Featured Co-Hosts: Slow Claps and Rewrites Edition!

We’re taking time to introduce you to the teams behind the podcasts of Secret Weapon Productions. This month we are taking a look into the collaborative efforts of Slow Clap and Rewrites and its hosts, Adair Rice and Dan Crary.

THE INTERVIEW

Explain your podcast in three words.

Dan: Movies, Movies, Writing?

Adair: Writing while clapping.

How did you come up with the idea of your podcast?

Dan: We were riding a high from blogging and thought “we should have a show and talk about writing!”

Adair: We have naturally segued into many different things and there’s been different iterations of our creative…

Dan: Partnership?

Adair: Yeah, let’s go with that. And I think because of the production company, and us both having podcasts already, we thought that would be a good way to continue our conversations. I don’t think we necessarily knew how it would evolve but I think we knew we needed to continue that and hold ourselves accountable in that way.

Why did you feel one another was the right choice of co-host?

Dan: See entirety of friendship. Whatever we work on together, we have ease of working together. We have trust.

Adair: It’s a very easy partnership.

Favorite podcast bit you’ve done together?

Dan: Rewrite challenge and alternative titles. 

Adair: The whole bit of us reviewing movings that became the entire podcast, that’s a good bit.

Favorite thing about co-hosting with one another?

Dan: The ease with which we move from brevity to despair.

Adair: You’re an amazing artist of the segue and that always is just delightful because not everyone has that skill.

Least favorite thing about co-hosting with one another?

Dan: We are both very busy and it’s hard to sometimes schedule life with each other.

Adair: I feel like in your other two podcasts you are able to be a little more punchy, I find it really fun and entertaining to listen to and I wish we could do that a little bit more.

You’re stuck in a cell together, how long before you crazy?

Dan: We would get a lot of writing done there. At least six months. Enough time to outline a ten-episode first season.

Adair: Yeah I think six months, I think we would be very productive. This may say something about us as writers…

If you could choose another co-host for Slow Claps, who would it be?

Dan: No one.

Adair: By the nature of what it is, it would be really hard. The only person I can think of adding in is Austin, when he chooses to talk.

If you created another podcast together what would it be about?

Dan: A dramatic podcast, a scripted series.

Adair: I would love to be in a writer’s room with you.

Featured Co-Hosts: Wordstruck Edition!

We’re taking time to introduce you to the teams behind the podcasts of Secret Weapon Productions. This month we are taking a look into the literary world of Wordstruck and its hosts, Alyssa Small and Clark Hodges.

The Interview

Explain your podcast in three words.

C: Magical. Wonderful. Friendly.

A: Friends revisit books.

How did you come up with the idea of your podcast?

C: It was Alyssa’s idea. She wanted to read through the Harry Potter with a total newbie and I was the perfect mark.

A: I wanted to read Harry Potter again with someone who doesn’t know the books to see if it holds up. It turns out my good friend Clark, who had moved across the country, had very little experience with Harry Potter. So it suddenly became a great project to help us keep in touch across several states. 

Why did you feel one another was the right choice of co-host?

C: Alyssa and I approach stories very differently. She is very good at immersing herself in a given universe, exploring and adapting in order to find new perspectives and details. Due to her meticulous nature, she catches a lot of things that would have gone completely over my head.

A: Clark warned me he wouldn’t be enchanted by Harry Potter. That’s exactly what I wanted—someone to look critically at the books to see if they still hold up. Plus I just love talking to Clark. And the fact that he studied radio production in college was a bonus!

Favorite podcast bit you’ve done together?

C: Any time we come up with new nicknames for characters or Alyssa brings out her Hagrid voice I’m very happy. 

A: I still love our sorting hat episode. I only wish Clark had been just as surprised as I was. 

Favorite thing about co-hosting with one another?

C: Mostly the fact that I get to spend time with her in general. We usually talk for an hour or so around the recording, and I dearly value that time. 

A: We just have so much fun together! I love our chats over tea before we record, and hearing Clark’s thoughts on the chapters, and occasionally leading him astray on what happens next. And when our podcast releases to the public, I love listening to it again. It’s like an audio album of our friendship. Well, maybe a wizard rock album of our friendship. 

“C: Mostly the fact that I get to spend time with her in general. We usually talk for an hour or so around the recording, and I dearly value that time. 

A: We just have so much fun together! I love our chats over tea before we record, and hearing Clark’s thoughts on the chapters, and occasionally leading him astray on what happens next. And when our podcast releases to the public, I love listening to it again. It’s like an audio album of our friendship. Well, maybe a wizard rock album of our friendship.”

Least favorite thing about co-hosting with one another?

C: It keeps me up past my bedtime a lot, and Alyssa and I sometimes end up in like 20 minute discussions about something that is ultimately edited out because it doesn’t have an effect on the characters or world in general. 

A: We just have so much fun together! I love our chats over tea before we record, and hearing Clark’s thoughts on the chapters, and occasionally leading him astray on what happens next. And when our podcast releases to the public, I love listening to it again. It’s like an audio album of our friendship. Well, maybe a wizard rock album of our friendship. 

You’re stuck in a cell together, how long before you crazy?

C: 12 hours. We’re very intense and different ways and I think we are at our best when we have distractions, projects, or other people. Now, if we were planning a jailbreak, we could keep that entertaining for a long time. 

A: Clark will instantly start looking for ways out. I’m probably useless in this scenario, unless he needs a leg up. But the real test will be when one of us (let’s be honest, it probably would be Clark) hits ultimate interaction and needs some introverted recharge time. But aside from eventually getting snippy with each other, I think we could last a while without driving each other mad. Unless the cell is grey. I don’t know how long I could take Clark appreciating our grey surroundings. 

If you could choose another co-host for Dizzy Channel Original Friendship, who would it be?

C: Probably Adair because she’s very much a bookworm and I’m delighted pretty much every time I talk to her. Definitely not Dan.

A: If Clark’s not available, I’m promoting our number 1 fan to be my cohost—Austin. That is if he’ll take it. 

If you created another podcast together what would it be about?

C: Probably about the creative process in general. Alyssa is a writer, and I’d love to pull some of her work into the light and pick her brain about it.

A: We could do a pretty good advice podcast, I think. Or, it could be fun to become creative partners and challenge each other to paint and write more. Or maybe a podcast where clark talks about critters and I talk about news? Eh, we’ve probably already found our niche. 

Featured Co-Hosts: The "Meh" Generation Edition!

We’re taking time to introduce you to the teams behind the podcasts of Secret Weapon Productions. This month we are taking a look into the future and the nerdy banter of The “Meh” Generation and its hosts, Cameron Fehring and Dan Crary.

The Interview

Explain your podcast in three words. 

Cam: A living nightmare. This Show, Dream. 

Dan: Star Trek Yay!

How did you come up with the idea of your podcast?

Dan: By intentionally avoiding Star Trek my entire life. I came to Cam and said “Will you do a podcast if it’s about Star Trek?”

Why did you feel one another was the right choice of co-host?

Dan: I knew you could put up with my shitting on Star Trek.

Cam: I didn’t know! But I’m glad it worked.

Favorite podcast bit you’ve done together?

Dan: Kirk no make boom boom, Rojan, Tomar, also the monster that is Doctor McCoy.

Cam: Clicky Types, Rojan, drunk rage filled Picard is one of my favorite things that has ever happened.

Dan: Yarrrr Queen!

Favorite thing about co-hosting with one another?

Cam: I just love you so much.

Dan: I love how much you put up with me making fun of you and just being shitty.

"Cam: I just love you so much

Dan: I love how much you put up with me making fun of you and just being shitty.

Least favorite thing about co-hosting with one another?

Cam: Honestly, it’s that we’ve had to go down to one show a week.

Dan: My least favorite thing about you as my co-host is your shameless flattery!

You’re stuck in a cell together, how long before you crazy?

Cam: I mean we’re pretty much already crazy so I’m not worried about it.

Dan: I think we’ll just start putting on musicals, so six years

If you could choose another co-host for The “Meh” Generation who would it be?

Cam: P-Stuy!

Dan: Maia

If you created another podcast together what would it be about?

Both: Sponge Bob Squarepants. 

For full questionnaire answers tune into the end of this nightmarish episode.

Featured Co-Hosts: Dizzy Channel Original Friendship Edition!

We’re taking time to introduce you to the teams behind the podcasts of Secret Weapon Productions.  This month we are taking a look into the drunken ramblings of Dizzy Channel Original Friendship and its hosts, Maia Mills Low and Adair Rice.

THE INTERVIEW

Explain your podcast in three words.

M: Fun. Ridiculous. Smart.

A: Magical Drunken Friendship

How did you come up with the idea of your podcast?

A: What happened was Dan let us know about a plan to have a production company.  There was no specific question of, “hey do you want to do this or not” but you and I had had a long conversation about a love of Disney Channel Original Movies and where did we go from there?

M: So we had one of those conversations that lots of friends have that say, “wouldn’t it be funny if we had a podcast where we just talked about Disney movies and drank booze and that would be hilarious.”

A: But unlike most people we actually did it then…

Why did you feel one another was the right choice of co-host?

M: You’re my match…girl.

A: Yeah I think your weird gets my weird, I think we have that.

M: We compliment each other so incredibly well, literally from the moment that we met we have been each other’s compliment.

A: Aw, this is so much more earnest than the podcast.

M: I didn’t mean to do that!

“A: Yeah I think your weird gets my weird, I think we have that.

M: We compliment each other so incredibly well, literally from the moment that we met we have been each other’s compliment.”

Favorite podcast bit you’ve done together?

A: I like that naturally we kinda came up with a steady flow, I like that we’ve developed terminology like the absentee parents and stuff like that and I think that’s great. But honestly I would have to say rather than a bit, I love our “Frienemies” episode, I think it’s hilarious and when I go back it’s not like the best edited but I like build a fort out of pillows and sleep in it for a bit and we got really incensed about him breaking up with his dog? I think that’s my favorite bit. Do you have a favorite bit or are you samesies on this?

M: I’m just gonna samesies.

Favorite thing about co-hosting with one another?

A: See above of why we chose each other to co-host.

M: From the moment that Adair and I met there was a deep and strong connection that was almost inexplicable, we just knew that we were friends forever. And that’s just how it is, sometimes you meet that person that is just going to be your friend forever. Sometimes you meet that person when you’re a child and sometimes you meet that person as an adult. You just know that person will be in your life for the rest of your life and that’s great and that’s you. 

A: And I concur

Least favorite thing about co-hosting with one another?

A: I would say the distance, it’s just that I loved recording next to you and that was always so much fun.

M: Travel would be my least favorite thing, because even when we were right near each other I still had to travel a bit. In a way it would have been great if we had lived together but also that would have been way too much.

You’re stuck in a cell together, how long before you crazy?

M: Three Weeks

A: Yeah I would say like around a month.

If you could choose another co-host for Dizzy Channel Original Friendship, who would it be?

A: I would say Cameron…

M: I was thinking the same thing!

If you created another podcast together what would it be about?

A: I actually think it would be super fun to do something like that show ‘Powerless’ with Vanessa Hudgens. Doing a scripted podcast of people in a town where superheroes exist and you could pull out your old timey Lois Lane like I think that could actually be genuinely really funny, I would love doing that actually we should do that.

M: So I think it would be fun to do a podcast about what would it be like to live as a normal person in a universe with superheroes, I mean that’s a lot… I mean sometimes you’re walking down the goddamn street and an industrial accident happens and it’s a big bang baby. You don’t know what’s gonna happen, you might have superpowers.

For the unedited drunken ramblings during this questionnaire you can listen here.

Featured Co-Hosts: 20 Minutes of Banter Edition!

We’re taking time to introduce you to the teams behind the podcasts of Secret Weapon Productions.  This month we are taking a look into the inner workings of 20 Minutes of Banter and it’s hosts, Dan Crary and Austin Logan.

The Interview

Explain your podcast in three words.

Austin: Two. Idiots. Improv? Or, Comedy? No Thanks!

Dan: I would say, prolonging this friendship.

Austin: Friendship Life Support.

How did you come up with the idea of your podcast?

Austin: Well it’s the weirdest thing, I did a Faustian bargain in reverse. Where the devil got the bad end of the deal, I Daniel Webster-ed the Devil. And I was like I’ll give you fame, I’ll do a podcast. Nooooooo!

Dan: We had toyed with the idea of doing a podcast in 2011 or 2012 and we did one zero episode that no one will ever hear that was just a garbage fire, over hosted and under produced garbage. And it had the same title and we just never let it go and then in 2016 I said to everyone ‘we’re doing this, godammit, I’m buying the domain’ so now we have to because I’m a pusher.

Why did you feel one another was the right choice of co-host?

D: I still don’t feel that way…

A: Well I was on a cliff and there were a bunch of stampeding gazelle under me and I reached up and said, “Dan…Podcast?”

D: And I said, “Long live the host” and pushed you away.

A: And I died, it was very sad.

D: Austin’s been the right choice since we were thirteen years old.

“Austin: Well I was on a cliff and there were a bunch of stampeding gazelle under me and I reached up and said, “Dan…Podcast?”

Dan: And I said, “Long live the host” and pushed you away.”

Favorite podcast bit you’ve done together?

D: I really liked in the hundredth episode when my mom and Bev talked to each other, that was pretty fun. I liked that time we just came up with the different groups of things based on a complaint of Karens.

A: Okay, and you know my favorites because they all involve destroying you.

D: Cutting me off at the legs before I do something I told you I was going to do.

Favorite thing about co-hosting with one another?
D: Stares expectantly at Austin…

A: Oh no, my favorite this is….this cat. How about this cat.

D: I hate you, my favorite thing about co-hosting with Austin is if I get too bad at this he can usually save me.

A: And if I get too good at this…

Dan: I can drag you right back down.

Least favorite thing about co-hosting with one another?

D: The smell, it’s not that it’s bad more that it’s ever-present.

If you could choose another co-host for 20 Minutes of Banter who would it be?

[At the same time]

D: Clark

A: Anybody but Clark

If you created another podcast together what would it be about?

D: I would do a serious show about cartoons with you, or I would do a parody sex advice show and just give really bad sex advice.

A: Ooooh, let’s do that. Still involves people to send in stuff, and Adair can’t pretend to be many more people.

D: What else would be fun?

A: You could just explain New York to me.

D: That would be fun, just explain New York to you. Oh promise of a new bit in two episodes, I’m going to start a New York minute with Austin where I’m just going to explain something about the city to him that I’m sure he will fail to grasp.

For the unedited (meandering) version of their answers you can listen here.