Infotainment Podcast by Moss Oliver Ely
Fixation Liberation
Overview
Fixation Liberation is a podcast created for and by neurodivergent people, constructing a space where hyperfixations can be shared openly. Episodes are uploaded weekly at 9 am on Wednesdays and are between 30 to 60 minutes in length. The content of the episodes are a mix between focusing on a specific niche within the topic of fixation and focusing on the interviewee’s connection to the topic. Each episode has recurring segments; In the beginning of the episode discussing the fidget toy I used throughout recording and having a segment in the middle to remind listeners to eat, drink water, take their medications (if they have any) and close it off by giving some positive affirmations.
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Cover art created by Vincent Johnson
Current Episodes
Episode One - Ben 10: Corporate Meddling and Toy Sales
Episode Two - Ghost: Lore and Band Message
Episode Three - RuPaul’s Drag Race and The Trans Experience
Episode Four - Storytelling: Fanfiction and Building Community
Purpose
"Fixation Liberation" aims to make an impact within the neurodivergent community, offering a dedicated space for individuals to articulate and explore their hyperfixations freely. By amplifying the voices of neurodivergent individuals, “Fixation Liberation” not only validates their unique interests but also fosters a sense of empowerment and belonging among listeners. Through shared experiences and candid discussions, "Fixation Liberation" dismantles societal stigmas surrounding neurodivergent passions, ultimately promoting a culture of acceptance and celebration. Its influence extends beyond its interviewees, sparking broader conversations and joining the march to a more inclusive society.
Quotes From Guests
The Process
Outreach
This podcast wouldn’t exist without the people I interviewed sharing their hyperfixations. The first two interviewees were friends of mine from Alma College, so I personally texted them to schedule times in the studio after getting their consent for an interview. Episodes Three and Four were interviews from two internet influencers, having agreed after receiving my outreach email and conducting our interview over Zoom.
Editing and Mixing
Every episode was edited on my personal laptop using Logic Pro. All of the music and sound effects came from Freesound.org and are credited in the descriptions of every episode. I listened through the episode, marking the time stamps for specific topic sections and took note of timestamps of spots that would have significant cuts. I EQ’ed each episode to make sure the audio was of the highest quality, adding a compressor at the end to amply the audios.
Social Media
As part of my marketing for the podcast, I created social media for the podcast including a TikTok page, An Instagram, and a website. I post almost twice a day on TikTok, including posts advertising for the club and posts about being neurodivergent. On Instagram I post the day before a new episode, the day of an episode’s release, and any selfies I take with interviewees. My website houses all of my episodes and has a form for anyone who wants to be on the podcast.
Feedback
I was only able to present this project during the Beta phase as it was a midway transition. I received lots of feedback and guidance from Dr. Collamati. I also had classmates in my podcasting studio class listen and review my podcast, leading me to add more musical transitions to help the listener with topic changes. Before releasing an episode, I sent the roughly edited version of the episode to the interviewee, asking for any feedback or if anything should be edited out.
Recording
The first three episodes were recorded in the podcasting studio in Alma college with two taking place in person and one occurring over Zoom. The fourth episode I had to use the audio recorded via zoom as the microphone in the studio space in Eddy refused to connect to Logic Pro. Each recording session was around an hour long, with the longest being an hour and a half.
Senior Biography
Hailing from Okemos, MI, Moss Ely is a Music and New Media Studies major with focuses in Vocal Performance, Midi Composition, and Audio Engineering. Moss is a nerd of all types, having an interest in Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering, and crushing their friends in Mario Kart.
After graduation, Moss is planning to pursue their podcast "Fixation Liberation" part-time in combination with an outside job in the creatives.
