A Writer/Director/Producer Who Has Worked With Dreamworks, Disney, Warner Bros. and Paramount and Who Produced His Own Podcast Based On A Script He Wrote Shows You How

The world of podcasts has exploded and become an industry to be reckoned with. Over 125 million Americans listen to podcasts on at least a monthly basis, and individual shows can have millions of fans. We’re not just talking about nonfiction works like SMARTLESS or CRIME JUNKY; fiction podcasts are also thriving as more writers are turning to the audio medium to tell incredible stories. An art form in its own right, podcasts have also become a proving ground for stories to be adapted for television or movies. Shows like THE DROPOUT, WECRASHED, and THE THING ABOUT PAM would never have been greenlit or aired if they didn’t first find success and a fan base in podcast form. There might not be a better time than now to adapt your feature screenplay to the podcast medium.

If you've had difficulty gaining attention for your screenplay, turning it into a podcast and attracting an audience may provide proof of concept for your story to move it to a show or feature. This type of intellectual property is golden. Adapting your screenplay, of course, easier said than done. Writing for audio is a very different process than writing for a film or TV. Podcasts are written to be experienced as real time events, which is entirely different from a feature or TV script. A good podcast must paint a picture with only words and sounds and be paced to pull a listener in despite any distractions around them. It must also be structured into short episodes that defy traditional film or TV act structure. So, how do you turn 100 pages of a script into a multi-episode podcast? How does writing character or story arcs change when adapting your feature script to multiple episodes? Having a better understanding of what goes into a great comedy, drama, or genre podcast and the rules and expectations that come with this unique format can position you for success in telling your story and finding an audience.

Mike Disa is currently the director of the highly praised Netflix show Paradise PD and has been working in the industry, both in television and features, for two decades. With no film training or knowledge of the byzantine workings of the entertainment business, he eventually found success and has worked with studios such as Dreamworks, Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, and many others. Over a fascinating career, Mike has worked with some of the greatest and most infamous people in Hollywood including Steven Spielberg, Eric Goldberg, Ralph Bakshi, Glenn Close, Steve Oedekerk, David Tennant, Amy Poehler, Adam Sandler, Jeffery Katzenberg and Roy Disney. Always an innovator, Mike recognized the interesting time right now for developing material based off of IP and took it upon himself to adapt his feature script SENTINELS: POINT OF NO RETURN into a 12-part podcast series, which is now produced. Having recently gone through the experience Mike is excited to share his approach and his lessons learned writing the adaptation exclusively with the Stage 32 community.

Mike will walk you through the nuts and bolts of writing a fiction podcast and give you the tools you’ll need to adapt your long form script into this new medium. He’ll begin by discussing what the state of podcasts looks like today, including what kinds of podcasts are possible and the different formats of fiction podcasts that people are writing and which ones are currently popular. He’ll then delve into how to approach your podcast adaptation and which things you should decide on from the outset. This includes deciding on the format that will work best for your story, how to adapt your writing style to short form when you’re used to writing features or television, and whether you will use a narrator or go full “radio play”. He’ll also give you tips on how to plan for sound while starting to write. Mike will next go into detail on breaking your long form story into multiple short form episodes. He’ll give you tips on extending your story and show you where to put episode breaks within it. He’ll go over building tension between episodes between episodes and what goes into good cliffhangers on podcasts. He’ll also talk about how to avoid needing recaps between episodes. Next Mike will spend time talking about other writing challenges that come with this format, including how to paint a picture in audio form without creating awkward dialogue, the process of holding on to your subplots without your storytelling getting choppy, and how to use your first episode to grab your audience. He’ll also offer tips of how to give your characters separate voices. Finally, Mike will use his own podcast SENTINELS: POINT OF NO RETURN, which was originally written as a feature, to illustrate the process of adapting for podcasts. He’ll even share samples of both the feature and podcast versions of the SENTINELS script.

If you’re excited about podcasts, curious about writing your own or adapting your feature script into one and don’t even know where to begin, start here.

Praise for Mike's Stage 32 Webinar:

FIVE STARS FOR MIKE!!! He is super-awesome! Can't wait for the next session.

-Robert S.

"Mike Disa is definitely one of the best. He provided advice that is actionable."

-Martin R.

"I loved how engaging Mike was. It felt like he was genuine and addressing each of us almost individually. I have honestly never had a better Stage32 experience!"

-Elle C.

"It was great to hear from Mike. What a professional and what great advice from someone who knows the business and the craft of writing for podcasts."

-Mary S.

• The State of Podcasts
  • What kind of podcasts are out there
  • Different formats of fiction podcasts
  • Current popular fiction podcasts
• Approaching from the Outset
  • What format works best
  • How to write shorter form when you're used to feature or television writing
  • Using a narrator vs. full “radio play”
  • Planning for sound
• Breaking Your Long Form Script Into Multiple Episodes
  • Extending your story
  • Where to put episode breaks
  • Building tension between episodes
  • What goes into a good cliffhanger on podcasts
  • How to avoid needing recaps
• The Craft of Adapting Your Script Into A Podcast
  • Painting an audio picture without creating awkward dialogue
  • Holding onto your subplots without the storytelling getting choppy
  • Grabbing your audience in the first episode
  • Giving your characters separate voices
• Case Study: SENTINELS: POINT OF NO RETURN
  • Comparing a sample of SENTINEL’s feature script and podcast adaptation
• Q&A with Mike

If you'd like to learn more about the nuts and bolts of producing, recording and distributing a podcast, check out Mike's webinar: How to Produce, Record and Distribute Your Own Successful Narrative Podcast

All levels of directors (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn how to create a female-driven story that only you can tell.

All levels of writers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn how to create a female-driven story that only you can tell.

Producers looking to learn how to create a female-driven story that only you can tell.

Actors looking to learn how to create a female-driven story that only you can tell.