Escape Artists
PodCastle => About PodCastle => Topic started by: Listener on August 07, 2012, 01:16:01 PM
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Is there any way shorter episodes could possibly be interspersed with longer ones on a more regular basis? I'm not trying to dictate editorial policy or anything like that, but it's very disheartening to look at my podcatcher and see a 54-minute story followed by one that's over an hour followed by a two-parter where one part is almost an hour. I know fantasy is generally longer than SF or horror, which is why I'm specifically mentioning this in relation to PC.
Also -- I'm not referring to Miniatures being placed in the feed -- I'm talking more about 20-30-minute stories in between the longer ones, and possibly not putting anything more than 45 minutes on either side of a Giant.
I don't know if I'm the only one this happens to, but I can't imagine I'm alone here.
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Dude, you should know by now we're the long-ass podcast!
But yes, we'd like to intersperse that kind of thing whenever possible. Of course, what we have in inventory effects that, and it's difficult for us to find stories in the 20-30 minute range (approximately 2,000 - 3,500 words) that we really like. Generally speaking, we seem to like stories at a little bit longer length than our sister podcasts, and I don't think that will change anytime soon. Looking back over the last ten episodes, I think the only two that would qualify at that shorter word length would've been "Sittin' Round The Stewpot" and "Squonk and the Lake Monster."
That said, we do have at least 3-4 stories coming up that are shorter, and they'll be spread out over as many months. So...maybe? ;)
(I still have hopes of one day doing a short-ass month.)
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I started noticing the length issue a few weeks ago myself.
Especially just in the last few months, the bulk of the (non-Flash) stories seem to be averaging around an hour. In fact, looking back, the pattern started around episode 200. Before that, there were certainly long stories, but from then to 217, as Dave pointed out, there were only three 'regular-length' ones. (The most recent two episodes, at 40 and 45 minutes, I would consider within 'normal-length' range, especially for Podcastle, though the latter is on the borderline.)
Some of the long stories really didn't feel all that long, once I got into them (e.g. "Buried Eyes"), but with some of them I found myself checking my MP3 player in a mental version of "Are we almost there yet?" I appreciate that you and Anna like the long stories - I don't blame you, many of them are very good, but I'm pretty sure that impatience to get the story over with is not the effect you're going for.
Looking over last year's list, I see a smaller preponderance of the hour-or-longer stories, though I do notice they get more frequent later in the year. I guess you've used up all the good, shorter fantasy. :)
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Hmm...I, for one, prefer the longer stories. But I'm often accused of being contrary...
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Especially just in the last few months, the bulk of the (non-Flash) stories seem to be averaging around an hour. In fact, looking back, the pattern started around episode 200. Before that, there were certainly long stories, but from then to 217, as Dave pointed out, there were only three 'regular-length' ones. (The most recent two episodes, at 40 and 45 minutes, I would consider within 'normal-length' range, especially for Podcastle, though the latter is on the borderline.)
We do have some shorter stories coming in, and we might hit a few of those 20-30 minute slots, but...generally speaking, I wouldn't hold out hopes for that being a regular thing. I mean, looking back at the whole time Anna and I have been editing PodCastle, I can only think of a handful of stories that were under 30 minutes. Less than 10, maybe? So...don't get your hopes up, is I guess what I'm saying. When we find short feature length stories we like, we'll certainly buy them, but we don't seem to find as many of those as we do ones that end up coming in around the longer 30-50 minute range. Or even Giants. (Which we generally solicit.)
Some of the long stories really didn't feel all that long, once I got into them (e.g. "Buried Eyes"), but with some of them I found myself checking my MP3 player in a mental version of "Are we almost there yet?" I appreciate that you and Anna like the long stories - I don't blame you, many of them are very good, but I'm pretty sure that impatience to get the story over with is not the effect you're going for.
Heh. Well, we're never trying to encourage impatience. Sometimes, it happens, though :)
Hmm...I, for one, prefer the longer stories. But I'm often accused of being contrary...
I will be contrary by not accusing you of being contrary!
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30-50 minutes I don't mind; it's an hour, or an hour and a half, for a few weeks in a row that, I admit, starts to get me down. (May 8 - 22, e.g.)
For what it's worth, I support the idea of splitting up especially long stories. (I might have liked "Golden City Far" far more, for example, if it had been split into two parts.)
So I guess it's not the story length that bothers me, but the episode length. :D
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Hmm...I, for one, prefer the longer stories. But I'm often accused of being contrary...
YOU, MADAM, ARE CONTRARY!!
(err... just kidding!)
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And this is why I love it here ;D
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Look, this isn't an argument, it's just contradiction.
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Look, this isn't an argument, it's just contradiction.
I CALL BULLSHIT!!!
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Look, this isn't an argument, it's just contradiction.
No it isn't!
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Look, this isn't an argument, it's just contradiction.
No it isn't!
Yes it is. Argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says.
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Look, this isn't an argument, it's just contradiction.
No it isn't!
Yes it is. Argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says.
No, it is!
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Look, this isn't an argument, it's just contradiction.
No it isn't!
Yes it is. Argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says.
...
No it isn't!
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I <3 you guys.
So the rest of you at home can follow along. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y)
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I <3 you guys.
So the rest of you at home can follow along. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y)
I'd argue with you guys, but it's my day off. :-P
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I <3 you guys.
So the rest of you at home can follow along. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y)
I'd argue with you guys, but it's my day off. :-P
Well, you could be arguing in your spare time!
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Right. Hold it there. I'm charging you under Section 21 of the Strange Sketch Act.