Thank you so much for being a guest on the BGDL podcast! Below, you’ll find all the basic info you need to have a great interview.

The Basics

• Both audio and video will be recorded.
• To ensure good audio quality, please use an external microphone and either wear headphones or adjust your computer’s settings to make sure there isn’t an echo.
• To ensure good video quality, an external camera is preferred, but a high resolution webcam will suffice. You don’t have to dress up, but just remember you’re being recorded and try not to pick your nose too often, haha.
• Interviews are intended to be recorded beginning-to-end, but I can edit, if necessary, due to technical issues, children running into the room, mental lapses, long pauses, alien abductions, etc.
• Please allow 90 minutes for the interview. Most interviews last about 1 hour or less. However, schedule a 90-minute block to allow for any technical problems that may arise and to allow the conversation to flow without getting hurried as we approach a time limit.

Zencastr

I use Zencastr to record. It is a very user-friendly tool which runs in the Chrome (preferred) or Firefox browser (see other requirements) on Mac or Windows computers. You do not need to install anything special other than one of these browsers. All that you’ll need to do is click the Zencastr link I’ll send you shortly before we begin.

Make sure that you have a good wifi or wired internet connection. Disable any network backup software, and pause/quit file-syncing services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or BitTorrent. If you have any trouble connecting, you can contact me directly at boardgamedesignlab@gmail.com.

Microphone

I strongly advise using an external USB microphone. I recommend the Samson Q2U which costs about US $60 on Amazon. 

Please do NOT use a Bluetooth headset or Apple AirPods as your microphone – they sound fine for phone calls, but the audio quality is insufficient for a podcast. Make sure that you are using the best microphone you have access to and that the outbound volume levels are set appropriately.

Headphones

Headphones are preferred to avoid echoes that will disrupt the recording. If you don’t have headphones and can’t eliminate an echo, we’ll need to reschedule the recording. 

Environment

Try to find a place where things will be relatively quiet for the duration of the interview. It’s best not to be in a room where other people will be talking, phones will be ringing, or you will get interrupted. It’s also good to find a room that’s not too reverberant or echoey.

However, don’t worry about the environment too much. It’s not nearly as important as having a good microphone.

Topic/Preparation

The interview will be very conversational. We’ll be discussing a topic you are well acquainted with, so you shouldn’t need to prepare too much, if at all.

If there are any sub-topics you want to make sure we discuss or if there’s anything specfic you want to go into, please let me know before we get started.

The Interview

It’s better to talk more than to talk less. The listeners want to hear a deep dive on the topic we’re discussing, so feel free to go into the niche details. Share stories, highs and lows, failures and triumphs; listeners want to hear it all.

Photo

I’ll need a photo of you to post on the website alongside your interview. Please email one to boardgamedesignlab@gmail.com either shortly before or shortly after the interview.

Thanks again for agreeing to come on the show. I look forward to chatting with you!