Vancouver Career Spotlight is an interview-style blog series that features the amazing professionals that live and work in the Greater Vancouver area. Our vision is to showcase the many career opportunities that exist in Vancouver and provide inspiration to the future generation of workers and career changers.
Jodie Camilleri is a Podcast Producer working at Kelly&Kelly, a creative studio specializing in premium scripted podcasts and videos, in Vancouver.
INTERVIEW
Why did you choose this career path?
I have been a Producer in visual effects, animation, and live action film for over 20 years. I found my way into podcast production through a Facebook group I was in. The position sounded like a perfect fit — flexible hours, family-oriented (I have 2 kids), and they made comedy podcasts! I believe that once you’ve honed your skills as a producer you can translate those skills across different industries.
Being a podcast producer and working at Kelly & Kelly has afforded me the opportunity to explore my own relationship with creativity.
What are your main responsibilities?
My main responsibilities still cover the traditional producer tasks such as budgeting, scheduling, organizing, and communicating with all the stakeholders of the production. Specific to podcasting, for a show I would create the post schedule, book the recordings, make sure the audio goes to the editor, get client approvals, ensure we have a hosting platform, and create engagement through social media. Because we are a small team, a lot of us wear many hats as and when is needed.
What are the opportunities for career growth and advancement?
There’s not really a clear linear career advancement path in podcast production. Whilst I am more of a traditional producer, typically a producer in most forms of audio (podcast / music etc) would be hands on editing the audio itself – so what might be one path for me, would be another path for someone else.
It’s a wonderful time to be getting into podcasts. They are still kind of new, still a little wild west, but are starting to become more mainstream and people are beginning to realize that podcasts can be extremely powerful and personal. They are also an accessible and affordable creative medium for people to get into .
There are so many different types of shows that you could create, including comedy, chat shows, fully fictional podcasts etc etc. The possibilities are endless.
What kind of person would like a career as a Podcast Producer?
Podcast teams are small and you are highly involved in the process. A person who enjoys having a voice in the creation of a podcast would enjoy this role. Someone who has an interest in creating content and is a storyteller or journalist would also like this career. Of course, you should like podcasts!
What is a common misconception people have about this career?
Monetizing a podcast is hard. Only a small percentage of the top shows would make enough ad revenue to sustain a full team at a good salary – so if you think you have a great idea for a show and it’s going to make you a lot of money, chances are that’s not the case.
Creative companies such as Kelly & Kelly need to take on a diverse range of work to be able to afford to create our own IP – so not every show or project we take on is super creative. Sometimes you need to do the work in order to be able to afford to play.
What school subjects would a person in this career typically excel in?
Creative writing and audio engineering comes to mind. For the monetization aspects of podcasts, you would probably tend to enjoy business subjects such as marketing.
What type of education would you typically need to work as a Podcast Producer?
To be a good producer, a person’s attitude and willingness to learn and work hard is more important than their education. You can start at an entry-level position in a production studio and work your way up to a producer role. For traditional producing, film school may be beneficial to understand the production process better. Otherwise, education and experience in podcast, audio education, journalism and business can help you land a role in podcast production.
What are the best programs to get this education?
Podcasting is generally a course in a larger program related to Broadcast, Online Media or Digital Journalism. BCIT and VanArts both have courses related to podcasting.
What types of organizations would typically hire a Podcast Producer?
Once you have the producer skillset, you can work in any production studio. Specific to podcasting, companies like CBC or Rogers Media have podcast production teams.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in a career in podcasting?
Don’t be scared to create your own podcast to build your experience. Anyone can create a podcast and you don’t need expensive equipment when you are starting out. Try it out – play and listen to different podcast formats. Don’t be afraid to publish!
Also, try to find some mentors in the industry. This is a cool industry where people look after each other so don’t be afraid to reach out to people. There are industry mentors who have a lot of knowledge they want to share.
Connect with Jodie on LinkedIn.
I hope you enjoyed this Career Spotlight interview. Below are additional resources if you’re interested in researching this career further. Feel free to ask questions in the comments. If you’re interested in seeing if this career is right for you, send us a message here, and let’s help you find a career that aligns with your personality, interests, and goals.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
More information about Production and Podcast roles in BC:
WorkBC – Other technical and co-ordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts (earnings, workforce statistics, related careers, etc.)
Vancouver Podfest – The Vancouver Podcast Festival is dedicated to highlighting the power and potential of podcasts, and bringing together local podcast creators with national and international series.
Education Programs (in the Greater Vancouver area):
British Columbia Institute of Technology | VanArts
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