Dog Park Adjacent - Podcast Setup Analysis

Dog Park Adjacent - Podcast Setup Analysis

Current State

What We Have

Show Information:

  • Title: Dog Park Adjacent
  • Tagline: AKA my self-taught film school project
  • Description: “A 138-minute feature film that explores the lives of two men trying to buy a house in Southern California” (from self-taught film school project in 2024)
  • Author: @stovak
  • Tags: video, dog-park-adjacent, self-taught-film-school

Episodes/Chapters:

  1. Chapter 1: Requiem for a Fruit Fly (2024-03-07) - Vimeo: 920547314
  2. Chapter 2: Requiem for a Don (2024-04-15) - Vimeo ID in post
  3. Chapter 3: Requiem for Full Time Employment (2024-05-04) - Vimeo ID in post
  4. Chapter 4: Requiem for Journalism (2024-06-18) - Vimeo ID in post
  5. Chapter 5: Prelude to Something Proven (2024-07-31) - Vimeo ID in post
  6. Chapter 6: Aria for an Expat Enclave (2024-09-22) - Vimeo ID in post
  7. Chapter 7: Etude for a Meet Cute (2024-10-08) - Vimeo ID in post
  8. Chapter 8: Sonata for Secrets (2024-12-24) - Vimeo: 1041973953

Source Files Located at: /Volumes/The Big Combo/podcasts/dog-park-adjacent/

Directory Structure:

dog-park-adjacent/
├── media/           # 7 video files (Chapter 2 is MISSING!)
│   ├── Chapter 1 - Long Form.mov (63 GB)
│   ├── Chapter 3 - Long Form.mov (58 GB)
│   ├── Chapter 4 - Long Form.mov (57 GB)
│   ├── Chapter 5 - Long Form.mov (58 GB)
│   ├── Chapter 6 - Long Form.mov (36 GB)
│   ├── Chapter 7 - Long form.mov (56 GB)
│   └── Chapter 8 - Long Form.mov (87 GB)
│   Total: ~414 GB
├── screenplays/     # EMPTY
└── transscripts/    # EMPTY (note: typo in directory name)

Full Feature Film:

  • Vimeo: 1042657886 (138 minutes total)

CRITICAL QUESTIONS - NEED ANSWERS

1. Media Format & Type

Q: Video or Audio Podcast?

  • Keep as video podcast (.mov or .mp4 files)
  • Convert to audio-only podcast (extract audio to .mp3)
  • Provide both formats (video + audio)

Impact:

  • Video podcasts require much more storage (414GB in Git LFS = expensive!)
  • Video podcasts have limited distribution (Apple Podcasts supports video, Spotify does not for all plans)
  • Audio-only is standard and widely supported

Q: Should we convert .mov to .mp4?

  • Yes, convert to .mp4 (H.264) for better compatibility
  • Keep as .mov (QuickTime format)
  • Provide both formats

Impact:

  • .mp4 is more universally compatible
  • Conversion will take significant time (7 files, ~60GB each)
  • May reduce file size with re-encoding

2. Missing Content

Q: Where is Chapter 2 video file?

  • Is it on Vimeo but not downloaded?
  • Was it never created?
  • Is it stored elsewhere?

Action needed: Locate or confirm Chapter 2 status

Q: Do transcripts exist?

  • The transscripts/ directory is empty
  • Are transcripts available elsewhere?
  • Should we generate them (AI transcription)?

Impact:

  • Transcripts improve accessibility and SEO
  • Required for some podcast directories
  • Can be generated from video/audio

Q: Do screenplays exist?

  • The screenplays/ directory is empty
  • Are these source scripts available?
  • Are they needed for the podcast?

3. Podcast Metadata (Required for RSS Feed)

Q: Podcast Category? Choose from Apple Podcasts categories:

  • Arts > Visual Arts
  • Arts > Performing Arts
  • Leisure > Animation & Manga
  • TV & Film > Film Reviews
  • TV & Film > Film History
  • Society & Culture > Documentary
  • Fiction > Drama
  • Other: _____

Recommendation: TV & Film or Fiction > Drama

Q: Explicit Content Flag?

  • Yes (contains explicit language, adult themes, etc.)
  • No (clean content)

Q: Copyright/License?

  • © 2024 @stovak - All Rights Reserved
  • Creative Commons license (which type?)
  • Other: _____

Q: Contact Email?

Q: Website URL?

  • https://stovak.net/dog-park-adjacent.html
  • Separate website?
  • Vimeo channel?

4. Episode Metadata (Need for Each Chapter)

For each episode, we need:

Duration:

  • Extract from video files (requires processing)
  • Use Vimeo API to fetch duration
  • Manually enter

File Size:

  • Current: 36-87 GB per file (too large!)
  • If converting to .mp4: Need to calculate new sizes
  • If audio-only: ~100-500 MB per episode

Episode Descriptions:

  • Currently only have chapter titles
  • Need 1-2 sentence descriptions per episode
  • Should we generate from content or do you want to write them?

Episode Type:

  • Full episodes
  • Serial (story continues across episodes)
  • Bonus content

Recommendation: Serial (since it’s a continuous story)

5. Artwork Requirements

Q: Show Cover Art Podcast directories require:

  • 1400×1400 px (minimum for Apple Podcasts)
  • 3000×3000 px (recommended high-res)
  • Square (1:1 aspect ratio)
  • JPG format
  • <512 KB file size

Do you have artwork, or should we:

  • Use still frame from video
  • Create custom artwork
  • Use existing branding/logo

6. Git LFS & Storage Costs

Current file sizes: 414 GB

GitHub LFS Pricing:

  • Free: 1 GB storage + 1 GB bandwidth/month
  • $5/month: 50 GB data pack (storage + bandwidth combined)
  • For 414 GB: Need ~$40-50/month just for storage!

Options:

  1. Store only audio (~3-5 GB total) = $5/month
  2. Use external storage (Vimeo, YouTube, R2) and link in RSS
  3. Compress videos to smaller sizes
  4. Private repository but don’t use LFS (repo size limits)

Q: What’s your budget for Git LFS?

  • $5-10/month (audio-only or heavily compressed)
  • $40-50/month (full quality video)
  • Prefer external hosting (keep videos on Vimeo)

7. Distribution Strategy

Q: Where do you want to publish?

  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify (audio-only, no video support for most plans)
  • YouTube (as podcast)
  • Vimeo (current)
  • RSS feed only (self-hosted)
  • All of the above

Q: Public or Private?

  • Public podcast (anyone can subscribe)
  • Private repository, public RSS feed
  • Patreon/subscriber-only access

8. Naming & Versioning

Q: Semantic Versioning Scheme? Since this is a serial with 8 chapters:

  • v1.1.0, v1.2.0, … v1.8.0 (Season 1, Episodes 1-8)
  • v0.1.0, v0.2.0, … v0.8.0 (No seasons)
  • Other scheme?

Q: Repository Name?

  • podcast-dog-park-adjacent
  • dog-park-adjacent-podcast
  • dpa-podcast
  • Other: _____

Technical Decisions Summary

Critical Path Items (MUST DECIDE):

  1. ✅ Author Handle: @stovak
  2. ❓ Media Type: Video, Audio, or Both?
  3. ❓ Video Format: Keep .mov or convert to .mp4?
  4. ❓ Chapter 2 Status: Where is it?
  5. ❓ Storage Strategy: Git LFS budget? Use external hosting?
  6. ❓ Category: Which podcast category?
  7. ❓ Explicit Flag: Yes or No?
  8. ❓ Contact Email: Which email to use?
  9. ❓ Artwork: Do you have it or need to create?
  10. ❓ Episode Descriptions: Need descriptions for each chapter

Nice-to-Have Items (Can Add Later):

  • Transcripts (can generate with AI)
  • Screenplays (if available)
  • Custom artwork (can use video stills initially)
  • Multi-platform distribution (can start with RSS feed only)

Pros:

  • Cost-effective ($5-10/month for Git LFS)
  • Widely supported (all podcast platforms)
  • Faster downloads for listeners
  • Standard podcast format

Steps:

  1. Extract audio from .mov files → .mp3 (128-192 kbps)
  2. Store .mp3 files in Git LFS (~3-5 GB total)
  3. Create RSS feed with audio enclosures
  4. Link to Vimeo in show notes for video version

Cons:

  • Loses visual component
  • Two versions to maintain (audio + video)

Option B: Video Podcast (High Cost)

Pros:

  • Preserves original intent (visual storytelling)
  • Single version to maintain
  • Can submit to video podcast platforms

Steps:

  1. Convert .mov to .mp4 (H.264) for compatibility
  2. Compress to manageable sizes (10-20 GB each?)
  3. Store in Git LFS (~100-150 GB) = $30-40/month
  4. Create RSS feed with video enclosures

Cons:

  • Expensive Git LFS costs
  • Limited platform support (Spotify doesn’t support video for most users)
  • Large downloads for listeners

Option C: Hybrid - External + RSS (Best of Both Worlds)

Pros:

  • Keep videos on Vimeo (free hosting)
  • Audio files in Git LFS ($5/month)
  • RSS feed points to both
  • Cost-effective
  • Widely compatible

Steps:

  1. Extract audio → .mp3
  2. Store audio in Git LFS
  3. Keep videos on Vimeo
  4. RSS feed has:
    • Audio enclosure (direct download)
    • Video link (Vimeo URL in show notes)

Cons:

  • Dependency on Vimeo
  • Not true “video podcast” (external link)

Next Steps

Please answer the critical questions above, then we can:

  1. Create private GitHub repository
  2. Set up Git LFS with appropriate tracking
  3. Process media files (extract audio if needed)
  4. Generate episode metadata (durations, file sizes)
  5. Create show artwork (if needed)
  6. Build podcast RSS feed
  7. Commit all files
  8. Test RSS feed with podcast validator
  9. Submit to podcast directories (if desired)

Questions for @stovak

PRIORITY 1 (Blocking):

  1. Video podcast, audio podcast, or both?
  2. Git LFS budget / preferred storage strategy?
  3. Where is Chapter 2 video file?

PRIORITY 2 (Needed Soon):

  1. Podcast category?
  2. Explicit content flag?
  3. Contact email for RSS feed?
  4. Do you have show artwork (1400x1400)?
  5. Repository name preference?

PRIORITY 3 (Can Decide Later):

  1. Episode descriptions (write yourself or generate)?
  2. Transcripts needed? (can generate with AI)
  3. Distribution platforms (Apple, Spotify, YouTube, RSS only)?
  4. Public or Patreon/subscriber-only?

Current Status: Awaiting decisions on Priority 1 questions before proceeding with repository creation.