Jen deHaan | StereoForest Studio
@stereoforest.com
StereoForest.com specializes in directing and producing video-first podcasts & audio dramas.
Posts by @jendehaan.com: Remote voice acting, improviser, writer, producer and director.
Made in Canada 🇨🇦 by humans
Posts by @jendehaan.com: Remote voice acting, improviser, writer, producer and director.
Made in Canada 🇨🇦 by humans
Pinned
Why Podcasters Cringe At Their Own Voice (and a solo drill to help)
YouTube video by Jen deHaan
youtu.be
Hate your own voice on mic or camera? The latest episode is about WHY, and also about practicing speaking without needing to edit your words as much: youtu.be/pi9xIKjQr-g
You can visualize a friend's face on the camera lens if you don't have a photo. Scan their face for reactions while you speak. These micro-movements in your eyes make you look engaged. Staring straight at the lens makes you look glazed over and it's harder to connect that way.
January 1, 2026 at 8:30 PM
You can visualize a friend's face on the camera lens if you don't have a photo. Scan their face for reactions while you speak. These micro-movements in your eyes make you look engaged. Staring straight at the lens makes you look glazed over and it's harder to connect that way.
Stanislavski had a concept called "Circles of Attention." The Small Circle is you worrying about yourself. The Large Circle is you worrying about the audience. The Medium Circle is you connecting with one person. Stay in the Medium Circle to fix your recording anxiety.
December 31, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Stanislavski had a concept called "Circles of Attention." The Small Circle is you worrying about yourself. The Large Circle is you worrying about the audience. The Medium Circle is you connecting with one person. Stay in the Medium Circle to fix your recording anxiety.
Try the "Talk to the Face" drill. Tape a photo of someone you like next to your camera lens. Talk to them, you can even address them directly in practice (or clip it out). This change can cue your innate safety response. Your voice might drop a bit (pitch) and your eyes will crinkle...
December 30, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Try the "Talk to the Face" drill. Tape a photo of someone you like next to your camera lens. Talk to them, you can even address them directly in practice (or clip it out). This change can cue your innate safety response. Your voice might drop a bit (pitch) and your eyes will crinkle...
Actors call it "Dead Eyes." You feel energetic inside but you look bored on camera. This happens because your Social Engagement System shuts down when you talk to an inanimate object. You need to feel safe to look alive.
December 29, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Actors call it "Dead Eyes." You feel energetic inside but you look bored on camera. This happens because your Social Engagement System shuts down when you talk to an inanimate object. You need to feel safe to look alive.
The "Still Face Experiment" shows that babies panic when their parents stop smiling and just stare. A camera lens can do the same thing to podcasters. We disengage because we get no feedback. You have to trick your brain into seeing a human face to keep your energy up.
December 28, 2025 at 8:30 PM
The "Still Face Experiment" shows that babies panic when their parents stop smiling and just stare. A camera lens can do the same thing to podcasters. We disengage because we get no feedback. You have to trick your brain into seeing a human face to keep your energy up.
Your camera lens looks like a predator? Well, it stares. It does not blink. It has a fixed and dilated pupil. Your nervous system interprets could find this a threat, even if your logical brain doesn't. That can be why your face goes flat when you hit record (fighting biology a bit).
December 27, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Your camera lens looks like a predator? Well, it stares. It does not blink. It has a fixed and dilated pupil. Your nervous system interprets could find this a threat, even if your logical brain doesn't. That can be why your face goes flat when you hit record (fighting biology a bit).
Hate your own voice on mic or camera? The latest episode is about WHY, and also about practicing speaking without needing to edit your words as much: youtu.be/pi9xIKjQr-g
Why Podcasters Cringe At Their Own Voice (and a solo drill to help)
YouTube video by Jen deHaan
youtu.be
December 21, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Hate your own voice on mic or camera? The latest episode is about WHY, and also about practicing speaking without needing to edit your words as much: youtu.be/pi9xIKjQr-g
Check out this weeks episode about finding the right format for your solo-hosted show. 11 different shows linked as examples to check out.
Find it wherever you podcast or on YouTube at "Solo Podcasting Handbook"
#podcasts
Find it wherever you podcast or on YouTube at "Solo Podcasting Handbook"
#podcasts
December 11, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Check out this weeks episode about finding the right format for your solo-hosted show. 11 different shows linked as examples to check out.
Find it wherever you podcast or on YouTube at "Solo Podcasting Handbook"
#podcasts
Find it wherever you podcast or on YouTube at "Solo Podcasting Handbook"
#podcasts
New episode about the various formats you can choose for your solo hosted podcast. Check it out wherever you get your shows, or on YouTube, at "Solo Podcasting Handbook."
#PodcastThreads
#Podcasting
#PodcastThreads
#Podcasting
December 10, 2025 at 6:04 PM
New episode about the various formats you can choose for your solo hosted podcast. Check it out wherever you get your shows, or on YouTube, at "Solo Podcasting Handbook."
#PodcastThreads
#Podcasting
#PodcastThreads
#Podcasting
New episode about finding the right format for your solo-hosted show. Find it wherever you podcast or on YouTube at "Solo Podcasting Handbook"
#podcasts
#podcasts
December 10, 2025 at 2:30 AM
New episode about finding the right format for your solo-hosted show. Find it wherever you podcast or on YouTube at "Solo Podcasting Handbook"
#podcasts
#podcasts
I'm deep in production on a new series of episodes all about crushing your solo-hosted shows. I'm not focusing on software (because we use so many different programs, and I need to focus). So I'm mostly covering: strategy, performance, formats, content structures.
December 1, 2025 at 7:30 PM
I'm deep in production on a new series of episodes all about crushing your solo-hosted shows. I'm not focusing on software (because we use so many different programs, and I need to focus). So I'm mostly covering: strategy, performance, formats, content structures.
Strategic consistency helps your show a lot more than equipment or those filler words. But focus on the "strategic" part of that, which is even more important than consistency (though you need some of that too).
Cont.
Cont.
November 30, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Strategic consistency helps your show a lot more than equipment or those filler words. But focus on the "strategic" part of that, which is even more important than consistency (though you need some of that too).
Cont.
Cont.
When possible in your (non-fiction) podcast or show, use stories and examples to illustrate your points. This makes abstract ideas concrete. It also makes your content, and YOU for that matter, a lot more memorable!
#podcasting
#podcasting
November 29, 2025 at 8:30 PM
When possible in your (non-fiction) podcast or show, use stories and examples to illustrate your points. This makes abstract ideas concrete. It also makes your content, and YOU for that matter, a lot more memorable!
#podcasting
#podcasting
Especially important if you're tackling a solo hosted podcast: Vary your speaking pace. Don't rush words. Speaking too fast can be hard to follow, but speaking too slow can lose the energy & flow needed for interest. Finding YOUR best middle ground takes practice but is worth it!
#solopodcasting
#solopodcasting
November 28, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Especially important if you're tackling a solo hosted podcast: Vary your speaking pace. Don't rush words. Speaking too fast can be hard to follow, but speaking too slow can lose the energy & flow needed for interest. Finding YOUR best middle ground takes practice but is worth it!
#solopodcasting
#solopodcasting
Identify your target listener for your podcast. Do not try to make a show for everyone. A specific audience is easier to serve, and in "interest based" algorithms these days it'll help with finding an audience too.
#podcasting
#podcasting
November 27, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Identify your target listener for your podcast. Do not try to make a show for everyone. A specific audience is easier to serve, and in "interest based" algorithms these days it'll help with finding an audience too.
#podcasting
#podcasting
Solo hosting podcasts requires strong organization skills... since you are responsible for all the content. A good plan, and strategy, is essential for success. Scripts, detailed notes, and presentation skills are all pretty important too.
#solopodcasting
#solopodcasting
November 27, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Solo hosting podcasts requires strong organization skills... since you are responsible for all the content. A good plan, and strategy, is essential for success. Scripts, detailed notes, and presentation skills are all pretty important too.
#solopodcasting
#solopodcasting
For video podcasts (or, "shows" as I like to call them), it's good to look at the camera when speaking to viewers as much as you can. Looking at your screen breaks the connection. And if you have a guest, it might look to viewers like you're distracted or uninterested in the guest.
#podcasting
#podcasting
November 26, 2025 at 11:30 PM
For video podcasts (or, "shows" as I like to call them), it's good to look at the camera when speaking to viewers as much as you can. Looking at your screen breaks the connection. And if you have a guest, it might look to viewers like you're distracted or uninterested in the guest.
#podcasting
#podcasting
Visual treatment of your podcast scripts can help make them better. Use bold text, spacing, and brackets to guide your eye. This makes reading naturally much easier and you can focus on other things instead. Like your voice.
#podcasting
#podcasting
November 26, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Visual treatment of your podcast scripts can help make them better. Use bold text, spacing, and brackets to guide your eye. This makes reading naturally much easier and you can focus on other things instead. Like your voice.
#podcasting
#podcasting
Teaching on your podcast? You might want to structure your shows to make sure you include What, Why, and How.
These are:
1. What: "Today we're talking about..." (Topic)
(Cont.)
These are:
1. What: "Today we're talking about..." (Topic)
(Cont.)
November 26, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Teaching on your podcast? You might want to structure your shows to make sure you include What, Why, and How.
These are:
1. What: "Today we're talking about..." (Topic)
(Cont.)
These are:
1. What: "Today we're talking about..." (Topic)
(Cont.)
Format your scripts for when you read them out loud. Reading a dense script while performing is hard, and adjusting your text to offload that mental burden can help you perform it even better.
#podcasting
#podcasting
November 25, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Format your scripts for when you read them out loud. Reading a dense script while performing is hard, and adjusting your text to offload that mental burden can help you perform it even better.
#podcasting
#podcasting
Make sure your room is quiet before you start recording. No fans! Turn off the external hard drive! Whatever it is. This helps with noise reduction during editing. If it's too loud, reduction won't work well.
Create a checklist (I always forget that darn hard drive!)
#Podcasting
Create a checklist (I always forget that darn hard drive!)
#Podcasting
November 25, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Make sure your room is quiet before you start recording. No fans! Turn off the external hard drive! Whatever it is. This helps with noise reduction during editing. If it's too loud, reduction won't work well.
Create a checklist (I always forget that darn hard drive!)
#Podcasting
Create a checklist (I always forget that darn hard drive!)
#Podcasting
Place your microphone six to eight inches from your mouth, unless you have an excellent chunk of foam on there and maybe some FX to help. Too close creates plosives. Too far loses presence or that "intimate" feel for listeners. TEST it out, and see what the best distance is!
#podcasting
#podcasting
November 24, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Place your microphone six to eight inches from your mouth, unless you have an excellent chunk of foam on there and maybe some FX to help. Too close creates plosives. Too far loses presence or that "intimate" feel for listeners. TEST it out, and see what the best distance is!
#podcasting
#podcasting
Help your listeners remember your content by using signposts in your podcast scripts. It signals structure and relevance, and helps reduce cognitive load. It also helps reduce walls of ear text!
#podcasting
#podcasting
November 24, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Help your listeners remember your content by using signposts in your podcast scripts. It signals structure and relevance, and helps reduce cognitive load. It also helps reduce walls of ear text!
#podcasting
#podcasting
Dictating your notes captures your natural human cadence immediately, and it's a much better way to write a script for podcasting.
#podcasting
#podcasting
November 23, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Dictating your notes captures your natural human cadence immediately, and it's a much better way to write a script for podcasting.
#podcasting
#podcasting
I usually record at a level where peaks hit about negative twelve decibels. It leaves headroom for processing without distortion. Do a test and see what you need to do for your own voice & what kind of delivery is "normal" for the podcast. Pull your head away from the mic if ya get loud!
#podcasting
#podcasting
November 23, 2025 at 6:01 PM
I usually record at a level where peaks hit about negative twelve decibels. It leaves headroom for processing without distortion. Do a test and see what you need to do for your own voice & what kind of delivery is "normal" for the podcast. Pull your head away from the mic if ya get loud!
#podcasting
#podcasting