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podcast Red Rhino, and currently
working in LA as the showrunner’s
assistant on Supernatural,
Fitzmartin sat down with me via
Skype to share her views on why
podcasts, and specifically audio
dramas, are growing in popularity.

“| think that it’s one of the
most inclusive communities in
terms of entertainment,” she said.
“The audience already feels niche
enough, so it doesn’t matter how
many queer characters you have,
and in fact, it’s expected. Its a
display of culture being able to
exist on its own and | think that
that’s what’s calling to a lot of
people.”

In particular, millennials are
the ones answering the phone.
The Ulster Media study found that
52 percent of monthly podcast
listeners are aged 18 to 34. While
mediums like television and novels
are still criticized for being decades
too late when it comes to diversity,
audio dramas are cutting-edge.

Fitzmartin also said that
another reason why podcasts have
grown in popularity is because it
requires less know-how to create.

“It’s really accessible,” she
said. “A lot of entertainment isn’t.

If you have a microphone and an

idea, you can go ahead and make
ae

What is exciting for those
wanting to create their own
podcasts is that the field is still
primarily untouched by large
production studios. Similar to
YouTube, the indusiry is still
dominated by people who are
recording and uploading content
at home or in small studios—but
what makes it different is that the
content is often catered towards an
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budget production line is exactly
what Fitzmartin said makes audio
dramas stand out.

“| love telling stories in any
medium because each medium
has so much it can bring to the
table in terms of an emotional
space,” she said, “I think that
the thing about audio dramas—
which can be translated to
television and I’m really excited
for that to happen—is that it’s so
intimate. When you're utilizing
your imagination that way, you’re
making abstract thoughts concrete.
So there’s this interesting
combination, which is why I’ve
loved them since | was a kid.”

Fitzmartin’s first introduction to
audio storytelling happened when

she first listened to Adventures in
Odyssey, an Evangelical Christian
radio drama.

“It was such an interesting
introduction into radio drama
because | wasn’t allowed to
watch television, but we could
listen in the car to this audio
drama.” she said. “I grew up from
a very religious background, and
Christian media is not well-known
for being well made. Going back
now and listening to it as an
adult, it is still some of the best
storytelling I’ve ever heard.”

Before this semester, |
never really thought about how
podcasting changes the game
for people who want to create
stories. | Know that one day this
too will probably change when big
production studios start to trickle
in, but as of right now, the audio
drama community is relatively
small compared to other genres.
Namely, both in Canada and the
US, comedy was the reigning
champion of the podcast world this
year.

Not only do | think that’s
really exciting for people who
are delusional enough—myself
included in this—to go into fields
like writing or acting, but its

  
 
    

 

exciting for the general audience
too. As with any relatively new
medium, people will need to push
the boundaries in order to see
what works, and that’s what makes
for good entertainment.

For anyone wanting to start
their own first podcast, Fitzmartin
gave two snippets of advice. The
first is to try and meet with an
audio engineer before you start
recording, and the second is more
focused on writing for audio.

“It is not anybody's fault, but as
soon as people read your words,
it sounds terrible,” she said. “It’s
not the actors’ fault, they’re doing
an amazing job, and it’s not you—
it’s just weird. It literally doesn’t
sound like the English language
anymore.”

Over the past decade and a
half, podcasting has truly spread
to the masses. This format has
enabled a whole generation to
have their voices heard in a way
that wouldn't necessarily have
been possible in other forms.

As for me, it’s given me some
hope that I'll be able to create a
story that people will listen to—
and that’s why I'll stick with that
podcasting course next semester.