Libsyn has stopped supporting their WordPress plugin which allowed us to post and publish episodes with their player embedded on the page. Since they are no longer updating the plugin, it no longer works, and the player has disappeared from all of our episode posts.

We are actively working on a solution — although manually re-embedding the player on each page is likely involved so it may take a little time. However if you’re here, and wanting to check out our audio drama serials, you can find them on various podcast platforms online. Choose any of these, subscribe if you like what you hear, and in the meantime we will be working to fix things here as soon as we can.

Thank you for your patience!

The post Website Technical Issues: Synesthesia Theatre Episodes appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Work continues on Burning Brigid’s next project, Wayfarer. For those of you who aren’t aware, Wayfarer is a work of augmented reality audio interactive fiction planned for mobile devices. Players will listen to part of a story, make a choice, and occasionally be directed to travel — in the real world — to new locations to continue.

That last part is what’s really exciting about the project. Wayfarer adventures are set in real world locations. For those who are local, playing the game involves physically traveling from scene to scene — say, in Chicago, walking from the Field Museum to the Shedd Aquarium. For players who are not so located, they can instead walk a comparable distance, tracked by the app.

When they’ve arrived at the new scene location — or traveled far enough — they can listen to the next part of the story, make a new choice, and continue on.

As you can imagine this is an involved project on both the writing and game development fronts. We’re currently producing a proof-of-concept demo that will be freely available, and are planning to do some fundraising to raise the money necessary to produce longer stories, including hiring professional voice actors and graphic artists.

I’ll be doing most of the coding myself. I’m no stranger to software development but mobile is a new arena for me, so I’ve been taking some Android development courses over the past several months. I’ve also got a special guest appearance at the Chicago Steampunk Exposition coming up in September, so much of my efforts have gone towards finishing up the seventh Galvanic Century novel so I can launch it at the con.

Kat has been handling the design elements of the app, and we have shown some of our preliminary layout sketches to our supporters on Patreon. We’ll be tapping them to help us test Wayfarer when it’s at that stage, so if you’re interested in giving it a try pre-release consider signing up and supporting us.

The post Progress Notes: Wayfarer, the game appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Thank you so much for sticking with us through a very low-output 2018. Our financial difficulties have only continued through the year — Kat did manage to find a well-paying freelance gig that lasted a while, but it did not turn into full time work as expected. As such we have not been able to fund much in terms of production. No new audio drama releases, no podcast episodes, and very little in the way of updates… without being able to work on anything Burning Brigid related, we simply haven’t had much to say, and we’d rather not flood our mailing list and blog with low-content chatter.

Work is progressing on Wayfarer — it’s content-complete, but I’ve been working on my Android Development skills to get the GPS tracking functional while the app is in the background — vital to how the game is supposed to work.

Here’s what to expect in 2019

As soon as I’ve got the Android Dev skills understood, we’re going to run a quick Kickstarter to fund Wayfarer’s digital art, to give it a nice title screen. If funding goes well, we’ll replace the current “placeholder” art as a stretch goal, but the Kickstarter will be the project’s entire budget.

I’m also planning to release short fiction filling in the backstory and mythology of the Wayfarer setting. Free to our Patrons, possibly as Kickstarter rewards or stretch goals, maybe released as a paperback collection.

And that’s it. Our coffers are empty. We can afford to keep the hosting for Synesthesia Theatre alive for now, but that’s as far as our pocket money allows.

For anything else, we need more funding. If we had the resources, we’d pursue:

• Another full-cast season of Synesthesia Theatre.
• A YouTube web series.
• Faster Wayfarer development by outsourcing some of the development

That’s really the only argument I’ll make for supporting our Patreon. We’re poor creative professionals. We just don’t have the budget for anything more, and our podcast releases have been free entertainment.

If you like what we do, our mission, and want to see more from us, consider a small pledge. $1 a month, $5, whatever you can afford. Whatever won’t be missed. It gives us life.

The post Grooving Into 2019 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Part audio drama, part interactive adventure, part fitness app, in Wayfarer players will play on their phones while traveling in the real world. The game is presented audibly, with professionally voice-acted dialog and carefully constructed soundscapes produced in a manner similar to the stories presented in the Synesthesia Theatre podcast, with one major difference — input from the player determines the direction the story will go, in the form of multiple-choice selections.

Excuse the placeholder art.

Rambling On

Another twist: To travel in the game, you have to walk in real life. Wayfarer uses your phone’s GPS to track your position and calculate distance traveled, so if your character decides to head somewhere a quarter mile distant, the player has to walk a quarter mile to get there. Ultimately the plan is to allow for a highly localized mode — Explorer Mode — in which players who live in the setting city physically go to the landmarks indicated to continue the story — if you’re looking for clues at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago or the Louvre in Paris, you need to travel to the Shedd or the Louvre.

Players who don’t happen to live in the setting city can still play in Wander Mode, traveling the equivalent distance from one landmark to another to simulate the journey. The point is to get people out, to get people walking.

Of course, GPS has its limits, and its accuracy is limited by your device’s hardware. It doesn’t work as well indoors or around a lot of tall buildings. Pinpoint accuracy isn’t the goal, a reasonable facsimile is.

The demo we’re working on lacks an Explorer Mode, but should be otherwise a feature-complete, if short, adventure. The story and dialog are written, but we need to finish recording the audio lines, and replace the placeholder stock photos with something nicer.

Getting Involved

Interested in what you see? We’re going to need beta-testers soon, after the audio is complete, and after that, we’ll need funding to commission art to replace our placeholder images. If you want to help out, the best way is through our Patreon — it’s at present the only income Burning Brigid Media has. We don’t sell add space in our podcasts or charge for them in any way, so if you like what we do, support our mission, or want to be one of our beta testers, it’s the best way to go about that.

If you just want a heads’ up when we’re done, you can instead sign up for the Burning Brigid Media mailing list. Select “Project News” to get an announcement of the Wayfarer release; we also have a separate list for casting calls if you’d like to audition for roles with us in the future.

The post Work in Progress: Wayfarer appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Next, the other news…

You may have noticed that we’ve been pretty quiet for the past several months. This is because we are undergoing a personal financial crisis, and are currently at risk of becoming homeless.

Back in April, Kat lost her last remaining freelance client, which was her only source of income. Prior to that, both of us were laid off from our day jobs and have been freelancing and under-employed for about a decade. We turned to freelancing both as an immediate solution to the problem of trying to make ends meet during the depths of the Great Recession, and to allow us the flexibility to create our art — no reason to put the art on hold while waiting for the job market to turn around. But for us, the economy never really “recovered,” and we were among the many who no one talks about that fell out of the middle class and were left behind. We’ve had work contracts cut short, and job offers rescinded. We scraped by on a combined income of less than $30,000 per year… then less than $25,000… and now in the last two years, temp work has suddenly dried up, and we’ve been solidly below the poverty line. In the meantime, expenses keep rising: our rent is now more than half our income, food prices keep rising while our SNAP benefits get cut, health issues develop and grow due to poor Medicaid coverage and sheer unrelenting stress. Kat managed to stretch $8000 of savings for nearly 10 years; but that’s coming to an end.

When we started Burning Brigid Media, we had hoped that it would grow faster than it has in the last three years. We had hoped that a combination of fan support of our art and freelancing would be enough to both cover the expenses involved in making our art, and allow us to survive, so we’d have time for both. As it is, it costs more than $600 a year just to keep the legal corporation open and compliant with the law, not counting production expenses. It will cost that much to dissolve the corporation, too. We would need, at a bare minimum, $3000 per month to cover both living expenses and self-employment income taxes. We’ve come to a point where we won’t survive without at least one full-time, corporate job — so that job search, along with poor health, is what’s been occupying us since April.

At this moment, we can’t tell you what this will mean for Synesthesia Theatre. We have a month’s worth of money left so all of our energy has been focused on that. If we survive the immediate crisis, we will have substantially less time to devote to the production of new seasons. We will do whatever we can to keep going. We hope you will continue to have faith in us. If you have enjoyed listening to Synesthesia Theatre, please consider supporting us on Patreon. We’re going to try to be back as soon as we can.

Support Us

If you happen to hear of any job leads — downtown Chicago or remote, digital design/email marketing for Kat, or writing/copywriting/story consulting for Michael — we’d appreciate that kind of support too. Just shoot us an email.

Thank you for your support,
Kat & Michael

The post The Parsec Awards, and where we’ve been appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

We could use a boost to our publicity, and the Chicago Reader’s “Best of Chicago” nominations are now open. The Reader’s “Best of Chicago” is an annual special issue of the paper, profiling the “Best of” in various categories, as voted on by their readership. We would really appreciate it if you would nominate Synesthesia Theatre for Best Podcast. Multiple nominations are necessary as only the top four make it to the next round of voting! Nominations close May 19 at noon CT. You do NOT need to live in Chicago to vote. You can nominate us at burningbrigid.com/vote.

Please note: ad blockers must be turned off for the voting widget to work, and you will need to submit and verify your email address to vote. Select City Life> Best Podcast> and type in “Synesthesia Theatre” as the Nomination Name, along with your email address in the email field. You do not need to submit any other information or sign up for their mailing lists.

Vote for Synesthesia Theatre!

Thanks for your support!

The post Nominate Synesthesia Theatre as Best Podcast in Chicago! appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Network Protocol

The family you choose can get you killed.

Spring has come to Chicago, and Erica has adapted well enough to the future to settle into a peaceful routine. She fills out applications, goes on job interviews, avoids people, and tries to adjust by watching the decade of television that she’s missed. The less she leaves her apartment, the less confusing 2026 seems, and Kate — the ruthlessly competent inner voice that’s kept her safe — has been silent since the mastermind behind the attempts on her life was arrested.

Still, social isolation isn’t all its chalked up to be. Erica’s lack of a support network becomes increasingly problematic as the gang that runs her Block gets swept up into a citywide gang-war, and narrowed eyes increasingly see her as an outsider in their midst. Can she open up enough to find acceptance?

Network Protocol, the sequel to Cold Reboot, is now available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, iBooks, and Kobo. For the last week of April ebook copies of both it and Cold Reboot will be on sale for 99 cents, and the paperback is $15.

The post Network Protocol, sequel to Cold Reboot appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Take a Drink When

• Danny Rand drops a nugget of pop-eastern philosophy.
• Danny’s actions contradict his words or his stated pop philosophy.
• Danny acts in a socially inappropriate manner.
  • Drink double when reactions to Danny’s inappropriate behavior are exceptionally mild relative to the level of his offense.
• Danny Rand asserts authority from a place of ignorance on any topic, like business or adult relationships.
  • Drink double for mansplaining, whitesplaining, etc.
• Child abuse is portrayed or explained away as a growth experience, not trauma.
• Every time you become annoyed at Danny’s inconsistent and unexplored PTSD.
• You sympathize with the people who have to deal with Danny Rand.
  • Drink double when you sympathize with his current antagonist.
• You have no sympathy for rich people problems.
• Supporting characters are way more interesting than the “hero.”
• The elements of a given scene — dialog, action, visuals, and music — clash unappealingly.
• The pacing slows to the point that you realize you’ve forgotten what you’re watching.
• Arrow did it better.
• Colleen Wing is underused or forced into fulfilling a cliched trope to further Danny’s story arc.
• Finn Jones chews the scenery, or rapid cuts substitute for his ability to fight.

Finish Your Drink When

• It first occurs to you that Finn Jones and Jessica Henwick should have been cast for each other’s roles.
• Every time you realize a plot point has been dropped with no resolution. (e.g. why did Danny return to New York?)
• The fact that the showrunner wrote for Dexter and Six Feet Under makes you cry.
• You have to pause watching to rant about it, either online or in real life.

The post Marvel’s Iron Fist Drinking Game appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

The outtakes reel for Synesthesia Theatre season two, Cold Reboot, is now available exclusively to our supporters on Patreon.

Want to hear more?

  Become a Patron  

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The post Cold Reboot Outtakes: teaser appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

You have probably seen America’s new proposed federal budget for 2018 in the news over the last few days. Wherein budget director Mick Mulvaney asserts that programs like school lunches and Meals on Wheels don’t show any “results.” Because, apparently, being fed and the improved nutrition that comes from consuming enough food in a day to meet one’s physical needs instead of going hungry is not a “result.” There are actually other metrics that show results too, but I remain boggled that achieving the goal that the program sets out to to — namely to feed people who would otherwise go hungry — is not result enough.

Then there’s arts funding. Art which is forever demonized as something we “don’t need” even though a person literally cannot walk through their home without encountering it: someone designed your furniture, after all, and your clothes, and the box your breakfast cereal came in; and are your walls bare, or do you have art prints, photos, decorations, and mirrors up? Art which is claimed to have no value even as we stream it by the hours to our computers, stereos, and TVs; and collectively pay billions per year to go to the movies, concerts, live theatre, and art festivals.

But man, those artists sure want a lot of money for their labors, right? Let’s break that down. Each American currently pays:

• $1.37 per year on public television
• 46¢ per year on the National Endowment for the Arts
• another 46¢ per year on the National Endowment for the Humanities
• bonus stat: $1.48 per year on the Office of Violence Against Women

On the other hand, our military budget is currently $598 billion per year, almost as much as the next fourteen countries put together. This works out to roughly $1835 per American per year. This does not, by the way, include the GOP’s proposed military budget increase in 2018. So throw in another couple hundred bucks for that… a couple hundred bucks which could fund these programs individually for more than a hundred years.

But don’t ask single moms or coal miners to pay that buck and change per year for PBS for their kids. That’s a lot to ask of the poor folk when all they get in return is the direct benefit of easy access to educational and cultural programming. Two grand for a military that already dwarfs the rest of the first and second world is much more compassionate. (If the idea that coal miners and single moms can’t appreciate the benefits of art, culture, and education isn’t classist as all get out, I don’t what is.)

The post The GOP’s proposed new budget vs. arts and humanitarian spending appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

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Meet the cast of Cold Reboot as we discuss the production and behind-the-scenes. In this episode: Amanda Meyer, Kathryn Palmer, Kat O’Connor, and Michael Coorlim.

Show Notes Episode 11

Cold Reboot was adapted from the novel by Michael Coorlim. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Associate Producer is Bill Bullock.

Synesthesia Theatre is only possible due to support from listeners like you. Want to help us make Season 3 a reality? Support us on Patreon:

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Our cast’s upcoming projects:

Amanda Meyer

• Fundraiser March 15: Bottom Shelf Theatre: Reasons Why We Drink benefiting Fury Theatre. It’s a fun night of drinking, food, and terrible short plays. Should be fun, and all are welcome and invited!
• Jonah Winston in Parade at the Writers Theatre
• AmandaLynnMeyer.com

Kathryn Palmer

• AdHer.info
• March 5: Beer Yoga

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes, and tell your friends. It keeps us high in the rankings so more listeners can find us.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2017. All rights reserved.

The post 024: Cold Reboot, ep 11, behind-the-scenes appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

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Meet the cast of Cold Reboot as we discuss the production and behind-the-scenes. In this episode: Chanda Davetas, Ruth Kaufman, C.J. Julianus, Kat O’Connor, and Michael Coorlim.

Show Notes Episode 10

Cold Reboot was adapted from the novel by Michael Coorlim. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Associate Producer is Bill Bullock.

Synesthesia Theatre is only possible due to support from listeners like you. Want to help us make Season 3 a reality? Support us on Patreon:

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Our cast’s upcoming projects:

Chanda Davetas

• ChandaDavetas.com

Ruth Kaufman

• Heavens to Betsy
• Redemption Way
• Batteries Plus ad
• RuthTalks.com
• RuthKaufman.com
• What would Bernie Sanders Do podcast

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes, and tell your friends. It keeps us high in the rankings so more listeners can find us.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2017. All rights reserved.

The post 023: Cold Reboot, ep 10, behind-the-scenes appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

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Erica confronts Georgia for answers about her forgotten past in this heart-pounding conclusion to the Synesthesia Theatre production of Cold Reboot.

Show Notes Episode 9

Cold Reboot was adapted from the novel by Michael Coorlim. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Associate Producer is Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Erica Crawford, played by Kat O’Connor
Security Guard, played by Jennifer Lenius
Georgia Matthews, played by Chanda Davetas
Reporter, played by Susan Victoria Thomas
Scott Morris, played by Bill Bullock

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes, and tell your friends. It keeps us high in the rankings so more listeners can find us.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 022: Cold Reboot, ep 9 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

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Erica and Kate decide to work together to get back at Dae for all that trouble he’s caused them. The scamp!

Show Notes Episode 8

Cold Reboot was adapted from the novel by Michael Coorlim. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Associate Producer is Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Erica Crawford, played by Kat O’Connor
Veer, played by Tommy Malouf
Waitress, played by Jennifer Lenius
Yeong Dae, played by Archy Jamjun
Metra Announcer, played by Bill Bullock
Dozing Man, played by Peyton Brown

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes, and tell your friends. It keeps us high in the rankings so more listeners can find us.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 021: Cold Reboot, ep 8 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

If you’re a fan of ours and an attending or supporting member, and you feel like nominating one of our projects, here’s what’s eligible:

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken
The audio-drama, not the book. We produced and released it between January and July 2016. The entire serial is eligible as a Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) nomination.

Cold Reboot
The novel our season 2 is based on, not the audio-drama. Sadly, the Cold Reboot audio drama’s final part was not released in 2016, but it will be eligible next year. Instead, the novel, published in February 2016, is eligible for a Best Novel nomination.

So there you have it. We’d be thrilled just to be nominated — it would help us reach a lot of new potential fans. If you have the ability, time, and inclination to nominate our works, we’d appreciate it.

Learn more about the Hugo Awards.

The post 2017 Hugo Award Eligibility appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

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Erica turns the tables on her secret “admirers,” and comes closer to learning a valuable lesson.

Show Notes Episode 7

Cold Reboot was adapted from the novel by Michael Coorlim. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Associate Producer is Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Zehra, played by Susan Victoria Thomas
Erica Crawford, played by Kat O’Connor
Yosef, played by Vincent Truman
Danny, played by Sean Daniel Francis
Punga, played by Bill Bullock

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes, and tell your friends. It keeps us high in the rankings so more listeners can find us.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 020: Cold Reboot, ep 7 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

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Erica and Ruamano concoct a wacky plan that’s so crazy that it just might work.

Show Notes Episode 6

Cold Reboot was adapted from the novel by Michael Coorlim. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Associate Producer is Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Ruamano, played by Kathryn Palmer
Erica Crawford, played by Kat O’Connor
Punga, played by Bill Bullock
Grandfather, played by C.J. Julianus
ChicagoNet AI, played by Ruth Kaufman
Dr. Kozlow, played by Sean Daniel Francis

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes, and tell your friends. It keeps us high in the rankings so more listeners can find us.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 019: Cold Reboot, ep 6 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

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Erica nabs a follow-up interview that promises to solve all of her problems! Unfortunately it doesn’t go quite as expected.

Show Notes Episode 5

Cold Reboot was adapted from the novel by Michael Coorlim. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Associate Producer is Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Ruben, played by C.J. Julianus
Erica Crawford, played by Kat O’Connor
Adam’s Rib AI, played by David Collins-Rivera
Adam’s Rib Manager, played by Joyce Porter
Chris, played by Jennifer Lenius
Nurse Carol, played by Amanda Meyer
EMS Dispatch, played by Susan Victoria Thomas
Dale, played by Bill Bullock
Ruamano, played by Kathryn Palmer
Punga, played by Bill Bullock

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes, and tell your friends. It keeps us high in the rankings so more listeners can find us.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 018: Cold Reboot, ep 5 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

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Erica drifts through the world in a daze, desperately grasping for someone or something to help pull her from dissociated confusion.

Show Notes Episode 4

Cold Reboot was adapted from the novel by Michael Coorlim. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Associate Producer is Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Nurse Carol, played by Amanda Meyer
Erica Crawford, played by Kat O’Connor
Detective Mitchem, played by Peyton Brown
Taxi AI, played by Bill Bullock
Ruamano, played by Kathryn Palmer
Mrs. Karaiti, played by Joyce Porter
Scott Morris, played by Bill Bullock
Enzo’s AI, played by Vincent Truman
ChicagoNet AI, played by Ruth Kaufman
Hospital AI, played by Kathryn Palmer
June Collins, played by Jennifer Lenius
Yeong Dae, played by Archy Jamjun

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes, and tell your friends. It keeps us high in the rankings so more listeners can find us.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 017: Cold Reboot, ep 4 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

In the novel, the reader indulges in Erica’s experiential reality of the future through her senses, and what feelings those sensations evoke within her. We ride along, inside her head, and know the setting primarily through her fictive lens. While the audio drama does employ a device in the recordings Erica makes as part of her therapy, this is second-hand. We’re not experiencing what Erica feels, we’re hearing her describe it.

Instead, the strength of audio drama is what we hear. The soundscape gives us our taste of the future.

Visuals

But in creating the future, in deciding what Erica experiences, in what the listener experiences, the creators of the work have to be able to fully visualize what the setting is like. The tepid coffee. The stale polluted air. The gentle hum of surveillance drones hovering just out of sight. And, of course, augmented reality.

This plays the biggest part in our future — the extra layer of technologically granted sensory input. The in-your-face internet you can never really get away from. When I was originally writing the books, I based the future’s invasive information glut based on current trends and future speculation. Information overload is common to the cyberpunk genre, but in the case of Cold Reboot we’re not dealing with Virtual Reality, but Augmented Reality.

I guessed. You don’t have to.

While working on the next evolution of Cold Reboot‘s story, an upcoming simulation game where players try to get by in a situation similar to Erica’s, I came across two videos by filmmaker Keiichi Matsuda that are eerily close to what I’d envisioned the future is like. Check them out:

HYPER-REALITY from Keiichi Matsuda on Vimeo.

Augmented (hyper)Reality: Domestic Robocop from Keiichi Matsuda on Vimeo.

A lot of this… specifically the marketing applications, the reliance on tools, and the drabness of the world when the pictures are taken away… ring very true to me. I can’t wait to see the next short film in the series.

The post The Visuals of Cold Reboot appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

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It’s blasts from the past as Erica reconnects with Georgia and Baxter, remnants from her previous life. Her date with her ex takes a strange turn when an unexpected stranger barrels into her life.

Show Notes Episode 3

Cold Reboot was adapted from the novel by Michael Coorlim. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Associate Producer is Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Erica Crawford, played by Kat O’Connor
ChicagoNet AI, played be Ruth Kaufman
Baxter Collins, played by Sean Daniel Francis
Yeong Dae, played by Archy Jamjun
Georgia Matthews, played by Chanda Davetas
Lonnie, played by Sean Daniel Francis
FBI Agent, played by Susan Victoria Thomas
Waitress, played by Jennifer Lenius
Bartender, played by Joyce Porter

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes, and tell your friends. It keeps us high in the rankings so more listeners can find us.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 016: Cold Reboot, ep 3 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Bill Bullock has been performing all over Chicago and beyond for over four years. Bill’s brand of comedy revolves around raucous, confessional, and personal (sometimes very personal) storytelling. Mix that with a neurotic self-awareness and an extremely opinionated wit, and you have a comic who can appeal to all types of audiences. He has performed in nearly every room of note in the Chicagoland area, including Arguments & Grievances, Entertaining Julia, The Bronzeville Comedy Showcase with NPR’s Brian Babylon, The Nerd Comedy Festival at Stage 773, and Zanies Rosemont. He has been accepted into Gilda’s Laugh Fest in Grand Rapids, MI, The Chicago Nerd Comedy Festival, headlined the Drop Comedy Club in South Bend, IN, and most recently was selected to host at the Comedy Club on State in Madison, WI for the recording of Comedian Shane Mauss’ newest hour special.

In addition to this, he is an experienced show producer and host. He is currently co-producer and co-host of two wildly popular showcases in Chicago’s hip Logan Square, and the host of one in Wicker Park.

Congrats on Your Success (now in its third year) is a rollicking standup showcase, packing huge audiences into a tiny local bookstore. Chicagoist called it “Logan Square’s favorite comedy showcase.” And the Chicago Reader called it “the original comedy-show-in-an-unexpected-location.”

He is also one of the minds behind the episodic variety show Cole’s Chicago Cabaret, which finished its first run in November, and entered its second season in February. This late-night style showcase features standup comedy, plus variety acts like operatic singers, mentalists, and rapping-violinists. Chicagoist said it aims to be like “The Ed Sullivan Show but with more glam and poignant filth.”

Bill is also a featured performer in ACTUAL MURDERERS, a new sketch comedy team backed by the minds behind Chicago Underground Comedy (ChUC).

In 2015 Bill was named Best Comedian in Logan Square by LoganSquarist.com

If you need him, he’ll be at the bar.

The post Meet the Cast: Bill Bullock appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Sean Francis is a stage, voice, and small-screen actor with over ten years of experience in his craft. Most recently, he can be heard in Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken, a previous Burning Brigid Media production, as well as in the radio drama, “Tales from the Tower: Heavy Heart,” which he wrote for Travis Vengroff’s Liberty universe.

When not pursuing his passions on the stage or behind the microphone, Sean works in education and volunteers at a school for low-income families on Chicago’s West Side.

The post Meet the Cast: Sean Daniel Francis appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Archy Jamjun is a storyteller and writer from Chicago.  He has worked with The Moth as well as many of the great storytelling shows across the city, and you can find some of his stories on YouTube.  His writing has been published by The Coachella Review in their 2016 summer fiction edition.  He will be featured at “Flick Lit: Reel to Real Storytelling for Movie Lovers” at The Music Box Theater on November 15th.

The post Meet the Cast: Archy Jamjun appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Amanda is a Chicagoland actor who has dabbled in many areas of performance, including voiceover, stage, and film. She was previously “heard” in Synesthesia Theatre’s last audio drama, Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken, as the voice of Florence Bartleby. Recent credits include her Chicago directing debut with El Words at Fury Theatre’s Short Attention Span Theatre V: Kill Instinct short play festival, and as the role of Eleanor and others in The Curse On Mordrake House, at the 2016 Chicago Fringe Festival. Amanda was previously a company member with Dream Theatre Company from 2013-2016 and recently became an Artistic Associate with Fury Theatre, assisting with their marketing efforts. Up next, Amanda is focused on planning her wedding in May and taking care of her new puppy, Watson. To keep up with the latest, check out amandalynnmeyer.com.

The post Meet the Cast: Amanda Meyer appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Chanda Davetas, recently transplanted from the stages of Green Bay, has found herself immersed in the varied opportunities of Chicago. Recent endeavors include the just-wrapped indie film Path of Egress, soon-to-be released hysterical webseries Community Theatre, online advertisements for Sohail Real Estate and Momkus McKluskey LLC, and more short films than she cares to remember. Her greatest compliment is that everyone thinks she’s playing herself, whether it be man-eating diva Lexie in Dixie Swim Club, meddling Jewish mother Miriam in Beau Jest, or conniving journalist Daria Chase in The Game’s Afoot. She will next be seen as Dukes Frederick and Senior in Odd’s Bodkins production of As You Like It at Corn Theatre every Saturday and Sunday in November.

The post Meet the Cast: Chanda Davetas appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

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It’s capitalism to the rescue as Erica uses her assistance credits to do some shopping in anticipation of her upcoming interview. Unfortunately her unabashed consumption brings her into direct conflict with her new neighbors.

Show Notes Episode 2

Cold Reboot was adapted from the novel by Michael Coorlim. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Associate Producer is Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Erica Crawford, played by Kat O’Connor
Georgia Matthews, played by Chanda Davetas
ChicagoNet AI, played be Ruth Kaufman
Ruamano, played by Kathryn Palmer
Makayla, played by Kathryn Palmer
Veer, played by Tommy Malouf
Punga, played by Bill Bullock
Ray, played by Vincent Truman
CTA Announcer, played by Bill Bullock

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes, and tell your friends. It keeps us high in the rankings so more listeners can find us.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 015: Cold Reboot, ep 2 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Tommy is a Chicago native.  He has worked with various regional theatre companies like Steep, Lifeline Theatre, Jackalope, and the Metropolis Performing Art Center.  He is an actor-musician whose is honored Burning Brigid Media has included him in his first voiceover acting piece.

The post Meet the Cast: Tommy Malouf appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Joyce Porter returns to Synesthesia Theatre from her prior turn as “Diane” in Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken. Her previous voice work includes several commercials and industrials, and two audiobooks. Most recently she voiced a computer in a short film. She has acted in over 50 films and 40 plays. Earlier this year she played a psychic in My Haunted House on the Lifetime Movie Channel. She holds an M.A. in theater from Northwestern University and has spent many years as a professor teaching theater, film, humanities and speech.

The post Meet the Cast: Joyce Porter appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Jennifer is a Chicago actress both on stage & on screen. Cold Reboot is her first audio drama appearance. She received her Associate in Arts Degree from Harper College & was a recipient of the Mary Jo Willis Theatre Scholarship. Favorite performances there include: “The Heiress” (Catherine), “RENT” (Mimi), and “The Diary of Anne Frank” (Anne). She was last seen in Surging Films & Theatrics all-female military play “Decision Height” (Virginia) and Up & Coming Theatre’s musical production of “Heathers” over the summer. A couple years ago she began discovering the world of film, and has since acted in over 20 different productions including a role on Chicago P.D. earlier this year. She currently stars as Delia Deaderson in The Deadersons, a YouTube web series filmed in Rockford, and most recently wrapped filming a faith-based comedy feature film “Heavens to Betsy.” She can also be seen working for Premier Princess Parties, performing as popular princesses for children’s birthday parties & special events!

Find her on Instagram @jenniferlenius.

The post Meet the Cast: Jennifer Lenius appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

700+ nominations have been tabulated, and voting is now open for the 2016 Audio Verse Awards. We are incredibly pleased that our hard-working cast and crew have gotten this recognition. And we would love your support in seeing us through the next steps! Voting is open to the public, and the first round of voting has begun, and closes at 11:59pm PDT on November 6. During this time YOU have a chance to make your voice heard. If you thought Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken was exceptional in any of the categories below, then let the internet know and vote at audioverseawards.net!

Vote for Our Cast & Crew!

Please read the voting instructions carefully, and be aware that since there are many categories to vote for, and you must vote in every category, voting will take around 30 minutes. If you’d like to review nominees in categories we’re not up for, you can check out their master list of nominations, or their nominee showcase, both with links to the shows.

We were nominated in these categories:

• Best Original Composition in a Long form, Large Cast Production:
  Synesthesia Theatre theme music
• Best Original Anthology/Variety Show:
  Synesthesia Theatre
• Best New Original, Long Form, Large Cast, Ongoing Production:
  Synesthesia Theatre
• Best Audio Engineering of an Original, Ongoing, Long Form Production:
  Kat O’Connor, Michael Coorlim, and Bill Bullock for Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken
• Best Writing of an Original, Long Form, Large Cast, Ongoing Production:
  Michael Coorlim for Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken
• Best Original, Long Form, Large Cast, Ongoing, Dramatic Production:
  Iron Horses Cant be Broken
• Best Actress in an Original Ensemble Role for a Long Form Production:
  Amanda Meyer, as Florence Bartleby
  Kat O’Connor, as Sarah Bartleby
• Best Actress in an Original Leading Role for a Long Form Production:
  Deborah Craft, as Iron Horse
  Song Marshall, as Aldora Fiske
• Best Actor in an Original Ensemble Role for a Long Form Production:
  Bill Bullock, as Parker
  Doug Schuetz, as Luther Koning
  Sean Francis, as Chester
• Best Actor in an Original Leading Role for a Long Form, Large Cast Production:
  C.J. Julianus, as Governor Robert Koning
  James Sparling, as Alton Bartleby

Whew, that’s a lot!

Five finalists in each category will move on to the Finals based on the number of votes they receive, and the last round of voting will also be open to the public for a final two weeks. There are lots of nominees for the first round, so competition will be stiff. As always, you can also support us by telling your friends about us, about Iron Horses and Synesthesia Theatre, and about the voting periods for the Audio Verse Awards. We think it would be great for our cast and crew to get some well-deserved recognition. Thank you!

Support Our Co-Artists with Your Vote

The post Voting is Now Open for the 2016 Audio Verse Awards! appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Vincent Truman is a Chicago playwright, composer, author, filmmaker and actor. His plays include “The Observatory,” which was heralded as one of the top 10 independent shows of 2011, as well as “Venus Envy,” “Killing Angela,” and “Featherstone.” Books include the short-story compendium “Ugly Bungalow,” and the cartoon collection, “This Is My First Time So Please Be Brutal.” Truman is the third of two children and currently lives in Chicago with his pet peeves.

The post Meet the Cast: Vincent Truman appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Ruth Kaufman has had roles in numerous independent feature and short films, web series and national and local TV commercials. She has narrated hundreds of voiceover projects, including medical and technical e-learning courses, and has performed at improv venues including the ComedySportz Theatre and iO. Ruth is also a humorous storyteller and author of four novels. Learn more at www.ruthtalks.com.

The post Meet the Cast: Ruth Kaufman appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Susan Thomas is a Chicago actor and voice over artist  who’s worked with Steep, Underscore and MPAACT theatres. She’s trained at Second City’s musical and improv conservatories, IO, Annoyance, Greenshirt, Greenroom and Vagabond Schools. She most recently appeared in a short film “By Yourself.” Follow her at SusanVictoriaThomas.com.

The post Meet the Cast: Susan Thomas appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

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The future is a cold place when you have no past.

Marketing exec Erica Crawford lost hers when a coma robbed her of all memory of the last ten years, and not even the FBI knows what she’s been up to. Now she wanders the streets of 2025 Chicago, trying to get by on a meager allowance of government assistance credits, without friends, funds, or a work history within the last decade.

Increased automation and a depressed economy have put a lot of people in her situation – but how many of the urban poor are stalked by assassins sent by a past they can’t remember? How many of them have to rely on strange skills and muscle memory to survive? Between the drone filled skies up above, and the rumbling of the El trains down below, Erica’s only hope is to adapt to the streets of a world where technoshock can be as deadly as a hit-man’s pistol.

Show Notes Episode 1

Cold Reboot was adapted from the novel by Michael Coorlim. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Associate Producer is Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Scott Morris, played by Bill Bullock
Erica Crawford, played by Kat O’Connor
Taxi AI, played by Bill Bullock
ChicagoNet AI, played be Ruth Kaufman
Harry, played by Peyton Brown
Judith, played by Susan Victoria Thomas
Georgia Matthews, played by Chanda Davetas
Baxter Collins, played by Sean Daniel Francis

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.
Additional music by Joe Mason.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes, and tell your friends. It keeps us high in the rankings so more listeners can find us.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 014: Cold Reboot, ep 1 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

When not toiling to achieve the best in bad acting, C.J. spends his time advising the shadow government as to how best perpetuate the human race in the coming post-apocalyptic world. When he emerges from the government’s fortified Appalachian bunkers, he devises potential cures for Chikungunya, attempts the incomprehensible task of reconciling art & commerce, completes the New York Times crossword, hunts game fish in the azure waters of the Caribbean, teaches the best practices of wealth creation to folks around the country, and takes time to press wild flowers, all while juggling pesky calls from various world superpowers.

He played the villain of Synesthesia Theatre’s Iron Horse Can’t be Broken, much to the chagrin of listeners near and far. Having cut his acting chops (also referred to as scenery chewing and/or script mangling to those in the know) in Deathtrap as Sidney Bruhl, Misery as Paul Sheldon, South Pacific as Luther Billis, Arsenic and Old Lace as Mortimer Brewster, and The Devil and Daniel Webster as Mr. Scratch (typecast as Satan himself), C.J.’s “talent” has undoubtedly plumbed new, uncharted depths in this radio serial.

With his “acting” an obviously painful experience for everyone, C.J. redirects his petulant energy to directing theatrical productions and corporate video. Hard as it may be to believe, he has directed many well-received shows, including The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, End Days, Den of Thieves, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Dangerous Liaisons, Animal Farm, Hellcab, Escanaba in Da Moonlight, A Flea in Her Ear, Escanaba in Love, God of Carnage, and the world premiere of the epic musical, Zenobia, also written by his saintly wife, Lorrisa Julianus.

With a perfect face for voice-over work, you may recognize his baritone warble from shilling products on television and radio.

The post Meet the Cast: C.J. Julianus appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

David Collins-Rivera has been involved in audio drama for several years. He is a regular on Slipgate Nine’s amazing science fiction police procedural, “Edict Zero: FIS,” and was a cast member of the late, lamented “This Thing Of Ours” — an audio drama about the Italian Mafia in 1970’s NYC. He also has his own audio sitcom, called “Eddie K,” about the bumbling misadventures of a crude B-circuit lounge singer.

He is excited to work with Burning Brigid Media on Cold Reboot:

“Cold Reboot” explores intriguing themes about disconnection and disorientation — not just with changing technology, but with our own past. Plot elements aside, who among us has never looked around at some point, and wondered how we got here; how it is that what we’ve done, or has been done to us, has brought this exact place or experience into our lives? It’s an intriguing thought, and “Cold Reboot” allows for a very literal approach to the question.

BBM is breaking new ground, and helping to fill gaps in a shifting cultural landscape.  Women, LGBTQ voices, and POC are all underserved by modern media. These are people with compelling stories and challenging points-of-view, and no art or artform can survive without change, growth, and confrontation. If anything, I’ve been mostly a piece of traditional media and entertainment in America (especially in theater), playing roles that others have already explored, and helping to tell stories that many people simply don’t feel connected to. I’d like that to change, not just for myself, but for everyone.

The post Meet the Cast: David Collins-Rivera appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Every detail about Joe Mason comes out quirky. He can’t even put on a shirt without it being brightly colored or embroidered. It’s probably to be expected from someone who hosts Shameless Karaoke part time, plays theremin in the White City Rippers, sings in the punk rock a cappella Blue Ribbon Glee Club and writes blogs for steampunkchicago.com.

The post Meet the Crew: Joe Mason appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

We are incredibly pleased that our hard-working cast and crew have gotten this recognition. And we would love your support in seeing us through the next steps! Voting is open to the public, and the first round of voting begins on October 1st, and continues for two weeks. During this time YOU have a chance to make your voice heard. If you thought Iron Horses was exceptional in any of the categories below, then let the internet know and vote!

Vote for Our Cast & Crew!

We were nominated in these categories:

• Best Music (Synesthesia Theatre theme music)
• Best Sound Engineering
• Best Writing
• Best Actress: Amanda Meyer for Florence Bartleby; Deborah Craft for Iron Horse; Kat O’Connor for Sarah Bartleby; Song Marshall for Aldora Fiske
• Best Actor: Bill Bullock for Parker; C.J. Julianus for Governor Robert Koning; Doug Schuetz for Luther Koning; James Sparling for Alton Bartleby; Sean Francis for Chester
• Best Production: Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken

Five finalists in each category will move on to the Finals based on the number of votes they receive, and the last round of voting will also be open to the public for a final two weeks. There are lots of nominees for the first round, so competition will be stiff. As always, you can also support us by telling your friends about us, about Iron Horses and Synesthesia Theatre, and about the voting periods for the Audio Verse Awards. We think it would be great for our cast and crew to get some well-deserved recognition.

The post “Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken” Nominated for Multiple Audio Verse Awards appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Show your support for Synesthesia Theatre! Nominate our team members for the Audio Verse Awards here:
http://www.audioverseawards.net/site/nominate/

Our Team

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken wouldn’t have been possible without these talented artists:

Written by: Michael Coorlim

Audio engineering: Kat O’Connor, Michael Coorlim, and Bill Bullock

Synesthesia Theatre theme music composed by: Stav Drieman

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken cast:
Iron Horse: Deborah Craft
Alton Bartleby: James Sparling
Robert Koning: C.J. Julianus
Aldora Fiske: Song Marshall
Florence Bartleby: Amanda Meyer
Parker: Bill Bullock
Luther Koning: Doug Schuetz
Sarah Bartleby: Kat O’Connor
Brother Schubert: Caleb Probst
Clive Stone, Mr. Riley: Vincent Truman
Diane: Joyce Porter
Chester, The Pekwin: Sean Francis
Bright Rabbit: Adriana Klisch
Father Dalton: Collins Yearwood

You can also support us by rating and reviewing on iTunes or anywhere else you found us. Reviews and ratings improve our rankings, which helps new listeners to find us. Thank you so much for your support!

The post Synesthesia Theatre Announcement: Audio Verse Awards appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Cold Reboot is a cyberpunk thriller audiodrama, and the second season from Burning Brigid Media’s Synesthesia Theatre podcast. Set in Chicago in 2025, it tells the story of a woman who can’t remember the past decade trying to put her life together in a world of mass unemployment, rampant automation, and cold cold shoulders. Can she succeed, or will the assassins pursuing her end her problems, once and for all?

NSFW: Explicit Language

The post Synesthesia Theatre Season Two: Cold Reboot Teaser appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Here are the highlights:

• The Iron Horses Can’t be Broken Gag Reel has been released for our patrons on Patreon dot com
• Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken has wrapped up. If you want to follow the characters further, you are welcome to check out the other Galvanic Century books and audiobooks written by Michael Coorlim.
• Season 2, Cold Reboot is finishing up post-production and will begin in one month. It is not related to Iron Horses, but is a cyberpunk thriller. It stars many of the same actors.
• You can help us defer the costs of production and get cool swag by donating to Synesthesia Theatre’s Patreon. It’s the best and simplest way to support us.

Thanks for listening!

The post Synesthesia Theatre Announcement appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

The good news is that we’ll be releasing Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken’s gag reel as an exclusive for our Patreon supporters. This is a half-hour of chatter, flubbed lines, tangents, and outtakes giving insight into the actors, our production process, and the shenanigans we get up to on set.

Season Break

Now, the bad news.

As you know, Burning Brigid Media doesn’t generate an income sufficient to pay for itself yet. All production costs are coming out Kat’s and my pockets, and our pockets aren’t very deep. I’m an author and Kat does freelance work on the side, so she ends up having to take work when it’s available and is pretty much continuously searching for the next gig. This searching-working-searching cycle is time-consuming and unpredictable; and this year has been slow, so she’s had to allot increasing amounts of time for it. This cuts into the time we have to work on Synesthesia Theatre’s post-processing.

While Cold Reboot’s recording is done, there’s still a bit of editing and mastering to go, and I still need to mix most of the sound effects. We’d initially hoped to start releasing after the IHCBB cast interviews, but it looks now as if we’ll be delayed, about a month if things go well.

Yeah, we don’t like it either.

Want to help? Donate to Synesthesia Theatre’s Patreon. Doesn’t take much. If every one of our hundreds of listeners donated a minimal $1 per episode (that’s $2 per month), we’d not only be able to cover all of our production costs, but we could invest in better equipment and sound libraries, improving the overall quality of our shows. We could also devote more time to Synesthesia Theatre, reducing the need for hiatuses. In return you get a bunch of cool exclusives, like early episode access, Google Hangouts with us, and the b-reel blooper audio.

Support Synesthesia Theatre & Get Cool Stuff!

Plus, we’ll never have to take on ads. Which would be nice. (And we really will be your best friend!)

The post Gag Reel and Hiatus News appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Meet the cast of Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken as we discuss the production and behind-the-scenes. In this episode: James Sparling, Doug Schuetz, and Sean Francis.

Show Notes Episode 13

Synesthesia Theatre is produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Audio technicians were Kat O’Connor and Bill Bullock.

Our cast’s upcoming projects:

James Sparling

• As You Like It in the Parks: Saturdays and Sundays in July and August
  Dates/Locations/Details: midsommerflight.com
• Understudying Mike Nussbaum in
  Bakersfield Mist: produced by Timeline Theatre
  At Stage 773: 1225 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
  September through October
• Annie Warbucks at Theatre at the Center
  Munster, Illinois
  November/December 2016

Sean Francis

• Wii U-Logies

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 013: Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken, ep 13, behind-the-scenes appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Meet the cast of Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken as we discuss the production and behind-the-scenes. In this episode: Amanda Meyer, Joyce Porter, Song Marshall, Deborah Craft, Bill Bullock, Kat O’Connor, and Michael Coorlim.

Show Notes Episode 12

Synesthesia Theatre is produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Audio technicians were Kat O’Connor and Bill Bullock.

Our cast’s upcoming projects:

Bill Bullock

• billbullockisacomedian.com
• Congrats on Your Success
• Cole’s Chicago Cabaret
• It’s Happening!

Amanda Meyer

• amandalynnmeyer.com
• Chicago Fringe Festival
• Curse on Mordrake House (at Chicago Fringe)
• Fury Theatre: Short Attention Span Festival

Joyce Porter

• joyceporter.com
• Joyce on Facebook
• Joyce on IMDB
• Bachelor’s Grove
• Great Loop Cruising: Two on a Trawler
• The Funny Honey

Deborah Craft

• deborah-craft.com
• DebCam
• Drinking Dames
• Space Happens
• Fake Geek Girl Productions

Song Marshall

• Song on Facebook
• The Owen Society

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 012: Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken, ep 12, behind-the-scenes appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

The new challenge for this serial comes from the script itself. No spoilers, but one of our performers had to, in essence, play two characters, who frequently speak to each other. This means recording each side of the conversation separately, using a line reader while recording to assist with veracity, so the performer had someone to respond to. Now I am stitching both halves together in editing, making sure that it sounds like both characters are responding to each other — trimming the line reader out, and replacing his voice with the appropriate performance.

It takes a bit of massaging, first editing the individual performances, then splicing them together. Each character on a different track, considering timing (are they interrupting each other? pausing to consider what the other said?), and making sure that the take I choose for each individual phrase fits best with what each character is responding to.

And at the same time there’s a bit of magic happening, taking these disparate parts, merging them together, transforming them into something that lives and feels true. The magic of post-production is how each layer — editing, mastering, sound design and effects — adds something that elevates what came before into something more real and true.

Anything about our post-production process you are curious about? Feel free to ask in the comments.

The post Cold Reboot post-production: #AmEditing appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

The post Michael Coorlim interviewed at RSP Podcast appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

The sins of the past come bubbling up in this, the exciting conclusion to Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken.

Show Notes Episode 11

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken was written by Michael Coorlim, adapted from his novel of the same title. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Audio technicians were Kat O’Connor and Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Sarah Bartleby, played by Kat O’Connor
Lhadakwe, played by Deborah Craft
Robert Koning, played by CJ Julianus
Aldora Fiske, played by Song Marshall
Alton Bartleby, played by James Sparling
Clive, played by Vincent Truman
Florence Bartleby, played by Amanda Meyer

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.
Additional music by Kevin MacLeod, at Incompetech.com. Used under a Creative Commons attribution 3.0 license. Titles: Chase; Trio for Piano, Cello, and Clarinet; Crowd Hammer; Rumination.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 011: Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken, ep 11 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

When we finished producing Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken we told ourselves that next time, we’d produce something with fewer actors. Trying to get sometimes six or seven actors around a single mic in a single scene proved problematic.

So what did we do when producing our next season? Add more actors, naturally!

I made a fair effort in the writing of the script. The serial focuses on Erica, the protagonist, to the point of including many solo scenes featuring the character talking to herself. However, there are a lot of secondary characters. While we never had more than two or three actors on mic at a single time, we still ended up having to work with almost a dozen schedules, and that makes coordinating time to record difficult.

We had a few things going for us this time around.

We weren’t recording in the living room

Iron Horses was recorded entirely in our own apartment, but this time our audio guy, actor-comedian Bill Bullock, arranged for us an actual studio space. While we had to tote our gear further than the living room, audio baffling let us finish our recordings without interruptions from leaf-blowers, sirens, or beeping trucks.

The Benefit of Experience

And, of course, we were able to apply the lessons learned during the production of Iron Horses to Cold Reboot. We knew what to expect, and we were able to plan more effectively. All together, it only took us three days to record every episode.

A touch of Bronchitis

Of course, both Kat and myself were hit with a severe bout of bronchitis. We were fortunate in that it hit me a week before we started recording, so that I was weak but no longer contagious, and it hit Kat immediately after we finished. This did delay how soon we were able to get started on post-production, but we managed to get everything without infecting our entire cast.

Eternal gratitude to our actors and for the generous people at Cards Against Humanity for allowing us access to their recording studio.

The post Wrapping Production on Cold Reboot appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Koning and his men approach the underground city of Cibola. Are Iron Horse and Alton Bartleby ready for them?

Show Notes Episode 10

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken was written by Michael Coorlim, adapted from his novel of the same title. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Audio technicians were Kat O’Connor and Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Lhadakwe, played by Deborah Craft
Aldora Fiske, played by Song Marshall
Alton Bartleby, played by James Sparling
Sarah Bartleby, played by Kat O’Connor
Robert Koning, played by CJ Julianus
Clive, played by Vincent Truman
Florence Bartleby, played by Amanda Meyer

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.
Additional music by Kevin MacLeod, at Incompetech.com. Used under a Creative Commons attribution 3.0 license. Titles: To the Ends; Shamanistic; Plans in Motion; Volatile Reaction; Tectonic.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

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If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

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Show Notes Episode 9

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken was written by Michael Coorlim, adapted from his novel of the same title. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Audio technicians were Kat O’Connor and Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Clive, played by Vincent Truman
Robert Koning, played by CJ Julianus
Bright Rabbit, a Zuni child, played by Adriana Klisch
The Pekwin, played by Sean Francis
Father Dalton, played by Collins Yearwood
Lhadakwe, played by Deborah Craft
Aldora Fiske, played by Song Marshall
Alton Bartleby, played by James Sparling
Sarah Bartleby, played by Kat O’Connor

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.
Additional music by Kevin MacLeod, at Incompetech.com. Used under a Creative Commons attribution 3.0 license. Titles: Reign Supreme; Greta Sting; Rumination; Stormfront.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes.

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Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

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Second verse, same as the first.

GLAAD’s annual Studio Responsibility Index was released recently, and the bottom line is there was no improvement in the inclusion of LGBT characters in Hollywood movies. Most of these films gave these characters ten minutes or less of screen time, and most of them flunked the Vito Russo test — in other words, there was a “notable resurgence” of LGBT characters who were too often used solely as a punchline.

The Mary Sue has a good overview of the 2016 Studio Responsibility Index. Or check out the study itself.

A little bit louder and a whole lot worse.

Onward… and UCLA’s Bunche Center demonstrates in their annual Hollywood Diversity Report that diverse casts including more women and minority characters is good for the bottom line. Ratings, social media engagement, and financial earnings all reap the rewards of diversity; yet Hollywood still resists that trend. Jobs across the industry, both in front of and behind the camera, go disproportionately and overwhelmingly to white men. As one example, people of color made up 12.9% of the lead roles in 163 films examined for 2014, despite making up 40% of the American population. The numbers in several key areas backslid from the previous year’s report, with women ending up with the shortest of the short straws.

With #OscarsSoWhite trending two years running, you’d think that at least the big studios would be inclined to follow the money. Not yet, I guess.

Check out the Bunche Center’s overview of the study; or take a look at the report itself.

The post Diversity in Hollywood: New Reports Roundup appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

The chase continues, Robert setting off after Iron Horse in his airship. Alton Bartleby, however, has other plans.

Show Notes Episode 8

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken was written by Michael Coorlim, adapted from his novel of the same title. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Audio technicians were Kat O’Connor and Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Alton Bartleby, played by James Sparling
Aldora Fiske, played by Song Marshall
Luther Koning, played by Doug Schuetz
Clive, played by Vincent Truman
Robert Koning, played by CJ Julianus
Florence Bartleby, played by Amanda Meyer
Lhadakwe, played by Deborah Craft
Sarah Bartleby, played by Kat O’Connor

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.
Additional music by Kevin MacLeod, at Incompetech.com. Used under a Creative Commons attribution 3.0 license. Titles: Plans in Motion; On the Shore; Clenched Teeth; Crossing the Divide; Pennsylvania Rose.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

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If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

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Casting update: Whew! There is so much talent in Chicago. Out of 50 or so auditions, we first had to narrow things down to the best two or three for each role.This was not a simple task: we would listen to one audition, nod to each other and shout “Nailed it! This is it unless we’re blown away by the next one.” You know where this is going — we were tempting fate, of course. Naturally, the next one blew us away too.

It took most of yesterday to winnow the field down to two or three for each.Then we took a break so we could come back at it with fresh ears.

Trying to choose just one from the final two or three was really difficult. But we have just finished reaching out to folks inviting them to be a part of our brand-new cast. We are awaiting confirmation from our talent, and then we will be putting together our production schedule, sending scripts out, and getting this show on the road.

So exciting!

The post Cold Reboot: Casting appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Show Notes Episode 7

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken was written by Michael Coorlim, adapted from his novel of the same title. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Audio technicians were Kat O’Connor and Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Alton Bartleby, played by James Sparling
Robert Koning, played by CJ Julianus
Lhadakwe, played by Deborah Craft
Sarah Bartleby, played by Kat O’Connor
Clive, played by Vincent Truman
Luther Koning, played by Doug Schuetz
Aldora Fiske, played by Song Marshall
Florence Bartleby, played by Amanda Meyer

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.
Additional music by Kevin MacLeod, at Incompetech.com. Used under a Creative Commons attribution 3.0 license. Titles: All This; Dark Standoff; Rumination; Pop Goes the Weasel.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 007: Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken, ep 7 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Show Notes Episode 6

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken was written by Michael Coorlim, adapted from his novel of the same title. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Audio technicians were Kat O’Connor and Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Aldora Fiske, played by Song Marshall
Alton Bartleby, played by James Sparling
Robert Koning, played by CJ Julianus
Chester, played by Sean Francis
Luther Koning, played by Doug Schuetz

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.
Additional music by Kevin MacLeod, at Incompetech.com. Used under a Creative Commons attribution 3.0 license. Titles: Lively Lumpsucker; The Reveal; Seven Off; Showdown; Plans in Motion; Call to Adventure.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 006: Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken, ep 6 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

We have roles available for a wide variety of types and ages. We are requesting self-taped voice auditions. Audition sides, breakdowns, and submission instructions are available on our casting call page. Many roles will be doubled, so performers are encouraged to submit for multiple roles.

Submit to our Casting Call Now

Submissions are due by Sunday, May 1, 2016. Submissions must include an audition to be considered. Unless otherwise noted all actors must be local to Chicago and able to attend recording sessions in our studio.

Burning Brigid Media is dedicated to creating stories that normalize roles for the traditionally marginalized. Women, performers of color and LGBT performers are especially encouraged to submit. For this serial we have particular need for Asian-, Polynesian-, and/or Pacific Islander-American talent.

Cold Reboot is a near-future techno-thriller, set in Chicago in 2025. Erica Crawford awakes from a coma with no memory and no record of her existence of the past ten years. She struggles to understand the future she finds herself in, despite the past she has forgotten.

We are looking forward to your submissions!

The post Casting Call: “Cold Reboot” Audio Drama appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Show Notes Episode 5

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken was written by Michael Coorlim, adapted from his novel of the same title. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Audio technicians were Kat O’Connor and Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Alton Bartleby, played by James Sparling
Aldora Fiske, played by Song Marshall
Robert Koning, played by CJ Julianus
Luther Koning, played by Doug Schuetz
Florence Bartleby, played by Amanda Meyer
Clive, played by Vincent Truman
Chester, played by Sean Francis
Diane, played by Joyce Porter
Lhadakwe, played by Deborah Craft
Pilton townsfolk, played by Sean Francis & Kat O’Connor

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.
Additional music by Kevin MacLeod, at Incompetech.com. Used under a Creative Commons attribution 3.0 license. Titles: The Builder; Call to Adventure; Fluffing a Duck; Hidden Agenda; The Show Must Be Go.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

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• The March episode of The Toxic Bag Podcast, where we rejoin Steve Baldwin and Joe Griffin to discuss Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken.
• The archive of the March 26th show from Magick Radio Chicago, where we got to talk with Drew Prince and Bishop Lanie Peterson about a wide breadth of topics, including Synesthesia Theatre, creative technologies, and the importance of supporting the arts.
• We also got another mention on The Dig Podcast: so you can check out what they have to say about us in episodes 63, 64 (our interview), and 65.

Thank you to all the wonderful people who have chatted with us about our work on Synesthesia Theatre! And remember that you, our fans, have a voice too — if you like what we’re doing, you can rate and review us on iTunes, and tell your friends about us!

If you really like what we’re doing, consider supporting us, so we can keep making the audio drama you love. We deeply appreciate your support!

Support Us on Patreon

The post Synesthesia Theatre in the News, Part II appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

And the questions are terrible. Yikes.

Virtually unflappable, Lizze Mae answers all questions with a beaming smile and no small amount of biting sarcasm. Viewers will groan and laugh in equal measure.

There are two seasons available, so pull up a chair and enjoy.

The post What to Watch: Ask a Slave appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Based partly on true events, this 15-minute film paints the story gradually, building layer upon layer like a master oil painter at her canvas. At each turning point, the layers of paint resolve into an image, the details of the story revealing themselves and becoming quietly, suddenly more clear.

I recommend you watch the film, then read the accompanying interview / review for further insight. “We rarely see images of black people on screen as just human beings navigating the complexities of human existence,” Chukwu says. Here is a film that does that, in a deeply moving, deeply human way.

The post What to Watch: A Long Walk appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Illinois had its primary elections, so Michael and I went off to do that first thing.

Then when we got back, we learned that three different media outlets published stories on us and Synesthesia Theatre at once.

• A nice write-up and interview on how we got Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken made from DNAInfo Chicago.
• A phone interview on Synesthesia Theatre, our mission, and Iron Horses with The Dig Podcast.
• A mention in “Community Notes” at The Wild Hunt.

We have some more interviews upcoming. We will once again be chatting with Steve and Joe at the Toxic Bag Podcast a little later this month. And we’ll be on the radio / livestreaming with Drew and Lainie of Magick Radio Chicago, March 26, 7-9pm at 1680AM in Chicago or que4.org.

Hope you will take the time to read or listen, and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Synesthesia Theatre in the News appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Show Notes Episode 4

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken was written by Michael Coorlim, adapted from his novel of the same title. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Audio technicians were Kat O’Connor and Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Alton Bartleby, played by James Sparling
Aldora Fiske, played by Song Marshall
Parker, played by Bill Bullock
Robert Koning, played by CJ Julianus
Luther Koning, played by Doug Schuetz
Brother Schubert, played by Caleb Probst
Mr. Riley, played by Vincent Truman
Florence Bartleby, played by Amanda Meyer

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.
Additional music by Kevin MacLeod, at Incompetech.com. Used under a Creative Commons attribution 3.0 license. Titles: Sneaky Snitch; The Builder; Wagon Wheel; Take a Chance.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 004: Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken, ep 4 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Small-time hustler Jane steals a mysterious device and becomes the focus of a government manhunt and a pair of contract killers. Jane is the focus of the story, independent and cocky, which leads her to the fatal mistake of picking the wrongest mark for her con. Not knowing what it is that she’s stolen, she soon finds herself in over her head, a trail of bodies left in her wake.

It’s great to see female protagonists who are both fiercely autonomous and deeply flawed. She’s not a “nice lady,” and her mistakes are costly, but you’re rooting for her because she’s got depth and humanity. They are mistakes anyone in her position could have made.

The Judas Run loosely ties up its story but leaves the bigger mystery unresolved, as it is a prequel to the feature-length Angle of Incidence, which is fundraising now. So check it out, and if you find The Judas Run intriguing, maybe kick in a couple bucks to the feature, too. What did you think? Let us know in the comments below.

The post What to Watch: The Judas Run appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Their latest offering is DebCam, a hilarious look at what we actors go through (and put ourselves through) for a chance at doing what we love. Self-taping auditions has never been so complicated.

From unpronounceable techno-babble and crushing insecurity, to casting calls where female characters are always “sexy,” we follow along with Deb Cameron (Deborah Craft) as she tries to navigate a way through the weird world of entertainment media.

The first full season is already out, so check out the teaser below, then go binge! Then get ready, because season two premieres on Monday, March 14.

The post What to Watch: DebCam appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Burning Brigid Media Announces Launch of Synesthesia Theatre,
an Audio Drama Anthology Podcast

Chicago, IL – March 3, 2016. Chicago-based media production company Burning Brigid Media has launched Synesthesia Theatre, an audio drama serial anthology podcast. Their first serial is an adaption of the steampunk western novel Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken by Michael Coorlim.

Synesthesia Theatre is conceived as “cinema of the mind,” dedicated to telling engaging stories through well-crafted writing, performances, and sound effects to evoke a cinematic experience in the mind’s eye. Burning Brigid Media is producing full-cast audio drama serials six to twelve episodes in length, starring professional actors from Chicago’s theatre and independent film scenes. Each episode will run “commute length,” between 20 and 30 minutes long. Storylines and genre will vary from serial to serial, but the production company’s focus on fostering representation and the normalization of diverse casts in entertainment media will be prominent.

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken, the first serial featured on Synesthesia Theatre, is a steampunk western. British detective Alton Bartleby scours the American West searching for Sarah, the sister he abandoned ten years prior, accompanied by the man she left at the altar. Nothing can prepare him for what he finds… or who she’s become.

“At first, the story seems to play toward the standard patriarchal attitudes of the early 1900s American Southwest,” explained Kat O’Connor, Co-Founder and Chief Visionary of Burning Brigid Media. “But it then subverts those expectations, revealing there is much more going on than meets the eye. There are several surprises in store for both the characters of the story and the listeners.”

“The novel adapted itself well to the audio drama format,” commented Michael Coorlim, author of the source novel and scriptwriter of the adaptation. “But really, I think that the strength of the serial comes from the skill of the actors. These are some top-tier talents delivering amazing performances.”

The Synesthesia Theatre podcast is available through iTunes, Libsyn RSS, and Burning Brigid Media’s website. Synesthesia Theatre is possible through a fan-supported arts model. For more information, visit burningbrigid.com/synesthesia-theatre.

Burning Brigid Media is a Chicago-based entertainment media production company. Its mission is to contribute to a cultural shift through narratives that normalize stories about the traditionally marginalized: women, minority, and LGBT characters presented as people rather than genres. We create honestly entertaining diverse stories about people, who are people, instead of caricatures. For more information, visit BurningBrigid.com.

Contact:
Kat O’Connor, Co-Founder
podcast@burningbrigid.com
Media Kit

# # #

The post Press Release: Announcing Launch of Synesthesia Theatre appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Alton Bartleby’s investigations commence, as he delves into a mystery ten years gone cold.

Show Notes Episode 3

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken was written by Michael Coorlim, adapted from his novel of the same title. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Audio technicians were Kat O’Connor and Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Luther Koning, played by Doug Schuetz
Alton Bartleby, played by James Sparling
Clive, played by Vincent Truman
Aldora Fiske, played by Song Marshall
Brother Schubert, played by Caleb Probst
Parker, played by Bill Bullock
Mr. Riley, played by Vincent Truman
Robert Koning, played by CJ Julianus
Florence Bartleby, played by Amanda Meyer

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.
Additional music by Kevin MacLeod, at Incompetech.com. Used under a Creative Commons attribution 3.0 license. Titles: Call to Adventure; Sneaky Snitch; Creeping to Ship.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 003: Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken, ep 3 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Confronted with Robert Koning’s rage, detective Alton Bartleby has no choice but to accept a devil’s bargain to save his own skin, and the life of his sister.

Show Notes Episode 2

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken was written by Michael Coorlim, adapted from his novel of the same title. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Audio technicians were Kat O’Connor and Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Alton Bartleby, played by James Sparling
Robert Koning, played by CJ Julianus
Florence Bartleby, played by Amanda Meyer
Luther Koning, played by Doug Schuetz
Ellen, played by Kat O’Connor
Aldora Fiske, played by Song Marshall

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.
Additional music by Kevin MacLeod, at Incompetech.com. Used under a Creative Commons attribution 3.0 license. Title: Promising Relationship.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 002: Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken, ep 2 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

English detective Alton Bartleby travels to the American southwest to rest and recuperate, but instead finds himself confronted by the sins of his past, and the sisters he’d abandoned.

Show Notes Episode 1

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken was written by Michael Coorlim, adapted from his novel of the same title. Produced by Kat O’Connor and Michael Coorlim. Audio technicians were Kat O’Connor and Bill Bullock.

Our cast, in order of appearance:
Lhadakwe, played by Deborah Craft
Sarah Bartleby, played by Kat O’Connor
Parker, played by Bill Bullock
Alton Bartleby, played by James Sparling
Aldora Fiske, played by Song Marshall
Robert Koning, played by CJ Julianus
Florence Bartleby, played by Amanda Meyer

Synesthesia Theatre theme music by Stav Drieman. Learn more at StavMusic.com.
Additional music by Kevin MacLeod, at Incompetech.com. Used under a Creative Commons attribution 3.0 license. Titles: Doh De Oh; Reign Supreme; Decline; End of the Era.

Questions? Comments? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review it on iTunes.

Want to write for us? Find out more here.

Join our mailing list for news, announcements, and an exclusive audio drama download.

If you like what you hear, please consider clicking on the Support Us button. We’ll be your best friend.

Support Synesthesia Theatre

Synesthesia Theatre is a Burning Brigid Media production, copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 001: Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken, ep 1 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Deborah Craft is an actress on the Chicago stage and screen making her premiere podcast appearance in Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken. Deborah is a producer with Fake Geek Girl Productions and emeritus Ensemble Member of Piccolo Theatre. Most recently, her work can be seen on Fake Geek Girl Productions’ YouTube page where she appears in DebCam, which she also wrote and produced, as well as Drinkin Dames and Space Happens. Her recent stage credits include Blue Planet (tribe member and sloth) with Akvavit Theater, Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena) and Six Dead Queens and an Inflatable Henry (Anne of Cleves), both with Piccolo Theatre.

The post Meet the Cast: Deborah Craft appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

James Sparling is a British voiceover and stage actor trained in the UK and US. He has just finished appearing as Sherlock Holmes in the world premiere adaptation of The Seven Per Cent Solution at City Lit. Other favorite roles in the US include Domin in Rossum’s Universal Robots (Strangeloop), Antony in Antony and Cleopatra (Skyline Stageworks), Leo in Paradise Lost (The Agency), Brian in The Shadow Box, Tom in Dinner with Friends (both Rebekah Theatre Project). He has also directed many productions including Separate Tables (Frankfurt English Speaking Theatre), Catch 22 (South London Theatre); Othello, Hamlet and Cabaret (all DST, Durham). He has also appeared at the Edinburgh Festival with the acclaimed Durham Revue and founded the London Revue. He has appeared in several independent films and various commercials.

The post Meet the Cast: James Sparling appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Song Marshall, originally from Los Angeles, has lived all over the country. After acquiring her degree in Theatre she enjoyed roles as Beneatha Younger in Raisin in the Sun and Esther Mills in Intimate Apparel at The Limelight Theatre in St. Augustine, FL. She then moved to Chicago, to continue her dream of acting. She has  worked with The Other Theatre Company as an understudy for their ensemble production of Twilight; Los Angeles, 1992. She is also a resident Ensemble Member of Terra Mysterium. Here she has enjoyed the opportunity of helping create many transformative original works. No stranger to Burning Brigid Media, she portrayed Claire Jaqueme in their first radio drama Simple Harmonic Motion, and she is Beatrice Costa in their webseries Sleep Study.

The post Meet the Cast: Song Marshall appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

When not toiling to achieve the best in bad acting, C.J. spends his time advising the shadow government as to how best perpetuate the human race in the coming post-apocalyptic world. When he emerges from the government’s fortified Appalachian bunkers, he devises potential cures for Chikungunya, attempts the incomprehensible task of reconciling art & commerce, completes the New York Times crossword, hunts game fish in the azure waters of the Caribbean, teaches the best practices of wealth creation to folks around the country, and takes time to press wild flowers, all while juggling pesky calls from various world superpowers.

Iron Horse Can’t be Broken is his latest endeavor, much to the chagrin of listeners near and far. Having cut his acting chops (also referred to as scenery chewing and/or script mangling to those in the know) in Deathtrap as Sidney Bruhl, Misery as Paul Sheldon, South Pacific as Luther Billis, Arsenic and Old Lace as Mortimer Brewster, and The Devil and Daniel Webster as Mr. Scratch (typecast as Satan himself), C.J.’s “talent” has undoubtedly plumbed new, uncharted depths in this radio serial.

With his “acting” an obviously painful experience for everyone, C.J. redirects his petulant energy to directing theatrical productions and corporate video. Hard as it may be to believe, he has directed many well-received shows, including The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, End Days, Den of Thieves, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Dangerous Liaisons, Animal Farm, Hellcab, Escanaba in Da Moonlight, A Flea in Her Ear, Escanaba in Love, God of Carnage, and the world premiere of the epic musical, Zenobia, also written by his saintly wife, Lorrisa Julianus.

With a perfect face for voice-over work, you may recognize his baritone warble from shilling products on television and radio. He is also Co-President of Theatre-on-the-Hill, which takes up just a little of his time.

The post Meet the Cast: C.J. Julianus appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Kat O’Connor is co-founder of Burning Brigid Media and co-producer of Synesthesia Theatre. A collaborative performer who is equal to the challenge of co-creating a story, she has been featured in a number of independent films, including the award-winning short film Hatboxes (Fernwork Productions), Out of Sight (Nebula Creatives), and 16th Street (Studio 22). She played Captain Margaret Kincade in Burning Brigid’s first audio drama, Simple Harmonic Motion. She is also an Ensemble Member of Chicago-based theatre company Terra Mysterium.

The post Meet the Cast: Kat O’Connor appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Amanda is a Chicago-based actor, originally from Indianapolis where she earned her BA in Theatre from Butler University. She is a company member and talent coordinator with Dream Theatre Company in Lincoln Square, where she has appeared in and assisted with multiple productions. Her recent credits include voiceover work for Adagio Teas, appearances in the viral #SelfieGuy video series, commercial work for Innovative Express Care, and local theatre productions at Oil Lamp Theatre, Theatre-Hikes, and Gorilla Tango Theatre. She recently appeared as Sally Applewhite/Mary in It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Oil Lamp Theater in Glenview. She will be appearing in a yet to be announced show at Dream Theatre Company in the spring.

She owes much of her drive and success to fellow actor and fiancé Jonah Winston, as well as the support of her family and friends. To keep up with Amanda’s latest projects check out www.amandalynnmeyer.com.

The post Meet the Cast: Amanda Meyer appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Doug Schuetz is a voiceover artist in Chicago IL specializing in voiceover from projects like Iron Horse to coffee urn cleaning product how-to videos. He performs in the local theatre scene as well as local indie films.  He will be performing with The Artistic Home and their annual Old Time Radio Show Style production of Miracle on 34th Street through the holidays. He has been recently seen at the Citadel Theatre’s production of the farce Don’t Dress for Dinner and the Newspaper One Acts at Jackalope Theatre. Past productions include Her Story Theatre’s production of The Johns as Chase; Welch in Damn Yankees with Light Opera Works; and Pastor Bob in Doubting Thomas at Clockwise Theatre. Other roles include Roxy in Golden Boy with Porchlight; John Roy in the drama Good Thing; and Doc in the farce Leading Ladies at the Buffalo Theatre. He is a cat person, get over it.

In February Doug will be on set for a Columbia College Practicum Film called An Apprenticeship, directed by Galen Wallace. And in April you can catch him at Piven Theatre in Evanston in Dead Man Walking. He also continues to do voiceover work regularly.

The post Meet the Cast: Doug Schuetz appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Caleb Probst voiced numerous roles for Kill Shakespeare and 1001 Chicago Afternoons, audio projects produced by Strawdog Theatre and Access Contemporary Music. Chicago theatre credits include The Madness of George III and Henry V (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Mrs. Warren’s Profession (Remy Bumppo), Johnny Theatre (Chemically Imbalanced), AjaxAntigone, Voodoo Chalk Circle (The State), How I Became a Pirate, and Peter Pan (Emerald City Theater). Regionally he has worked with Michigan Shakespeare Festival, Syracuse Stage, Lost Nation Theatre, and National Players, performing title roles in Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, among others. Caleb is also a writer, director, and teacher in Chicago. He is a teaching artist and company member with Barrel of Monkeys, and is the primary educator for the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation. He holds a BFA in drama from Syracuse University.

The post Meet the Cast: Caleb Probst appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Bill Bullock has been performing all over Chicago and beyond for over four years. Bill’s brand of comedy revolves around raucous, confessional, and personal (sometimes very personal) storytelling. Mix that with a neurotic self-awareness and an extremely opinionated wit, and you have a comic who can appeal to all types of audiences. He has performed in nearly every room of note in the Chicagoland area, including Arguments & Grievances, Entertaining Julia, The Bronzeville Comedy Showcase with NPR’s Brian Babylon, The Nerd Comedy Festival at Stage 773, and Zanies Rosemont. He has been accepted into Gilda’s Laugh Fest in Grand Rapids, MI, The Chicago Nerd Comedy Festival, headlined the Drop Comedy Club in South Bend, IN, and most recently was selected to host at the Comedy Club on State in Madison, WI for the recording of Comedian Shane Mauss’ newest hour special.

In addition to this, he is an experienced show producer and host. He is currently co-producer and co-host of two wildly popular showcases in Chicago’s hip Logan Square, and the host of one in Wicker Park.

Congrats on Your Success (now in its third year) is a rollicking standup showcase, packing huge audiences into a tiny local bookstore. Chicagoist called it “Logan Square’s favorite comedy showcase.” And the Chicago Reader called it “the original comedy-show-in-an-unexpected-location.”

He is also one of the minds behind the episodic variety show Cole’s Chicago Cabaret, which finished its first run in November, and entered its second season in February. This late-night style showcase features standup comedy, plus variety acts like operatic singers, mentalists, and rapping-violinists. Chicagoist said it aims to be like “The Ed Sullivan Show but with more glam and poignant filth.”

Bill is also a featured performer in ACTUAL MURDERERS, a new sketch comedy team backed by the minds behind Chicago Underground Comedy (ChUC).

In 2015 Bill was named Best Comedian in Logan Square by LoganSquarist.com

If you need him, he’ll be at the bar.

The post Meet the Cast: Bill Bullock appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Vincent Truman is a Chicago playwright, composer, author, filmmaker and actor. His plays include “The Observatory,” which was heralded as one of the top 10 independent shows of 2011, as well as “Venus Envy,” “Killing Angela,” and “Featherstone.” Books include the short-story compendium “Ugly Bungalow,” and the cartoon collection, “This Is My First Time So Please Be Brutal.” Truman is the third of two children and currently lives in Chicago with his pet peeves.

The post Meet the Cast: Vincent Truman appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Sound Effects in Audio Drama

Foley is often produced on mic, by the actors as they read their lines, including much of the physical conflict. We had actors slapping themselves around, grunting, etc during fight scenes. I’m also using the term to describe any sounds we’re using that weren’t produced live, but simulated live during the editing process, recorded, and used.

Sound Effects are, fortunately, easy to come by thanks to sites like freesound.org. You can filter by attribution requirements; I stick to the creative commons no-attribution effects because we use a lot and we don’t want the end-credits getting too long.

Music was interesting. Underscoring is the mood music played under a scene. We don’t use much of this, because I believe that the actors have done an excellent job of conveying emotion through their lines.

Source Music is the music that’s playing in-scene, stuff the characters can hear. I actually stumbled across a really cool resource for this… the UCSB Cylinder Archive presents recordings of wax cylinders from the dawn of the 20th century. I was even able to search by date of release to find era-appropriate music.

Bridges are transitions from scene to scene. They’re short, usually only a few seconds long, and guide the listener into the mood we want them in coming into the next scene. Really helpful to keep the pacing and tension on track.

Atmospherics are how we set the scene. Just a few seconds of background noise to give the listener a sense of context.

The key, as I’ve found, is not to strive for realism but to use sounds which resonate as ‘true’ within the mind of the audience.

Here’s a sample of what we’ve got so far, from Episode one:

I estimate that it’ll take between two and three weeks to wrap up the sound for all 11 episodes, and then we move on to phase three, the final polish.

The post Post Production Phase 2 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Collins Yearwood has acted in Shakespeare plays, comedies, and also has extensively trained as an improv actor at Second City. He is currently developing a screenplay about a love pentagon that gets a little messy. During the day, he makes a living doing communications work at a large health insurance company. He also holds an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. He has two fabulous daughters, Kai and Zuri, with whom he spends most of his time.

The post Meet the Cast: Collins Yearwood appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Joyce Porter’s previous voice work includes several commercials and industrials and two audiobooks. Most recently she voiced a computer in a short film. She has acted in over 50 films and 40 plays. Earlier this year she played a psychic in My Haunted House on the Lifetime Movie Channel. She holds an M.A. in theater from Northwestern University and has spent many years as a professor teaching theater, film, humanities and speech.

Catch Joyce in the independent feature film Bachelors Grove.

The post Meet the Cast: Joyce Porter appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

One of the biggest challenges in not being able to completely control the noise from the outside world was the afternoon that an earth mover somewhere in the neighborhood decided to remain in reverse gear for the better part of an afternoon. We attempted to wait it out, but ultimately the distant (but piercing) beeping continued off and on for hours. Rather than lose half a day of production, we continued in the hopes we could remove it later. This required something of a learning curve on my part — while I knew that a notch filter would probably do the trick, finding the correct frequency to filter out was both the key to success, and a far bigger challenge.

A notch filter is so named because on a line graph showing the volume of each frequency, the volume of a specific frequency is “pulled” down to an inaudible level, making a deep “notch” in the line of the graph. It took several hours of playing around with spectrograms to find the specific frequency of the beeping. Since it was at a much different pitch than the voices, filtering out a narrow band of frequency would leave the vocals largely untouched. Once I stumbled upon the correct frequency, applying the filter worked beautifully, completely removing the beeps without audible damage to the performance. In my audio post-production learning curve, it’s my biggest success so far.

I am eager to finish the clean-up so we can begin with sound effects and atmosphere, really putting the final touches on each episode. The performances we got are gorgeous, and I really can’t wait to share the final product with you.

The post Post-Production: phase 1 appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

With a cast of over a dozen local Chicago actors producing an 11-part story, Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken has been an ambitious first season for the series. It’s been a long road, and in a certain sense the work has just begun, as there’s a lengthy post-production task still ahead. Some of it went smoothly. Our actors were the height of professionalism, and brought a lot of talent to what we were doing. Each of them are experienced in film, theater, or both, and every one of them invested themselves enthusiastically in the story we were telling. However, wrangling the schedules of over a dozen actors, many of whom are in other shows or have day jobs, is not easy. Scheduling was a bit of a mini-nightmare, breaking each part down into scenes and then trying to schedule recording dates for when everyone was available.

Click to view slideshow.

Home recording studio woes

The large cast had another downside… we were recording in a home studio with a single mic, and it was impossible to get more than four actors around it at once, so this involved a bit of a dance in some of the more complex scenes.

More frustrating, however, was having to stop every time there was significant noise from outside… and being under a flight path to O’Hare International Airport, that occasionally meant frequent interruptions. Not to mention car horns, dog barks, sirens, leaf-blowers… and cicadas. Oh those cicadas.

But it was awesome!

But these troubles were a trifle compared to the magic of getting great performances out of everybody. We are very, very excited by what we got. Over the next few weeks, leading up to the January launch of Synesthesia Theatre, we’ll be shining a spotlight on each of our actors, so you can get to know them before you hear them.

Can’t wait until January?

Want to get a taste of our audio drama work? Want to hear an example of just what audio drama is?

Burning Brigid Media’s first audio drama, Simple Harmonic Motion, is available as a free download to everyone who signs up for our mailing list. This 30-minute production stars Kat O’Connor and Song Marshal, two of the actors from the upcoming Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken.

Sign up, download the audio, and give it a listen.

Get Simple Harmonic Motion

The post “Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken” has wrapped appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

We’re recording scene by scene as chronologically as can be managed based on actor availability and general timing, contending with the sounds of the city outside our apartment… far more time was lost waiting for planes to finish flying overhead than due to lines being flubbed. Thank goodness we’ve taken that into account.

Click to view slideshow.

A few notes about these photos:

• CJ is often facing away from the mic because his explosive lines often blow out our levels.
• I forgot about taking production photos until we were nearly done
• That’s why we only get one picture of Doug sort of hanging out.
• For those familiar with the book, James is voicing Bartleby, Bill is voicing Parker, CJ is voicing Robert, Amanda is voicing Florence, Kat is voicing Sarah, Doug is voicing Luther, and Vincent is both Clive and Riley. Kat and Bill were also kind enough to serve as audio techs.

The post Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken recording session one appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

It’s a tough role to fill, not for reasons of difficulty, but for reasons of specificity. Iron Horse is a Native American trans-man, and the actor has to have a vocal quality that leaves his gender somewhat ambiguous. Limiting our selection further is that we’re recording locally, so the actor needs to be in or near Chicago.

We would love to cast a Native American actor

Burning Brigid Media is a production company with a mission, and part of that mission is to create roles open to people of color. Iron Horse is a Native American, and we would love to cast a Native American actor in the role. There are, in fact, two other minor Native American roles, and our first choice would be to cast Native American actors in all of them.

However, we cannot. We have not gotten any auditions from Native American actors.

Fishing from a small pool

That’s simply the reality we have to deal with, here. Burning Brigid Media is a small production company with limited reach and few resources. Unlike the major studios, whose potential casting pool is “the world,” we can only choose from the actors who submit auditions to us.

We can reach out to specific casting networks (and our casting call was reposted to the Native American Casting group on Facebook three times) and talk to the contacts we have in the city, but in the end, we have the pool of applicants that we have, and we have to be satisfied with it.

If we cannot get a Native American transgender actor to play Iron Horse, then we will try to get a Native American or transgender actor to play Iron Horse. If we cannot get a Native American or transgender actor, then we will have to get a non-native cis-gender actor to play the role, and we will do so with the utmost of respect.

In the end, we, as a production company, can do our best to create opportunities for minority actors in roles they may not usually get. And we can still tell stories featuring marginalized characters. And that’s something we’ll have to be satisfied with.

The Power is Yours!

If you are yourself a Native American or transgender actor interested in the role of Iron Horse, or you think you know someone who might be interested in auditioning for the role, by all means visit our casting page and give it a go. We would love to hear from you.

Really.

We would.

The post Casting Iron Horse appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

We are extending the audition submission deadline until Monday, August 31, 2015. Production will take place in Chicago, weekends in September/October. We have roles available for a wide variety of types and ages. We are requesting self-taped voice auditions. Audition sides, breakdowns, and submission instructions are available on our casting call page. Performers are encouraged to submit for multiple roles.

Submit an Audition Now

Burning Brigid Media is dedicated to creating stories that normalize roles for the traditionally marginalized. Women, performers of color and LGBT performers are especially encouraged to submit.

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken is a steampunk western thriller, set in the 1910s American Southwest. It centers around the disappearance of a British nobleman’s sister, and a Zuni Two-Spirit Arrow Priest, exploring themes of family duty and cultural imperialism. It will be distributed through Synesthesia Theatre, our upcoming audio drama podcast. If you’d like to hear a sample of our audio drama work, check out Simple Harmonic Motion.

Available roles:

Iron Horse (Principal, transgender/female presenting as male/androgynous/ambiguous voice,  late 20s, Southwestern American Accent or Native American accent)
Zuni Native American transgender/third gender mechanic fugitive with a number of chips on his shoulders. Doesn’t forgive easy. Devoted to his wife, Sarah.

Chester (Supporting, Male, 20s, Southwestern American Accent)
Small town deputy and desert guide. Earnest. Gullible.

Parker (Supporting, Male, African American, Southwestern American Accent)
Easy-going man working as a small-town barber in a town full of white folks. Knows a lot of secrets, knows to keep his mouth shut.

Bright Rabbit (Day Player, Any Gender, pre-teen, Southwestern American Accent or Native American accent)
Curious Zuni youth.

Corn Woman (Day Player, Female, 40s-60s, Southwestern American Accent or Native American accent)
An elderly Zuni woman, unfond of rude Anglo visitors.

Father Dalton (Day Player, Male, 30s, Educated American accent)
Burnt-out Catholic missionary serving the Zuni pueblo in a perfunctory manner.

The Pekwin (Day Player, Male, 40s-60s, Southwestern American or Native American accent)
The true spiritual leader of the Zuni community.

Submit an Audition Now

The post Casting call EXTENDED: Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Yet another study, this one from the Media, Diversity, and Social Change Initiative at the University of Southern California, demonstrates just how bad the lack of diversity in Big Studio Hollywood movies is. The new data basically confirms previous studies; adding to the growing body of evidence that Hollywood has a problem, and it’s not going away.

Read an Overview of the Study

One particularly troubling data point discovered in this study is “no female actors over 45 years of age performed a lead or co-lead role” in the 100 top-grossing films of 2014. This despite the fact that men continue to be cast as stars well into middle age and beyond, their peak earnings coming at the age of 51, versus women’s peak earnings at age 34.

If that’s not a clear statement that women’s stories are only valued as narratives of an attractive object — attractive to a very narrow sensibility — I don’t know what is.

Hollywood producers view the world through a very specific and very narrow lens. This lens only captures a tiny fraction of our reality, our cultures, and our lives. We are real people with stories of our own, stories that exist, and have always existed, whether the guys in charge wanted to acknowledge them or not. At a time when Hollywood has seemingly run out of new ideas, choosing instead to create more formulaic sequels and reboots, isn’t it way past time to tap into this treasure trove of untold stories?

See the Full Study Here

The post Inequality in Hollywood: Yet Another Study appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

We have been hard at work completing the scripts for the first mini-series audio drama for our podcast Synesthesia Theatre. We ended up with eleven episodes and a very exciting story.

Today we move into the casting stage, and we very much look forward to hearing from, and ultimately working with, some of the best talent in the country that can be found right here in Chicago.

We have roles available for a wide variety of types and ages. We are requesting self-taped auditions. Submissions are due by Sunday, August 16, 2015. More details, breakdowns, and sides are available on our Casting Call page. Performers are encouraged to submit for multiple roles.

   Submit for Cast   

In addition, we are also seeking seeking musicians/composers and an audio technician. Details are also available on the Casting/Crew Call page. We’d love to find good people for long-term collaboration, but are open to one-time collaborations as well.

   Submit for Crew   

Burning Brigid media is dedicated to creating narratives that normalize stories for the traditionally marginalized, as well as providing expanded opportunities behind the scenes. Women, people of color and LGBT performers and crew are especially encouraged to submit.

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken is a steampunk western thriller, set in the 1910s American Southwest. It centers around the disappearance of a British nobleman’s sister, and a Zuni Two-Spirit Arrow Priest, exploring themes of family duty and cultural imperialism.

Thank you in advance for your submissions!

The post Now Casting: “Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken” appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

This is definitely the case with Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken. Explosions, galvanic engines, hot air balloon fights, ancient clockwork siege engines…

That’s one of the most vital skills when writing and producing audio. Learning how to use sound to plant suggestions in the mind of your listeners.

Audio vs Literature vs Film

It’s vital to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each media if you’re going to flit between them as a creator. I come from a background as an author, and what prose does very well is immerse you in the headspace of your viewpoint characters. Your words can put the reader in the mind of your protagonist; you know what it’s like to be what they’re being.

It’s very intimate.

Film, on the other hand, lacks that intimacy. Film is about the visual. Ideally, with film, you can tell the story without any dialog. Film is about directing the eye, about showing, not telling. While the writing and sound design of course matter, film is all about the cinematography. Playing with light and color and perspective to create art.

Audio is the opposite. Dialog is the most vital part of an audio production, and you need to write it with a particular brand of cleverness where you can tell the audience everything they need to know, while still sounding natural and organic. When possible, you can use sound effects to cut out some of that expository dialog; blow a train whistle, and no character has to exclaim that the train has arrived.

It requires a light touch and a keen sense of the impressions you’re creating. Moreso than literature and film, audio requires the writer and producer to be able to step aside and forget about all the story parts the audience won’t know in order to judge how effective they’re being.

I’m pleased to say that I’ve been able to make the transition smoothly.

The Adaptation Process

With Iron Horses I first wrote the novel’s rough draft, set it aside, then approached it with an eye for audio. My challenge was to present all of the character’s internal life in an external way without making it sound ridiculous. An easy solution would have been to include noirish voice-overs, but that device didn’t fit a steampunk western.

Instead, I came up with additional ways to infer the same information when possible, sometimes by expanding the spoken dialog, other times through carefully selected sound effects.

But it’s fast. I wasn’t prepared for how fast the writing goes when it’s all laid out for you. Some segments require little more than a format change.

What’s Next

It’ll take me a few days to wrap up the writing, and then we’ll be ready to cast our voice actors. We’ll be using our film experience to break down the script into easy-to-produce chunks, recording it out of order based on the logistics of getting each scene’s actors around the microphone. Most scenes only require two or three actors, some will need more.

Production should be quick. Post production may take a bit longer, but we’re coming up with our own efficient processes as we go.

Either way, it’s been an exciting process so far, and is about to get even more amazing.

The post The Adaptation Game appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

We hope you’ve had a happy 4th of July weekend. We’ve been busy — as previously mentioned, we’re hard at work writing the story for the first audio drama mini-series that will launch our podcast, Synesthesia Theatre. Our writing process is very collaborative — I’m sort of “big picture,” with a bent towards story concepting and the development of the themes and ideas we want to get across in the story. Michael is the details guy, writing the actual scripts once we’ve figured out the themes he’s writing to.

So we have come together on a number of occasions during the writing process to collaborate on the overall plot and character arcs as Michael is plotting and writing the story. When we brainstorm together, our initial ideas build on each other and become stronger. So earlier today, we were breaking the story around the climactic events of the plot. And I’m really excited by what we came up with. No spoilers here — you’ll have to listen to the podcast when we release it — but I will say that it’s a wonderful subversion of expectations, both those of the characters, and those of our listeners. You will think you’ve seen this narrative and these old familiar tropes before; you will be wrong, delightfully so, making a strong statement about both the characters and our own habits of thinking. And we do it in a way that allows for — requires — genuine depth and complexity of character. We re-examine the ideas of “strength” and “weakness” and point out that we very often have very limiting preconceptions of what those things are.

Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken is a steampunk western taking place in the 1910s American Southwest. We expect to start casting shortly; and with any luck we should be able to launch Synesthesia Theatre by fall.

Simple Harmonic Motion

Don’t forget that our first audio drama is now available as a free download. Just sign up for our mailing list (also a good way to keep informed of casting calls, news, and the launch of Synesthesia Theatre) and we’ll send you a link to the download.

The post Synesthesia Theatre update: Iron Horses Can’t Be Broken appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Tears of joy, over here. How long have we worked toward this? And in a happy bit of synchronicity, the repeal of DOMA was exactly two years ago. Maybe SCOTUS did that on purpose…

We have much more work to do, but for today, we celebrate — do we ever:

Thank you, Sirs!

Love won. #MarriageEquality

— Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) June 26, 2015

Wow. So moved to hear such amazing news. What a beautiful day. Grateful to those who have worked so tirelessly for equality. #lovewins

— Elliot Page (@TheElliotPage) June 26, 2015

It's a new day. Thank you Supreme Court. Thank you Justice Kennedy. Your opinion is profound, in more ways than you may know. #huzzah

— Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) June 26, 2015

So far this morning I wrote a song in a cemetery, watched my wife's prenatal exam, and quietly celebrated the SCOTUS decision by retweeting.

— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) June 26, 2015

if you were wondering, @hollyherself, yes, Your Father and I colluded to get this Supreme Court ruling on your 30th birthday. WE LOVE YOU.

— Amanda Palmer (@amandapalmer) June 26, 2015

When I checked Twitter this morning #LoveWins pic.twitter.com/RYsPJKx1F2

— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) June 26, 2015

I felt the same way.

https://twitter.com/JillBidenVeep/status/614439317558181889

The best part is that this is not hard to imagine at all.

This decision recognizes the fundamental truth that our love is all equal. Today is a great day for America. #LoveWins -mo

— First Lady- Archived (@FLOTUS44) June 26, 2015

Today the Supreme Court fulfilled the words engraved upon its building: ‘Equal justice under law.’

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) June 26, 2015

Celebratory and emotional photos from the Supreme Court after pro-marriage equality ruling http://t.co/SzGfyu3Ie1 pic.twitter.com/IKdbzSSpcu

— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) June 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/raymondbraun/status/614434790893297664

This is me from a Prop 8 rally, but seems appropriate for today too #SCOTUS #MarriageEquality #LoveWins #all50states pic.twitter.com/6bv5RJe6lI

— Eric Rosswood (@LGBT_Activist) June 26, 2015

I'm crying. My best friend is officiating my marriage in September. The injustice for her and her partner has been weighing on my heart.

— Olivia A. Cole (@RantingOwl) June 26, 2015

THIS . IS .AMAZING . pic.twitter.com/MXagYri9m7

— cris (@crisspycorn) June 26, 2015

Northstar and Kyle. Time to renew your vows! #LGBaeT pic.twitter.com/jytCN4oE5T

— Black Girl Nerds (@BlackGirlNerds) June 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/614549006266400769

Sitting at home with my wife. Waiting for SCOTUS to show up with our new gay spouses.

— kyle cassidy (@kylecassidy) June 26, 2015

Ha!

https://twitter.com/geekbarchicago/status/614536085671145472

We love Geek Bar.

Is the US perfect? Not even close. Is the US better now than it was before Obama came to office? Yes! Celebrate this. pic.twitter.com/Tjh3FoS2vS

— MJCook (@marcyjcook) June 26, 2015

Boom!

Love doesn’t know that it is bound…

The post #LoveWins, and the Internet celebrates All. Day. Long. appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

casting note that came w/script I got today. For real. name of male star rhymes with Madam Panhandler hahahaha I die pic.twitter.com/lCWGTV537t

— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) June 18, 2015

Rough, right? It’s something actors see a lot of in Hollywood: casually sexist casting calls that overtly or covertly expose and reinforce the film industry’s deep-rooted sexism.

It’s something that’s getting more exposure thanks to tumblr blogs like Casting Call Woe, which showcases the more extreme casting call requirements sent to all people, and more specifically through Lady Parts which focuses on the extra hurdles that women face.

While we’re proud of Rose speaking out against what it is she’s facing, even where she is in her career, sexism reared its ugly head again when her agent fired her as a result of her “unprofessionalism.” Despite it all, she remains cheerfully defiant.

I just got fired by my wussy acting agent because I spoke up about the bullshit in Hollywood. Hahaha. #douchebags #awesome #BRINGIT

— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) June 25, 2015

While one of McGowen’s agents, Sheila Wenzel, left the agency shortly after, it had reportedly been in the works prior to Rose’s controversial tweet, leaving her with Steve Muller. Rose was further quick to defend Wenzel:

Sheila Wenzel is a wonderful agent that ceased working with Innovative before my firing. She's a good, strong woman I'm proud to know.

— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) June 25, 2015

While no further details are available, it is reasonably safe to assume that Sheila Wenzel was not the agent who fired Rose McGovern for the high crime of being a woman speaking her mind about sexism in Hollywood.

The post McGowan dropped for speaking against sexism appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Sample scene:

Get Simple Harmonic Motion Now

Synesthesia Theatre update

Simple Harmonic Motion can be considered “episode 0” of Synesthesia Theatre, a bi-weekly audio drama anthology series podcast. We have been in pre-production for the last several weeks: scripts for the first mini-series are nearly complete, and we anticipate sending out casting notices in about a month. We’ve spent our time with Simple Harmonic Motion developing our approach to production, editing, and post-production (and learning from our mistakes), so we can be as efficient as possible as we move into the production phase.

Our first mini-series will be a steampunk mystery, set in the 1910s American Southwest. It centers around the disappearance of a British nobleman’s sister, and a Zuni Two-Spirit Arrow Priest.

Keep an eye out for our launch announcement, here and on the mailing list. We hope you will check it out!

The post We’ve released our first audio drama! appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

We have perhaps been a bit too quiet in regards to our creative work here, but we have been very busy. Our first audio play, Simple Harmonic Motion, has been in production and post for the past several weeks; while simultaneously we are writing scripts for the first mini-series for the Synesthesia Theatre audio drama podcast.

My focus, in particular, was on planning and learning how to make the best quality audio we can. I am not an audio engineer by any means, so I’ve been spending a lot of time on what, for me, is a fairly steep learning curve.

Some things are obvious; for example, if you want to process different voices / characters to have different effects, those vocal tracks will have to be recorded separately and mixed together in post.

Some things are less obvious. I think the biggest challenge for me was learning how to think about sound in an entirely new way. In a podcast, it’s not background, nor even background enhancement. I had to consider things like: how do I get rid of background noise? How does sound change when it becomes more distant? How do you break down a sound effect into its component parts? How does pacing affect tension and emotion? What’s the technical process for achieving the effect I hear in my head?

As of today, however, we have a nearly-finished product, except for recording and adding in the end credits. And I’m pretty proud of what we’ve achieved. I made some mistakes at first, and wandered down quite a few technical blind alleys, but at the end of it all, it sounds as compelling as we had hoped.

Simple Harmonic Motion is a near-future speculative fiction story about an astronaut, her friend and colleague at Ground Control, and their experimental heuristic computer. I won’t spoil it for you with any further details, but it is an exciting, high-tension story.

We’re looking at Simple Harmonic Motion as “episode 0” of the Synesthesia Theatre series of audio plays. It will be given away free to everyone who joins our mailing list, or supports our Patreon. I think we can expect this to release within the next two weeks.

The official launch of the Synesthesia Theatre podcast is coming soon! We’re looking to finalize scripts, cast, and go into production within approximately the next month. We will, of course, announce when we start releasing episodes here and on the mailing list.

As always, we thank you for your support.

The post Behind-the-Scenes: Audio Drama & Post-Production appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

In truth, I’m not sure I have that much to add to what’s already out there, other than: this is the very thing that we are striving for in our own productions.

• It assumes the audience is smart. There is very little time spent on exposition — of the details of the cult of the War Boys, of how Furiosa lost her arm. You, as audience, are simply plopped into the middle of the world and expected to keep up. Unsurprisingly, it works, and you do, as much as you need to… while allowing for some mystery, some hooks that make you curious and interested in the world and the characters, allowing future paths to explore them — or not.
• It assumes women are capable, fully realized human beings, even when other characters don’t. One of the best parts of the film is that no one ever questions Furiosa’s competence as a warrior. There’s no hint of “she’s good… for a woman.” “For a woman” is not part of the vocabulary. She is not doubted or asked to prove herself. Her abilities are taken as a given. And, even in a world where women are commonly underestimated, the film demonstrates these women being clever enough to use that to their advantage.
• There is a great deal of nuance, but it’s not a sermon, nor is it “about feminism” — it’s just a really great story. As others around the Internet have said: YES. THAT IS THE POINT.
• The creators and talent behind the film were more interested in telling that really great story than in proving anything. Check out this panel from Cannes: not only is Tom Hardy honestly boggled by the idea that he should be bothered by women “taking over a man’s movie,” but George Miller expands on how exactly this “pro-feminist film” came about — he wanted to tell a really compelling story, and the themes arose quite naturally from that.

It’s not “agendas,” it’s honesty. Compelling stories emerge organically from honesty. Honesty comes from embracing that there are many perspectives, many kinds of people, and many stories to be told.

I certainly hope that we see more like Mad Max moving forward.

The post Mad Max: Fury Road — what we’ve been waiting for appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Burning Brigid Media is producing SHM as a free download for everyone who signs up for our mailing list, a sort of introduction to the work we’re planning for Synesthesia Theatre. In a very real way, Simple Harmonic Motion might be seen as “Episode Zero”.

It’s a new thing.

This was my first time directing audio. While I’ve done some work in film, and have produced audiobook versions of my novels, and I’ve been doing my own podcast for three months now, I’d never produced and directed an audio drama.

For the most part this consisted of me sitting at one end of a table while the actors read their lines into the mic. I had three basic jobs:

1. Watching the audio levels to make sure they stay in the safe decibel zone.
2. Listening and evaluating the actors’ performances.
3. Listening for accidental outside noises, like dogs barking, cars outside, airplanes overhead.
4. Reading the parts we weren’t recording. This was a mistake. More on this later.

How we were recording:

Since we’re only using one mic and no mixer for this project, we can only produce one audio track at a time. This isn’t a huge problem; we can fit two or three actors around the same mic, and individual scenes seldom include more characters.

In Simple Harmonic Motion, we have three characters, one of whom is a computer whose dialog is entirely made up of pre-recorded sound files.

While we could have recorded both our human characters at once, one of them is communicating with the other remotely. As such, her tracks will be heavily processed to make them seem artificial, while the “live” actor’s won’t. Thus, it made sense to record each actor separately on their own track.

However, we wanted the actors to play off of each other emotionally, so I didn’t want to just have each recording their own lines in a vacuum. Instead, we performed the script twice, once for each actor, while the other actor fed them lines to react against.

The biggest challenge here was to make sure they didn’t step on each others’ lines at all, so we’d have a “clean” set to harvest during post-processing.

My mistake

During the first read-through, I would read the lines the computer-character would be saying (as they were all pre-recorded), so my attention was flickering between the script, the audio, and the digital waveforms to make sure everything was going well.

Man.

Have you ever tried to talk while listening to yourself on a pair of headphones with a slight delay? It’s weird, man. You really start to slur your speech. And it’s super distracting.

I had enough to do splitting my focus between the visual waveform and the sound of the audio. That’s my big takeaway from this first production; know your limits when multitasking.

It was awesome.

Despite that quickly resolved error, directing Simple Harmonic Motion was a blast. I’m on to writing out more audiodrama for Synesthesia Theatre, while Kat is editing the tracks together.

I’m pleased with how the performances turned out, and we’re going to see how long it takes us to turn the raw audio footage into a complete project.

When it’s done, we’ll be sending it to everyone on our mailing list – so sign up if you want a copy.

The post Producing Audio appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Synesthesia Theatre is an audio-drama podcast

We’re going to be producing monthly audio-dramas with local Chicago talent, actors and writers, streamed as a podcast. Each audio-play will be twenty to thirty minutes long, many with a genre or speculative-fiction twist to them. Our second episode each month will be an interview with the cast of the episode, where we’ll talk to them about their work, the play, and their other projects.

Twenty to thirty minutes long seems like a good length for an average commute. If you’re on the El here in Chicago, you’ll have time for two. This will not be a serial. Most episodes will stand perfectly well on their own, but we’re not ruling out mini-series at some point.

It will be available free here on the blog, and you will be able to subscribe to it on iTunes or through our RSS feed.

Why “Synesthesia Theatre”?

Audio is a very different media than film or prose. We’re going to be trying to paint a picture inside your skull. Listening will be the process of translating words and sounds into images — a movie inside your head. It is going to be a sensory experience.

How does this fit Burning Brigid’s Mission?

Our first priority will be to provide you with consistent and entertaining stories. We’re not about preaching, but we will strive to present listeners with diverse casts and characters that represent all people, regardless of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. We want you to hear stories about people who are like you, and people who are unlike you.

And we want you to be too entertained to notice the difference.

When do we get started?

Soon.

We’re writing scripts, acquiring equipment, scheduling production, and reaching out to local performers. We want to get started as soon as possible, but we also want to have a few episodes produced before we start releasing them.

Give it a month, maybe.

If you want to be kept up to date on our progress, I would suggest signing up for our mailing list. That’s where we’ll be announcing the launch. We’re going to have an exclusive audio-drama only given to the people on the list, and that’s already 60% complete. It’ll be available to those on the list before we launch the podcast.

If you’re interested and you also want to support us, you are also invited to donate to our Patreon. Give as much or as little as you want, and you’ll not only get the same information as the people on the list, but you’ll get other exclusive content as well.

Either way, you’ll be hearing from us soon.

The post Synesthesia Theatre appeared first on Burning Brigid Media.

Also tellingly, for the first time the Report includes study of the demographics of the creators and decision-makers behind television and film; and those decision-makers are overwhelmingly white and male.

Read an Overview of the Study

In this study, representation in shows is calculated relative to their share of the U.S. population. Women and minorities remain under-represented across cable, broadcast television, and film; although there were some improvements over the results of the first study, which examined the 2011-2012 viewing season. In general, minorities fared better than women, marking gains in diversity almost across the board, while roles for women decreased in film and broadcast television, and remained largely the same — and vastly unequal — in cable TV.

We have clearly also made striking gains over this past year, though they are not included in this study. At the same time, the overwhelming whiteness of this year’s Oscars demonstrates that we still have a long way to go.

But the positive take-away we can get from all this: viewers want to see themselves, their friends, colleagues, and neighbors in the shows they watch; and they are being heard. Things in the establishment change at a glacial pace, but they are changing. Those of us in the indie world can add pressure by creating even more stories that accurately reflect diversity; and those of you who like watching these stories can add your own voices by choosing to watch them. You have the power to keep the pressure for change on. You can vote with your eyes and your dollars.

Download the Full Study Results Here

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