IN FOCUS
More importantly, he had learned when to stop following the questions.
“ What I found is the conversation invariably went down a little route,” he says.
Guests are encouraged to tell him beforehand if there is something they particularly want to discuss. Equally, they can tell him if there are areas they don’ t want to enter.
Stuart makes clear that he isn’ t there to catch anybody out.
Once the recording begins, however, he is happy to follow the conversation down a rabbit hole.
“ It’ s not live. We can always edit,” he says. Usually, he finds, they don’ t need to.“ You just end up talking about stuff.”
One conversation, many formats
The way those conversations are distributed will be just as important as the podcast itself.
In Focus will be filmed as well as recorded, giving Staffordshire Chambers and its guests material that can live across different platforms.
“ We’ ll release the audio podcast, but we will use stills and short-form video for social media content,” Stuart says.
The promotional material for In Focus identifies Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube as platforms for the series. It also promises guests professionally edited clips that they can share through their own channels.
That approach reflects the scale of the audience the Chamber has already built. Promotional material for the series puts the combined annual social media impressions of Staffordshire Chambers and Daily Focus at more than 4.2 million, alongside more than 13,000 daily email subscribers.
The launch also comes as Feature Focus itself develops its digital edition, creating opportunities for readers to move directly from the magazine into video and audio from the podcast.
For Stuart, all of those channels serve the same basic purpose.
He wants more people to encounter Staffordshire Chambers, more people to understand what it does and more people to hear the stories emerging from across the county.
There is no guarantee about where the podcast will lead.“ Who knows where it’ ll go?” he says.
But he has seen before how an audience can grow around interesting people and good conversations.
This time, he has a new county to explore. In Focus will give Stuart an unusual introduction to the people shaping his new home, from established business leaders and prominent public figures to people whose stories might otherwise remain unheard.
It also gives Staffordshire Chambers another way of doing something Stuart has talked about repeatedly since arriving in the county: bringing people together.
“ I genuinely want people to tell their story,” he says,“ and Staffordshire and Stoke-on- Trent to tell its story.”
Behind the microphone: Bringing In Focus to life
A purpose-built set, 4K multi-camera production and an emphasis on authentic conversation will give Staffordshire Chambers’ new podcast its distinctive identity. Reels in Motion explains how the project is being brought to life at Stoke Studios.
WHEN the guests take their seats for Staffordshire Chambers’ new In Focus podcast, the surroundings will have been designed to make the conversation feel professional without becoming overly formal.
The series is being recorded at Stoke Studios, the sister company of Staffordshire video production company Reels in Motion, using a set created specifically for the Chamber.
An acoustic panel backdrop, sofas and background displays will give In Focus its own visual identity, while a 4K multicamera setup and high-quality audio will provide the technical foundations for a professionally produced filmed podcast.
But while the equipment matters, the Reels in Motion team says it should never become more important than the conversation taking place in front of it.
“ The set, lighting, cameras and audio all need to look and sound great, but ultimately they’ re there to create the right environment for the conversation,” Matt Hubbard, from Reels in Motion said.
A longstanding relationship
Reels in Motion’ s involvement builds on a relationship with Staffordshire Chambers stretching back more than two decades.
The company has been a Chamber member since it was formed in 2004, while its representative is also a former President of Staffordshire Chambers.
That history meant Reels in Motion was keen to support the Chamber in the same way the organisation has supported the production company’ s growth over the years.
The idea behind In Focus also aligned closely with its own approach to storytelling.
“ The development of the In Focus podcast came from a desire to celebrate the achievements of individuals and businesses across Staffordshire, while also inspiring and supporting other business owners and SMEs in the county,” Matt said.“ That really appealed to us because it brings together two things we’ re passionate about: telling genuine stories and helping businesses communicate what makes them different.”
Chief Executive Stuart Elford approached Reels in Motion as a potential production partner before becoming aware of Stoke Studios.
The studio was created to give businesses a professional and flexible space in which to produce content. Clients can commission the team to manage
ISSUE 7 37