Q&A With ScreenCastsOnline
Don McAllister of ScreenCastsOnline produces a weekly video podcast demonstrating various applications and uses of Mac OS X v10.4 "Tiger"
. It is an excellent tutorial for both the beginner and the expierenced user.
He recently announced that he has decided to make ScreenCastsOnline his full-time job.
Don was good enough to answer a few question for me about podcasting and his recent move to become a full-time video podcaster. Here are his answers:
> What made you decide to start your own podcast?
I'd always quite liked the idea of a podcast but couldn't really think of a suitable theme, or at least one that wasn't already being covered.
Back in July 2005, a family member bought a mac on my recommendation and I wanted to show them how to do some simple stuff. The problem was they lived about 40 miles from me so I hit on the idea of creating screencasts that they could play on their mac to learn the basics. I soon realised that if I could help her, I could help others with the screencasts and ScreenCastsOnline was born.
> Did you receive any special training or have certain skills which are necessary for podcasting?
No, I've dabbed with video production before but very much as a hobbyist and I'm completely self taught.
As far as skills go, ScreenCastsOnline does require a certain logical approach to showing how things work or thinking up sensible scenarios on which to demonstrate something, so planning is very much needed. For ScreenCastsOnline, things are done in sections and some of it is scripted, such as the intro but the other segments are very much free flowing. My other podcast - The EuroMac podcast - is a news based audio podcast on the mac scene in Europe. I find that a completely new skill set is required for that and the whole show is very much scripted.
I've so much admiration for these guys who can just start talking for 40 minutes with no editing - unbelievable!
> What do you see in the future of podcasting? More paid advertisements or fees for downloads?
To be honest I think that for the majority of podcasts, targeted advertising is probably the way things will go as long as it's kept within reason. The paid download or subscription model will only work when the show can provide enhanced or additional content.
This is why I've gone with a bit of a hybrid model with the ScreenCastsOnline Extra! subscription (plug - only $25 for a full 6 months) as I'll be providing the back catalogue of ScreenCastsOnline shows on DVD, the future free shows in enhanced formats (High Def and Enhanced Desktop) together with at least one special subscription only show per month. The usual show will still be free and I'm hoping to get some sponsorship to support that,
> How had your decision to become a full-time podcaster changed your life?
Well it's early days yet, but it's both exciting and scary at the same time. It's been the culmination of 6 months hard work providing a decent show each week and yet trying to balance work and home life. The setting up of the subscription model has in itself been extremely hard work and the management of it, especially in these early days is quite labour intensive and something I need to streamline.
I was hoping for a flood of subscribers in the first week to remove some of the anxiety of going it alone but its been more of a steady drip of people signing up. That will be fine as long as it's sustainable! I'll feel a lot happier when I get a sponsor on board as well!
What has been encouraging has been the amount of goodwill sent via emails to me congratulating me on the move. It's a bit worrying the number of people who keep calling me brave though!
> What podcasts do you subscribe to and watch regularly?
Well I've got a long list of podcasts that I subscribe to but the ones I jump on when a new episode is released are:
Daily Source Code
Podcaster Confessions
Digital Flotsum
Mac Geek Gab
Podcast Brothers
TWIT
Maccast
Mac OS Ken
Podcheck Review
Thanks again, Don.
You can subscribe to ScreenCastsOnline and more podcasts using
He recently announced that he has decided to make ScreenCastsOnline his full-time job.
Don was good enough to answer a few question for me about podcasting and his recent move to become a full-time video podcaster. Here are his answers:
> What made you decide to start your own podcast?
I'd always quite liked the idea of a podcast but couldn't really think of a suitable theme, or at least one that wasn't already being covered.
Back in July 2005, a family member bought a mac on my recommendation and I wanted to show them how to do some simple stuff. The problem was they lived about 40 miles from me so I hit on the idea of creating screencasts that they could play on their mac to learn the basics. I soon realised that if I could help her, I could help others with the screencasts and ScreenCastsOnline was born.
> Did you receive any special training or have certain skills which are necessary for podcasting?
No, I've dabbed with video production before but very much as a hobbyist and I'm completely self taught.
As far as skills go, ScreenCastsOnline does require a certain logical approach to showing how things work or thinking up sensible scenarios on which to demonstrate something, so planning is very much needed. For ScreenCastsOnline, things are done in sections and some of it is scripted, such as the intro but the other segments are very much free flowing. My other podcast - The EuroMac podcast - is a news based audio podcast on the mac scene in Europe. I find that a completely new skill set is required for that and the whole show is very much scripted.
I've so much admiration for these guys who can just start talking for 40 minutes with no editing - unbelievable!
> What do you see in the future of podcasting? More paid advertisements or fees for downloads?
To be honest I think that for the majority of podcasts, targeted advertising is probably the way things will go as long as it's kept within reason. The paid download or subscription model will only work when the show can provide enhanced or additional content.
This is why I've gone with a bit of a hybrid model with the ScreenCastsOnline Extra! subscription (plug - only $25 for a full 6 months) as I'll be providing the back catalogue of ScreenCastsOnline shows on DVD, the future free shows in enhanced formats (High Def and Enhanced Desktop) together with at least one special subscription only show per month. The usual show will still be free and I'm hoping to get some sponsorship to support that,
> How had your decision to become a full-time podcaster changed your life?
Well it's early days yet, but it's both exciting and scary at the same time. It's been the culmination of 6 months hard work providing a decent show each week and yet trying to balance work and home life. The setting up of the subscription model has in itself been extremely hard work and the management of it, especially in these early days is quite labour intensive and something I need to streamline.
I was hoping for a flood of subscribers in the first week to remove some of the anxiety of going it alone but its been more of a steady drip of people signing up. That will be fine as long as it's sustainable! I'll feel a lot happier when I get a sponsor on board as well!
What has been encouraging has been the amount of goodwill sent via emails to me congratulating me on the move. It's a bit worrying the number of people who keep calling me brave though!
> What podcasts do you subscribe to and watch regularly?
Well I've got a long list of podcasts that I subscribe to but the ones I jump on when a new episode is released are:
Daily Source Code
Podcaster Confessions
Digital Flotsum
Mac Geek Gab
Podcast Brothers
TWIT
Maccast
Mac OS Ken
Podcheck Review
Thanks again, Don.
You can subscribe to ScreenCastsOnline and more podcasts using
posted by Cult of the Internet at 5:17 PM
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