Here in the New York office we do a weekly round-up of things that inspire us. Art…museum news…something funny…a new app… an audio flippity-gibbet (yes, that’s the official term). And podcasts…which ones do we listen to and why?
These days it’s hard to avoid talking about podcasts—they’re everywhere—and influencing the way we all think about storytelling and sound. So, when the Broad (rhymes with ‘road’) Museum in Los Angeles asked us for a tour that sounded a bit like RadioLab , we were off and running.
For those of you who don’t know, RadioLab is a radio show and podcast hosted by two charmingly geeky and ever-curious personalities. The show features compelling storytelling with a very particular tone, rhythm, and exchange between host and subject. And it’s hugely popular.
So, what were the ingredients for this mash-up podcast/audio –or podio—tour? For starters, terrific interviews with terrific artists Kara Walker, Julie Mehretu Barbara Kruger, Sterling Ruby, John Baldessari and Jeff Koons. We developed a narrator voice that was pithy, amusing, even a bit sassy, who engaged with (and responded to) what those artists said. And we included archival audio from Joseph Beuys and Cindy Sherman. Footage from NBC. Vintage ads. Some punk music. The goal was to make the art more accessible and relevant. The result? Here’s what TimeOut Los Angeles said: “This tour is different and way more special than your garden variety museum audio tour.”
You can listen to this tour, as well as the two others we produced for them (an Architecture tour + Inside the Broad Collection, featuring Eli and Edye Broad), by downloading their free app here
Oh, and here are some of our favorite podcasts, in no particular order:
