Frequently asked questions
How DiD Off the script Start?
Off the Script began as an idea for creating digital media in the pharmacy world. In the beginning, Chris and Faizan merely thought that it would be something ‘cool’ and ‘interesting’ to do, but were never really serious about it until February of 2019. The name ‘Off the Script’, and the original logo was literally a paper napkin idea drawn at a conference that both Chris and Faizan were attending. It wasn’t too long from then that they recorded their first episode.
What is the goal of Off the Script?
We recognized an unmet need: there was a lack of Canadian pharmacy podcasts that advocated for pharmacists and catered to the education of both patients and pharmacy professionals. Off the Script will always produce content for the benefit of you, our listeners. Which is why we appreciate any feedback and questions!
What program/Equipment do you use to record?
Equipment: Blue Yeti Microphone x 2, Blanket x 1, Curtain Rod x 1, Curtain x 1
Interviewing Equipment: Zoom H5 x 1, Boya by-M1 Lav Mic x 3
Software: Adobe Audition, Discord
Moral Support: Cat x 2
What’s the recording process usually like?
Chris and Faizan usually set a date to record once the outline for the episode is finished. Since Chris lives in downtown Toronto, and Faizan lives outside of Toronto, they meet online through a program called Discord. They then video call each other, and quickly go over what they want the episode to entail. They then both start recording on each respective computer using Adobe Audition. Sometimes, either Steven or Tom will listen to the recording and provide active feedback as they’re talking. Once the recording is finished, Faizan sends his recording to Chris who then mixes the audio together to create one complete recording. After this, the recording is sent to both Steven and Tom to review and give feedback, then is edited to the final cut that is published on Sunday.
How far in advance are episodes recorded?
Depends on how happy Chris and Faizan are with the outline of the episode, and when they can find the time to record! For the bigger bi-weekly episodes, Chris and Faizan try to record as early as possible to give time for the editing process. PRN episodes are usually recorded the week of depending on when our listeners send in questions.
How long do you spend making an episode? What are the steps leading up to making an episode?
An episode can take anywhere from 3 hours to complete, or 3 months from scratch to finish. First comes the creation of the topic, and what Chris and Faizan want to discuss on the podcast. Once a topic is set, the outline of the episode is created and discussed between the two, using Google Docs as a method of providing comments, feedback and editing for each other. Once this process is completed, a date is set to begin the recording process. The recording process itself is anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours long depending on the length of the episode. Once Chris mixes the audio files, it is then sent to the rest of the team, and feedback is provided. Sometimes the episode has to be completely scrapped, and restarted from the beginning, other times the episode merely has to be re-recorded, or segments have to be re-recorded. This editing process can last for a couple of weeks. Once the editing is done, the team then creates graphics and the preview for the episode to be posted to various social media once the episode is published.
Where can i listen?
Just about anywhere! But here’s a full list:
Do you have an RSS feed?
Yes! Here it is: https://anchor.fm/s/96b089c/podcast/rss