As some of you may know, hubby and I did our annual road trip to Indiana at the end of March to attend the Horrorhound Weekend convention. That convention, for us, is about so much more than movie screenings, shopping at vendor booths, and spotting the odd celebrity. It’s in a big way, an opportunity for us to see some of the fantastic friends we’ve made over the past few years.

One group in particular, is a team of podcasting friends who produce a show called Night of the Living Podcast. Dubbed as “a show dedicated to all things horror”, NOTLP is a weekly romp through horror, news, pop culture, and general hilarity. The 5 hosts (Freddy, Amy, Andy, Erica, Kelley and Chiseck) all hail from Cincinnati and bring equal parts of movie knowledge, horror culture and random silliness to the show. It’s hysterical and entertaining and totally Not Safe For Work (which makes it even more lovable).

Greg and I have been fans for years, and we’re fortunate to have become good friends with this amazing group of people. People who let two complete strangers who they met on the Internet into their home 3 years ago. Complete strangers who wanted to make a documentary about them. That involved re-enactments of bludgeoning and other ghastly things. People who spend a good majority of time watching horror movies (so they should know better). But, Cincinnatians are known to be kind, welcoming and generous people. And they figured, “Heck, Greg and Sue are Canadian. There are no psychos in Canada, right?” Heh heh.

Which is why the review I’m about to post is completely and utterly biased.

A few weeks ago, NOTLP released their iPhone app. I personally love, love LOVE when podcasters release iPhone apps. I think it’s one of the most effective ways to distribute (albeit to a “closed” audience of iPhone users, but NOTLP knows their audience!). I’m more inclined to listen to their show on a whim now, when I’m waiting in line, in the car, etc. because it’s literally there, at the push of a button. No loading iTunes, no waiting for syncs. Plus, they’ve included some great features, like the Episode Extras, that includes Wallpapers, a Web Site Link, Tell a Friend, and my personal favourite, Play in Background. There are also lots of contact options, including email, Twitter, Facebook but also the “Call The Show” button, which puts you through to their Viewer Feedback line. I can also star my favourite episodes (which is useful for NOTLP since they’ve done 178 shows).

Now, the App is $1.99 at the iTunes store. Some people grumble a bit when podcasters start charging for things. After all, I can download and listen for free at iTunes, right? The thing is, in this case, you’re not paying $1.99 for the content – you’re paying for the method of distribution.  iPhone apps are designed for convenience. I’m one click from the content now, instead of 10 clicks and a sync. To me, that convenience means a lot. It’s one of the main reasons I own an iPhone. Not to mention, the NOTLP app itself is gorgeous, and the user experience for me is a big part. But if paying for apps is not your thing, yes, you can still get the whole shebang for free at the iTunes store. It’s your call.

More media makers need to consider their distribution methods. With the trend towards new interfaces (like tablet computing), it’s going to be more important than ever to find new ways to distribute content. NOTLP are a small group of podcasters from the Midwest who are, in my opinion, crushing it in the media making space. We should all learn from the great example they are setting.

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I apologize if I’ve been quiet the past few days. I guess I haven’t really mastered the art of blogging and Twittering consistently while on the road. I know, I probably don’t have to apologize, but I’m Canadian, and that’s what we do.

For those of you who haven’t been following my Twitter posts, my husband and I made a little road trip to Cincinnati this past weekend. Okay, there is nothing LITTLE about a 12 hour drive each way. But we did it, and we sure are glad we did.

The purpose of our little jaunt was to meet up with the group of podcasters who produce “Night of the Living Podcast“. If you are at all in to horror movies you have probably heard of them. If you haven’t, you should definitely subscribe.

A few months ago, my hubby, who has been a fan of the show since the beginning, sent off an email to one of the hosts because he wanted to produce a documentary about them.

He wasn’t really sure what to expect. I mean, imagine some stranger claiming to be a “fan” contacts you, and wants to drive all the way from Canada to film a documentary about you? What would you do?

Well, thankfully, the Night of the Living Podcast crew is just nuts enough to say yes to this sort of request. So off we went.

I heart the Internet. Sure, the technology that allows us to blog, podcast, buy cool stuff, learn anything about anything, conduct business and be more productive is truly amazing. But what is most amazing, what I really love, is the people.

We headed to Cincinnati, unsure of really what to expect when we got there. We knew the “crew” had agreed to be interviewed on camera. We knew they were willing to have us film the recording of one of their shows. We hoped they were willing to contribute to a little extra piece of the film, but weren’t sure. I mean, these people have jobs, lives, and we didn’t want to command too much of their time.

When we arrived, we received the warmest of welcomes. We discovered that all five of them had cleared their entire weekend for us – not just for the filming but because they wanted to show us their city. They took us to eat fabulous food at some of their favourite places. We went to see the X-Files movie with them (of which you will hear their review on this week’s episode of the show) . They welcomed us into their homes. They toured us all over downtown. They affectionately referred to us as “The Canadians” and were really curious about where we were from. Not only did we get a ton of great footage, we had an absolute blast.

Social media is a common thread that runs with anyone who is involved with it. It brings people together and bonds them almost instantly. We know the power of this medium to communicate, and we know the benefits it brings in terms of connecting with people you may otherwise never meet. This was one of the most fun vacations we’ve ever been on, and it’s due in large part to the warm welcome we received, not only by the NOTLP crew, but by all the terrific and friendly people we met in Cincinnati.

Freddy, Amy, Erica, Chisek and Andy – thank you for being such amazing hosts to us this weekend, for being so warm and kind, and for making our faces hurt from laughing so hard. You guys made our trip – and the doc, too. We look forward to seeing you again in Indy!

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