by Bob Tinsley
Why should you as a visitor to TVWriter™ be interested in making audio fiction? Why should you be interested in making podcasts? Discoverability, that’s why.
The meaning of the word podcast is evolving to include any episodic, audio-only production whether nonfiction or fiction. Agents and major studios have started trawling through podcasts and their creators for new content and talent.
So here’s the latest news to help you and your podcast get discovered:
Music from https://filmmusic.io
“The Builder” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
- I TOLD YOU SO, PART 1.
Spotify & HBO Max In Final Talks To Adapt Family Podcast Series The Two Princes Into Animated Special.
Anthony D’Alessandro writes in a Deadline Exclusive article about a deal being negotiated between Spotify and HBO Max to adapt the family-oriented podcast, The Two Princes, into a 60-minute animated special. Noah Galvin, Samira Wiley, Cynthia Erivo, Christine Baranski, and Ari’el Stachel star in the podcast, but no announcement has been made about the cast of the adaptation. Kevin Christopher Snipes, writer of the podcast series, will be involved in the special. From D’Alessandro: “there is increasing trans-media demand for original podcasts as IP fuel for film and TV.”
- I TOLD YOU SO, PART 2.
German Distributor SquareOne Launches Podcast & Digital Unit.
German movie distributor SquareOne Entertainment is getting into podcasting. SquareOne CEO, Al Munteanu, said, “SquareOne Unlimited . . . is our digital business largely in the space of podcasts. The idea is to increase ownership of IP and be as much a creator as a distributor.” He also said that “the end goal is to generate audio content which can be adapted for the screen.”
- RESOURCES, PART 1.
Podcasting Is Getting Its Own Oscars. Will It Work?
This article in Vulture by Nicholas Quah examines the reactions to the recent announcement of the formation of the Podcasting Academy. Reaction has been — mixed. On one side you have several members of Big Podcasting saying “we need this to promote the form.” On the other side you have lots of indies saying, “you’re going to shut us out.”
Quah says, “The newly formed Podcast Academy must also contend with an even bigger challenge: It has to effectively develop some sense of legitimacy as a body that speaks for so-called industry professionals as well as independent podcasters. Who ‘legitimately’ gets to represent podcasting isn’t always clear.” It’s a long read, but worth the time.
- RESOURCES, PART 2.
The Most Crowded Categories In Apple Podcasts (February 2020 Edition).
In this article, Dan Misener, Head of Audience Development at Pacific Content analysed 764,379 shows in Apple Podcasts. His advice on starting a podcast, choose the less-crowded category. That’s good news for us fiction podcasters. Of the 764,379 podcasts he examined, only 2,114 of them were fiction podcasts. Compare that to the Religion and Spirituality category that had 99,390! So, take heart fiction podcasters. You’ve got room to grow!
- IF YA WANNA WRITE, YA GOTTA LISTEN.
Y2K
Y2K is a tale of love, identity and long-distance friendship set in two timelines and on opposite sides of the world. The story revolves around two friends in the year 2000, and the modern-day student who turns their voice mails into a podcast. It was released on January 3, 2020, with 52 weekly episodes throughout 2020, and an epilogue in January 2021. Y2K is created, written and produced by Karin Heimdahl. Great production values, writing and acting.
Until next week, same Pod-time, same Pod-channel, keep listening and keep creating.