Space Casey

Here it is Christmas time once again. Hard to believe yet another year has gone by. Also looking over what has been posted on the site, its hard to believe we have neglected to talk about Christiana Ellis' newest work Space Casey.

She's so far has released 5 episodes of the short run series. The basic premise is what happens when a con artist takes a space ship from someone who actually is an alien?

Very funny, and as far as I've heard very original.

New Home for Icy Cold Goodness!

It has been a couple months since the change, but in case anyone might have missed it, The Icebox Radio Theater has a new online home, courtesy of those most excellent of podcast hosts, Libsyn! IBRT posts a new episode every couple of weeks, give or take, and they've got some of the coolest and most eclectic original audio drama (and comedy, and mystery) out there.

IBRT Artistic Director Jeffrey Adams has also included a new feature in every show, "Audio Geek's Corner," which offers a behind the scenes look at how the shows are produced, as well as advice on many aspects of producing audio theater, from finding scripts to "sweetening" sound effects.

Anyone who enjoys audio storytelling or wants to know more about how it's done will find the IBRT podcast well worth a listen.

Gifts for the Audio Cinema lover(s) on your list!

Frederick over at Radio Drama Revival! compiled a great list of audio cinema you can purchase for the audio addicts in your life! Great stuff, make sure you hit the subject link and check it out!

A couple of additions:

*Colonial Radio Theatre (productions for all ages!)
*Also, don't forget that most of these sites offer merchandise- go get that audio cinema fan a T-shirt or mug from their favorite productions!

Did you grab your NaPodPoMo badge yet?

Talk about catching up-- a week the month has been over and I just now got around to putting the badge up on my site! Those of you who participated, you can click the topic link above to go and grab your badge to proudly display on your website(s).

Congrats! It was a good month. I personally discovered some great things about my own show and how I want to bring future shows to listeners, I hope you all did too!

Colonial Radio's Next Big Thing- Zorro!

Jerry Robbins just amazes me. As soon as Colonial Radio Theatre comes off one production, he just seems to take a quick breath, and dives right into the next big endeavor. Captain Blood, Dandelion Wine, Something Wicked This Way Comes...I'm not even scratching the surface of all the Colonial productions out there. What's up next? Zorro! From the Colonial blog:

"...Colonial has teamed with producer John Gertz to bring ZORRO to the world of audio drama! Mr. Gertz owns the copyright to Zorro (which was aquired by his father in 1940 from Zorro's actual creator,Johnston McCulley), and he was co-producer on the recent motion pictures with Antonio Banderas. The book I am dramatizing for audio is ZORRO AND THE PIRATRE RAIDERS, and let me tell you - this is going to be one exciting story! I am finishing up the script now, and I hope to start production in January for a Springtime release. The show is being produced in episode form for radio, and will be released as a 2 CD set for retail."

By now you all should know the high quality productions of Colonial Radio, and this will be no different I'm sure. I'm excited for this- get me on a pre-order list!

If you happen to be in Prescott, AZ Saturday...

These are pretty funny- I had to share them! Wish I could make it up there this weekend... but I was just up there last weekend camping, and the rain and flash flood warnings spooked me. I'm still recuperating!

But if you happen to be that way, I hear it's a great live show to check out! Someday I'll get my caboose up there for dinner and a show...

One of the First, Still one of the Best

Hello everyone, and thank you to Dani for the invitation to become a regular contributor! I hope I can be of help, pointing out various and sundry audio goodness I've turned up on the Web.

I thought I might start with a podcast that's been out there from the very early days of the form, Digital Flotsam. P.W. Fenton is a classic storyteller; listening to his show is more than a little like listening to your favorite uncles swapping stories after dinner.

"Digital Flotsam" has won no less than three Podcast Peer Awards, so I know I'm not the only podcaster who thinks the show is well worth the time. The content is great, and the production values are flawless. The current episode is a reading of a classic Christmas poem, an online continuation of a cherished holiday tradition -- and a perfect place for new listeners to start.

Well, hello there!

I know, I know. It's been a few weeks. This is what happens when you take on challenges. I've been participating in NaPodPoMo this month- and posting a podcast every single day. Now, when you throw in company for almost two weeks, and a holiday, things get sticky. I'm certainly not proud of the audio quality in a few of these days, but I am very proud that I've been able to post a show daily. I do wish they would have broken away from November though. I mean, the writers and the bloggers and the video bloggers all do this in November. Podcasters should have stood out from the rest!

Anyway, because of that, as you might have noticed, this place has been rather neglected. I do apologize! Though, it's not the only reason. Things just keep happening to me on my end, and I become more and more thinly spread. Now a semi-regular gig with my local newspaper is once again keeping me from letting the addict out to play. I've also got some new family obligations as well, keeping me away from the internets in general. Funny how life can change direction at the drop of a hat, eh?

I even tried to bring in another contributer- but darn him! As soon as he agreed what does he do? Find a job! The nerve!!! (hahaha!)

So, I am still looking for contributors, as I know for sure there is no way I can keep this up all by my lonesome. There is WAY too much audio goodness in the universe for one mere addict to blog about alone. E-mail is there in the right margin, drop me a note if you're interested.

I just received the 90-day expiration notice for theaudioaddicts.com domain name. I figure if I can't get this place hopping in three months time, then I guess it's time to close another chapter in Dani's internet life. Which will make me very sad indeed. This blog has come a long way since Summer of '05 (as has its owner), but something's gotta give somewhere, I suppose.

Cheers friends! I will try and get some new happenings in here soon, I promise!

~Dani

Online Marketing Rising- Could Be Good News For Podcasters

From EMarketer:

The numbers are soaring.

Choose an adjective: Epochal. Momentous. Historic. Whatever the label, US online advertising spending is entering a new era.

eMarketer projects that US online advertising will more than double as a percentage of total media, rising from only a 6% share of total media in 2006, to slightly more than a 12% share in 2010.

In roughly the same period, online spending will nearly triple, rising from $16.9 billion in 2006 to $42 billion in 2011.

According to David Hallerman, eMarketer Senior Analyst and author of the new report US Advertising Spending, these four milestones mark the change:

“First, US Internet ad spending surpassed $5 billion in Q2 2007, the largest sum recorded in any quarter according to research from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers.”

eMarketer projections suggest that, in Q4 this year, spending will leap past the $6 billion mark.

“Second, while 69 of the 100 largest US advertisers put smaller budget shares into four traditional media—television, radio, newspapers and magazines—in 2006 than the previous year, 70 of the same group put larger shares into Internet advertising.”

Furthermore, 58 did both—decreased their traditional spending share and increased the Internet share.

“Third, even as the credit crunch pulls ad money off the total media table, the Internet looks to be more resistant to economic turmoil,” says Mr. Hallerman. “To put the obvious into figures, online advertising contributes more and more to the total ad spending universe every year.”

That share will be 7.4% this year, approach one in ten dollars next year, and will likely reach at least 13% by the end of 2011.

Finally, Mr. Hallerman notes, “Data from both eMarketer and TNS Media Intelligence indicate that 2007 Internet ad spending will be higher than for radio, as reported in August. That is the first time online ad spending will be greater than for any of the four traditional measured media.”

The average ad spend per Internet user is also growing. In fact, 2007 marks the first year that marketers will spend more than $100 to reach each person online. And, by 2011, advertisers will be spending nearly $200 per user.

To see further into the future of ad spending, peer into a copy of the new eMarketer report, US Advertising Spending, today.

Feed Your Addiction

Audio Addict seeking Audio Junkie. Match made in heaven!
Great site I stumbled on with all sorts of audio-tech goodies that will have you salivating so much you are sure to short out your keyboard.
They even have an rss feed, so you are never too far away from a hit- you junkie you!

http://www.audiojunkies.com/

National Audio Theatre Festivals' 2008 Annual Script Contest

Sorry for the late posting, but if you have a script that you can get in the mail, to be postmarked by the 15th of November, you might be interested in entering this contest.

There is a $25.00, contest entry fee. Check out their site at: http://www.natf.org/script2008_rules.html

The Cheesy Goodness of Schlock Audio is Back!

How I've missed the cheese! I'm very happy to report that our friends at Schlock Audio Theatre are back and better than ever! They have teamed up with the marvelous production stylings of Texas Radio Theatre, and their first production is now available!

Robot Monster
"Earth has been invaded by diving helmet wearing, gorilla-suited aliens hell bent on universal domination! Humanity is but one family away from extinction! This is an exciting episode that CANT BE MISSED! HURRY! Put your audio goggles on and tune in as an epic battle rages, bubbles are blown, and the fate of our world is decided, ALL IN ASTOUNDING TECHNICOLOR 3-D STEREO!!!!"

Head over to the all-new Schlock website and download away! Welcome back to the audio cinema world- we've missed you!

Podcast Peer Nominations Are Open

The Winter '08 nominations for the Podcast Peer Awards are now open! All new categories this time, and that includes an Audio Drama one! (You won't be able to see the link unless you are registered, and you can find out how to do that by clicking here.)

There are all ready six audio dramas that have been nominated:

* Mustache Rangers
* Buffy Between The Lines
* The Red Panda
* Firefly: Old Wounds
* Children of the Gods
* Wonder Woman: Champion of Themyscira

There are plenty of other categories to nominate shows in as well- so have fun browsing, voting, and adding your own nominations! There is a lot of time for nominating, now through February 2nd! However, I'd get nominating in now, and then get voting! The top five of all the nominations make it to the finals.

Good luck, and spread the word to all your fellow podcasting peers!

This one time.. at PodcampAZ

Podcamp AZ? Wow. Wow. WOW. Is it next year yet? Because I can't wait for next year's Podcamp AZ!

Seriously friends, I now know what it's like to be in on the sessions that I can't afford to go to at the New Media Expo, and it was great! Discussing podcasting and new media all day long, meeting up with old friends again. Seeing ALL the new faces right here in my state who either are podcasting, or are interested- that blew me away!

(All links below are to the session-leader's websites.)

First session for me was how to be a social puddle-jumper. Which, if you look at the side there, I'm well on my way. I was also given reason to take another look at Facebook, which I've pretty much hated since I first joined it. I still prefer Myspace, but might go browsing around Facebook a bit more and check out more of the applications.

Next was a great session about determining the length of your podcast- which turned into a great discussion. I love that with podcasting you have the freedom to have a show be 10 minutes or an hour and a half. Even the same show!

Lunch was a good time, at least with the company and the performances. The food was so-so. They could have charged $5 instead of $8.50 I think. The music was really good though, but they didn't have the audience I think they could have, because it was flipping HOT. It just shouldn't still be so hot in November, even for Arizona.

The next session was on cross-promoting your podcast, which I definitely learned a lot in. Alot of targeting your audience and seeing if anyone else (like radio) would even be interested in airing your show. It made me wonder how many audio dramas would actually have people interested in giving them air time. You just don't see that anymore.

Final session was on the community and New Media. I was mostly there to support the session leader, but it's true- community support is the biggest driver of your show and where it goes.

Really good and informative day!

The facility itself, that was impressive all on its own- the perfect place for an event such as this. I do hope that next year they might consider an extra day, or even just an half day. My only regret was that I couldn't attend half the sessions I wanted to because of 5 or 6 being in a group. One of the rules of podcamp are you can leave and wander, but I didn't want to miss anything in the sessions I was in! If they added an extra afternoon or day, they could have less sessions in a track, and we can attend more!

Check out how neat the event was!
Photos tagged "podcampaz"

I highly suggest if you have any interest at all in podcasting, vid-casting, or any social media in general, that you check for a podcamp near you! It's beyond inspiring!

Podcamp AZ Has Arrived!

I'm very excited for today is the first annual Podcamp in Arizona! There are 127 people signed up for the event- I find this very impressive for the first one! I can't wait to meet up with the ones I know, and meet even more social media geeks too! Here are the session for the day:

Opening General Session - 9am
(Chris Brogan to stream welcome message)

Series I - 10:15am - 11: 15am

Podcasting for Profit - Fred Casteneda
'Streaming Live Video - Taking your community to the next level: 'Nicole & Marc Spagnuolo
Audio Podcasting Basics - Kathy Jacobs
ROI of Social Media - Steven Groves
Show in a Box - Cheryl Colan
Social Networking: Being a social puddle jumper - Clintus_McGintus

Series II - 11:30am - 12: 30pm

'From Commentors to Contributors - Building Rabid Fans'- Evo Terra
Developing ideas and content for a weekly show - Douglas Welch
Podcasting & Education - Panel discussion; Alan A. Lew (facilitator), Susan F. Heywood and Laura Carscaddon
The Idea that is Web 2.0 - Victor Johnson
Determining the right length for your podcast - Aaron Bates, Cj Feierabend
Destination Media - Justine Ezarik & Jason Waldrip

Lunch/Outdoor Show - 12:30pm - 2pm

Series III - 2:15pm - 3:15pm

'Building a Podcast from the Ground Up - Steps to take when starting from scratch': Nicole & Marc Spagnuolo
'Improve Your Online Video' - Israel Hyman
Marketing in 3D Worlds - Connecting the Metaverse and Real Life - Lon Safko & Steven Groves
Beyond Podcasting - How to leverage Cross-Media - Michael R. Mennenga
Why it is Necessary to Build and Maintain an Online Brand and How to do It. - Susan F. Heywood
Ask A Kent - Kent Nichols

Series IV - 3:30pm - 4:30pm

Real Estate and Social Media - Steven Groves
Why Community Matters in the New Media World: Jack Mangan
Video Blogging: Sharing moments with the world - Clintus_McGintus
Podfading - Ken Crockett
PPT/Blog/Screencasting - Kathy Jacobs

4:45 pm - 5:30 pm
Closing Session in Theater

---
As with the Podcast Expo, you can follow along with my day on Twitter. You will also find a live stream all day long at UStream. Think I might just post a recap rather than live blogging this time however.. after the failed experiment from Ontario, CA! :-D

Looks to be an excellent day! Yeesh, I'd better get some sleep!

It's An Audio X-Cursion!

A lot of the "old-school" audio cinema that received play on Sonic Society's awesome first season I'm happy to report are still around and kicking!

One of those groups is Bradley Phoenix's Montage Theatre. Based in New York (yo!), their audio plays vary in length. Some skits are less than a minute. Most are less than 10 minutes. He's written some 30 minute audio plays as well. They also cover several genres, from "Twilight Zone"-type plays, science fiction, Saturday Night Live-type satires, horror, mystery, and drama.

Much to this slightly-political (she says with a giggle) Addict's delight- a grouping of progressive skits and plays! I listened to a few of the shorter ones, and ohhhhhh...... me likey!

Take a listen for yourself!

Playing games with Sonic Cinema

Awesome news from the Sonic Cinema front! Shamelessly cut and pasted:

"Sonic Cinema Productions has just announced a partnership with Dave MacLean and Ben Macwilliam who are creating an amazing new online game called Neoastra.

SCP will provide the audio drama portion of this game, using their stable of actors and production techniques to add a full resonant sound quality. Neoastra promises to be a really exciting experience that will be available for everyone to play in the next year!"

Sounds like a fun deal! You can get more information from the Sonic Society website!

Nocturnal and Playing for Keeps

Yesterday both Mur Lafferty and Scott Sigler released the first episodes of their new books.

Mur's book, Playing For Keeps is a "Super Hero's are Real" idea. This is the book she had been trying to get published via an old world publisher, its unfortunate that she wasn't able to find a publisher. However its great that its now being podcasted, with 3 different feeds.

Scott's book, Infection is an interesting twist on his normal works. This book's appears to be more in the line with his older works such as Earthcore, or Ancestor. In the first episode he has reference to his other books, and to books by other authors of podcast novels. He has also created a special Google Maps that will show where all the locations are for the damage takes place in the novel.

I'd recommend getting into both of these, they appear to both be very good works.

Can you post a podcast every day for a month?

Well- someone out there thinks it's possible! Cut/paste right from the site:

"In the spirit of NaNoWriMo, NaVloPoMo, NaBloPoMo we've decided to start NaPodPoMo - National Podcast Post Month.

Beginning November 1st the quest is to podcast everyday (including weekends) for 30 Days. Feel free to be as creative as you want. Any audio format is acceptable. From Jott to Utterz to BlogTalkRadio etc... Use a phone, an iRiver (or comparable) or a good old fashioned microphone. It can last from 1 minute to 1 hour or more. It's entirely up to you. Use whatever tools you have at your disposal. The whole point is to just get your podcast out each and every day for 30 days starting on November 1st.

We're looking to our friends from NaNoWriMo & NaBloPoMo to base our guidelines for NaPodPoMo. So here goes,

Guidelines are:

1. Post a podcast/audio every day from November 1st-30th

2. It doesn't have to be a podcast in the traditional sense. Audio in any format is acceptable (utterz, jott, gcast, etc...)

3. It doesn't have to be pretty. Just get it out there! It's all about the DOING!

4. At the end of 30 days those that completed the NaPodPoMo will receive a nifty badge for their site that says something to the effect of, "NaPodPoMo Success!" In the meantime, please use the site badges to help spread the word about the 1st Ever NaPodPoMo.

And Finally:

5. Most of all Have Fun!"

---
Why not? At first it sounded really exhausting to me, but then I thought about the fact that I'm on the radio 5 days a week, on top of my own podcast. All I need to do is add two extras a week for Saturdays and Sundays.

Oh yah, I'm in. Are you? Even if you're not in- spread the word!

All the details: http://napodpomo.ning.com/

Your audio-related quote for today...

"The enemy of art is the absence of limitations."
~Orson Welles

The first audio promo for a blog ever! (we think!)

I'm very happy to spread the word about the first SFF Audio audio promo for their wonderful website. It was amazingly mixed by Decoder Ring Theatre's Gregg Taylor- and will be a delightful 33-second addition to everyone's radio show or podcast!

So, all you awesome people who I yap on and on about here and never, EVER ask a thing in return (oh yah playing the guilt card I am!) .... I hope you can find room for it! ;-)

Click the sub line or click right HERE to download!

Sonic Society: Halloween episode preview #2

More information is now available in regards to the Halloween episode for Sonic Society. Not only will they be playing Muse, but they will also be breaking into new ground.

A third person, will be on the panel. So not only will you have Jack and Shannon, there will be a special mystery guest. Who is it? Don't know yet, will have to wait till October 30th.

Also expected is the 2nd installment of the Jack and Shannon Show, if you've missed the first episode that they released it on the September 25, 2007 episode. Except for their fan based production of FireFly, this has gotten the most feedback they have ever had.

Season Four of Robotz Begins!

Hooray! I'm so excited- because this season of Dream Realm's Robotz of the Company is probably the best yet! I've so enjoyed hearing how this series has progressed over the last two years- and you need to listen too! Season 4 begins with a Halloweenie treat for you all:

"Night of the Living Gunk! or Gunkenstein!" An experiment aboard the Titan 1 causes gunk to come to life! Will it be the best night of Brisco's life, or will it be the end of the Robotz of the Company?! Tune in to the 4th Season Premiere to find out!

Yes! Do Tune In! Click the sub-line to head to the podcast site, or grab the feed right.... HERE.

Remember too you can also spread the word about Dream Realm and the Botz by kindly playing their promos on your radio show/podcast!

Praise the Company!

A new contributor!

I realized the other day that I'm busy. Not "too much on my plate" busy, but I do have my fingers in a whole lotta pie.

Don't get me wrong- I luuuv pie, but I'm not giving this place the attention it deserves. I get plenty of email with all you awesome audio drama folk asking me to listen to things- and one person just can't do it all. (Honestly, even if this were the only thing I were doing, I still couldn't get to it all- which is awesome!) With the increasing popularity of the blog, however, I decided to see if I could hunt down other audio addicts to give me a hand around here.

I found a sucker- erm, a fellow addict in Chris Moody, who hosts the interview show Podio Media Chat. He's interviewed plenty in the audio/podio world, including audio cinema greats Gregg Taylor, Jack Ward, and just recently Jonathan Patrick Russell!

Welcome Chris- we all look forward to your contributions to the Addict's blog!

If anyone else has an interest in being a contributor, please send an email my way at tsdiva@gmail.com. The pay sucks, but the hours and great and the boss is a REAL push-over. ;-)

Halloween Audio Links

I had intended to have many posts up showing you all the great Halloween fun in the audio cinema universe. I was all prepared to come home from my trip to the middle of the United States and do this for all my fellow addicts...

...and then I caught a (not so) lovely head cold. Which stole another week from me. *sigh*

So, since we are getting awfully close to that wonderful All Hallow's Eve, I decided to give you the condensed version! That way you can still head over and listen to these wonderful productions, and have a few chills creep up your spine in honor of the holiday. Mu-wah-hahahaaaa...

* Radio Drama Revival has an entire line-up of ghoulish delights awaiting your ears.. including Frankenstein: Modern Prometheus, as adapted by Quicksilver Audio Theatre.

* Broken Sea Audio is also celebrating with several Halloween audio happenings, both original as well as some readings from the suspense greats! (Also an awesome banner to get in the spirit of things!)

* The Sonic Society is celebrating with their Halloween show on the 30th with a new production from Sonic Cinema, Muse of Madness.

* Colonial Radio Theatre's adaptation of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes is now available too! I've listened to it (yes the review-writing hasn't exactly been as forthcoming as I'd hoped) and I highly recommend adding this to your repertoire of audio theatre classics! It's one of my favorite stories, as well as one of the first to scare me before my Stephen King fixation began. Colonial, as always, has a unique way of whisking you off to an entirely different place for a couple of hours, and this is no exception. You can get all the ordering details at their website!

* Ollin Production's Afterhell series is always available, and especially fits this time of year too!

UPDATE: Icebox Radio Theatre is podcasting their Halloween production from last year, "The Bats".

I am sure I have missed a few here and there. But if you click on any of the radio drama links on the sidebar, I am sure you will find many more Halloween-happenings. If you're not on the list- let me know!

Do you hear the Siren's Song?

I'm extra-excited about this audio play from Dream Realm Enterprises, Siren Song. Why? Because I helped out a bit in the post-production editing! :-D

It's a great story, the music fits it perfectly and it has just the right amount of scare to warm you on a cool October evening.

"Emergency room medic, Dr Tim Dameron has fairly run of the mill life until he meets a beautiful redhead from Ireland named Fiona who he believes to be disabled, but whom he learns is "differently-abled". It's a suspenseful "fish story" from the scrolls of The Realm Weaver!"

You can hear Siren Song on the latest episode of The Sonic Society. Soon there will be a direct link (to the audio drama only) on Dream Realm's website.

UPDATE: Direct link to Siren Song:
http://www.dregold.net/RealmWeaver/RW2SirenSongWeb.mp3

A Fever Breaks in the Pseudopod

One more small shout-out before I call it a night tonight. (I am actually in Kansas visiting the mother-in-law, so my time zones are all wacky). I recently read a story for the awesome horror-story podcast Pseudopod, and I hope you all will take a listen. Which, if you are subscribed all ready, you will hear without my asking!

For those who do not know, this podcast is a spin-off (if you will) of the ever popular Science-Fiction story podcast Escape Pod.

As much as I absolutely love to read stories, and was tickled to be asked to read, I am also happy to share such a great podcast with you. It's another reason I love to do voice work all over the internet verse- so I can tell you about all the great things that are out there waiting for your ears!

Enjoy- I certainly did! :-)

Subscription feed link: http://feeds.pseudopod.org/Pseudopod

Wrapping Up The Expo

All righty... I have some time now to put some thoughts together. The first few days after the Expo always seem to drag. Many stayed through Sunday night or came home Monday, because of the extra day. I came home Sunday afternoon myself.

Where did I leave off? Day 1 part 1? Heeheeee... yah. I'm still waiting for audio so I'll bring this post back up to the top later and add things for ya. I wanted to share the Women in Podcasting panel I was on, as well as the Political Round Table. The round table is my fault for not having audio ready, since I'm the one in control of the audio. But it should be up soon, I'm planning my next podcast around it. I will update this post when I have the audio.

UPDATE: Audio of the political round table can be found right HERE.
UPDATE 2: Audio of the Women in Podcasting Panel can be found right HERE.

Anyway, the rest of the expo was really nice. I did notice that there did seem to be less people walking around the expo floor. Just didn't seem quite as crowded. I did catch more panels at the LA Podcaster's booth, and the Podango Booth. Which is great if you are not able to afford the tracks the Expo provides. (for a lot of us podcasters, travel and hotel are about all we can do.)

It was also different this year personally, as a podcaster with now 18 months of podcasting under her belt. I actually have listeners, and they knew who I was and recognized my show logo. That was both weird and cool at the same time. I also noticed the importance of swag. People actually do pay attention to buttons and shirts.

But still, overall, the best part always comes back to the other podcasters. Meeting the voices I have been listening to for the past year, and meeting new voices to check out. Re-connecting with those I met last year. Some even remembered my past association with Sonic Society, which I found rather amusing. But hanging out with new and old friends (and in the podcaster world, you really are friends for the most part, with the way so many of us are so open on our shows), still trumps everything for a socialite like me. :-)

This was the last year of the Expo being held in Ontario, CA. Next year will be in Las Vegas. There are absolutely many good points to this move. The Expo is growing- and Vegas is pretty much the convention capital of the US, if not North America. You have a convention in Vegas, it means you want exposure. Can't really do that in a little place like Ontario. Another plus is there are always good deals to Vegas from wherever you might live, so that means more are likely to actually attend next year.

On the down side- there is definitely more distraction. In Ontario if parties become too crowded or stifling, people escape and gather in lobbies or by the pool or wherever- because you have nothing else to do at night but be social with each other. Well, I definitely don't have to tell anyone about the extra distractions Vegas will bring. It could create a disconnect, which would be sad. I'm all about the community. Those planning the Expo will have to work extra-hard to make sure there are enough things planned to keep people from opting for the gambling and heading out to the strip.

Along with the change in venue, they have also changed the name. Again. This time it bothers me a bit more, since they dropped "Podcast", and left it simply as the New Media Expo. I do understand that podcasting fits under the new media blanket. The problem I see, as a podcaster, is with how difficult it has been to get the word out about podcasting, and explain it, to drop it from the title just seems like a step in the wrong direction. Heck, on the way to the airport last week I was explaining to my brother-in-law how you do not need an iPod to listen to a podcast! So, there is still a lot of teaching and awareness to bring to people about this neglected form of media.

So, overall I am still very glad I went, and I will do my darndest to get there next year. It's right at the time school begins here in AZ, so it will take a little more juggling than normal.

I'd love to know what other thoughts are out there from those who attended this year- so please leave a link in the comments to your writings!

Buffy Between The Lines Coming October 6th

The Joss Whedon world is buzzing with anticipation of the very first Buffy The Vampire Slayer fan audio drama! October 6th is when it hits everyone's ears!

It's also the second Joss fan audio drama ever created, beginning with Sonic Cinema's Firefly: Old Wounds audio drama.

Update 1: (Note: Buffy Between The Lines is not affiliated with Sonic Society. There was some confusion about that.)

One of the writers/producers of this fan audio, and extreme Whedon fan girl Tabitha Smith, had this to say about the upcoming release:

"I'm more then a little bit thrilled that this project is coming to our listeners. With 65 cast members, 35 crew members and 12 episodes, it's been a massive undertaking... but now we're finally ready to release our first episode and I couldn't be prouder of our team!"

You can subscribe now, so as not to miss the premiere!

Update 2: I was one of the lucky ducks who received an advanced copy of episode 1, although silly me waited like a week and a half to listen.... bad Dani. I must say though- it is really great! You do need to know the Buffy series to understand what is going on, however. I felt a little lost in that respect.. trying to connect with characters who are all ready established. (There are definitely some DVD rentals in my future, I think.)

The acting was really well done too- no one sounded dry or stale. Wonderful readings. Great sound effects- and the music! They sure scored a big one getting the Beatnik Turtles to write their theme song. You can really tell all the hard work that is going into bringing this audio drama to fan's ears.

The only complaint I have, (and really, it's a small one) is the promos. My personal preference is the beginning and/or the end of a podcast. They have promos all throughout, like commercials. I felt myself reaching for the remote to fast forward! (Yes I am a slave to TiVo.*wink*) I also understand that every show has its style. I don't know for sure, but I bet they were just trying to keep it like a TV show.

So- 7am is the time tomorrow when everyone can get their ears on this, so sync your mp3 players and download Episode 1! I don't think you will be disappointed, I know I wasn't!

Is the FBI Spying on Podcasters?

If you were at the Podcast and New Media Expo this past weekend in Ontario, you probably caught a glimpse of this guy in the "secret service"-type outfit...

read more | digg story

Want to start an audio drama? Got A Minute?

The One Minute How-To is a great podcast that gives a wide-range of tips in 60 seconds. All is fair game, and there are how-tos on everything from making your own wine, to how to use twitter, even how to sit on your bicycle properly.

And now there is... How To Start An Audio Drama!

The Botz Season 4 Is Upon Us!

Fall is the time of year for season premieres, and Dream Realm is no exception in that department. Their flagship series Robotz of the Company is about to begin its 4th season of zanyness!

It will kick off at the end of October with their Halloween special Night of the Living Gunk- and you don't want to miss it!

They also have two promos for ya- so you podcasters and radio folk download these links and spread the bot-word on your shows!

Promo 1:
http://media.libsyn.com/media/audioaddict/ROTCS4Promo.mp3

Promo2:
http://media.libsyn.com/media/audioaddict/ROTCS4Promo02.mp3

Each season keeps getting better and better- so if you've never heard the botz before, click the link, take a listen and catch up! You'll be glad you did. :-)

Experiment Failure...

Well now.. so much for live-ish updates from the Expo, eh? I was definitely busier this weekend than I thought I would be.

So... you all get the post-expo wrap-up, after I am safe (and rested) within the Arizona realm again!

Expo Day 2, Pt.1

Sitting here in the convention center, I have to thank GeekFit Steve's Blackberry for allowing me internet access so I could give you an update on the opening of the Convention!

Had a wonderful breakfast with Podcasting for Dummies author Tee Morris, and got inside information on the presentation he's going to be making on Sunday. Then I went over to the convention center and finally got to meet my dear sweet Joss-fan Tabz! (Tabz if you remember is one of the creators of Buffy Between The Lines, premiering October 6!)

We then hit the expo floor, and ran into many other podcasters. I would link to them all, but I can't remember all of them. I do have a growing collection of business cards, so I will have to come back and link later on.

At noon I headed over to the LA Podcasters booth for the panel on Women in Podcasting. I again need to add names and links later, but it was hosted by Shelly of Shelly's Podcast, and one name a lot of you will recognize on the panel (besides my own, of course!) is Podcast Queen herself Mur Lafferty. It was so great to finally meet the legend- she is awesome! It was a great discussion about how we as women feel we've advanced and grown in podcasting. There should be audio after the expo- I will be sure to give you all a link to it.

So now I sit, and I think I need to go back to the hotel for awhile and rest before the Couplecasters and friends meetup tonight. Before that is the awards ceremony, so I will try to catch some of that as well.

Very good times, and some very good photos being taken all around- I can't wait to share!

Expo Day 1: The Arrival

Oy.. I'm so tired I am going to tell you about my day in timeline form:

12:00pm: Boarded the plane to Ontario, met by fellow podcaster Barely, who is a wonderful contributer to many episodes of my podcast. And I just love his laugh!

1:15: landed in Ontario, only to wait over an hour for a shuttle. Who'dathunk you were supposed to call from the phone in the airport for shuttle service? Not us dorks! Ended up sticking around a bit longer, since by then Aaron of The Big Show had landed.

3:15: Arrive at Marriott. Realized I was sharing a shuttle with Dr. Dave of Shrink Rap Radio. Charles Cadenhead arrived way before us because he was smart enough to call from the airport for a shuttle.

3:40: Chris Moody of Podiomedia Chat calls and says everyone is waiting on me. I go down to lobby and yes, everyone is waiting on me. Walk across the street to catch the tail end of Podcamp SoCal.

4:00: back to Marriott, with Andy and Mignon in tow.

4:15- 11:30: whirwind of podcasters, food, drink, and Tee Morris raspberry-ing me on the neck. Crazy stuff I tell you- CRAZY! Great weather, group of us sat outside later that night and just chatted, and twittered. Jason Tucker and I decided to meet at the hotel gym 7am.

So I guess I'd better rest up. Also have a panel on women in podcasting at noon!

You can instantly see what I'm doing at any point this weekend (for those hardcore voyeur-types) on my Twitter page!

Heading out to the PNME

Yes friends, the time is almost here- and I'm going to do a little more live-blogging now that this year I have my handy-dandy laptop! So stay tuned and this addict will give you as many live updates as she can!

w00t! Mommy taking a vacation, hanging out with audio geeks! :-D

Changes to top 100 on Podcast Pickle

Now we podcasters have to work for our status in the ranks! From PDilly's blog:

"One of the first things we are changing is we will no longer zero out the My Playlist votes (previously called my favorites) twice a year. Once you add a podcast to your playlist, they will remain on your playlist until you remove them.

The Top 100 will be calculated from several different factors. Among them are the My Playlist Picks, The Reviews, Subscriptions, Episodes Played, and the Podcaster Tree . The new system will also take into account how long it has been since a listner has been to PodcastPickle.com. The longer the time since a listeners last visit, the lower their input counts.

We are going to attempt to build an unbiased ranking system of what the top 100 shows are according to our users."

Although it was nice to see rankings based on how many added your cast to their playlist, I can certainly understand the need to have the more unbiased strategy. Too many people can recruit others to merely join the site only to add their show. That isn't really fair to the other podcasts, when you think about it.

It will be interesting to watch how the ratings change, that's for sure.

The Red Panda Returns

It's here! It's here! Season three of The Red Panda is here!!

Well, it's been here for a few days now.. but hey it's there forever now...

"A pyromaniac is preying on the slums and tenement buildings of the city, bringing danger and misery to the lives of the some of its most vunerable citizens. The police are searching in vain for the firebug who holds the city in a grip of terror. But if a certain masked duo is right, there may be more to this arson spree than meets the eye. Can even the Red Panda and The Flying Squirrel withstand the flames of... Brimstone Alley?"

I also noticed there is a Director's Cut of the Season Two ending- complete with a deleted scene- now un-deleted!

"They say the hand is quicker than the eye... but when a baffling jewel robbery proves that someone's hands are quicker than a hundred eyes, the Red Panda is on the case! And when the culprit adds murder to their crimes, the hunt is on in earnest... and it's Rabbit Season!"

Welcome back Red Panda!

Try Going Wireless

Going through a whole bunch of emails I've been neglecting... getting my last posts in before the big Podcast Expo this weekend! I will still be posting, but more of an update thing as this audio addict hangs out with awesome podcast and new media folk from all over the globe!

But first- I shouldn't have sat on THIS email for so long- what a great company!!

----
"As an on-going project, we are uploading on average two plays a month and we pride ourselves on producing new and exciting writing, stuff you haven't heard before from new actors. We are a new company, but we're doing well so far - with a great hit rate - and we're planning to record a whole season of Shakespeare Plays this summer along with other classics to go along with the National Curriculum. We also have some more damn talented comedy writers coming in to record for us very soon."

"We are interested in submissions from actors, writers and anyone who has a love for audio theatre. The Company is also interested in showcasing plays which have already been recorded, providing they are of high quality and enjoyable! But most importantly, we want to spread the word with audio drama fans everywhere!"
----

Click the sub line and take a listen!

New script writing tool for audio cinema writers

Swiped shamelessly from The Sonic Society:

Documentary Film Editor, Radio Play Editor, & Versioning Lead Feature-Rich New Release

September 2007: St. John’s, Canada: Celtx – the first software to integrate the entire media pre-production process – has released a new version (v.0.9.9.5) targeted at improving the user experience for media writers and collaborators.

Celtx now includes two new script editors – a dual column AV editor supporting documentary filmmaking, music videos, advertising, and general AV projects, and an Audio Play editor for standardized radio scripts and podcasts. Also, all script editors now feature Dual Dialogue and reversible, colour-coded Index Cards.

Server side, Celtx sports an innovative new LaTex-powered TypeSet function – for precise industry-standard script formatting. Encryption technology has also been added to protect every upload & download between the desktop and the Celtx server.

New collaboration enhancement tools have also been built into Celtx Web Services. Snapshots are used to track a constantly evolving project, allowing the media creator to revert back to a known state at any time. Automatic Event Notification has also been added to keep project members up-to-the-minute on updates posted by team members.

Celtx also gets a face-lift in 0.9.9.5, with a new Splash Page design to provide direct access to popular script templates, plus a re-designed and re-engineered Project Central project publishing website, to better showcase the work of media creators.


About Celtx
Celtx is the world's first fully integrated software for pre-production and collaboration of film, theatre, radio and AV. It has all the tools media creators need to bring their stories to life – combining intelligent writing and planning tools, storyboarding, and scheduling with internet-friendly technologies. Open source and free to download, Celtx is the most complete media pre-production software program available anywhere, at any cost. Over 100,000 independent media creators in 160 countries create with Celtx.

--
Knowing that Jack Ward was an integral part of Celtx's development, it is definitely worth checking out!

Website: http://www.celtx.com

Creepy Colonial Radio

Oh my favorite time of year is quickly approaching! See, since I live in Arizona, there is no change in the weather to signal a change in seasons.. so I have to rely on what I see in stores and what is playing in movies and tv... and in radio drama!

Colonial Radio Theatre has an extensive list of spooky audio to satisfy during the upcoming "spooky month"... including the premiere of Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" on October 1st! (Look for a review soon!) Other things you will want to check out are:

THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW (2005)
Washington Irving's classic story of the Headless Horseman in the
definitive audio production by CRT. Winner of the Ogle Award for Best
Fantasy Production of 2005. 100 min. Available at Barnes and Noble,
Borders Books, and many, many stores online, including Spoken
Network. Just search "Legend of Sleepy Hollow Colonial Radio" and
there it is!

THE DEVILS BARGAIN (1997)
A classic New England legend…General Jonathan Moulton, hero of the
French and Indian war, makes a bargain with Satan. 30min. Available
at Spoken Network and many audio download sites.

THE STORM BREEDER (1997)
A classic old New England ghost tale…the story of Peter Rugg, the
missing man. 37min. Available at Spoken Network and many audio
download sites.

MINOT'S LIGHT (1996)
Suspenseful tale of a haunted lighthouse in Boston Harbor, one that
has kept sailor and landlubber alike spooked for over an hundred
years. 30min. Available at Spoken Network and many audio download
sites.

DIBBLE'S HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR (2003)
Dibble and the gang perform "The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow," and Jake
discovers a real ghost in the Town Hall Theatre. 55min.

DIBBLE'S HALLOWEEN SHOW (2005)
Dibble and the gang plan on spending Halloween night in the old
Mayham Mansion on Mayham Hill. 27min.


Head over to Colonial's website for all the information on how to get this awesome audio- and tons more info about them as well!

Podcamp- it's not just for the state you live in

I was thinking that I should post this invite here, and extend it out further than the local pimping I've been doing. SO many podcasters and new media types head out to other states for PodCamp. Why not Arizona? It's beautiful in November- a perfect weekend to come out and meet some fellow podcasters!

Click the invitation for more info, and a list of speakers, or go right to the Wiki to sign up!

Science Fiction and Politics

Now see, this is a part of science fiction I can really get into! This was a really neat interview with poltical science professor Courtney Brown. He gives his thoughts about the parallels between science fiction and politics.
Really, it's not such a big jump from fact to fiction, when you think about things such as cloning, stem cell research, or the impacts of global warming.

A very interesting listen!

http://thesciphishow.com/?p=159

Sonic Society Season Three Begins

Well, actually it began a week ago- they are all ready two episodes in! In the premiere of season 3, we heard from:

*Decoder Ring Theatre, in audio-drama form as well as in a round table recorded over the summer,
*a promo for Short Cummings Audio
*and the Gigcast with an episode of their short "Garbage Gnomes"

Episode 2 gets all lathered up, with:

*a soap-opera from Radio Soap
*a promo from Shelly's Podcast (hey I'm going to be on a panel with her at the Podcast Expo!)
*and you can never go wrong with Dr. Floyd!!

Head over and catch up, they also have a new theme song this season as well! If you've *still* never heard of Sonic Society, well, you are forgiven but you must go now and check them out.

Now.

Go.

2007 Parsec Award Winners

Great group of shows- great award! I heard Dragon*Con was awesome, as it usually is. :-)
So.... go and check out the winners!

Best Speculative Fiction Story Short Form: No World for Warriors

Best Speculative Fiction Novella Form: The Arwen

Best Speculative Fiction Novel Form: The Immortals

Best Audio Drama (Short Form): Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd

Best Audio Drama (Long Form): Prometheus Radio Theatre

Best Audio Production: The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd

Best Video Production: Missing Pages

Best Video: Missing Pages

Best Non-Speculative Fiction: Number One with a Bullet

Best Fan Podcast: The Signal

Best Speculative Fiction News: Skepticality

Best Anime: Geek Nights Anime

Best Gaming: Pulp Gamer - Inside Track

Best Graphic Literature Podcast: Comics Radar

Best Infotainment Cast: Pulp Gamer - Out of Character

Best Reality Podcast: Tag in the Seam

Best Tech Podcast: Command Line

Best Writing Related Podcast: I Should Be Writing

A new way to remember the 80's

Well, at least the late 80's. This podcast is definitely one of my all-time favorites to listen to, and not just because it comes from one of the Ollin Production team. Host Jamie Lawson takes you on a journey back in time, covering in a short, 6 or 7 minute show a lesser-known moment from 20 years ago that you might not have remembered. Or, a little different look at something that was all the talk at the time.

Either way, there is no way to tell you how much you are going to love this podcast-- you just need to listen for yourself. Just looking at the show page will show you exactly what the podcast is about.

Play around in the past awhile...

Fellow podcasters- Jamie is also looking to play your promo on the show! You can contact her at 20yearsago AT gmail DOT com.

Radio Drama Revived Over The Transatlantic

September is shaping up to be a great month for listening to audio cinema on Radio Drama Revival, beginning with an interview with Crazy Dog's Roger Gregg! All last month RDR featured The Last Harbinger on the show, so the interview is a fitting end- and beginning!

The rest of September is going to be Dry Smoke and Whispers month, with a three-parter from yet another very innovative audio cinema group.

Click the post-title and get subscribed!

The Bloodbath Continues

Afterhell's amazing podcasting of their latest volume, "Bloodbath at the Giallo Hotel", has continued with all new episodes in their podcast feed.

Yay! This is definitely a must-listen for the horror fiend. (Hey- that's ME!) These sound effects kick ass, people.

Click the post-title to head to the listening link, or go here for iTunes.

Get To Know Byron

"Imagine if the world as you know it... was nothing more than an illusion.
What if creatures like elves, dragons, vampire, zombies and werewolves walk amongst you every day... But you never see them.

This is the world I walk in.
I am called Byron
And these are my chronicles."

A spin-off from Darker Project's hit series "Dark Terrors", meet Byron and hear the stories of his world...

If you want some background, travel this way.

"One of my favorite things I've ever written."

So says Gregg Taylor himself! Find out why!

--------------

"I don't know how long I sat there... reading the name on the door over and over until my scrambled brain could make sense of it... Drake Finn Investigations..."

Detective Drake Finn is like a lot of hard-boiled, down at the mouth kind of private eyes. Except he lives in a dark and dangerous future where who the Ominframe says you are is exactly who you are and always will be. Until an access protocol that can change all of that is put on the table. Then all bets are off... and a tough guy who's just been poured a sparkling glass of brain damage doesn't have half a chance... does he?

Audio Drama in Podcasts

From my post after Podcamp City Online:

"[snip]I was also disappointed that the session by Jack Ward on audio cinema didn't work out. That's unfortunately one of the downsides of an online meetup- you are bound to have technical difficulties. It would have added to balancing out the topics of the day. As well as introducing audio cinema to quite a few people who I think have no idea about the power of this medium as it relates to podcasting.

"Fortunately, it is the same session that was given at this year's Podcasters Across Borders. Since the Canadian Podcast Buffet is posting audio from PAB, there is a good chance Jack's presentation will be added to the feed. I will definitely let you all know when/if it becomes available!"

Well- it's available! Well, it's been up in the feed for 5 days now actually. That shows how often I update iTunes.

Check it out here: http://www.canadianpodcastbuffet.ca/?p=145

UPDATE: And, Jack gave me the link to the Powerpoint presentation that goes along with the audio! Download HERE and follow along!

It's Podcast Award Season!

Sticking with the theme, it seems this time of year is the time of year for all the podcast awards to be given. The previous post was about the Parsec Awards, which will be given out at Dragon*Con. There is another podcast award ceremony that is happening at that particular con, for the Podcast Peer Awards. It's the third installment of the awards, which are given twice a year. The winners of this round have been announced, and there was a great representation of audio drama and podiobooks represented, in several different categories. All nominated and voted on by fellow podcasters. You can see all the finalists and the winners if you click right here.

Also, the annual Podcast Awards finished up their voting and announced all of their winners this year, minus the People's Choice and Best Produced. Those are announced at the Podcast and New Media Expo in September, where the awards ceremony takes place. The numbers were crazy with voting this year, with 1.3 million individual people voting, and each person voted an average of 3 times over the two week period. That's insane! You can see all of the winners at the link here.

With every one of my votes, I made a comment about perhaps expanding to include separate categories for serialized fiction and audio drama. I think the time for their own space is well overdue, their popularity as increased greatly over the past year. That's a good thing!

Congratulations to all the finalists and winners of both of these awards!