoother, more confident medical podcaster. And you can work on this using a piece of “gear” you already use every day: your car windshield.

Even though talking to patients is more practice than most podcasters get (nearly zero prep time, covering multiple topics, and projecting a relaxed professionalism), there IS a difference between the give-and-take of an office interaction, and sitting down solo with your mic.

If you’ve found making that transition a bit difficult, give today’s show a listen, and take advantage of a flow state that nearly all of us access on a daily basis.

Disclaimer: if you have trouble chewing gum and walking at the same time — or driving and talking out loud — this method is not for you!

Let me hear from you!

{ 0 comments }

Show #8: How To Do A Quality 20 Minute Medical Podcast In 25 Minutes

by Peter Beck on September 16, 2007

in PODCASTS

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This is the audio version of the July 7 blog post, on the method I use for generating medical podcasts, in little more time than it takes to “dictate” the material.

But first: thank you, for sticking around through my summer hiatus — okay, podfade. Sometimes, the rate limiting step isn’t a big-ticket item like how you approach recording and post-production, but something small and funny in retrospect. And just as much of a show-killer.

Basic take-home: whatever obstructs your podcasting efforts, no matter how seemingly small, if you’re not putting out shows as regularly as you’d like, you have to respect it and deal with it. ‘Nuff said.

Today’s show addresses a very common show-killer, or at least blocker: a podcasting workflow that makes your production time 2-5 times longer than it needs to be. Read the related detailed blog post on this, but essentially, for under $300 and using a different approach to recording your shows, you can bypass literally hours of needless post-recording production.

And hours less time per show means your odds of regularly podcasting go waaay up.

{ 2 comments }

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →