Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: “How do I get into games journalism?”
Now, we at SideQuesting don’t necessarily consider ourselves journalists; we’re more of the “active enthusiast” type. We play games as much as we can, but don’t make a living writing about them. We write for the fun of it, whenever we can, to whomever will read it. We have many friends on the video game journalism side of things who make a living (sometimes barely) from reporting and writing about the industry.
We’ve always wondered, as have many others, just how they got into the field professionally.
So, it was a great surprise to us that The Freelancers Podcast recently launched. The Freelancers — comprised of Xav de Matos and Kyle Horner — deal with answering just that question, giving hints and tips and reminiscing of both good and bad experiences in the industry. Each episode the duo are also joined by a special guest sharing their experiences, allowing the listeners to hear from several writers and their points of view on the topic.
We dissect the show on this week’s OPP: Other People’s Podcasts.
Entertainment Value
Both Xav and Kyle have podcasting experience, allowing them to be a little more at ease with the format and the delivery to the audience. Being well aware of the expectations, they are focused on being informative over being humorous. Their guests bring their own individual flair to the show, but always stay focused on bringing their experiences and knowledge. There aren’t the bookended “segments” that we’ve come to expect from other video game podcasts, but then again this a podcast about video game journalism and not necessarily the games themselves. It’s an easy listen, and by keeping under 1.5 hours it remains manageable.
Original Content
There isn’t a podcast like The Freelancers out there. It’s highly focused on the subject matter, as opposed to the podcasts that rely on news bytes or an already-flourishing community. As noted above there aren’t the standard bookends, so the Freelancers does remain an interview-heavy show. Relying on that format can be both a godsend and a downfall, as in many cases we already know how our favorite journalists have broken into the industry. The podcast is in its infancy, however, and the show’s hosts have mentioned the fluid format may change as they progress along. The show isn’t lacking anything, but may gain a virtue if the episodes have a bit more of a theme to each one (breaking into the web, contacting PR, writing styles, etc). These don’t need to take over the show, but may allow the interviews to be more focused.
Production Value
As noted in their first episode, the show hosts do not have the expensive equipment that many other podcasts do. It’s just Skype and a microphone. Perhaps that is what allows us to truly relate to the show: the hosts are doing their best to survive in the journalism landscape and can’t afford the high-end gear yet. However, this does make it… interesting… at times when trying to listen. The Skype combo has downfalls that we are all aware of and live with, but one bad connection can ruin a great show regardless of the content. While the most recent show, Episode 3, was edited well enough to keep the majority of the audio issues away that may not be the case each episode. Here’s hoping that some on-location shows happen down the line.
Cast/Hosts
Xav and Kyle are experienced hosts and know the subject matter extremely well. It never feels like they talk down to the listeners, instead opting to say “hey, we’ve been there, too.” Perhaps what makes the show so palatable is that they are in some of the same situations as those who listen: they aren’t the full-timers who strictly work at a magazine or newspaper; they’re the people who will write as much as they can, and at times wherever they can. It really does well to form a connection to.
In Conclusion…
The Freelancers is a highly enjoyable podcast dealing with a topic that many journalists have often blown off. The question of breaking into the industry is a common on, so tackling it is a huge undertaking. But, by making a palatable show Xav and Kyle have been able to bring a bit of the answer to that question and mix in their own experiences along the way. A bit more focus on each episode may be all that it takes to become a must-listen for anyone looking to break into not only gaming journalism but almost any other form of journalism as well.
The Freelancers is a truly unique podcast that really lends a hand to anyone looking to “break into the biz.” If you find yourself writing with this goal in mind, subscribing to The Freelancers is a perfectly sane step in the right direction.
The Freelancers can be found at their Tumblr page and on iTunes.
Do you have a podcast that you’d like us to listen to? Send it over! Visit our “Contact” page and send us the link! And remember, a podcast is only as good as its latest episode.
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