The Case For Creating an Audio Drama as a Proof of Concept

The Case For Creating an Audio Drama as a Proof of Concept

The Case For Creating an Audio Drama as a Proof of Concept

Jackie Jorgenson
Jackie Jorgenson
5 years ago

A bit of Background…I’m of the belief that if I can make my own opportunities I should. As an actor and a writer, I shouldn’t be waiting on someone else’s approval to gauge my fulfillment. So, I make a lot of my own content, which has been helpful in building my body of work.

I wrote this goofy little six-page costume drama that I wanted to produce. One set, 4 actors, and not a big deal, right? Well, it’s a big deal where my available budget is concerned. From what my research showed, getting historically accurate costumes would cost hundreds of dollars, and frankly, the payoff doesn’t make up for the price. Now, I love this piece. Don’t get me wrong. If I ever find a way to produce it, I will. But this was the point that I started thinking outside of the box. What if there was a way around my budgetary restrictions?

The Case For Creating an Audio Drama as a Proof of Concept

Jackie Jorgenson on-set of the short film, You Got Me.

Why an Audio Drama?

Without the visual aspects of a short film, a web series, or a sizzle reel, an audio drama offers a cheaper alternative to the conventional proof of concept. This may not be an issue if you’re producing a comedy set in modern times, but when it comes to historical and fantasy pieces, costumes, set design, CGI, and hair and makeup can be crucial budgetary factors.

It also diversifies your work and your audience. People who may not commit to sitting down and watching the shorts on your Vimeo page may tune into your audio drama while they work out. There’s a marketing concept that you have to reach people in seven different ways for them to develop an interest in you. For example, someone would need your new short film mentioned…

  1. On your social media pages
  2. In a print article
  3. On public broadcast television
  4. At a film festival
  5. Through word of mouth
  6. On a local radio station
  7. In an advertisement

…before they say, “Hey, I think I should check that out!” The same arguably goes for your portfolio of work. If you are able to entertain in a new format, according to this theory, you may also open up new opportunities and find a new audience.

It’s not such a dissimilar situation. You’re using many of the same skills and job roles you’d need for an on-screen production and there are many situations where people would rather tune into a podcast than a film. Maybe they’re on the road, cooking dinner, cleaning the house, or working on their hobby while they play your story in the background. Plus, if you’re a writer you get to really hone into finetuning natural-sounding dialogue. If you’re an actor, you get to focus on your enunciation and building a character solely with your voice. Win-win.

Is this the ideal solution for everyone and every project? Of course not. This is an option if you’re looking to take your work to the next step, or you want to explore a new format of entertainment.

The Case For Creating an Audio Drama as a Proof of Concept

Hollywood is Taking Notice of Podcasts

Lore, Homecoming, Dirty John, and Limetown are just a few examples of podcasts that have on-screen adaptations. They’re also proof that audio dramas have something more to offer on-screen and can equally captivate an audience. It shows there’s now a sense of professional validity to this medium.

Creating Your Own Narrative Podcast

Tales From The Aether is my original fairy tale anthology audio drama. Season one follows a nomadic witch who travels the recently settled New England coast to heal communities of a blight which is hypothesized to be the real-life cause of the Salem witch trials. This three-part series spans 60 minutes, so you can see why it would have been a bit tricky to independently produce for the screen. However, if this were to be adapted, it could be easily expanded to fit a feature film format.

The Case For Creating an Audio Drama as a Proof of Concept

Thumbnail of Tales From The Aether’s first season, The Witch of Rockwood Cove.

A major benefit of having a background in acting and film editing is that it’s great preparation for creating rich sound editing. Knowing how a character would move and interact with their world is so important. For example, I had a scene where, after losing his temper, a character smashes his fist against the dinner table. Instead of just using the fist against the wood sound effect, I layered it with clinking glasses, which would naturally jostle at that moment. After a beat, a chair creaks as he leans back and sighs. Not the most brilliant thing the world, but helpful in creating realism.

And the budget is just right. With this project many major aspects of the production were done for no cost:

  • Since I wrote it and performed the lead role, that naturally cut down on cost
  • I edited myself using the free audio editing program, Audacity
  • Sound effects were royalty-free (I found BBC’s sound effect library and freesound the most helpful)
  • Anchor is a free hosting and distribution service I used
  • Plus, obviously, no costumes, no hair and makeup, no CGI

So, if you’re looking to try something new, develop your script that remains outside your budget, or diversify your body of work, I think you know what I’d suggest you do...

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About the Author

Jackie Jorgenson

Jackie Jorgenson

Actor, Screenwriter, Voice Actor

imdb.me/JackieJorgenson Jackie Jorgenson is an award-winning actor whose characters range from the headstrong woman of principle to the goofy, emotional girl next door. Her short film performances have been screened at festivals internationally, including the biggest art event in the world, ArtPr...

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11 Comments on Jackie's Article

Andi Bee
Screenwriter
This was great! I’ve only recently began listening to drama podcasts and love hearing about how you made it a reality. I wish you much success!
5 years ago
Shara Maude
Screenwriter
This is a really cool idea. I've been thinking of doing something like this myself. Thanks for putting this out there.
5 years ago
Jackie Jorgenson
Actor, Screenwriter, Voice Actor
I'm so glad you found it helpful! 
5 years ago
That's awesome. Sounds like something about that feels very freeing! Thanks for sharing the free resources too ;) 
5 years ago
Jackie Jorgenson
Actor, Screenwriter, Voice Actor
It was very freeing! Hope the free resources help if you ever dip your toe into the audio drama world!
5 years ago
Don Taylor
Screenwriter
Jackie, Would you recommend narration (narrator) for screenplays to describe scenes or settings?
5 years ago
Jackie Jorgenson
Actor, Screenwriter, Voice Actor
I think it definitely depends on what you're going for, much like with a movie.  I did not use a narrator in my audio drama and let the sound design and score help listeners understand the setting.
5 years ago
Shara Maude
Screenwriter
I am curious about this too.
5 years ago
Tibor Tibi Andris Halmai
Actor, Author, Director, Music Composer, Producer, Publisher, Screenwriter
Originality in development of content and marketing  is always a delight to me but I'm in the minority. The film industry is the majority and I found little love in Hollywood for true originality. 200 years ago, when I went to New York seeking a writing job in advertising, instead of a  resume, I created a flip card presentation, using 9 x 14" cards with art and charts on one side and my pitch on the back so that I could read it.  I used to feel awkward in interviews and thus used that type of presentation that was used in marketing meetings, etc.   My first pitch was to the VP of TV at the Biow Agency, which was the hottest TV ad shop in those pioneer days of TV.  As I started, Roy Winsor., the VP,  held up his hand, laughed, asked, "Are you for real?" then said "Hold it, this is too rich." He picked up the phone and called another VP saying, "Get over here. I got a kid from out of town here with a pitch you've got to catch." That gave me great courage and I didn't need to rely on my text on the back of the cards. He was the most candid man I ever met. He said, "I love your stuff, but you came to the wrong man." I'm in charge of the shows (in those days ad agencies produced many of the shows in radio and TV)  He went on, "You do commercials. In theory, we have a commercials department but in reality we have crap. So, I'd like to bring you in through our chief, our president who happens to be out of town. Call me on Monday and we'll try to set up an appointment."    I ended up joining another agency and writing and producing Nescafe commercials on the Jackie Gleason Show but it shows what originality can achieve when you're young and brave enough.   Another time, I  took a similar approach to yours.  The networks were blowing big bucks on show pilots and I  had a sitcom using many animals which would get expensive, so I wrote to the president of ABC-TV suggesting a "demo-pilot" consisting scenes from the first few shows giving the advertiser prospects a better idea of what the series will provide and I offered to bring it in for less than half the cost of what they were spending.   Several days later I got a call from a program exec asking if we could have lunch. I nearly fell over. I called a lawyer to come along because I was a baby in the deal making area. The lawyer asked, "Who is your agent?  I said, "I have no agent."  He then said, "You may be starting a whole new thing."  In the end, nothing came out of it. Every organization has its own deep state. For the best results focus more on making contacts in the right places. In the the final analysis, who you know is more important than what you know.  
5 years ago
Paul Ruffman
Producer
I like you and the way you think...We should talk....
5 years ago
Angelo Raza
Director, Producer, Screenwriter
This is great Jackie. Thanks for sharing. Does an audiobook has the same level of validation effect?
5 years ago
Eddie James
Actor, Editor, Filmmaker, Producer, Screenwriter, Singer, Videographer, Voice Actor
Nice work Jackie! Great idea and way to stay in the game. I too am an actor/screenwriter. The name of the game in this town is "create your own content" because if you want to act and you are sitting around waiting to "get picked" you might as well play the lottery - be proactive and make things happen. Also, there are thousands of wonderful actors in this town all willing to be part of a well-intentioned project. Good work!
5 years ago
Eddie James
Actor, Editor, Filmmaker, Producer, Screenwriter, Singer, Videographer, Voice Actor
Absolutely! It's a new Hollywood. We need to break through the myths of the elusive movie-making "Studio" that is out of reach and can only happen behind those golden gates. I have done so much networking in this town and met hundreds of filmmakers with their own equipment (traveling movie studio) who want content to film as much as the actors want to act. Talented film making artists. After all, we are in the Industry capital of the world. Great conversation!
5 years ago
Jackie Jorgenson
Actor, Screenwriter, Voice Actor
I completely agree! Plus, it can snowball in so many ways. Maybe it opens you up to new opportunities or maybe the satisfaction just removes some of the desperation an actor could feel and makes them a more castable candidate. So many ways in which it can benefit.
5 years ago
Brandon Plantz
Director, Screenwriter
Wow!  This is excellent and eye-opening.  Thank you so much for writing and posting it!
5 years ago
Laurie Ashbourne
Screenwriter, Producer, Author
Awesome! Thanks for posting this I am in the early stages of doing this for one of our projects.
5 years ago
Jackie Jorgenson
Actor, Screenwriter, Voice Actor
Best of luck with your project!
5 years ago
Steve DeWinter
Content Creator
Congrats on taking the reins and producing your writing into an entertaining product for everyone to experience. While producing Outlaw, my own retelling of The Lone Ranger, I found sound design to be the most important aspect of working inside the "Theater of the Mind" to build out the story world for the listener. Outlaw, however, was always intended to be produced as a radio drama (and not as a proof of concept for the visual medium) due to it's inspiration being a great radio serial in the days of yesteryear.
5 years ago
Jackie Jorgenson
Actor, Screenwriter, Voice Actor
Yes, I found the sound design to be hugely important as well! It's given me a new appreciation for the small details.
5 years ago
Tasha Lewis
Actor, Author, Choreographer, Dancer, Director, Editor, Filmmaker, Marketing/PR, Narrator, Producer, Researcher, Screenwriter, Student, Translator, Voice Actor
Congratulations!  Great to see an entrepreneur in this segment.  I like to use collaborations for this.  Especially with the new norm of social distancing.
5 years ago
Edward Skirtich
Actor, Filmmaker, Host/Presenter, Musician, Narrator, Producer, Screenwriter, Script Consultant
Hi Jackie- Yeah- fantastic- with COVID and things- I do a PCTV 21 show- I would walk around and things. With restrictions- I will now have myself and everyone just read at the chairs and desks. However- I can still make emotions and still have effects and think of creative ways to do set design and sounds. Thanks for your information. There's a Stage 32 member Tasha who may help me with this being in the cast. Thanks- Ed Skirtich  
5 years ago
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