Darker Projects: Five-minute Fears

Shhh... be vewy, vewy quiet... I'm hunting audio drama! I looked over at my awesome list of audio cinema greats that have been featured on The Sonic Society over the past year and a half, and decided to see what the cheesy folks over at Schlock Audio Theatre were up to. What do I see on their home page?

The Darker Projects logo! It turns out that Charles Pratt, one of the partners/writers of Schlock's awesome B-audio has a dark side... and I found yet another awesome series brought to us by Darker Projects- Five Minute Fears.

Five minutes? Well, I think I have that! I listened to one of them, the second story in the series, Tow Truck. Excellent! The whole series is like a quick hit of "eek!" to give you a little boost. I recommend listening in the middle of the afternoon. You know the time, when you get the sleepies and just want to fall on your desk and take a nap.

Another cool audio cinema cross-over: Tow Truck starts two voice-actors I know from Dream Realm Enterprises, Jim Barbour and Elie Hirschman.

Head on over and face your fears today.

Another amazing podcasting feat!

Cross-posting an article I did last night over on the Pickle:

Mignon Fogarty had plenty to be thankful for this holiday weekend. On Tuesday, November 21st, Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing podcast passed over one million downloads.
Grammar Girl is a short, 5-minute podcast that gives a different tip each episode on how to improve your writing. It began in late July of this year.

After producing another successful podcast, Absolute Science, for over a year, Mignon noticed she enjoyed a shorter time format for certain podcasts. The idea for Grammar Girl came while editing a document containing a grammatical error she had noticed being made on a regular basis.

One million downloads in four months? The idea obviously was a good one. I asked Mignon what she thought about hitting such a feat:

“I’m still a little bit stunned by the success of the show, but it starts to feel real when I open my inbox every morning and it’s full of messages from listeners. I get wonderful, creative messages ranging from poems about people’s favorite (or most hated) words to photographs of funny misprinted signs, and of course I also get a deluge of e-mails when a typo or misplaced commas slips by into my transcripts.”

She added, “It’s also really rewarding to know that I’m helping people in other countries learn English, and helping teachers get their students excited about grammar.”

Grammar Girl has been featured as Podcast of the Day on the Podcast Pickle directory, in the “What’s Hot” section at iTunes, and earlier this month the Wall Street Journal wrote a story about the podcast for their weekend edition.

Subscribe to the podcast using this feed: http://www.qdnow.com/grammar.xml

Guest Pickler This Week

Too much fun- I was chosen to pick all the podcasts of the day on the Podcast Pickle site. Yeah, I'm only getting around to telling everyone NOW. Cut me some slack, I've got company in town for Thanksgiving... hehe.

I explain my reasons for the choices in this thread in the Pickle forum.

This is who I chose on Monday.

This was my choice on Tuesday.

Head over and see my choice today!

UPDATE: The rest of the week!

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Wow...

I've really been neglecting this place. I'm so sorry! I promise, next week I'll give this place some love... once I get the company out of the house, and the holiday behind me!

You are all of course invited over for turkey....


XOXO

~Dani

Colonial Radio Theatre's Goofy Side

This week's Sonic Society is really filled to the brim- go and check it out! I'm just happy that you all get to hear Colonial Radio in a podcast- because they are quite awesome.

But that Jerry... he's a stubborn one. ;-)

We- are- fam-ilee

OK all you podcasters- here is one very cool thing. If you're not taking advantage of all the things Podcast Pickle has to offer over there, then you are just NOT a serious podcaster. ;-)

Icebox Theatre on The Sonic Society

Good podcast this week in the Society. Next week they mix it up a bit more, but for this week Icebox Theatre takes over, and of course more of that crazy Dr. Floyd!

Podcast: http://sonic.libsyn.com

Show notes:

Want your audio drama shows hosted for free?

More lazy cross-over posting from SFFAudio (but it's just THAT good!):


In November of 2003 David Koenigsberg, creator of the Soul Patrol offered to host MP3 files from other audio drama, radio drama and audio theater creators on his website. Sadly, back then no one took him up on the offer. So he has made the offer again, he has his own server, commercial DSL line and plenty of capacity/bandwidth. David writes "I'll post any show for free on my website, The- Cosmic-Forces. net."


There are conditions... head over to the link and get the scoop!
(Thanks for catching this one, Jesse!)

Did you know about the Prometheus podcast?

Update: Why, there is a review up about the Taken Liberty Podiobook. Take a look HERE.

From November 11:
Well- I didn't realize! What an awful podcasting Audio Addict I am! :-( It goes back to 2005 too. Therefore, I shall plug the crap out of it.

Get all your Arbiter goodness, as well as the podiobook Taken Liberty. I've recently finished listening to Taken Liberty (it's available on Podiobooks.com too), and I must say, wow. Just, wow. There will be a SFF Audio review forthcoming... so I don't want to say any more than that. ;-) You can go to the Prometheus home page, and see more of what it's about.

And if that wasn't enough- a new series began last week, SuperHuman Times:

What happens when superhuman beings must try to live "normal" lives among the humans they once protected? Or threatened? They become the focus of SuperHuman Times.
Created by Lance Woods, SuperHuman Times gets its title from a national magazine covering this superhuman-filled, present-day Earth where the heroes have done their jobs too well. The most powerful villain has been mysteriously driven from the planet, enabling the heroes to concentrate on rounding up most of the lesser villains. That's made it easier for human authorities to deal with regular criminals — without superhuman help. How do the remaining former "heroes" and "villains" find a place in human society. How do humans live alongside them? Can they?

Grab the feed:
http://www.prometheus.libsyn.com/rss

Podcaster gets corporate sponsorship

Very cool thing... a podcaster gets a corporate sponsor!
And critics say podcasts are just a passing fad... BAH!

I wrote about it for Pickle News:

A couple shiny things

Episode #5 of Firefly: Old Wounds went out yesterday evening, and it just gets better and better. I can't believe there is only one episode left- whatever shall we do? Torches and pitchforks and travel to Halifax to demand more?

Yes... I think that will do nicely...

Get your fix here.

Also- do NOT forget that on this week's episode of 7th Son... my future husband is a guest reader of "The Story So Far" :-D
I just heard it- and OOHHHHHHHHHH
ok, I listened to it 6 times.. actually I haven't listened to the chapter yet....

Uh, was there a chapter?

(Nathan- call me!)

For the music addict

Dubbed "The Official Band of Canadian Podcasting" by the Canadian Podcast Buffet, Ajay interviews one of the members of Uncle Seth, Jay Moonah.

Really cool discussion about Indy vs Traditional, and some GREAT thoughts about podcasting and whether it will be the death of radio or not.

I first heard Uncle Seth through this song, and we play them quite often on kqcx, but don't let their podcast PSA fool you into thinking this is their genre. ;-)

Pink Cookies, anyone?

Choose Your Favorite Audio Play

Jack has put a new poll up on the Sonic Society homepage. He selected several plays that have been featured on episodes of the show.

Go and choose your favorite! Or Favourite!
Just pick the one you like!

Busy weekend in Prescott!

Cool stuff! Coyote Radio's annual Day of the Dead Dinner fundraiser is tomorrow night! I have yet to get on up there to meet this awesome troop, since my April Fool's plans actually ended up being quite the fool's joke on me. Won't be able to get there this time either, but there were cool things I found that I want to share with you!

First, if you want more information on the Day of the Dead Dinner, go here.

Also, there is a great talk about voice-acting and sound effects by Angie Johnson-Schmit and Tiffany Boehle of Coyote Radio Theater on the Prescott Arts Beat Podcast. I just subscribed and am downloading as I type- I can't wait to hear it!

(UPDATE: I'm now listening to part 2.. and I can officially say it's great now- because it really is! Listen! Now! )
(UPDATE #2: Just finished part 3. Oh all you Canadians.... if you want to know what a few Arizonans think of your funny-factor... teeheeeee.....
Great interview Andrew!)

Have fun this weekend Prescottians! (yeah I just made that up).

First Pickle Tales Submissions Available

OK, I'm late. Voting ended at noon yesterday. Whoops. Sorry about that, but I'm only now just listening to the stories so I haven't voted either! I would still suggest subscribing to the feed, or listening through the Pickle Tales Podcast page, because these are really some great stories! Here's a list:

Current Contestants:

"The Pawn" by Mark Butler
"Vagabond" by Phil Rossi, of Filling the Page
"Rat Combat" by Dan of Long and Prosper
"Lincoln, As I Recall" by Laurence Simon of 100 word stories
"Sell Me A Story" by Tony Mast of the Fanboy Smackdown Podcast
"Going Under and Losing His Underwear" by Curt Brandao of the Digital Slob Podcast


Coming November 13th, Round 1B (November 13th):
"Greensleeves" by Sonny Swinheart, of J-Talk
"Distinctive" by Michael Spence, of Brother Osric's Scriptorium
"The Practical Joke" by Robert "The Keeme" Keeme of the Keemecast
"The Book" by Manata of Squirrelbait
"Simple Ivan" by Dennis, Kimberly and Zephyr Goza of the Activated Storytellers
"The Helpful Dead" by William L. Ross of Smart Bomb Radio

Too plug or not to plug?

I feel a little weird doing this, cause really I'm not plugging MY show per-se, but all the awesome shows and people who called in on election day to tell me their voting stories. It was really pretty cool, and I linked to EVERYONE! You can also hear my story of how I took Tee Morris on a guilt trip he'll never forget- because I hold grudges! ;-)

Anyway, for those who haven't seen it/heard it, this is my little show. :-)

Willamette goes Lovecraft-y!

And the award for the lamest subject line on a blog goes to-
(and that is why I'm the blogger, NOT the writer.)

There's a new free download over at the WRW website:

The OUTSIDER by HP Lovecraft has been adapted by Joe Medina and Voiced by Sam A. Mowry. The chilling tale of the supernatural by the master of the form. Mowry and Medina, of Willamette Radio Workshop and Afterhell, have co produced a spoken word audio theater mix that brings out the essence of Lovecraft while adding the production values of their award winning Audio Dramas. We hope you enjoy our story, originally broadcast on KBOO 90.7 fm in Portland, Oregon and now shared for free down load from the Willamette Radio Workshop's website.

When Willamette and Ollin collaborate, you know you've got audio gold. :-)

Planet Retcon Enters the Society

Welcome to the newest members of the Sonic Society, Planet Retcon, bringing you their audio sit-com, The Stargate Cafe.

We also hear an awesome segment from Dream Realm Enterprises about Audio Cinema production, and some chick known as the Podcast Princess tries to explain the basics of podcast-listening.

(Note to Jerry Robbins: you should listen to it! I was thinking of you when I put it together! LOL!) ;-)

And as always, they continue with their Dr. Floyd antics! Another great show, if I do say so myself...

Another Awesome SFF Review

Though this time my ego cannot take credit for it.... ;-)

(Sorry for being so brief-- preparing for my LIVE election coverage this evening- EEK!)

Go check out the review!