Tim Iffland
Everybody loves sitting down to watch a good movie. Whether it's an action-packed blockbuster, a heartstring-tugging romance or a wet-yourself-laughing comedy. For some people, the experience of watching movies can be all-encompassing. One such person is Tim Iffland, co-host of the incredibly successful Popcorn Podcast With Leigh & Tim.
With Popcorn Podcast growing rapidly Pario recently sat down with Tim to chat about his journey into the world of movie review podcasting. During the conversation, we discovered a lot about Tim. From how he developed his passion to how all-encompassing Popcorn Podcast has become. In closing, Tim gave us his valuable tips for budding movie critics/podcasters.
Marvelling At The Magic Of Movies
Reminiscing about his childhood Tim told Pario he can't remember a day when he wasn't infatuated with movies.
"I grew up adoring them & loving to escape into the world of the Steven Spielberg classics or Star Wars."
However, there was a definitive moment when his love & adoration went to a new level.
"One of my fondest memories, & a moment which literally changed my life, was when I watched The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring in cinemas back in 2001," beamed Tim. "I knew that movie had me because at the end of that movie, I looked down & I hadn't touched my popcorn. I love my popcorn but I hadn't eaten a single kernel because that movie just sucked me into that absolute, wonderful fantasy world... The Lord Of The Rings kicked my love into a whole new stratosphere that I hadn't experienced before."
Donning The Critic's Hat
Despite having a deep passion & love for movies Tim still had to undergo a learning process. When Popcorn Podcast came into existence Tim could no longer just go into a cinema as a fan. He now had to don the critic's hat & look at movies with a more critical eye.
Speaking about this transition Tim said, "I always go into a movie excited to watch it but I have a job to do now. At the beginning of the podcast, I never wrote notes. I just sat in there, watched the movie & hopefully remembered things that I wanted to say. But there's a difference between casually talking to your friends for 5-10 minutes after a movie & a conversation on a podcast. The conversation on a podcast should be natural & free flowing but I've learnt over the years that you need to go into recording quite prepared.
You need to do that research because you owe it to your audience."
Luckily for Tim, he had his co-host Leigh, a veteran entertainment journalist, to help guide & mentor him through the early part of that transition. In saying this though Tim was a natural & really only needed 2 small pieces of advice.
Firstly, take notes.
"I always make sure I take notes now... it's all very shorthand stuff. It might be a feeling, 'when will this end' is something I occasionally write down. Or 'that was a cool action sequence' just to jog my memory in order to talk quite detailed but also freely," explained Tim.
The second piece of advice that Tim said was critical was to stand by your opinion.
"Backing your opinion can be difficult. Leigh & I often don't agree on a film, she might love it & might hate it or vice versa. But therein lays a great discussion as we try to understand why each of us loved or hated it more than the other. It's all about backing your opinion & what you felt about a movie. You need to own those feelings because no doubt there will be someone else that will share that same opinion. It creates a really interesting conversation when there is that difference."
Consumed By The Passion
Popcorn Podcast has grown significantly in the 4 years since it began. But so too has the commitment from Leigh, Tim & a small team behind the scenes. As Tim put it, "the podcast is a passion project that is also another full-time job really." In saying that Tim said the rewards outweigh the negatives.
"When you put so much of your heart, soul & effort into something the reward is so worth it. I consider myself one of the lucky ones who gets to do this."
There is a key to maintaining an incredibly positive outlook while working furiously behind the scenes. Always maintain your love & passion. As Tim explained, "every episode that we go in to record, every movie I'm going to watch I'm bloody excited about. I still feel that almost 4 years on... It's such a privilege to be seen & heard as a reputable independent publisher talking about film... I can't believe that I'm part of this, to be honest."
Looking ahead to the future when asked if growing Popcorn Podcast into a sole full-time focus is their dream Tim answered, "obviously we need to keep food on the table but fuck yeah! How cool would it be if the podcast was what brings in the bread & butter? That would be amazing!"
Follow Tim’s Creative Journey on social media at: @ifflandtim
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