podcake's advice for your first audio drama: pt. 1/???
IN: A MODERN MASTERPIECE | OUT: A BLANK CANVAS
♡ invest in an experienced graphic designer or artist
i once wrote an article about the importance of presentation when it comes to podcasts and i think it still holds true that visuals, even in the world of audio entertainment, can hold a lot of sway over who might be drawn to your show.
not only can consistent artwork give your show a unique aesthetic and identity, but it can also help people associate certain colors, symbols, and imagery with your show that will leave a lasting impression.
try to remember the basics for good cover art: a solid color scheme, good cropping (i love a solid 500x500), high resolution, a readable font—think to yourself, "if i saw these images, would i be tempted to check out this show?"
so i'd highly advise setting aside some budgeting to have a talented artist or graphic designer, or maybe even both, cook up some accompanying images that can go towards advertisements, promotions, individual episode art, or, if you really want to, official character designs.
do you already know how to do those things? then put those skills to good use and make your painting worth a thousand downloads!
IN: PATIENCE | OUT: FALSE PROMISES
♡ have a script before you have a cast
now this one is especially important. as eager as you might be to start an audio drama and want to get the ball rolling as soon as possible, it is imperative that you have some words on paper before you even think about recruiting actors.
and i know this sounds obvious at first, but trust me, i've run into several ambitious newcomers who started their casting calls long before they even had a rough draft to their name.
while beginning the recruitment process is tempting, bear in mind that these people you've hired—and yes, you are hiring them—are now on indefinite standby until you've gotten something for them to read.
at worse, you might end up with a project that never gets off the ground with a group of people who thought they were going to get their big debut in voice acting, or have another amazing role under their belt, left out to dry.
even worse than that, if you ever do get that script finished, there's no telling what word of mouth can do to your reputation as a showrunner, making your options even more slim.
IN: SWEET SUMMARIES | OUT: RIDICULOUS RAMBLING
♡ keep your descriptions classy
now this seems like a no-brainer. you've gotten to the point when you can publish your show on spotify or podchaser or soundcloud or wherever people host podcasts, and it all comes down to a few simple sentences to rope people in.
and while it sounds simple on paper, an engaging description can do quite a bit of heavy lifting, especially when it comes to selling people on your first episode.
in my honest opinion: short and sweet wins the race. nothing too short, obviously, but some of the best descriptions i've come across can say a lot with so little.
but if you wanna go the route of longer descriptions, i'd highly advise keeping these concise and cut down on any unnecessary fluff. get to the good stuff without being too specific—the vagueness will give your listeners something to look forward to!
also, and this is just a side note and undeniably just my opinion, but when it comes to complimentary language to describe your show—entertaining, hilarious, compelling—try keeping it to a minimum, or, better yet, have it come in the form of a quote from a reviewer or any other sort of press.
(fun fact: i had my own review quoted for the summary of the audio drama podcube™ and i am flattered to this day!)
while it's essential to be proud of your show, you don't want to assume audience reactions, and too much self-congratulatory language can come off as insecure and insincere.
instead, try descriptive phrases that present the genre, tone, and plot—trust me, it's way more convincing. long story short: be informative, but never excessive.
IN: PASSION PROJECTS | OUT: CASH GRABS
♡ do it for the art, not the money
be honest with yourself: are you making an audio drama because you respect the medium and feel your show would be best represented in this format, or are you just doing it because "well, night vale made a lot of money, so now you can too!"
for starters, get that way of thinking out of your head as soon as possible because it is no way to go about the creative process in any area of the artistic field.
if you're cynically pumping out content, people are going to catch on eventually that your endgame was never to entertain and inspire, but to reap the benefits of the potential income.
making money off of an audio drama is, in itself, a great, and sometimes guaranteed, perk, and believe me when i say there are plenty of people that will happily financially contribute to your continued success, but that should never be your main motivation.
and i get it, we all want to do what we love for a living, but if you throw yourself into a community that you have no respect for, you'll be laughed right out of the door.
A New Podcast for Sci-Fi Audio Drama News and Reviews!
Your semi-regular fix of all things science fiction audio fiction! Real news brought to you by not-so-real news anchors, from space!
Hosted by intergalactic couriers Anna-Maria and Slack, Sci-Fi's Finest keeps you in the know with currently releasing indie sci-fi audio drama, pilot reviews, and space facts. Throw in a dash of courier shenanigans, cameos, and diegetic lo-fi, and you've got our secret courier manual.
Suggest a pilot for us to review!
Send in an ask with your recommendations for which sci-fi pilot we should review next!
Follow along and share your thoughts!
Did you listen to a show we reviewed? Let us know what you thought!
I run a sci-fi audio drama, how can I get involved?
This podcast exists to champion indie sci-fi audio drama! So if you have a pod, get in touch either via Tumblr or email [email protected]
Links:
Website
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Also, feel free to tag us in posts you'd like to signal boost, like casting calls, annoucements etc. so long as it's sci-fi!
Hello!
My name is Cole Burkhardt! I am a podcaster, writer, dance… Cole Burkhardt needs your support for Help Cole with Medical Expenses A
If you have a few dollars to spare, please help my friend Cole with medical expenses incurred during the removal of a tumor! Cole is a brilliant creator, kind friend, and is in need of support right now.
Hey if you’re a writer working on something right now, this is your chance to think more intentionally about rhythm and pace. Narrative art is experienced through time, think about how you want to utilize, spend, and bend that time to tell your story.
Pacing is easy to overlook because it’s not as flashy as world building, character work, plot, etc. It’s also The Thing that gives all the fun bits meaning, puts them in order, and prioritizes them.
Is your pace frenetic, chaotic, never giving us a moment to breathe?
Is it crawling and lurching, always anticipating, waiting to pounce?
Is it lackadaisical and dream like, moving about with the breeze?
Is it steady, marching, pre-destined to its end?
How can you be more intentional with pacing in your stories?
Olivia here, finally wrestled back control of the tumblr log in from the girls. I don't know how long it will last. But while I'm here...
YOU'RE INVITED:
Are you in the Denver area?
Are you free July 21st?
Do you believe in supporting indie fiction podcasts?
Do you believe in uplifting grrrl's narratives and queer creative visions?
Do you like birthday cake and FREE stick and pokes?!
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then boy howdy do I have good news for you!
To celebrate the anniversary of our release, we are having a birthday party fundraiser in the city park west neighborhood of Denver, from 7-9pm.
There will be a little listening party, drinks and snax, FREE Parthenos themed stick and pokes, opportunities for fundraising, opportunities for political advocacy for gals and queers, vendors, and lots of other Parthenos-vibed surprise activities :)
Also, the opportunity to connect with radical like minded art makers! If you're in the Denver area I would LOVE to meet you and celebrate. Among other fundraising opportunities, we are asking for a suggested donation of $15 as an entry fee (but no one will be turned away for lack of funds). All proceeds are going directly back to the Parthenos artists' pockets 🙃
If you aren't in Denver or can't come but still want to support, you are more than welcome to give the $15 entry fee as a donation (Venmo: @delphic ) I know times are tough right now, so a donation of any amount is a gift that means the world to us 💕💕💕
If you want more details / to reserve your spot, message @parthenospodcast and we'll get you on the list!
ooh wow, what an interesting question! and soooo so hard to answer.
the real answer is "whatever is fully consuming my brain at the moment" because every project goes through a stage of being my favorite. so my current favorites are Two Thousand and Late, Desperate Hollow, and Phantom Pulse.
honestly, actually, the answer might be Desperate Hollow. which is a book, I know, so I'll give a podcast answer too, but I've been working on this story for eight years and it's some of the most fun and fulfilling work I've ever done. the thing about writing a book is that you have to read it over and over, and there are times when you read it when you're like "oh wow, this sucks, I'm the most hack writer to have ever lived" and if you're lucky, that won't be where you find yourself the last time you read it. with DH, of course I had those times, but I had far fewer of them. and right now, in proofreading it again for Patreon release, I'm having a genuinely fun time reading it. I love these characters so so much.
in podcasting, the work I'm proudest of is the musical episode of The Bright Sessions, The AM Archives, and TWO THOUSAND AND LATE. the first two because they were really big, new challenges that turned out great and the last because it's so different from anything I've done - more honest, more raw, so much angrier - and I'm really happy with what I'm saying with that show.
so I guess it depends how we're defining "favorite". in many ways, nothing will ever be more meaningful and special to me than The Bright Sessions - it saved my life, gave me a wonderful community, launched my career. but I also was like...very much flying by the seat of my pants for all of it. not to say that I'm perfect now, far from it, but I'm a lot more intentional.
favorite as in "the most fun I have making something"? right now, probably New Year’s Day. prior to that, Breaker Whiskey. it's probably not a coincidence that my favorite things to make are the ones that don't come with the immense financial and administrative strain of doing full-cast, fully sound designed productions lol. but at the same time, nothing can match getting to work with a bunch of other actors, or hearing Jeffrey's first draft of a wacky sequence in TTAL. writing songs with Evan for Phantom Pulse is some of the most fun I've had in years.
so I guess my answer is: no, I don't have a favorite. I cannot express to you how much I do not make a living with my own originals lol (though I used to with TBS!), which I bring up only to say that I've got a baseline devotion to my own stories that automatically makes them all my favorite way to spend my time. sorry, this is such an unsatisfying answer! but it really does change all the time
the fate of all teenage girldom rests in the hands of five historical and mythological girlypops in an underworld locker room, and we should all be very afraid.
...
Welcome to the official tumblr of the fiction podcast Parthenos: Girls Like Us !!
Even by just looking 👀 at this post, you're already showing up to support the narratives of women and girlypops and that means the 🌎 to us!!
This account is "run" by our "writer/director" Olivia Buntaine, but mostly we steal the tumblr log in and lock her out. Perks of being a ghost/divine being 👼🏻 👻
Posting regularly here from the underworld will be Persephone (that's me!!!!) 👻 // Joan of Arc 💪🏻 // Ophelia 🪻// the Virgin Mary 🙏🏼 // and Lavinia 💀
Check out the trailer above to figure out what the HECK DANG we mean by the word Parthenos and follow along as we hold the fate of all girlhood in our cute little ghost hands!! ✌️🎀
Ok below is more boring stuff Olivia wrote. BUT YAY! CANT WAIT TO BE BEST FRIENDS! LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST SERIOUSLY WAIT LIKE SERIOUSLY HAVE YOU LISTENED YET LIKE WHY DONT YOU START RIGHT NOW I'LL WAIT HERE 🤩
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Parthenos: Girls Like Us
an audio drama, available wherever you listen
EPISODE LINKS:
Intro Episode
Episode 1: Welcome to Partho-Hell
Episode 2: A Cute Little Mortal Community-Building Tool
Episode 3: Several Bags of Funyuns
Episode 4: De@d Girl Think Tank
Episode 5: If the Oval Office Was a Girl's Bathroom
Episode 6: It's Hurting My Feelings
Episode 7: Vengeful Ghost Hotline
OTHER LINKS
Instagram
CAST & CREW
Writer / Director -- Olivia Buntaine
Producer -- Abigail Steckler
Sound Designer / Editor -- Jen Rose Jacobs
Assistant Director -- Jamie Gallos
Production Assistant / Dramaturg -- Tessa Zitter
Composer -- Max Havas
Graphic Design -- Casey Teel
Poet -- Nations
✨✨✨✨✨
Persephone -- Lauren White
Joan of Arc -- Marie Osterman
Lavinia -- Kyra Morling
Ophelia -- Emily Tuñon
The Virgin Mary -- Che'li
Hippocrates -- Max Havas
Disembodied Parthenos -- Xander Priddie
Various Roles -- Lauren Shippen, Max Havas, Robbie Angel, Lydia Hunter, Kenia Ramos
Do you know about Big Finish? I think they're an important part of the audio drama landscape, but it feels like sometimes other audio drama/podcast listeners who aren't into Doctor Who don't know about them.
oh yeah! i’m aware of it, though i can’t i’m super familiar with their work, especially since i’ve never gotten into doctor who or any projects similar to it.
from my research, big finish seems to have been around for a long while and it wouldn’t surprise if it was someone’s introduction to the audio drama space.
There is a brand new episode of TWO THOUSAND AND LATE in your feeds! This is a live performance of a very special crossover with Forgive Me! and takes place after the events of Season 1 of TTAL.
Featuring way too much gin and tonic, a "friendly" eldritch being, frustration, mistakes, and a breaking point that results in "horses" and the world's longest heart-to-heart.
Coming in at 1 hour and 13 minutes, episode 5 is officially the halfway mark of the season! This one has so many horrible & beautiful character moments and is my favorite episode I've produced so far. I hope you enjoy! Heed the content warnings!
Don't know what Dustwalker is? It's a full-cast audio drama following a shaky alliance between a transfem teen and a powerful politician—a trans man who was meant to be her adoptive father. Taking place on a post-cataclysm Earth, the two navigate a dangerous magic system in hopes to tear down their city-state’s regime… and maybe grow to care for each other along the way.
Last Audio Drama Sunday before the end of the Beck's End Kickstarter Campaign!
You like queer female leads, intriguing mysteries that hint at conspiracy and things grander and older than anything human, gorgeous music and soundscapes, spectacular performances from incredible actors, and uplifting historically underrepresented voices, right?
A new atmospheric folk horror audio drama set in a remote English village, where something ancient stirs beneath the water.
We're immensely grateful for the support and signal boosting we have already received, and we're getting closer every day, but the funding is still not guaranteed and we're in the final stretch now! Please help make sure that we can actually make this series, we wouldn't want you to miss out on everything we have planned 💚
