Jen deHaan | StereoForest Studio
@stereoforest.com
StereoForest.com specializes in directing and producing video-first podcasts & audio dramas.
Posts by @jendehaan.com: Remote voice acting, improviser, writer, producer and director.
Made in Canada 🇨🇦 by humans
Posts by @jendehaan.com: Remote voice acting, improviser, writer, producer and director.
Made in Canada 🇨🇦 by humans
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Why Podcasters Cringe At Their Own Voice (and a solo drill to help)
YouTube video by Jen deHaan
youtu.be
Hate your own voice on mic or camera? The latest episode is about WHY, and also about practicing speaking without needing to edit your words as much: youtu.be/pi9xIKjQr-g
Reposted by Jen deHaan | StereoForest Studio
Recording sound for the next audio drama, which is a science fiction adjacent for-serious drama. There's a dog. Susan is good at acting dog in forest sounds!
January 19, 2026 at 6:33 PM
Recording sound for the next audio drama, which is a science fiction adjacent for-serious drama. There's a dog. Susan is good at acting dog in forest sounds!
"NPR Voice" flattens vocals to sound professional. But the brain needs what are called Prosodic Cues like pitch and volume changes to process information. Being monotone doesn't help comprehension and can limit what you want to communicate to the listener.
#Podcasting
#Podcasting
January 14, 2026 at 6:02 PM
"NPR Voice" flattens vocals to sound professional. But the brain needs what are called Prosodic Cues like pitch and volume changes to process information. Being monotone doesn't help comprehension and can limit what you want to communicate to the listener.
#Podcasting
#Podcasting
Prosody is the hierarchy of sound. We speak louder and slower for new ideas. We speak faster and lower for old ones. If you deliver everything at the same speed and volume then your listener cannot tell what matters.
#PodcastThreads
#PodcastThreads
January 13, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Prosody is the hierarchy of sound. We speak louder and slower for new ideas. We speak faster and lower for old ones. If you deliver everything at the same speed and volume then your listener cannot tell what matters.
#PodcastThreads
#PodcastThreads
Simulation Theory explains why stories work. We do not just listen to words. We simulate the physical experience of the speaker. You cut that connection when you strip the emotion out of your voice. Show don't tell.
#PodcastThreads
#PodcastThreads
January 12, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Simulation Theory explains why stories work. We do not just listen to words. We simulate the physical experience of the speaker. You cut that connection when you strip the emotion out of your voice. Show don't tell.
#PodcastThreads
#PodcastThreads
Try the "Why Pass" on your next script. Go through your segments and ask "Why do I care?" If you are angry about the topic then be angry. If you are excited then be excited. Practice at level 11 emotion, then do your regular read and see what happens.
#PodcastThreads
#PodcastThreads
January 11, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Try the "Why Pass" on your next script. Go through your segments and ask "Why do I care?" If you are angry about the topic then be angry. If you are excited then be excited. Practice at level 11 emotion, then do your regular read and see what happens.
#PodcastThreads
#PodcastThreads
You can't fake your charisma because of mirror neurons. When you speak with passion your listener's brain simulates that physically. Faking it = their mirror neurons stay dormant. "Deep Acting" communicates your genuine feelings about why you care about the topic.
#PodcastThreads
#PodcastThreads
January 10, 2026 at 6:30 PM
You can't fake your charisma because of mirror neurons. When you speak with passion your listener's brain simulates that physically. Faking it = their mirror neurons stay dormant. "Deep Acting" communicates your genuine feelings about why you care about the topic.
#PodcastThreads
#PodcastThreads
Want your listeners actively engaged? You gotta be too! Your listeners physically mimic the tension in your voice, which is called Emotional Contagion. If you sound bored then they tune out. New ep of Podcast Performance Lab is out.
#Podcasting
#Podcasting
January 8, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Want your listeners actively engaged? You gotta be too! Your listeners physically mimic the tension in your voice, which is called Emotional Contagion. If you sound bored then they tune out. New ep of Podcast Performance Lab is out.
#Podcasting
#Podcasting
Reposted by Jen deHaan | StereoForest Studio
I had a Reddit post removed from an “Ask” subreddit because the mods said it could have been answered “by a search engine.”
Have any of them used a search engine lately? Search engines don’t answer shit anymore! They’re all completely enshittified. Why do you think I was on Reddit?
Have any of them used a search engine lately? Search engines don’t answer shit anymore! They’re all completely enshittified. Why do you think I was on Reddit?
January 5, 2026 at 12:02 AM
I had a Reddit post removed from an “Ask” subreddit because the mods said it could have been answered “by a search engine.”
Have any of them used a search engine lately? Search engines don’t answer shit anymore! They’re all completely enshittified. Why do you think I was on Reddit?
Have any of them used a search engine lately? Search engines don’t answer shit anymore! They’re all completely enshittified. Why do you think I was on Reddit?
The "Uncanny Valley" happens in audio too. We strip out the humanity when we over-edit or when we record while anxious. Listeners can feel that disconnect. We have to prioritize connection over perfection to build trust.
January 2, 2026 at 6:30 PM
The "Uncanny Valley" happens in audio too. We strip out the humanity when we over-edit or when we record while anxious. Listeners can feel that disconnect. We have to prioritize connection over perfection to build trust.
You can visualize a friend's face on the camera lens if you don't have a photo. Scan their face for reactions while you speak. These micro-movements in your eyes make you look engaged. Staring straight at the lens makes you look glazed over and it's harder to connect that way.
January 1, 2026 at 8:30 PM
You can visualize a friend's face on the camera lens if you don't have a photo. Scan their face for reactions while you speak. These micro-movements in your eyes make you look engaged. Staring straight at the lens makes you look glazed over and it's harder to connect that way.
Stanislavski had a concept called "Circles of Attention." The Small Circle is you worrying about yourself. The Large Circle is you worrying about the audience. The Medium Circle is you connecting with one person. Stay in the Medium Circle to fix your recording anxiety.
December 31, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Stanislavski had a concept called "Circles of Attention." The Small Circle is you worrying about yourself. The Large Circle is you worrying about the audience. The Medium Circle is you connecting with one person. Stay in the Medium Circle to fix your recording anxiety.
Try the "Talk to the Face" drill. Tape a photo of someone you like next to your camera lens. Talk to them, you can even address them directly in practice (or clip it out). This change can cue your innate safety response. Your voice might drop a bit (pitch) and your eyes will crinkle...
December 30, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Try the "Talk to the Face" drill. Tape a photo of someone you like next to your camera lens. Talk to them, you can even address them directly in practice (or clip it out). This change can cue your innate safety response. Your voice might drop a bit (pitch) and your eyes will crinkle...
Actors call it "Dead Eyes." You feel energetic inside but you look bored on camera. This happens because your Social Engagement System shuts down when you talk to an inanimate object. You need to feel safe to look alive.
December 29, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Actors call it "Dead Eyes." You feel energetic inside but you look bored on camera. This happens because your Social Engagement System shuts down when you talk to an inanimate object. You need to feel safe to look alive.
The "Still Face Experiment" shows that babies panic when their parents stop smiling and just stare. A camera lens can do the same thing to podcasters. We disengage because we get no feedback. You have to trick your brain into seeing a human face to keep your energy up.
December 28, 2025 at 8:30 PM
The "Still Face Experiment" shows that babies panic when their parents stop smiling and just stare. A camera lens can do the same thing to podcasters. We disengage because we get no feedback. You have to trick your brain into seeing a human face to keep your energy up.
Your camera lens looks like a predator? Well, it stares. It does not blink. It has a fixed and dilated pupil. Your nervous system interprets could find this a threat, even if your logical brain doesn't. That can be why your face goes flat when you hit record (fighting biology a bit).
December 27, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Your camera lens looks like a predator? Well, it stares. It does not blink. It has a fixed and dilated pupil. Your nervous system interprets could find this a threat, even if your logical brain doesn't. That can be why your face goes flat when you hit record (fighting biology a bit).
Hate your own voice on mic or camera? The latest episode is about WHY, and also about practicing speaking without needing to edit your words as much: youtu.be/pi9xIKjQr-g
Why Podcasters Cringe At Their Own Voice (and a solo drill to help)
YouTube video by Jen deHaan
youtu.be
December 21, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Hate your own voice on mic or camera? The latest episode is about WHY, and also about practicing speaking without needing to edit your words as much: youtu.be/pi9xIKjQr-g
Check out this weeks episode about finding the right format for your solo-hosted show. 11 different shows linked as examples to check out.
Find it wherever you podcast or on YouTube at "Solo Podcasting Handbook"
#podcasts
Find it wherever you podcast or on YouTube at "Solo Podcasting Handbook"
#podcasts
December 11, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Check out this weeks episode about finding the right format for your solo-hosted show. 11 different shows linked as examples to check out.
Find it wherever you podcast or on YouTube at "Solo Podcasting Handbook"
#podcasts
Find it wherever you podcast or on YouTube at "Solo Podcasting Handbook"
#podcasts
New episode about the various formats you can choose for your solo hosted podcast. Check it out wherever you get your shows, or on YouTube, at "Solo Podcasting Handbook."
#PodcastThreads
#Podcasting
#PodcastThreads
#Podcasting
December 10, 2025 at 6:04 PM
New episode about the various formats you can choose for your solo hosted podcast. Check it out wherever you get your shows, or on YouTube, at "Solo Podcasting Handbook."
#PodcastThreads
#Podcasting
#PodcastThreads
#Podcasting
New episode about finding the right format for your solo-hosted show. Find it wherever you podcast or on YouTube at "Solo Podcasting Handbook"
#podcasts
#podcasts
December 10, 2025 at 2:30 AM
New episode about finding the right format for your solo-hosted show. Find it wherever you podcast or on YouTube at "Solo Podcasting Handbook"
#podcasts
#podcasts
I'm deep in production on a new series of episodes all about crushing your solo-hosted shows. I'm not focusing on software (because we use so many different programs, and I need to focus). So I'm mostly covering: strategy, performance, formats, content structures.
December 1, 2025 at 7:30 PM
I'm deep in production on a new series of episodes all about crushing your solo-hosted shows. I'm not focusing on software (because we use so many different programs, and I need to focus). So I'm mostly covering: strategy, performance, formats, content structures.
Strategic consistency helps your show a lot more than equipment or those filler words. But focus on the "strategic" part of that, which is even more important than consistency (though you need some of that too).
Cont.
Cont.
November 30, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Strategic consistency helps your show a lot more than equipment or those filler words. But focus on the "strategic" part of that, which is even more important than consistency (though you need some of that too).
Cont.
Cont.
When possible in your (non-fiction) podcast or show, use stories and examples to illustrate your points. This makes abstract ideas concrete. It also makes your content, and YOU for that matter, a lot more memorable!
#podcasting
#podcasting
November 29, 2025 at 8:30 PM
When possible in your (non-fiction) podcast or show, use stories and examples to illustrate your points. This makes abstract ideas concrete. It also makes your content, and YOU for that matter, a lot more memorable!
#podcasting
#podcasting
Especially important if you're tackling a solo hosted podcast: Vary your speaking pace. Don't rush words. Speaking too fast can be hard to follow, but speaking too slow can lose the energy & flow needed for interest. Finding YOUR best middle ground takes practice but is worth it!
#solopodcasting
#solopodcasting
November 28, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Especially important if you're tackling a solo hosted podcast: Vary your speaking pace. Don't rush words. Speaking too fast can be hard to follow, but speaking too slow can lose the energy & flow needed for interest. Finding YOUR best middle ground takes practice but is worth it!
#solopodcasting
#solopodcasting
Identify your target listener for your podcast. Do not try to make a show for everyone. A specific audience is easier to serve, and in "interest based" algorithms these days it'll help with finding an audience too.
#podcasting
#podcasting
November 27, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Identify your target listener for your podcast. Do not try to make a show for everyone. A specific audience is easier to serve, and in "interest based" algorithms these days it'll help with finding an audience too.
#podcasting
#podcasting
Solo hosting podcasts requires strong organization skills... since you are responsible for all the content. A good plan, and strategy, is essential for success. Scripts, detailed notes, and presentation skills are all pretty important too.
#solopodcasting
#solopodcasting
November 27, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Solo hosting podcasts requires strong organization skills... since you are responsible for all the content. A good plan, and strategy, is essential for success. Scripts, detailed notes, and presentation skills are all pretty important too.
#solopodcasting
#solopodcasting