Burton & Scrooge Podcast #31
After a short hiatus, Messrs Burton and Scrooge make a welcome return to the world of podcasting with their lavishly tooled and finely crafted show. No expense has been spared upon the production as once again this esteemed broadcasting duo, bring you another erudite and august debate. As ever they focus on the relevant issues and ensure that their scholarly discussions are free from unnecessary phatic language and tabloid hyperbole. The podcast also sports a new introductory voiceover and complimentary epilogue at the close of the show. Liam Neeson has graciously endorsed Burton and Scrooge yet again.
After a short hiatus, Messrs Burton and Scrooge make a welcome return to the world of podcasting with their lavishly tooled and finely crafted show. No expense has been spared upon the production as once again this esteemed broadcasting duo, bring you another erudite and august debate. As ever they focus on the relevant issues and ensure that their scholarly discussions are free from unnecessary phatic language and tabloid hyperbole. The podcast also sports a new introductory voiceover and complimentary epilogue at the close of the show. Liam Neeson has graciously endorsed Burton and Scrooge yet again.
In this latest instalment, our hosts turn their attention to the popular MMORPG, Lord of the Rings Online and ponder the games ongoing renaissance, since the it changed developers and publishers. They also ponder the recent brouhaha, caused by popular You Tuber PewDiePie. Is he a misunderstood artist of just another jumped up blackguard? Finally, to close the show, Messrs Burton and Scrooge ponder the merits of season four of the television drama Sherlock. Was it a worthy entry in to the pantheon or “a load of old bollocks”, to coin a phrase?
So why not settle down in your favourite fireside chair, ask your batman to pour you a glass of Amontillado and treat yourself to seventy-five minutes of auditory delight. Remember your podcasting enjoyment is assured as Messrs Burton and Scrooge have a reputation for being purveyors of the finest quality podcasts throughout the civilised world. If you don’t enjoy the experience, then you’re obviously listening incorrectly and need to raise your own personal game. You may benefit from listening to previous episodes as a means of educating yourself.
Burton and scrooge. Condescending to their listeners since 2010.
Have you noticed how politicians, pundits and media commentators will often throw around phrases and buzzwords when discussing the news and other major political talking points? “Cultural Marxism” and “Metropolitan Elite” are two examples that spring to mind. Often it is clear that the person using these phrases has no idea what they mean or what their provenance is. Perhaps you’ve thought that it would be useful to learn more about these terms or the background behind certain institutions or movements. If this is the case then I wholeheartedly recommend the Origin Story podcast. To quote from their website “What are the real stories behind the most misunderstood and abused ideas in politics? From Conspiracy Theory to Woke to Centrism and beyond, Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey dig into the astonishing secret histories of concepts you thought you knew”.
I was unaware of the The Battersea Poltergeist podcast and accompanying online interest during its initial release. Created by Bafflegab Productions and presented by Danny Robins, who is well known in this field with similar shows such as Haunted and Uncanny, it was broadcast on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 4 between February and March 2021 during lockdown. The Battersea Poltergeist is a documentary of a true story with dramatized re-enactments. The show alternates between interviews, discussions and research into the case with short vignettes from a cast of actors recreating events for dramatic effect. It was released episodically and gained a lot of online and press interest at the time. Hence there were additional episodes interspersed throughout the initial run which provided “case updates” and listener feedback and questions.
I spent most of this morning and afternoon editing video content I captured while playing Sniper Elite Resistance. I assembled 26 minutes of highlights and then recorded a narration. After adding appropriate branding for Contains Moderate Peril, I then uploaded the finished video to YouTube. Sadly, the picture quality was problematic, often becoming pixelated and blocky when there was rapid movement. The volume of my narration was also too low, so I decided to delete the video from my channel. I was somewhat disappointed by this outcome and initially thought that the day had been a waste of time. However, as I write this post, it becomes very clear that this is just part of the learning curve. I have given some thought to the problem and I believe I have determined why this video was not up to the standard of the previous one. Ultimately, this is an invaluable lesson.
I recently wrote a post about how I wanted to have a go at producing some gaming videos for YouTube. “How hard can it be?” I asked rhetorically, knowing that there would probably be a lot more to the process than meets the eye. Two weeks on and I can report back that there is indeed a learning curve but it is not insurmountable. I managed to figure out how to record a video game, edit it and then add a narration as well as a simple animated logo. Furthermore, I succeeded in doing this without spending a lot of money. I bought some video editing software and a year’s subscription to XSplit Broadcaster but got a really good deal on both. In total I paid £41, which is very reasonable. Hence yesterday, I posted my first video on the officially relaunched Contains Moderate Peril YouTube channel.
I regularly receive random emails addressed to such august bodies as “the Contains Moderate Peril team”. They always raise a wry smile. Like there’s a team. That implies an organisation, structure and even a budget. As opposed to just me, screaming into the void and pouring money into a financial black hole. I don’t resent such emails. People are just trying to earn a crust, I guess. The only thing about them that frustrates me, is they never address me by name. A cursory glance at the “about” page of the website would provide them with my personal details. So I just delete them and think no more about them. Today I received one that did more than make me smile. In fact I laughed out loud and heartily. The email started with “Dear Burton”. Someone had found a few old episodes of the Burton and Scrooge podcast and had assumed this was indeed my real identity.
Earlier tonight, I had the pleasure of participating in the Evolution of Horror: Podcasting Masterclass. An online seminar conducted via Zoom. For those who are not familiar with the Evolution of Horror, it is a podcast written and hosted by Mike Muncer along with regular guests. It explores horror cinema in depth, considering the technical, thematic and sociological elements of the genre. Launched in 2017 this independent production has gone from strength to strength, with Mike now producing content for Paramount + and Studio Canal. The masterclass was designed to provide podcasters both old and new with some practical advice and answer some commonly asked questions. Being a fan of Evolution of Horror as well as a former podcaster, I signed up and enjoyed a most informative and enjoyable 90 minute seminar.
About three years ago, I wrote a very similar post to this one. Titled “Ride off into the sunset” it was an account of bloggers leaving or retiring from the community. Especially those who are established and part of the proverbial furniture. I referenced Zubon from Kill Ten Rats as an example and naturally invoked the mantra that nothing remains the same forever. Many of us go through periods of our life where a specific activity or pastime galvanises us into action. We focus on that activity for sometime and it becomes an integral part of our life and even identity. However, eventually we move on usually because such a hobby isn’t sustainable. Modern life makes too many demands upon our time. Plus we all change as individuals. What delights us today may well depress us in a year’s time. This was the thrust of that post and I now find myself in the sad but inevitable situation of writing it again.
I recently decided I’d had enough of the endless deliberation and procrastination and so I started producing a weekly podcast again. As of today the second episode of Season 10 of the Contains Moderate Peril podcast is available on all major platforms. I must admit, although I was confident that a few people would listen to the show, I was completely taken aback by the overall reaction. The Contains Moderate Peril podcast was warmly welcomed back by previous listeners on social media and the statistics for the first show have been most positive. For myself and Brian, recording the show is like putting on a comfortable pair of shoes. Last night’s recording went okay and I think after a few more episodes, the recording and editing process will be an efficient process. Keeping each episode to an hour or under means that the conversation stays on point.
Sometimes in life, you have to stop banging on about what you want to do and just go out and do it. I was thinking, yet again, over the Christmas holidays about how I wanted to get back into podcasting and to create a regular show. Although it is always a pleasure to be a guest on Beyond Bossfights, it is not quite the same as writing and producing your own project. So I decided not to sit around and overthink things but instead to pick a subject as a talking point, start recording and see what happened. As ever, my longstanding co-host Brian was happy to participate and so joined the session. Several hours later, I had a fully edited recording that was good to go. Hence, I am pleased to announce that after a three year hiatus, the Contains Moderate Peril podcast is back. A new episode is now available for download, either via the podcast page of this site or through iTunes and Stitcher.
My personal podcast journey started back in 2010 when I effectively invited myself onto the Mordor or Bust podcast. The three of us who were involved in the production of that show were learning as we went along. I recently listened to an old episode and despite our enthusiasm, it is quite rough around the edges from a technical perspective. I think that the biggest mistake that I made at the time was not investing in a better quality microphone. I sound like I’m at the bottom of a well. It’s hardly surprising as I was using a very cheap analog desk microphone which I think only cost a few pounds from PC World. Roll on eleven years and I’ve been invited to be a guest on the Beyond Bossfights podcast. It’s nice to be back in the saddle again, so to speak. Up until now, I’ve been using my Razer gaming headset for any previous podcast recordings but I’ve decided to take the opportunity to overhaul my technical setup.
Back in 2010 there was a video game podcast boom, especially with shows driven by MMORPG fandom. Hence, in a fit of hubris, I decided to add my voice to the growing conversation. Or alternatively jumped on the bandwagon, depending upon your point of view. The accessibility of the tools to create and distribute a podcast eliminated the traditional barriers to producing such material. Technically, the entire process of making a podcast remains quite simple. You record, edit, upload and promote. The quality of the podcast comes down to two factors. Your content and technical presentation. In this post I’d like to focus upon the latter. Podcasts are by their very nature, an audio medium, so it is important that those speaking are recorded clearly. Yes, this post is about microphones. How they can make or break a podcast (or live stream) and that they’re my new fixation.
Back in July 2014, a small group of podcasters banded together to launch The Gaming and Entertainment Network, a website which aggregated the content of eight independently produced shows. This eclectic group of podcasts covered a range of subjects such as gaming, movies, TV, hats and bacon as well as other aspects of popular culture. The project was conceived and implemented by Braxwolf from the popular blog Gaming Conversations. It was designed to raise awareness of the respective shows, as well promote group collaboration between the content creators. In addition to the website, TGEN (as it was abbreviated to) also had a presence on twitter, Facebook and Anook ensuring that the network was represented on all popular social media. Initially 8 podcasts participated in the project. Aggrochat, Battle Bards, Beyond Bossfights, Cat Context, Contains Moderate Peril, Couch Podtatoes, Massive Failure and Roleplay Domain.
Life is often about the things we’d like to do or wished we had done, rather than the things we’ve actually achieved. My last post in this blog series was back in 2nd October 2018 and the last podcast that I published was in January 2019. Since then most attempts to produce more content of this kind have come to nought, as spare time for both recording and editing have been in short supply. However, I did manage to record some material on the 22nd of December with my long-time co-host Brian. The idea was to release the finished podcast as a surprise show at the end of the year. However, due to real world commitments, that deadline has not been met. Now there’s a surprise. I do intend to finish editing the show and may add some extra material to make it a little more topical. But overall, I am not too upset by this delay, because in the process of organising this podcast, I discovered a quick and convenient means of recording via Discord. Something that has been seen as Holy Grail of podcasting over the years.
As part of the Blaugust Festival of Blogging, I thought I’d take the time to promote some of the content creators whose work I enjoy. Despite all the white noise, click bait and snake oil salesmen, there is still a wealth of good material to be found online, be it blogs, podcasts, You Tube channels or streamers. Most of what I currently enjoy, I discovered through word of mouth. I feel more disposed towards trusting the views and opinions of friends than I do of “recommendations” made by Google and You Tube, driven by their “questionable” algorithms. These are often determined by key words and have no ability to ascertain quality. So here are a mixture of You Tube channels, podcasts and blogs that I wholeheartedly recommend. Between them they cover such subjects as movies, gaming, comedy and history. Feel free to leave comments about my choices and share your own recommendations.
I’ve been pondering a new podcast project for a while, since Contains Moderate Peril ended a year ago. As I’ve discussed in previous posts, I want to create a movie-based show and have been considering of late exactly what sort of format to adopt. I don’t go to the cinema often enough these days to produce a contemporary review orientated podcast, plus I don’t find a lot of mainstream releases to be sufficiently engaging. Despite looking and pursuing discrete enquiries, I haven’t been able to find a co-host who is sufficiently knowledgeable, motivated or available to do a regular show producing the audio equivalent of long form criticism of films and the movie industry. So, it’s been a bit of a chore to try and work out which niche to explore. However, I have now a clear idea of what I want to do.
Last August I listened to The Battersea Poltergeist podcast by Danny Robins and was subsequently introduced to his other production Uncanny. Both are investigations into alleged supernatural events but unlike other shows of this kind, these are far better researched, produced and most importantly even handed. Danny makes a great deal of effort to try and keep a foot in each camp; team believer and team sceptic. Overall these podcast work as they genuinely appeal to multiple audiences and they are not excessively hyperbolic or credulous. A lot of this comes down to Danny’s personality which is upbeat and relatable. Perhaps his greatest strength is being a sympathetic ear to those recounting their experiences. He lightens the mood from time to time with humour when required. He also liberally litters the proceedings with pop culture references. However, he will probe and ask pointed questions but does so in a non-accusatory manner.