PSU’s new podcast puts the Ship into the Talk

The technology we carry in our pocket makes it easier than ever to create content, and podcasts are no exception.  Literally anyone and everyone is making a podcast these days, but not all podcasts are created equal.  Some have great writing and storytelling, some are off the cuff and witty, and some, well… lets just say that the host would have been better to leave the recorder off (you know what we’re talking about).

When we were approached by our neighbors at Portland State University’s admissions office to help them create a “stand out” podcast for incoming freshmen and transfer students, we sat down with Sam Dunlop and his team to learn more.  When they told us the name of the show was “Ship Talk”, we knew right away that this was going to be fun. (PSU’s mascot is the Viking, hence the ship).

While Sam and his team knew the topics they planned to cover and stories they wanted to tell new students, they were really searching for direction on how to bring all the pieces together, deliver it into the hands of their incoming audience, all while making sure it sounded entertaining and professional.  

“The crew at Digital One really empowered us to strategically and deliberately focus on content and creativity while they leveraged their experience and expertise to help us shape, produce, and publish Ship Talk. It was as close to a plug-and-play as could be, helping us move from ideas to reality! From keeping us on time, to keeping us well-snacked between recordings, and giving us feedback on the way things sounded or needed to be edited, we couldn't have produced what we did without our colleagues at Digital One.”

“Having never produced or tried to tackle the creation of my own podcast before, it was all a bit overwhelming. It would have been incredibly easy to overlook all sorts of small but critical details that are essential to not only the professional quality we were able to achieve in our first season of Ship Talk, but the more complicated aspects of production like distribution and publication across different platforms, equipment, and expertise that comes with having a crew that is seasoned due to their work in this space and across industries.”

“We're so thankful that they were not only our partner but our neighbor in delivering something we plan to continue to build upon in months and years ahead.” 

The combination of senior creative producer Jason Sotomayor and senior engineer Josh Millman provided PSU with the seasoned experience they were looking for. Jason and Josh listened to Sam and his team, guided them through the process, provided creative solutions, set production milestones, and most importantly, furnished the correct amount of snacks and bubbly drinks needed to get the 10 episodes across the finish line.

The show is hosted by Kanani Porotesano - PSU Associate Director of New Student Programs, and Stacey Horton - Senior Graphic Design Major.

Listen to the podcast here.