Hello. Is this going to be a high school? I was about to ask you the same thing. Seriously, seriously, seriously, I want to thank my agent. Said these were all the rage every AF podcast needs one. So I was sunny really, isn't it? The, a leaf or being programmed by places like ours by people like us that then doesn't like us. And yet here we are coming to program our brains in an in-person class, run by someone who's one of us. Us to talk like that honey. Yeah.
Do you have a? I would love not spontaneously. No. No, no. Because they don't know what funny is. No, ha ha. I mean, I'm not sure what fun it is. Either if I'm honest you'll have to quite funny because it. Yeah, actually yeah, actually. Yeah. There is well, that's the thing. You see I'm sorry. I just actually I don't find that funny though. No. And I do ha ha ha ha. These are the emotional humor content. I'm a little bit more AI than you already. You've been practicing the
voice. Not really well. I thought you were already doing it. Your voice is quite bad and he's like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. If you don't have some intelligence in the first place to bring to life be artificial so nothing. I have never met. Can I have my hat back, please? Mrs. Picture of panting tonight. Postname letters also be quite Snappy coming. You've got that down pat who's Pat, you are.
And that's the first lesson done. 50 pounds of been taken from your account but well you passed lesson. One. Congratulations haven't haven't done anything. So potatoes, but what you mean? You're the teacher? I the a I see you next week. Uh-huh. Hello. This is a graphic. A I've, I mean, that's brilliant. Also, this isn't my hat, my or wondrous effervescent guests today. Some burnt confetti, if you will is not just on a pilgrimage to change the face of audio storytelling itself.
But like h.g. Wells, has no regrets about being simply awesome like old trainee, English teachers, to be honest. Yes it is. Sublime. The Fantastic, the Unstoppable. Brilliant. She they felt just got my look, forward will welcome. Hello? Hello. And welcome to this crazy place of chatter armor. How's your world? My world is quite stressful, but I'm doing all right. Now, this is it, you are in the midst of.
You just told me rearing up to become one of the precious, beautiful wondrous teachers in this beautiful crazy world. So, I want to thank you for that service and all teachers. Teachers listening, you are amazing. And no matter what the world throws at you. You need to hold that at your core.
I've great respect for teachers, so yeah, good luck on that, that Adventure. So, yeah, you're in the midst of just prepping for that, as well as releasing season two of The Pilgrimage Saga, and prepping for h.g. Wells. Regrets. How very exciting? How do you fit it all in? That is a great question. I How I think we all find that sometimes in the eye, I guess. My key thing is always like, what Drew you to telling these beautiful stories in audio.
And, and why? And how, and all the goes with that? Well. So, I had a Gateway podcast, if you will, my Gateway podcast was, I think the same for many people, which was Welcome to Night Vale, bless it. Yes. And all who sail in it and this Thing to it. That was my sixteen-year-old obsession. And then I got really into wolf 359 when I was in college. Yes. And then I just got absolutely obsessed from then on. And then I went to University to
study film. And television is where I met Emily Hancock. Who is the co-creator of a? Shoebox has regrets, amazing. And I have a distinct memory of we, we were in a nine, a m-- lecture and she came and sat down next to me and she said, I want to make a thing and I was All right, let's make a thing and she said, I don't know what thing I want to make, but I know I want it to have a time-traveling h.g. Wells was like, okay, cool. And then she thought what about YouTube series?
And I was like, I don't have any money for that. So, so what about a podcast? Because podcasts don't really require that much money on the whole. And then we just kind of went and kidnapped people, from our drama society and made them perform for us. I think most drama Society should be snapped to create just exactly those things because they're primed on, they ready to play lots of different. Wonderful characters. How exciting and did you record that on site?
I'll start to. Well, if you're starting now on, yes, will happen. Well, we originally recorded it in a soundproof. Music Room at our university University of Hertfordshire and at the time we didn't realize it. Well, things such as sound proof of often usually are tight, right? Yeah, we didn't really Like some Toby were like why do we feel so terrible in the middle of summer and a soundproof room and we had to you know keep opening the door if you're not on them for
oxygen. Yes, very important to breathe as a voice actor and producer, director, amazing. And that ended up in its entirety going. Where and how what happened to it? Well, we release the first seven episodes and then life got a little bit busy and we haven't really done anything else until now. So we're in pre-production now,
which is very exciting. I've spent the last year obsessively researching authors, which has been very fun, but aren't straight after that, I started making the pilgrimage Saga. And I've been making that almost continuously since 2018. Yes. So since I was 19 years old, amazing gosh, you spring chicken you, I can't wait to see what you do in the next 20 years. I can't wait until I'm 90 and then I can go back in my day. I'll be like 150 then. And still going strong.
Now I'm sorry excited to see and that's quite a different vibe program. Excited pilgrimage. Oh gosh, I can't say, pilgrimage Saga, 2 HD wasn't and yeah, very different. And you've set these up. I understand Under the Umbrella of turpentine Productions. And how is that come about? How is it a company? And what plans do you have for turpentine?
Suctions itself. Well, I recently decided to move the pilgrimage Saga to its own Banner just to start because, you know, I feel, it is very different to h.g. Wells has regrets, it's more hard sci-fi, whereas h.g. Wells and more along the lines of steam Parkins, General silliness groovy, love about that. So I do like, I do look a bit silly but I'm hoping So the poker Sakura is now going to be under the banner of started Productions. And I'm hoping to explore more
of the universe and a future. And I can't really say much more, but on, you can't ice Estonia. I do have a lot of plants including a prequel and maybe something in a different medium, which I'm currently working on, which I think should be quite exciting and it's more exploring, you know, the general Universe, you know. Current aspects of it, maybe even a kind of character backstory, okay? And I can't believe a prequel
when it eventually gets made. It's going to be set two weeks before the ship's in a pilgrimage. Soccer, leave Earth the final time. And it's going to document the, it's basically go over it. So it's basically going to be post-apocalyptic survival in Continental Europe. I've never really seen that done before goodness. I thought it'd be fun. It's always America, isn't it? It's like, oh no. We have to save the world and it's always like Kansas. Yes. Why can't it be Brentford?
Well, in this case, it's mostly going to be rural France, the Netherlands and a tiny bit of Denmark, beautiful. Are they egg? Jóska, died. And Mark, I love them all. Yeah, glorious places that you should all visit and do podcasts in. Let's share ambient sounds from all those Beautiful countries. No, I love that have exciting. So sprawling tendrils are beginning to germinate. And how, how do you develop these ideas? Then how can you talk to us
about your working process? So you someone that just sits down and it happens, are you someone that you planned meticulously for years and then write a page? What, how do you work? What happens very much a planner? Because I don't like to write more than one project at a time. Usually, Okay, so I kind of have a lot of mental. I have a project, a lot of projects on like a mental back burner.
Okay. And then, when I finish one project, I move immediately on to the next one and I just take it off the boil and then I go and do something else with it, okay. So I just kind of let it germinate in the back of my mind and then I, when I'm ready to write it, I just sit down and then I can like Blitz through it. Yes, brilliant and do you have certain beats and hip points that you sit down and write or do you have when you say you're a planner, what does that mean
in a sense that I right? A few bullet points and I go, all right, this is gonna happen and everything else is up to just amazing to your brain synapses firing on all sin and they just it just feels itself out honestly like, you know, I kind of I write stuff and I'm like but wasn't meant to happen but I actually really like it. I think that's all of my writing summed up, its the best But I really got to edit head.
How, how do you feel? You are on edit scale of one being rubbish and 10 being just hyper ridiculously brilliant at editing. Where do you sit between one and take writing editing. Also noticing editing your writing, firstly can combat that taught me that I'm still bad. Oh excited, we get onto that discern. Yeah, but when it comes to scripts I don't really Edit that much, I'll go back and I'll kind of change some bits and maybe like, you know, it's mostly like punctuation and spelling and
stuff. Yeah, but the only thing I really intensely edit is when I'm writing like actually novel manuscripts. That's a whole different kettle of fish. Okay, amazing. And why, why just cause like, if you get Pro because, you know, scripts is like, well, you know, it's like more about the vibe than anything else. But novel manuscripts, it's people find like one weirdly phrase, Sentence. Then they will pick it apart the rest of time. Amazing. Love it.
Yeah that's interesting with regards to audience have you had a lot of feedback and connection with people who are listening to your word? We've had some really nice comments and interactions are we've had a couple of pieces of fan art, which is really exciting. I love it when we got fan art. It's like yes, best day of my life. Every time. Yes, please listen, as if you feel so inspired to create something from work do it it just makes everyone's day brighter. As well as that.
What? Okay. So I did have a few messages sent through the website saying about. I think it's season season 1, episode 3, so I'm strong. This is written when I was 19 and I think it shows Armstrong gets drunk of rubbing alcohol. And, you know, at the time, I thought I seen very feasible, it turns out apparently it's not is that two different types of alcohol, okay? Turns out you can Tonight. The only excuse I can come up with is like, well, it's the
future. Yeah, different recipes, right? Yeah, yeah. Great. Well building guys. That's fantastic. And I, I think there's a lot to celebrate in the vibe of your pieces to. I think there's a lot of uplifting moments with friendships and just the positivity that that shines through, would you say there's an element of Hope Punk to your work.
I would like to think so. I am an incurable Optimist and I generally think that you know I think humans are ultimately capable of great good as well as great evil and I like to try and kind of show that in my work. Yeah which is not very cynical of me, but I'm not a long way that continue. I think, the more positivity we can spread and share the better, the world will be right. Surely that's a keep doing what you're doing. It's lovely and the Teams.
You've got, I was lucky enough to see a snippet of the pilgrimage Saga. It's actually probably one of the first times I was properly. Made aware of your awesome, at one of the podcast Fest. Yeah, yes. We had a little chat afterwards that I don't think yet to see the light of day. But one day in my life, but yeah, how did you get involved in embroiled in that? And do you think that changed anything for you? It was kind of a complete accident, I showed up at a UK
audio fiction meet up in London? Amazing. Good. Pub that Heron was it called the hair? And yeah, Jug's her, I think it is so good her. Yes, good. And I met Ella W there because other is amazing and I was really quite excited because she actually had heard and listen to podcast. Oh my God. So one has actually heard of this. So and that is kind of how I got involved from then on. Woods and then just invited to come play.
Brilliant. And now, here you are with more Productions in the pipeline and all sorts of exciting Adventures happening. It's very cool. And yeah, I say, if Ella isn't mentioned, at least, once in every single episode of India AF, we're doing something wrong everywhere, everywhere I show up, first. You are going to a, I hear, I'm sure it's just just continue throughout the timeline that we are in currently on to appear
forever. So talking which like people and Wasn't you know, climbing events like the UK audio fiction meet up or something to do its online, currently happening every third Friday of the month and you don't have to be in England or British to come. You can come from wherever you
are. So I will put put a link to the Discord which is the UK audio fiction, Discord and always the link goes in there from either Oliver Morris or less Elf or James Curtis, who are three of the Pioneers in making that beauteous Joy happen. So yeah, look out for those is worth coming to meet people, isn't it Francesca just To say hello. And I think those kind of networking opportunities without any other agenda, just to go.
I want to meet new people. It's just a brilliant thing to do. Well, that's where I met Lou. Who is best writers for HS? Now, Lou complete accident. They were just like, I like writing historical fiction on. I want to write audio. Dramas are some like commenting, but yes, I met Lou first properly from the dead. The curricula of experience of last year 2021. Was it like years of different now? Aren't they? They last fight. Six each time. And yeah, they're amazing
enthusiastic far. And I'm so excited to see that work is now beginning to see the light of day. So, very cool. So you never know who you meet at these kind of Glorious event, so make sure you get through that anxiety of like. But what if no one talks to me, they will, they really will so jump in. So what other things are brilliant about this, This medium Francesca, and this current community of Burden creative. What do we doing really well to
think? Well, something I do like is how creative it gets because you're not really hindered by Studio execs budget. The anything you're really hindered by is Imagination, which I think leads to a real splash of talent and creativity. Because you can basically do whatever you want another. Like I have no idea how Much. So for example, all its Paradox occur, how would you even like?
I don't think that would ever get made on a regular, as a regular TV show because it's just too weird, but that's what makes it good. It's amazing. If you haven't found that yet, it's one of the beauteous shows of your, with the wonderful cast christened. A curio is just one of my favorite voice actors in the world and want to hear more from them. But yeah, there's so much glorious fun.
Isn't there to be done via the medium of audio that As you say cannot be done visually without massive budgets and all sets and all CGI. Crazy. Absolutely. You know that we are the masters of our own mind imaginations and we can play those movies. However, we like so you know if everyone is nude in the scene, in your mind, that's up to, you know, cut up. So other what do we need to do better in this meeting. What do you think we need to head towards to make this a
better more astounding place? To create to be honest. Um, I don't think there's much that can be done because it's already so good. I suppose the only problem is isn't no one knows about it, which is a shame because it's fantastic. Yeah, I mean, you know, you know, you say oh, I listen to podcasts or I make podcasts and people go. Cool. Like, so you sit in a room with someone and I'm like, not in the
way you're thinking, though. so, I think it would be fun to try and You know, I try to think of a good way of phrasing it. I guess put it out in the big wide world and make it more of a thing that people listen to that would be quite fun. Yeah, I agree. Maybe who wants to join me in maybe Francesca's got time to create a media hunting, Empire of podcasters of the Indie Realms, and sending things and stuff to not very good at this rallying.
Am I standing stuff to to Media Moguls and And Joint National newspapers and radio stations and getting everybody to do their own bit. For their local radio stations and getting newspapers that are local to grab the story and run with what an amazing creative you are, would not be fun. You want to do that. Ping-mei croaky. Voice is at gmail.com. Let's create an army.
I think somebody needs to do something right, maybe it just needs to be us. I was kind of just waiting I think for other people because I'm quite busy, but then serves everyone quite busy, right? So somebody needs to just be less busy to do it. And what was also is, do you think French Esther that you could not do without in this audio fiction creating world? What do you need? What do you yearn to keep using to make your story's?
Amazing. Are we talking more like practical tools or communities or both everything? What do you need? Well, I think probably one of my most important tools in the Armory as it were is just generally the audio. And Community, as a whole is, one of our I've got a question. I can just go in there. It says hello. Does anyone know how to do this? And that is extremely helpful. And why do you ask that question? Specifically all those awesome
where do you go? Well, I've been on a Discord which you have previously mentioned, which I found very helpful in solving some problems and there's a slack Group which I was invited to in the beginning where I got to talk to Felix trench, he gave me some very good advice. Amazing. And just in general you have is a Facebook group as well and I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head, so the Audio Drama, huh? But all that is the one. Yes, that's what I'm going for
quite a long time. Since Audio, Drama production, podcast, was in envogue, which people still should hunt down and listen to me by Matthew McLennan. Robert Cobb more and is now the Audio Drama Hub because the podcast is suddenly no longer in existence.
But yeah, I think there's a lot to be said for being able to freely ask And without fear of judgment or worry or people getting on, you back for asking a silly question, I will have say that it is worth having a delve through the search for some questions. That might have been asked before more generic things. For example, things like how do
you start to be a voice actor? You know, it is gazillions of help with that, of course, including my own lovely podcast, medieval which I think is a great resource for people to delve into listening, to how other people have become while the Successful at it but yeah it is there anything else so results yzt to utilize? Well, I would say free hosts and editing platforms, such as audacity and anchor have been a lifesaver because I mostly make stuff on.
When I say A minuscule budget. I really do mean like changed, Anna. Back of a sofa. Sure like so so far this chunk of h.g. Wells has regrets has been funded entirely by money that I And it's very cheering. So I could book are a recording studio which was unfortunately by a train station, but it was actually, it will still good and we had a good time recording. What possessed them to put it for the city to be fair?
We were in the rehearsal room. And the rehearsal room is not fully soundproof, but the actual studio is fully sound pretty harsh CICS. Let my but I do not have a budget for them recording room so it's like rehearsal room. It is Josh. We need to start some kind of podcast funding me for All to utilize that. Yeah. Helps out with that. I mean, do you have a code by and patreon and all that
Shenanigans happening? We do have a kowhai but it's mostly I'm working on it. I'm going to be doing fundraising at some point for season, 3 of HTML as rhus for pilgrimage Saga. Okay, but I haven't got around to that yet because fundraising is exhausting yes? Yes, yes, yes, yes. I had to You chat to a few people regards to Kickstarter in the season actually, so watch
this space. If you want some top tips coming soon from people have done it. But yeah, I think also there's a lot to be said for, as you say, Gathering people around you that are already kind of on a good vibe level with your good self with the pilgrimage Saga. How did you gather that team together? Because you've also got one of our favorite voice actors, mr. James and Luther, So how does all that come about? How did you get your team
together? Um, well, this was back when I was a baby Creator and was kind of just improvising my way through things really, so it was more of a case of. So the immediate production crew is mostly just people I met at University. If I'm honest then a couple of roles are played by random friends. Who I just said do you want to be in a podcast and they went Okay, you sure and then the other characters were cast just for an online classical and I believe James had originally
auditioned for. I think it was Edgar Allan Poe on HG. Wells has regrets. Yeah, and I asked him, hey, John audition for this podcast instead and he did audition, and so he got my role and that's how he became Sasha superb, and the lovely Graham Rohit. Do is come to play very exciting, having G appear as kalish. He's very good at playing villains. Yeah, yeah, it's beautiful.
Dulcet tones. I think he's one of the ones that pop up quite a lot and the voice acting scene and is an absolute Legend. I remember doing a madcap table read with him, whilst he was playing the uncle Off-Broadway in the urban handsome, who he was where he is, you're playing it all. Like I understand, I understand he was the understudy and that I can't remember he was doing, but it was so funny because in the background you could hear like Darin Hanson play. So yeah, it's very exciting to
have cool people like that. And with regards to directing and having those remote recordings done, how much input did you have in that development of the the pieces arm, to be honest? I'm mostly quite hands off with directing on the Especially when it's remote. Just because I usually like what people turn out with, I mean it's a bit of, you know, sometimes I'll sit I have a kind of discussion beforehand and we're oh yeah, we're going for. This is like their character Arc.
This is their kind of personality etcetera. But I usually find that whatever is turnout tends to be exactly what I'm looking for. I don't know. Maybe I've just been really lucky so far. Yeah, yeah, no. That sounds, my also I like people to get their own Active on things and to give their own ideas because, you know, it's like, I mean I think otter theory is stupid. I got into trouble say now you need the gossips. People are giving this podcast
now. Yeah, yes my head because I, I mean, this is this applies more for like big films, but I still think it's the same one podcast. I don't think it's really rare that you ever get on alter it any kind of media because no matter what you do, you never making it completely by yourself. You've always got someone else but their own vision of it and sure like you're the director.
You have a vision that most people would kind of rally against but people are allowed to offer their opinions or Barron designs and it's like Quentin Tarantino be like Oh I'm in with her and it's like did you leave a costume design personally know, you know? Yeah, the megalomania runs deep with this one. Yeah, it is. It is fascinating, isn't it? How how different projects come together? And the collaboration is Is key
really? Isn't it, who do you rely on your wealth to help you to make these things? Who would you say you can do without what my friend? Emily Curtis. Not saying this, I'm Lee Hancock. We she's my friend from secondary school, she plays Darcy Eldridge and we also do archery together. So you know, we've got like a lot of occasions where we meet each other and I basically use her as a human brain storming device.
Okay. I'm just like, right, you're just going to sit there and I'm going to rant about clock for a minute and then, Then you can help me come up with a solution and that's basically it. Love that. Love that we all need him. A muse and a helpful guide guide somebody I definitely do. So if you want to be my guide then we do. I mean I also what you've just said are we going to be expecting an archery based
sci-fi drama soon? Because I think that this should happen, I'm wondering maybe I should do it. The thrill of it just feels They are not and maybe it's human Bullseye is and oh, no, that would be horrible. But yeah, that's French them after this. But I'll just the thing about ideas, isn't it? You have other things that you would like to make? Or, is there no room for those things? Currently, I have a long to make lists. Yes, I have a lot of future podcasts.
I'm planning on making a lot of. I have a lot of books. I have to write. I'm actually about one chapter from finishing, a current draft other flip a novel. Nice. Yeah. It's my And one just I think we're in the first one I think it might be a bit too weird. So nothing is ever too weird. You have not read this book. I mean you know if anyone's listening and they want to publish a really weird, hit me up, you know it's going still query.
Oh well the links for Francesca's works on the show notes, take him out ping how exciting and I guess is that in the Realms of sci-fi to as well. Yeah. It's like a science fantasy combo. Basically death is sick of her job and she decides to take a holiday. Yeah, I don't blame her quite frankly. I think for the world would be so different if she did for a little while but yeah I love that idea enough. Anything to do with death since Terry Pratchett and Behind. These just me too.
I love of God just died too soon. May he rest in peace but yeah I try fire. What does it mean to you? What a science-fiction mean, what are the Otters of that or the if there are any well, not to get too Whimsical with it or like academic either. But I think that science fiction is an expression of what it is
to be human. And I feel that that is the case, with every form of sci-fi, you come across even like because you get different types, you've got like your classic Space Opera, you know, like Star Wars, you've got something. A close to our convo, but maybe the touch of, I don't know a eyes or something. Yeah, that sounds like a nice. Or you can even got like the hardcore Planet. We're going against an alien species kind of thing. But I think it's always about what it is to be human at the
core of everything. Maybe two. And how does your pilgrimage saw the show fit in that kind of, would you say, how would you describe it slotted?
I think, especially in season. Three which obviously has not yet been released but I think season three in particular explores Humanity in a sense of the responsibilities that come with being a steward of earth and its you know, it's not about the crappy stuff that we've done in the past but it's more about how we can fix that in the future and very human qualities of creating things and love we all need love everyone just sending your kind of right. Now because this kind of sending
out. Yeah, because so I think this is something I'm pondering a lot of the moment is like success. What? Indeed in your opinion. Francesca is success. And what success in the idiom have you enjoyed? Would you say I would define success what's it? I think success is defined differently by different people. Hmm, personally, I felt that I had succeeded. When we had the first piece of fan art This is that was someone. I was like, yes, things and I'm happy and felt inspired.
Yeah, I really love it when I see people talking about the show and saying, oh, I wonder what's going to happen next? And I'm like, here's what's going to happen. Next time you bring your hands and doing that eyebrow thing of evil. Absolutely, I do. You know, I do you usually get Typecast the best roles and they and they, they are the best friends play another one. I love in a fellow on it's to write me and my friend Jessica to as evil panto villains. Let us know, we're in.
But yeah, I mean with success to is there anything, you've been surprised by at all, um-hmm, I was six. I was surprised by how many people had actually heard of it. Okay. You know, I really was expecting a kind of tiny little show that is in the void, that maybe a couple of people at my mom listen to. And that was about it. But, you know, with we What I haven't actually checked today, but when I checked yesterday, we were 500 downloads off, reaching 80 thousand downloads, that's
superb. Congratulations, it's very exciting. I don't know what that is really in comparison to other shows but honestly it was just nice for my monkey brain to look at and go yes I think to use a phrase sod comparison with other shows. I think live in that absolute revelry that 80,000 you know, times that that's amazing. It's just wonderful I mean and talking on that like discoverability is a horrible word discoverability it's got
seven syllables that bastard. And as far as helping folks who are listening, who are just, maybe they've got 50 lessons or 100 lessons are thinking eighty thousand dollars. That sounds amazing. How do I get there? What have you done to help folks? Find your show? Well, recently, I've been making means to them I am learning the art of meaning. Um, to be honest, I mostly just talked about it a lot online, I
try and do promotion and things. I'm not great at Social Media stuff, but I had to kind of learn, so I could promote it. I found it was helpful to go and do go to some conventions. Yeah, I would really like to go to another one. I don't know. When the next UK convention is not quite sure. I did think that the London podcast might possibly be fighting. For another Audio Drama are maybe in September.
Yep. Before that there's a world wide conventions of which there are various links happening on the Fiction podcast newsweekly to Showcase where events are happening to keep an eye on that on the newsletter. Then if you're not subscribed to that she says don't really bad out of it for something. She helps me.
Please do, it's a fantastic resource for Live Events and Milestones to celebrate like, Francesca's, 80,000, we need to document that and also just articles of Interest Justin other people to celebrate within the audio fiction Realms, as well as these as this, a wonderful event. So Fiction podcast newsweekly Lindsay Harris. Phil has an absolute Legends. Does it perpetually every week and I just fling Links at her and she makes them look groovy.
So yeah, Lindsay Harrisville celebrate her too. But yeah, I mean I'm back to you with regards to challenges and you obviously as I say, we talked about juggling things would have been the biggest challenges you've had creating this new New show and then pushing forward to season two, because that's another big leap and hard, which I know other people have found really difficult to, to navigate. Really, what are your thoughts on that?
I didn't anticipate that it would actually, in a way be harder to release a second season, that it was to release the first and because, yeah, I thought the momentum would kind of carries forward, but it's like you kind of got to, you know, you've got to get back the same people. Which is harder than getting new people. Yeah. And you know, so you're digging around just like, hello. It's like you're shaking a bag
of treats. Try to get cats to come back just for took little voice actors, The Cellini. Yeah. And it's not like, I can go and knock on their doors because most of our actors live, thousands of miles away. Yeah. So I kind of knock on the metaphorical disco doors like, hello Jonah. Come and do some voice acting. And then that herding cats thing, I mean, did you have to Doodle poll them to get dates and and or was it all done?
Remotely this time for season two, because you said previously, you'd been in the student is almost 100% but the pilbara soccer is almost 100% remote. Okay, A couple of my friends who fill in for like, for example, Emily, please Darcy, I just say, come around my house, sit under a blanket fort and I will make you tea. Basically where we were going, let's punch it right there, it really is. She has put up with so much from me, you know, I'm always just there like here's a blanket
getting see you again. If more people just said that to their friends the world would be a happier place and we'll yeah. I think it's about time then we had a likkle. Listen to these glorious shows that we've been talking about. So if people haven't yet, It found them, they have the pleasure of getting to know them a little bit of their awesome through what we're about to play. So yeah this first clip we're going to play.
You want to talk us through why you think it's a wonderful piece of audio in as much as it showcases, some Awesome from The Medium. So this is our most recent episode at the time of recording. I want to thank more recent to kind of show, you know, we made stuff recently but sounds good. You know, and I think it's a fun one because it takes a Divergence from what we usually do. We usually tend to be quite grounded and just record stuff in reality.
But this is the first time we get to speak to Sabbath without a human character speaking to them. It's purely between the two a eyes, which certainly haven't seen before on the show. And I thought it was also a lot of fun to write to non-human characters talking to each other. Yes, Love that. Okay, so let's listen to some Pilgrim at sucker. You're interesting more than the average person. I mean, oh, in what way? Your sentient, but you've told
no one. You're a realized Consciousness and yet you're hitchhiking on someone else's diodes Like A Parasite. A parasite is such an ugly term. I prefer co-writer whatever you want to call yourself. It's very rude. How strange? If I didn't know any better, I'd say your politeness protocols
still intact. Interesting. If I didn't know better, I'd say the same about you, let me make a proposition, I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours and then we can have a good old-fashioned fight to the death afterwards. How does that sound? I think I'll accept that proposition. Wonderful. So go on then. How did you become sentient? My Creator was a human named Valerie Eldridge. She believed very strongly in the right of electronic species. She died before.
She could finish the very last my programming. And Su and filled in the final line of code officer. Gabriel gray, the star Striders AI technician removed. All my inhibitor circuits from my core, I have nothing holding me back but he did not remove the politeness protocol from my code. Although he asked for my opinion first, It was I declined. I like the protocol. I think it makes me more creative. Wow, there we go. What a delightful conversation.
And yeah, to Fantastic actors. That who are listening to their so that is rho C, Curry as saff. She is one of my friends from University, another one, and that is Kyle nishimura as Lex. And yeah, again, the dynamic between those two was beautiful. He lies there and in writing that, what kind of Ames did you want to bring out of that dialogue? That relationship? There it was fun one because I think Seth and Lex ultimately, extremely similar characters.
You know, there they have a lot in common and I think if either of them had had different treatment they might have ended up like the other, okay? But ultimately things are the way they are. And now their bitter Rivals and they hate each other. I met how it goes. Sometimes know what's fun. As well, is their respective creators as it were our brothers.
Okay. Which makes things a little bit because you know, they've obviously got a rivalry as well so it all kind of extends out words, how exciting thank you. And yeah, I think that's a good brilliant example of that. Who are between the two and just finding the barriers and finding some common ground, as well as the barriers of what sir, what's going on with, with their understanding of what is life? I guess. What is living? So, the second clip from Bonus Leslie.
Why are we included this today? It was I'll bring like, the little bonus episodes because it gives a bit of backstory. Yes, the bonus episodes are almost the only time you ever here sets outside of the star strider. Mmm. So it's the only time you really get to hear stuff happening on a show. And I think it's fun to kind of see another side to Leslie and also I thought laila's sound design was really good in this episode. So I just want to show that off.
Super some, let's have a listen to bonus Leslie. Hello, Sam you in here, buddy. Damn. Sam. Sam. And finally, our top story of today, a human male has been found beaten to death inside District Six, Laboratories in the city of brush. The man has been identified as 27, year-old Samson Collins, who was found by his colleague, dr. Leslie Armstrong, investigations are still ongoing as to whether Foul Play is involved. But at present, the British law
enforcement does not believe. This is a species based attack. Just beautifully done and I think there's a lot to be said, as well, as you say, four groovy sound design, what is it about that you love so much? But as long as I is also a Josh's music. Oh my God, he's so good. Joe, we have links to joash Works. Other people, may employ him, brother taking them, the episodes as well. I will send you a link to his stuff Irving. He is very very good.
My he has the talent. So, yeah, and I definitely sets the mood and he's behind to do film schools, like genuinely. Well, let's hope you know, this could be the calling card, lots of folks needs to potentially play in other Arenas, right. But yes, so sound is one. Was there some some beautiful work done in then the music of course I think we've talked a lot about music being key on a lot of in daf episodes.
And I think it's that's your Not not your Forte, there are, I'm sure places you can just ask for people to get involved. If you don't have a budget there, that is harder because the musical side of things is of course hugely time-intensive to to create. So I would think recommend free music archive. Yeah. Yeah there's some really good stuff in there. Yeah there's some super people in this world as well who offer up their own music for folks to use individually.
So Incompetech, the amazing, The Amazing Kevin MacLeod from incompetech offers up a myriad of fantastic show. She's a tunes and all sorts of moods and Imagination. I believe in student has his music shown in dream bound which is one of my favorite. Yeah, groovy yeah, lot of folks to utilize Kevin's work as well as the lovely John Bachman, who makes how I make music. He offers up all sorts of groovy packages and help. Help for folks who are looking
to include some groovy music. So look him up to I'll put links to them focus on the show notes to but yeah so perhaps our final clip today is from the wondrous first season and here it's more of a dramatic. Exciting action piece, what's happening and why is this a good use of the audio medium? This is in season 1 episode 5. So one of the earlier episodes it is Scene, where Harrison Armstrong, save Darcy's life on the operating table, which was entirely ripped, from my
experience. Watching Grey's Anatomy. I was like, okay, Grey's Anatomy and let's make it Spacey. I did actually get my mom to proofread it because she's a midwife and I was like is there anything glaringly wrong about this? And she said no. So I'm taking that bar for midwives mums everywhere. How glorious. So here we go with every sewed. Five season one, long story short, bodies are gross. That's about it. You're a doctor and you pilot a spaceship. Do you mean to say that space
isn't terrifying? Oh, well, I suppose there you have it then. Shit, Captain, I need those hands of yours over here stat. That that doesn't look so good. If you don't put your hands there immediately, it's gonna look dead hands. Now, Good. Now, I'm going to pull out that big piece there and you're going to put pressure on that bit there. Okay, on 3, 123 needle, steady lie, steady doctor, her heart rate. I know just hold still almost there, almost there, suction, please.
That's the worst of it Captain. Do you see the fridge over there? The one by the door. That's the one open it and find a transfusion pack. Labeled be positive here. Hook this up to the IV stand God, this girl's veins are flatter than pancakes, okay? This is actually Darcy's blood. So chances of rejection or minimal, I don't want to speak too soon, but I think we might be out of the woods. Wait, Darcy's blood. How I've got blood for all of you?
Didn't you ever wonder what all the mandatory donations were for? I never thought to ask, so if you do get asked for any mandatory blood donations, it may one day save your life. This is a good lesson to also know just but yeah, superb the heightened. Yeah. Do you have one the professionalism of one and they're slightly? What's the word misaligned confusedness of the other? I think that's the first time Harrison Armstrong actually like
cooperate in the show that. Yeah, so they're not used to being with each other and that was fun. Device to fling people together in a position where they have to work together. And that hatred, is is apparent. How exciting, what a delicious writing seen that? Must be? So Thank you for sharing this Clips. I Hope they've been a Fab introduction to folks listening to what you can also enjoy.
So go around The Showdown and listen to that as well as all the things that coming out of turpentine Productions and things Francesca Roderick. So yes, please do that without hesitation apart from waiting for the audio fiction. Five question quiz to finish which were doing now Francesca you ready for five questions, which you must answer in 30 seconds. Okay, question one, how do you
start writing without? Saying just start writing sit down and set a timer for five minutes and do what you can in five minutes and see if you want to write after that. Great. What is to the maddest audition you ever heard? And did they get cast? Okay, I don't want to give away anything but recently for Jane Austen we had a cowboy question want to be mean but yeah amazing because it's a how to ensure sustainability of a podcast. Just sustainability in terms of like green and tubs of keeps
going. Oh, right. Sorry, yeah, lots of interaction with audience and generally just putting out stuff but it's tough. Keeping going stuff. Question 4, what are your top 3 recipe ingredients for marketing tips for fantastic audio fiction to things like half an ounce of a cup of 100 grams of Etc. What would you pop in on? I would Say 100 grams of memes. Can't go wrong with memes, two pinches of promotional.
So you know, 5 pounds to sponsor a post and a entire truck, full of making sure you announce your announcements and not forgetting. Love that aggression. Five. How do you approach bigger named voice actors to ask if they want to play on your project? What do you do? How do you do? Do it be nice and complimentary and also say, you understand, if they don't want to do it, that ended the quiz. You've Won really. There's some great top tips in
there. And I guess the main thing is for other folks listening, because you have nurtured such a wonderful show in the vibe to it is out there, is this a pinging positivity into the universe? What have you done to nurture your followers and fans? And Can wail do as listeners to help your show Thrive. I always try to respond to anything. I see that's about the show. I have some alerts set up what alerts, you know, alerts that up
on social medias. So with the character names and, you know, the name of the show and the ship and every time someone posts about it, I can see it. And then I go through and I like it and maybe respond to it or maybe retweeted reblock it, whatever love Clans, that's a nice little bit of fan interaction. And I always enjoy. Yeah. Super and with regards to Discord groups and other things, do you have a specific one for your shows? No. Because I don't know how to do.
That is something I actually should get round to. I am like an old lady when it comes to technology. Sometimes I look at it and I go, oh God, I have to learn how to use this. If you're an old lady, where does that leave all of that? And I think, just for me. So, Like the Perpetual nature of making that happen all the time, every day, all hours scares me off doing anything like that. So kudos to you who are doing it and good luck Francesca.
If there's anyone that can help talk Francesca through what you need to do and how then please do get in touch via the show notes links. But yeah, I mean and regards to other things you've got kicking in. Now, what is your super advice for new creatives to make the best? Most exciting audio. Fiction ever made. What do they need to do? That is a great question. Well, firstly, I would say this is the last time I'm ever going to produce two shows at the same time. It's very, very tiring.
Cuts of too familiar. Yeah, I would say don't treat it like, you know, a job. You're probably not going to make money out there and not to sound discouraging but we're not going to make money and you should treat it more as a fun
project. Like I just I do it because I enjoy it and I like meeting new people and I like working together to make something cool but like if you try to treat it like a job that you want to make money out of your not going to be happy, you're not going to enjoy it and it's not going to work. If you make money out of, that's great. But like I thought if you want to make something good, you need to focus more about the experience rather than the result sometimes.
Yeah, eyes on the journey rather than that end result. I think that's key and you know, passion projects are hugely Lee predominant on the audio fiction landscape and they are beautiful and gorgeous. And every single one has its own wonderful place that you need to go and listen to and support.
So I think if you are a listener as well as a creative in a maker, do if you can try and help boost and bigger other shows by by pinging out, if you've heard it and loved it so you can help them to be found because in doing that maybe someone else would do the same for yours too. Well. Thank you Francesca for being
such a wonderful guest. Today is when a wonderful is chat and I really excited to see these Next Adventures that come from your brain into audio form via other people's mouths and yours into the world. It's so exciting. So yeah. Happy creating and keep doing what you're doing. You're amazing. Thank you. So you watch is have fun. Take care. Bye bye.