[@ChrisWillx] I built my dream podcast studio in Austin.

Link: https://youtu.be/bxzmUeNN8ac

Duration: 22 min

Transcript: Download plain text

Short Summary

This episode is a studio-tour and behind-the-scenes walkthrough of the new Modern Wisdom podcast studio in central Austin, Texas, hosted by the show's creator. The host reflects on his journey from recording the first 500 episodes in his bedroom on a 'spit and sawdust' budget to launching what he calls his most ambitious build yet. He showcases the custom set, programmable lighting, nine-camera system, and operational workflows designed for in-person and virtual episodes.

Key Quotes

1. "This is [music] the most complex and elevated studio we've put together for any of our clients, even Rogan. It's just nothing was skimped on in terms of, you know, quality, budget, equipment," (00:01:31)
2. "It is just an unrelenting stream of challenge after challenge after challenge. And each time that we think we've got to a stage where we can begin to move on to the next thing, there is a hold up." (00:02:07)
3. "And that is true, but it's not exactly conducive to being a sane human because some days I don't ever leave the house. I wouldn't ever leave the house and [music] I wouldn't speak to anyone except for the guest." (00:08:28)
4. "And all of the foreground lighting changes to match the background lighting so that it feels cohesive. Because if you have a different color background and people's skin looks the same, it doesn't feel like the light is falling out of the windows. And that to me is just the coolest thing." (00:13:23)
5. "I'm some bloke from the north of the UK who started off with no money, no nothing at all, no spare time, and [music] just really loved having these conversations and didn't stop. And because I didn't stop, I ended up here." (00:21:44)

Detailed Summary

Studio Purchase and Build

• The host purchased the studio space in October, roughly 10 months before the tour episode, and the building was originally a marketing office with no existing pillars, middle section, or podcast studio.
• The property arrived with mold inside and outside, requiring remediation that also needed HOA approval because the building is part of an HOA.
• Construction followed a strict sequence: mold remediation first, exterior recladding, build-out, particulate clean, with the bathroom installed at a specific stage.
• A micro particulate clean was done before occupancy, Jasper air purifiers were installed in every room, and furniture (including Human Scale) was chosen to be free of VOCs and off-gassing.
• The build involved five different companies supplying lenses, cameras, and storage, which had to interface with a local recording system and cloud uploads.
• The builder/co-host described it as the most complex and elevated studio they have built for any client, including Joe Rogan, with no skimping on quality, budget, equipment, or construction.

Set Design and Look

• The color scheme is copper and teal, described by the host as opposite ends of the color wheel and a 'cheap trick from Hollywood.'
• A custom tree/shelf piece used as a background prop was made in Singapore and shipped to the studio.
• The set includes a fake window with Nanlite Pavo Tubes bouncing through diffusion paper and hand-painted, gel-tinted glass panes; Nanlite and Aperture are equipment partners.
• Lighting is programmable to shift the background between daytime, nighttime, sunset, and a 'spooky house' profile, with foreground lighting adjusted to match so the light appears to fall from the fake windows.
• A 'spooky' profile with killed fill and added green was built specifically for guest Peter Santello, who covers rural Appalachian communities.
• An earlier side-on profile shot was first used in the Alan Daboton episode filmed in a London church the prior year, which the host called his favorite shot.
• The interview table is custom-built in a trapezoid shape so the host and guest one sit farther apart than guests three and four, enabling a four-person wide shot.
• A framed photo behind the set recreates an item that hung above the host's couch in Newcastle during his first collaboration with video producer Dean (episode 17), recorded eight and a half years ago.
• Notable gifts on display include an inscribed copy of Joe Rogan's favorite book (inscribed to Yoko Ono), a decal from Mark Zuckerberg's ranch in Kauai, and a custom Modern Wisdom decal made by Bill Thompson.

Office Layout

• The space is located within a co-working environment and includes a green room adjacent to the studio, a kitchenette, a co-working area, a mezzanine, and a bull pen for editing titles and thumbnails.
• A 'Bonnie blue bedroom' accessed via a spiral staircase is used for pre-interview chats.

Technical and Operational Setup

• Nine cameras are routed to a single location with ceiling-mounted lighting, operated by Jared and producers, designed so the technology stays out of sight during 2–3 hour conversations.
• The studio features adjustable lighting profiles (sunset/'streets of LA', standard daylight, and a green-tinted 'spooky' profile) used for both virtual episodes and remote guests.

Host Background and History

• The host recorded the first 500 episodes of Modern Wisdom in the bedroom of his first house before moving to America.
• Earlier production was self-described as 'spit and sawdust,' using cellar tape and cable ties, and the host says that approach may have held him back.
• Recording alone at home meant the host spoke to only one person per day (the guest on the other side of a laptop), with sessions ending around 6 p.m.
• Before the studio, the show ran as a solo operation, recorded from bedrooms and spare rooms in every house and Airbnb he stayed in for more than a couple of weeks, which he described as not conducive to being a sane human.
• The show began on a shoestring budget, with the host reinvesting early revenue into production, including an early David Goggins episode filmed on a Vegas sound stage using custom-built sets and cardboard-wafted smoke.
• The host says he traveled over 100,000 miles per year for the last three years and expects reduced travel now that guests can come to the Austin studio.

Future Plans

• The studio is positioned as home base for content, guests, and operations, and this episode marks the first recording in the host's own studio, the first time he has recorded in a space that is not someone else's or a bedroom.
• Modern Wisdom was self-described as the biggest virtual podcast in the world for a sustained period, and the host plans to continue virtual episodes alongside more solo essay-style reflections, Q&As, and lessons episodes.