In an effort to broaden my audio drama experience, I’ve picked up a few production companies outside of Pendant to listen to. Here are my observations:
1> Pendant is a very writerly production group. By this I mean that a main goal is to show off your writing chops. This is shown by all the long term story arcs and interpersonal conflict in the shows. Also, the writers generally have more authority than the directors, and if a writer insists upon a specific change, it gets done. This isn’t to say this is a BAD thing, it is what it is. As a director, you are told this before you take on a directorial role, so it’s not like it’s a surprise.
2> This is not meant as a slam on Pendant, but audio drama companies that meet up together and rehearse ahead of time and record their lines together, instead of recording them line by line and mixing them later, have a more authentic conversational style. I try as best I can to mimic that when I direct, but it’s not always easy when two people don’t see the scene the same way. With a director in the same room as the actors, you can get around the limitations of recorded lines.
Some recommendations:
Decoder Ring Theater. Home of the Red Panda and Black Jack Justice. Very good stuff.
Afterlives: An interesting story set in a universe of Heavens and Hells, the main characters are all dead and are trying to solve what appears to be an epic mystery in the Afterlives.
Umket Industries Presents The Dixie Stenberg and Brassy Battalion Adventure Theater: Pulp-ish (not quite pure pulp) WWII show. DISCLAIMER: I work with Pendant, who produces this one.