Hello everyone, you've probably not seen me around the forums for a while, I've been quite busy with other projects recently and haven't had the time to enjoy the forums. However, my interest in BIONICLE hasn't waned, and from listening to countless episodes of MuggleCast during this hiatus from BZPower, I've come to realise that what I'd really like is to discuss BIONICLE with other fans, and there are no good BIONICLE podcasts, at least that I'm aware of. And why not, I ask? There are plenty of more mature fans who'd enjoy making one a success, and it'd have a decent listenerbase. Not to mention that there is more than enough material to talk about (set and story discussion, set/comic/book/movie reviews, website discussion, theories, news, etc...). So this is my plan.
My BIONICLE Podcast (I don't have a name yet - PM me your ideas, see details below) will initially run as either weekly- or bi-weekly shows, with episode lengths being anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, if we have a very lucrative topic to discuss. Me and my co-hosts will discuss various topics, with the show divided into several segments. Segments are liable to shift around and alter during the course of the show's run, and listener feedback will help us to plan future episodes. Of course, I'm not planning on running this show on my own, and that's where you come in. I'm looking for at least four "main" co-hosts - they don't have to be available for every episode, but as long as we have at least three hosts, including myself, then we'll be able to run an episode. For information on how to apply, see the bottom of this post.
To give you a better idea of how the show will be, segments can include things such as News, Set Discussion, Story Discussion, Web Discussion, Reviews, Listener Feedback, and even interviews with well-known figures from the BIONICLE community. Of course, much of the show is still in the early planning stages, and I'll need to discuss it with my co-hosts first, to come up with an episode plan that suits all of us, and the listeners too. My current plan is to get the show up and running by at least November, although this is subject to change.
The technical side: to record the show, we will be using Skype to speak to eachother online. Skype is free to download and easy to use, so there shouldn't be any problems there. To actually record our conversations, and then to later edit them, we'll be using Audacity, another free to download software. Lastly, I, as the main editor, will convert the file into an MP3 and put it online. I don't know for sure what we're going to do for hosting, although I'm looking into it as we speak. Having an iTunes feed is also a possibility.
So, the good stuff... how to apply!
Co-Host Applications
First and foremost, I'm looking for around four-to-five main co-hosts who will join me in discussing BIONICLE on each episode. They don't have to be available for every episode, but they need to be around enough that they can join in on a reasonable number of shows - we don't want one hit wonders, or episodes with only two co-hosts.
If you want to be a co-host on the show, there are several requirements, I'm afraid: You must be a fan of BIONICLE. Maybe this sounds obvious, but this is a show for BIONICLE fans, and I don't want the show to be filled with negative speech by ex-fans or other people who have lost interest.You must have a solid grasp on speaking the English language - all nationalities, accents and dialects are welcome, but you must be able to speak English well.I won't put an age limit on the application, but applicants should be emotionally mature - we can and will have a laugh on the podcast, but I don't want this to become a podcast dragged down with silliness and immaturity. I'm 17, by the way - my personal recommendation would be that co-hosts should be around 14 at the youngest, although I will let younger members apply and test them just the same.You must have Skype and Audacity installed, along with a decent-quality microphone and speakers (ideally, a headset).In terms of availability, I'd say that you should be available at least once every four weeks - that should be a safe indicator.Remember that we'll be wanting people to enjoy listening to us - I'll say this now that applicants who appear to have a good mix of common sense, maturity, charisma, humour and knowledge of BIONICLE will have the greatest chance of winning a place.If you meet these conditions, and you're interested in applying, then I'd like you to PM me, saying that you'd like to apply and telling me a little bit about yourself and why you'd be interested in joining the podcast. If this application interests me then I'll PM you back with information regarding the next stage of the application process, including my Skype name - we will then arrange a time to speak casually on Skype (don't worry, no formal interviews), which will allow me to better judge who deserves the placement. I will finish taking applications when I feel I have enough, but when I do, I will post it here, and the winners will be informed by PM.
Also, if you don't get a placement, don't worry - we'll try and get you on the show at some point as a guest host!
Podcast Name
I still need a name for the podcast, too - any ideas can be PMed to me. A few ground rules: Biocast is already taken by bioniclestory.com, and Bionicast is already taken by some Bionic Woman podcast. So neither of those can be used. I'd like something catchy and appealing, which will hook BIONICLE fans when they hear it, yet also sound interesting to non-BIONICLE fans. It doesn't have to end in "-cast", but it needs to sound like a show name.Of course, check that it's not already taken by another show, as that wouldn't be very fair on anyone and will just cause confusion if people try to search for us (or them!).