Two Movie-buff Friends Rewatch Every James Bond Film

Boozing & Bonding is a monthly comedy podcast featuring two movie-buff friends (Chris Nyarady and Keegan Flick-Parker) dedicated to watching and commenting on all 24+ films in the long-lived James Bond franchise. The premise is simple: the pair discuss their history with the films, pair each flick with a themed boozy beverage, get sloshed, then do their best to make sense of it all.

This podcast is for anyone and everyone interested in films, pop-culture, or exploring the delicious world of cocktails. That said, the show is intended for mature audiences and contains both adult language and references to mature themes. As such, we recommend this show for listeners of legal drinking age.

We both love listening to podcasts - especially at work or while commuting - and we've been in the podcast game for quite a while now. Our first foray into the world of Podcasting, Geeks versus Nerds, is a comedy debate panel show designed to work both live (recorded in front of an audience in Vancouver) and as a podcast!

This podcast is more intimate - there's no stage, no crowd, and no guests - just two old friends who realised our shared passion for movies and good times was a great excuse to get together and record. We feel like the show presents a very real look at our relationship as best buds and former roommates - and invites you to become a part of that as well.

Our first pilot episode (Episode 000 - Never Say Never Again) was released in August of 2018 and, from then until now (April, 2020), we've released another 12 regular episodes, along with some special bonus episodes!

One of the reasons we decided to do this podcast was its simplicity - especially when compared with our earlier work. Our recording schedule would be flexible, there would be no additional cast or crew to coordinate, and the budget could be as tight or loose as we felt like making it out-of-pocket!

Podcasting, and indeed, all forms of production can be a huge responsibility or small side-hustle. It's important to know what you have the time and energy for and commit to the project. When planning this project we knew we'd be working around our day jobs and keeping things small. Our day jobs allow us to fund this podcast and make it possible!

At this point, we've kept our expenses as minimal as possible. Fortunately, our last project (which was considerably larger in scope) provided us with a lot of the skills, knowledge, and equipment we would need. Aside from purchasing a website domain, our only regular expenses are buying the ingredients we use in our drinks & cocktails!

One other thing that cannot be understated is the value of a network of supporters, which can take a long time to develop. We have the benefit of going into this podcast with a preexisting base of listeners interested in supporting us and our content. We also were graciously taken in by a Canadian podcasting network: Station Zed, who have helped us shape the podcast and get it out there. Finally, we're now at a stage where we believe the podcast has proven itself, and we've begun to explore sponsorship possibilities - it's exciting stuff!

We are, at this point, beginning to look at sponsors. That said, it's important to us that our voices remain our own and, so, we are exploring sponsorships in kind, rather than paid sponsorships. We're looking to keep our podcast ad-free, but we're happy to share our opinions on locally-produced beverages and ingredients, other podcasts, and anything else that we feel our listeners may genuinely enjoy!

Our first sponsorship has come from local craft distilling duo: Sons of Vancouver Distillery. They've been generous enough to send some of their spirits our way - and we can't wait to tell you what we think of 'em!

Podcasting can feel, at times, like a job - but we've fortunately had the experience of doing the 'job' podcast and this project feels more like a project for our 'golden years' (so to speak). While we've chosen not to make any profit off of this show, we are enjoying the opportunity to get together, have some fun, and share a connection to the wider community of listeners and fans!

For this podcast, we've kept things simple. We use a Blue Yeti to capture our conversations before, during, and after the movie. This mic is a staple of podcasters worldwide and offers a range of helpful features. In our case, we love the various recording modes it offers - allowing us to capture more-or-less ambient sound (such as the film, as it plays in the background). We record to, and edit the podcast in Garage Band - though we occasionally record the podcast in Audacity, depending on our location.

One recent adaptation we've had to make is the transition to recording our episodes separately, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This has certainly thrown a bit of a wrench into the normal recording process - as, in order to respect physical distancing recommendations - we cannot meet in person. Since we felt this would inhibit our regular rapport, we've decided to focus on special episodes, bonus content, and alternative formats for the time being. Recording through Zoom just isn't quite the same.

While our show is mostly recorded off-the-cuff, we do some research ahead of time. The dynamic of the show, in brief, is that Keegan owns (and has watched) all the films before and Chris has only seen a handful of the movies, mostly during televised movie marathons. We discuss our previous experience with, our expectations for, and fascinating trivia about each film. For example, did you know that Adam West was approached to play James Bond... twice?!

While we don't intend to speak with any guests as part of our regular podcast, we are looking at bringing on some special guests in the near future for some of our special bonus episodes, which will feature more in-depth discussion of some of the films in the Bond franchise in an alternative format. One that we're both excited about is the chance to discuss some of the more problematic elements of Roger Moore's Live and Let Die with a bona-fide practitioner of Voodoo, to help us set the record straight on what the film got right and (let's face it, mostly) wrong.

Getting a show out there and attracting listeners is not easy. It's important to understand that simply throwing money at promotion isn't a sound strategy. We try to stay connected to our listeners through a few social media channels (such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) on a personal and real level. We want to hear what they have to say and incorporate our reviews, comments, and feedback directly into our show (often reading them on-air). We think this helps bring our audience into the podcast and foster an engaged community.

We don't do ads, or Patreon, and we don't plan to - but that's because those strategies just aren't right for our show. In the past, we've utilised limited paid advertising (e.g. on Facebook), promotional sponsorships, event appearances, online fundraising tools, and more. All these tools can be extraordinarily helpful in reaching new audiences and achieving funding goals - just be careful to pick the right tools for your podcast and don't be afraid to stop if something doesn't feel right.

Over the past decade, we've learned a ton about podcasting and producing live shows - a kind of learning that comes from committing to a project and immersing yourself in it.

Allow the talented people you're working with to develop themselves and, if they are ready to move on professionally, support that. Something we never realised our last podcast, Geeks versus Nerds, would provide was a launch pad for so many talented and amazing artists and creators! It's hard to let people go - especially when you know just how much they're contributing to your project's success - but fostering an environment of improvement and creative empowerment allowed us to continue to meet and work with truly inspiring people.

Know yourself, your limits, and your needs. Before setting out to make a podcast, think about what you're going to need from it for it to succeed and set out to make that vision a reality. If you are passionate about something, even if it feels niche, there are other people who love that thing too. Give yourself, and your podcast, time to get into a groove - don't expect wild success immediately. Lastly, don't just stay open to feedback - seek it out. Be aware of how you feel about your work and what other's think and assess, honestly, how you can improve.

As a final, and very pragmatic tip, always prepare for something to go wrong. It's just part of the biz. Someone will cancel at the last-minute, a microphone will die mid-recording, your dog will eat your notes... do your best to anticipate these events and avoid catastrophe. Save backups.

Learn more about us, and our podcast, Boozing & Bonding, at www.BoozingAndBonding.com!

We're also on Facebook (boozebondpod), Twitter (boozebondpod), and Instagram (boozebondpod)!

Drop us a line through our website or DM us and we'll get back to you - and we may even feature your comment in our show.