Verbal Diorama: A podcast about the history and legacy of movies

Have You Heard? is where the Pod Bible team meet the people behind the podcasts you may not have heard of yet. While the Oh. My. Pod. section in the magazine gives a quick shout out to shows of that ilk, Have You Heard? aims to go deeper in an effort to spread awareness for shows that deserve more exposure! We recently caught up with Em from Verbal Diorama, to learn more about how her movie podcast came about…

Who are you, and what’s your podcast about?

I’m Em, and I’m the solo host (plus researcher, writer, editor, producer and social media mogul!) of Verbal Diorama, the podcast all about the history and legacy of movies you know, and movies you don’t! I have always been a movie history nerd, and this podcast is the culmination of that. I’m fascinated with how a movie is actually made, and the work that goes into it. Whether a movie is good or not is subjective, but the history of how a project came together, the inspiration for it, and how it got made in the first place is remarkable, and always interesting (whether you like the end product or not!)

What was the first podcast you ever listened to?

It was a (now-defunct) video games podcast, hosted by the female editors of IGN, called IGN Girlfight. Having a group of women hosting a gaming podcast felt like a big deal back in 2010. It definitely stoked the fire of podcasting as a valuable medium for me.

Why did you decide to start podcasting in the first place?

I’ve dabbled in podcasting on and off since 2016, but 2018 was a particularly bad year for me personally. I channelled my grief into creating something positive and Verbal Diorama just organically happened. There didn’t seem to be very many women in movie podcasting either, especially in the Film History category, and to be honest we’re still a pretty rare breed. The podcast debuted in 2019 and I’ve not looked back.

Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?

I’m very fortunate to know a lot of other indie movie podcasts. Film Stories and its host Simon Brew are a huge inspiration to me. Simon’s given me so many opportunities through writing for his website and magazine. I feel like I could just list a load of big name podcasts here, but I want to shout out some fantastic smaller independent podcasts who inspire me: The Midnight Myth, Movie Reviews in 20 Q’s, For Your Reference, The Rewind Movie Podcast, Geek Salad, Sequelisers and Sequel Pitch – much love to my fellow indie podcasters!

Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?

I feel like you’ve got to dream big. I do something on each episode called the Obligatory Keanu Reference, where I try to link Keanu Reeves to the movie I’m featuring. That’s often quite difficult, despite Keanu’s career being long and prolific. Keanu would absolutely be my dream guest, although honestly I’d probably be a bumbling idiot around him.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as a podcaster?

That other people are nice. I came into podcasting, as a woman talking about movies, expecting some backlash, negative comments and hostility. Thankfully my experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. It’s given me the confidence to continue, and think bigger for the future of this podcast, knowing I have the support of a brilliant community and listener-base.

Which episode would you say is the perfect introduction to your podcast?

Episode 114 – Aliens (1986). It follows on from Episode 108 on Alien, and it was so much fun to delve into the history of Aliens as a sequel to one of the great horror sci-fi movies of the ’70s; how it changed the franchise, and what a sequel could be, as well as cementing Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley as a sci-fi action hero.

Where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about you?

They can go to my website, verbaldiorama.com or find me on social media @verbaldiorama on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. I actively encourage people to get in touch!

Listen to Verbal Diorama on APPLE PODCASTS, SPOTIFY or other popular podcast apps.

—

This article was produced as part of a paid advertising package. To enquire about advertising with Pod Bible email info@podbiblemag.com.