by Andy Lyons, Editor-in-Chief
Five months ago, Paislee House took the film world by storm. She became a film critic at CMN as well as launching her own podcast, called the Film House Files. The podcast is getting a rework and redesign, evolving into Landlocked, which will expand House’s topics into comics, music and other forms of entertainment and pop culture as well as add two co-hosts to the show.
While FHF focused heavily on guest interviews, House said the plan is to include reviews and news within each respective topic. Independent artist Jordan Paine will cover music and game designer Aaron Lightfoot (also a CMN contributor) will cover comics. House said there would probably be crossover between the three into each other’s topics as well as video games being discussed.
“Within the episodes, we’ll each have special segments that somehow tie into our topics,” House said. “Some of them are goofy and some are serious, which is something I’m really looking forward to. We each took the time to create something unique to feature in episodes, for lack of a better term, to spice things up. Every other episode will also have a theme where we’ll create top 5s in our respective categories in relation to that theme. You’ll have to tune into the first episode to get a better idea.”
House said she decided to switch gears because she really enjoyed making the podcasts, but the audience wasn’t growing.
“I’m not necessarily looking to become famous from Landlocked, but I am hoping to reach more people,” she said. “I figured adding some cohosts and topics would allow me to cast a wider net.”
One of the takeaways from FHF was learning the scope and reach of podcasts, House said.
“The biggest is the fact that creating a podcast and expecting it to have thousands of listeners and downloads is really challenging,” she said. “Especially when you’re not famous. Seems obvious, I know, but I was expecting a little more impact than what FHF had. Regardless, the numbers for FHF made me reevaluate and then I came up with the idea for Landlocked so it all worked out in the end.”
The format is evolving to include more discussion and conversational elements, but House said she still intends on interviewing guests, albeit as more of a feature to an episode instead of the entirety. Bringing on two cohosts expands the podcast’s reach and offers a new dynamic from FHF, which House hosted alone with guest interviews.
At first, House said she considered simply adding Paine as the music host. However, Paine wasn’t as keen on doing interviews and the two thought of new ways to produce the show in accordance with a more traditional style of podcast. The two then asked Lightfoot to add comic books to the mix.
The three together give the podcast a diverse make-up as well, with House being a woman and Paine being African-American.
“I’m also happy that our podcast isn’t a bunch of white guys,” House said. “I listen to a lot of podcasts and have to intentionally seek out shows that have diverse perspectives. We’re three very distinct people and I think that’s going to create a wonderful dynamic for the show.”
House said her goal with the podcast is to reach a wider audience and cultivate a space where Midwestern art is on full display.
“The podcast isn’t solely dedicated to Midwest entertainment, but we do plan on paying special attention to those artists,” she said. “That’s why the interviews won’t be going away. Interviews are definitely the easiest and most effective ways to highlight Midwest talent. After an episode that features an artist, you’ll also be able to go to our website and learn more about them with the Featured Artists page!”
As Landlocked takes off and is sure to grow, House shared who her dream guest would be.
“My dream guest would be Kelly Reichardt,” House said. “She’s a filmmaker who I really admire. Her most recent film ‘Certain Women’ came out last year, and I have the official movie poster hanging up next to my computer so I can see it while I’m working. She’s a major influence and inspiration for me. I’m a big fan of muted dramas, what some people call mumblecore. I think Reichardt makes these beautiful films, often about loneliness, that are just staggering. Plus, she’s a private person and doesn’t do too many interviews, so I’d be able to learn a lot more about her.”
House said she plans to have at least two episodes a month, dependent on the schedules of all three hosts. The first episode has been recorded and will premiere next week. Landlocked will be available via any podcast host as well as the Landlocked website here. Follow Landlocked on Facebook for more information.
